Reviews

Worth watching for the acting

I was very excited when I started watching this drama because of Woo Dohwan who is basically one of my favorite actors (yes he is handsome but his acting skills are pretty amazing too).

At the beginning, I was really intrigued about his character Hae Jo. And the first half of the drama was really exciting and fun!!! the whole chase through the country, the drama, the funny moments were on point, if only the drama had continued like that…

Basically, after they got rescued from the island and came back to Seoul everything went down the drain…
In my opinion there was a lot of unnecessary drama and the plot was not moving on. The main lead was sulking and treating Jae Mi like trash and it kept on going back and forth. I got quite bored during a few episodes to be honest…
And then the scene when Hae Jo leaves Jae Mi in front of her mother’s door and runs away! Why??? Why did he have to run away??? I was sooo confused! What was the point anyway if you were gonna go back to Seoul afterwards? I thought he was gonna start his journey to look for his father with Heung but no they just went back to Seoul!!! I got really annoyed tbh and I also got annoyed at Jae Mi a couple of times. At the beginning she was acting like a spoiled child, punching Hae Jo and telling him to die etc. I think thats a little bit too much to say to someone, no matter how shitty they treated you…
Ofc I was also a little bit annoyed at Hae Jo at times. Why did he have to agree to kidnap the first woman from her wedding? And why did he say such mean things to Jae Mi in their first relationship? And then being so egocentric and kidnapping her and throwing away her shoes etc.
In general I also found it kinda sad how quickly and easily Jae Mi got over Heung and the treatment of his mother and how easy it was for her to move on and fall in love with Hae Jo again… I don’t think she was really in love with him… he was just a nice man she wanted to have kids with…

And finally, I was reallyyyy annoyed about how the drama started with the search for Hae Jo’s father but was never finished!!!! Like what was the point of watching (except for Woo Dohwan’s naked upper body)??? We already knew how it was gonna end (him dying in the snow) so what other new information did we gain??? I was very confused and quite disappointed to be honest…

The storyline is definitely lacking and most of the characters were very problematic too. However here are some good points:

1. The quotes: Hae Jo had some impressive quotes and it brought me to tears many times.
2. In general it did have some tearjerking moments. I dont understand why the movie’s genre is romance/comedy… it is more of a drama imo.
3. The acting skills!!! Like no matter how annoying some characters were, the actors brought them to life sooo well and authentically… Kudos to all of these high class actors.
4. The music especially the instrumental one in dramatically sad scenes (for example when Hae Jobwas dying in the snow). It was one of the reasons I got hooked on the show. The music, directing and screenplay were done sooo well!!! I couldn’t stop thinking about it…

In general I think it is okay to watch it if you are interested but be prepared for some toxic characters and relationships…

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A Second Chance Story Destroyed by Stupid Writer and Terrible Director

The drama Rebirth should honestly be renamed Refuck, because watching it feels like being trapped in a loop of the same bad writing, bad decisions, and recycled nonsense again and again.

Watch it only if you have too much time, nothing better to do, and a high tolerance for recycled stupidity.

The plot is a mess. The female lead is written as a perpetual damsel in distress who repeatedly sleepwalks into obvious traps, makes foolish decisions, and waits to be rescued again and again. Instead of character growth, we get the same helpless cycle dressed up as drama.

The story also tries to look clever with multiple endings, but they feel less like meaningful narrative choices and more like confused writing. The logic collapses, the tension becomes repetitive, and by the end, it feels like the writers were simply throwing shits at the wall to see what might stick.

For a drama built around rebirth, revenge, and second chances, it somehow manages to waste all three.

What it actually delivers is repetitive stupidity, lazy plotting, fake suspense, and characters who behave as if basic logic is a luxury item they cannot afford.

By the end, the only person who needs rebirth is the viewer, preferably into a timeline where they never started this drama in the first place.

Not recommended unless you genuinely enjoy frustration, weak storytelling, and characters who keep making the same stupid decisions until your patience dies.

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Realistic Portrayal of Anti-Trafficking Cases; No Sugar-Coating. Good Drama with a Shoddy Ending.

Originally wanted to watch for Reba stepping out of her comfort zone of pretty and taking a gritty role and it paid off. Also knew the ML and several supporting characters. This series was a heavy one but it was a very real portrayal of anti-trafficking cases, zilch sugarcoating. A good drama but sadly with a shoddy ending.

Pros: For the first time in a long time it was the storyline and plots that took center stage not the actors themselves. Yes, they were important but they took a more sideline role here. The families, victims, the stories or abduction, captivity, abuse, sometimes torture, sometimes being sold more than once, release and reunion with family, which many a time took decades as the victims they focused on were children and women. You saw the absolute destruction of families when it happened, how they treated the anti-trafficking cops with panic and then rage which was very sad to see but understandable on both sides; families were frantic while the cops could only work when and if they got clues. Those didn't magically fall from the sky.

The FL or DY has childhood trauma of her own as she watched her best friend get kidnapped when she was no more than 8 years old. 24 some odd years later she still hasn't been found. That was why she joined the police force and eventually after getting successfully kidnapped on purpose and rescued, she was promoted to director of the anti-trafficking division. She also reconnected successfully with the mom of her kidnapped best friend who ran a simple noodle shop that doubled as a place where people with missing loved ones could come, pin their photos and write loving messages on the walls, they were also a community that held meetings where they branched out new ideas. As each case came along both sets joined in sorrow and gave the division something to work with. Turned out that they were essentially taking down a massive trafficking organization from the runner ants to finally the big boss (Cripple) himself at the end. It was he that kidnapped LR or DY's best friend and he had done it himself as his first time doing this.

Many were rescued or saved throughout but not without misery and sorrow. You really sometimes cried for these victims. Some were saved quickly, others not until decades later, and some were brought back no longer living but their families were still able to say their proper goodbyes. ML was a very enigmatic character who I'll speak more about in the cons but he did have his unfortunate realization that he lost his father who drowned saving a young boy who grew up to work as one of the middlemen for this trafficking organization. It took him a while but he finally was able to come to terms with it and decide that he in fact belonged following in his father's footsteps as a cop in this particular department. Sadly, we lost one officer and an elder on duty and that was a heavy hit for the department and viewers.

DY definitely was the brains but the team came together as a whole. There wasn't a time where they just sat there twirling their thumbs. Meanwhile the focus on the families was the most important and how they coped or didn't; divorce and even suicide was attempted, thankfully thwarted. Mom of LR was such an important part of the story and really the first case; she was the rallying force behind all families in the show. And her case was the last one solved. Every family and character, protagonist or antagonist were well portrayed; I can't think of one that was extra or unnecessary. The stories varied and many things felt unreal like even deaf and mute women were not off the table or because in poorer villages it seemed like they didn't know buying a human being was illegal. OSTs, small amount of makeup on everyone leads included made it more real. The twists in the story sometimes were pretty wild.

Cons: That ending made me pretty unhappy because DY and her friend's mom were the first case of this story and after everything they went through; the pain of 24 years of not knowing and than slowly inching closer, plus with the mom diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer's and starting to forget people and how she made her noodles causing one costumer to get sick because she put a cleaning solution in the noodles instead of what she thought was sugar. She even made the decision to go into a nursing home for proper care; so you would think once they found LR working in some field picking onions or greenery in some godforsaken village, they would have this amazing reunion; the three of them? Nope! DY called LR's name or nickname RanRan who picked up her head and smiled as she recognized the name and DY and than the camera panned away to a propaganda meeting where DY's division got an award and she made a speech where flashbacks of all the cases they solved and the families plus the officer they lost and her making some declaration about how they would keep working to bring more families back together. It was so unnecessary and made you feel cheated for the mom, DY, and LR! The entire show, there was barely any propaganda but now when it was the least needed, they packed it on and at the worst possible time. They could have had this wonderful reunion and than ended with a short ceremony in their office like they did the first time they got that award and then end out the show with flashbacks of everyone they saved with an OST. Why not? At least it would have done the three of them justice. This was just sad and inappropriate.

I had a problem with the ML; the man has virtually no expressions. He can be yelling or laughing and his face is frozen though his eyes do run around their sockets a lot. At first I thought when I saw him in Under the Skin that that's just his character but now I've noticed that nothing changes, even in real life when I saw him on an episode of Hi6. My assumption is that he's a high functioning autistic so these are the roles he takes. I do wish they had him practicing with the movement of his face more.

Felt the last few episodes were rushed as they were trying to get the rest of the rats caught in the net especially catching "Cripple" himself and his whole running for the border halfheartedly attempting to kidnap his supposed best friend's (whom he pushed off a building; dude lived, lord knows how) wife as he's obsessed with her, than holding her hostage at knifepoint and getting taken out by a SWAT sniper. Like what even? It was smooth going until those last few episodes, you could tell the pace picked up. It was still good up until this point and that BS ending.

Would I recommend it? Yes I would. Though the subject matter was heavy, it was also very hopeful. I'm proud of Reba here; she really played DY well and showed all of the proper emotions when needed. This was a realistic show and y'all should give it a shot.

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Touching, Humorous, Thought Provoking, Calming. Philosophical, Scenic, Idyllic

The Chinese title for “Meet Yourself” is “Going to a Place Where there is Wind”. Wind is a very important concept in the Chinese culture. It is the source of life, a flow of air and energy; without wind, a place is like a pool of dead water. This story is set in a fictional Shangri-la called Yun Miao Village, a sleepy hamlet. The drama is shot at Feng Yang Yi, an actual village near Dali in Yunan Province where many of the Bai people, one of the many minority ethnic groups, live.

To my delight, the drama is directed, and screen written by the same director and screen writers for “Go Ahead” and “Find Yourself”. The first episode makes me cry, empathizing with the characters of their misfortune and loss, but this is not a heart-wrenching story. Indeed, it is a story about normal life of normal people with normal experiences, embellished with humor.

In today’s world, most working people are just like Xu Hongdou (Liu Yifei aka Crystal Liu), mindlessly working like a robot, in pursuit of materialistic rewards. Xu Hongdou wants to buy a car and an apartment in Beijing which is ever so unreachable with her paycheck. Just like most people would, a shattering life event can change the outlook of life for a person, and it does for Xu Hongdou in the untimely death her best friend, Chen Nanxing (Wu Qian aka Janice Wu); she’s abruptly awoken, finding herself lost. She begins to question the meaning of life and what she wants in life herself. She has no answers.

Xu Hongdou quits her job and leaves Beijing. She flies all the way to a tranquil and idyllic village in Yunan and rents a room for several months in a cozy cottage. There, she meets a struggling web novel writer, a failed entrepreneur, a fallen livestream singer and a down-and-out musician. All these people have come here to lick their wounds, to reflect and to recharge; each has a story. They become good friends, help, learn from each other and grow. But most of all, Xu Hongdou meets the man of her life, a successful investor who has returned to his village with a vision and a noble mission.

Almost all 40 episodes of the story have taken place in the little Yun Miao village and its surroundings such as the ancient old city and Erhai (a giant lake that is called a sea). Some impatient viewers may find it slow and boring, but the overall plot is about life, and how to look at life philosophically, and how our characters grow against all odds. It is more like a travel journal, documenting all the people Xu Hongdou meets, all the things she eats, does and sees, including the birth of a colt from start to finish. It focuses on the village, the inhabitants’ traditions, culture, and family relationships. Most of the elderly women don in traditional costumes, some sell their handicrafts and food products in the marketplace.

The romance is mature and slow burning, not unlike how real people would have experienced. Xie Zhiyao (Li Xian) doesn’t confess his love for Xu Hongdou until Episode 26 and tells her to go have a life she is searching for by letting her return to Beijing. That confession is moving. Their official romance starts only in Episode 31 when they kiss, and for the rest of the drama, they are like bee and honey, sweet and lovely. The director and screenwriters have given the romance buffs some very heartwarming loving scenes of the lovebirds till the end - almost 9 episodes of solid sweet romance.

Liu Yifei is amazing as Xu Hongdou. She is beautiful, elegant and natural with no visible makeup. She speaks softly, gently and poetically. Li Xian’s performance is just as good as the handsome, affable and warmhearted Xie Zhiyao. The whole cast is wonderful with very convincing performances by the older actors as grannies, and the juvenile actors as village kids. Like Wu Qian, Zeng Shunxi’s appearance as a lowkey bookstore investor/strategist is very brief. There are no nasty characters, no ex-boyfriends nor ex-girlfriends, and no love triangles. The settings are idyllic and comforting, rich with heritage and culture of a minority group. The efforts to bring prosperity to the village and at the same time, balancing conservation and preservation of the traditional way of life of the inhabitants, are challenging and inspiring.

The official soundtracks are lovely, consisting of several English songs, most accompanied by acoustic instruments. A few of the songs used are from the previous drama Go Ahead. I particularly love the lullaby which is repeatedly played and sung throughout the drama; it is endearing and gives a sense of nostalgia and homeliness.

My Verdict

If you love China and its beautiful people, you'll love this drama. If you love travel and to live an idyllic lifestyle, you will love this drama. If you have fallen and are hurting, you would love this rejuvenating story and its background setting. If you're an urbanite and would like to get away from your dreary life as an armchair traveler, this is your drama. If you're a dreamer and love a layback lifestyle that allows you to dream your dreams away, you’ll find inspirations here. If you're none of the above, simply just want an authentic beautiful drama to watch, you'd love this drama.

Some critics find this drama a promotional tourism project. Indeed, after the airing of the drama, tourism picks up by almost 2,000% in the once sleepy Shangri-la. Visitors jam the few cafes and restaurants, and walk the historical Tea Horse Ancient Path (茶马古道). Many take pictures with the cottage Xu Hongdou once stayed. That said, I have enjoyed the great breath-taking views and the message of the drama.

As it goes, “Time never stops, happiness is never limited. Sometimes there are dark clouds, but there is always wind.”

Realistic! Beautiful. Great watch! Highly recommended!

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they better stay with me

did i love addicted? yes.
do i love this even more? shit, i might.

but then again, i am absolutely a sucker for found family, and this is just that. also, the tension between wubi and suyu? it it clear they're drawn to each other, in the most beautiful way ever, i'm not sure they're even aware of it most of the time themselves, but it is clear, that they'd do whatever it takes to save the other, no matter what happens to them - which is also, more than clear in the last episode.

and with that said - what the fuck was that last episode? i think i might still be sobbing, currently writing this through my TEARS. there better be a season two - and soon.

wubi and suyu deserve nothing but happiness and all of the love in the world.

is this a hard BL? no, but is it still a BL? most definitely, which was obvious to me, very quickly - the stolen touches, the stolen glances? the possessiveness? we don't always need kisses, we don't need physical touch for there to be love.

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Part Fictional Part Historical Story

Despite the really vile and annoying antagonists, this drama has done quite an incredible job by incorporating a romance fiction into the actual historical characters and events during the period of Emperor Taizong (626 – 649) and later Emperor Gaozong (649 - 683) of Tang Dynasty. This is the love story of Kudi Liu Li (Gulnazar aka Guli Nazha/Gülnezer Bextiyar) and Pei Xingjian (Xu Wei Zhou aka Timmy Xu) who was an actual historical figure.

The story is adapted from the well-loved novel “The Bright Moon of Great Tang”. According to readers, like many other adaptations, the original characters and plots have been relentlessly butchered, rendering the final production with incoherent logic and badly modified characters that could cause viewers to spew blood. They claim the screen writers have made the Liu Li character stupid, impulsive and annoying. The screen writers have also given unlimited power to the seemingly unimportant head of the palace seamstress shop, making the Zhuo Jin Niang (Li Xin Yi) character vile and despicable, which to many, is bizarre and a total hogwash. They have also made the Cao Wang (Prince of Cao) character extremely dislikable, turning him into a nincompoop who does not receive equal retribution for his heinous acts, like trying to murder the Crown Prince, umpteen times. Many viewers also criticize the acting of the main leads for being mediocre and unbelievable.

The Characters and Acting
Kudi Liu Li (Gulnazar) is the daughter of the world number one best embroiderer and seamstress who is framed and executed in the palace. Little Liu Li escapes execution and has been disguised as a boy living in the palace. Inherited her talents from her mother, Liu Li becomes a gifted embroiderer/seamstress for the Emperor. I really love the beautiful little girl who portrays the juvenile Liu Li. Her acting is wonderful and believable. Many viewers dislike the grown-up Liu Li character and complain about Gulnazar’s acting. I can see why viewers are frustrated because Liu Li has the tendency in running into trouble because she is too impulsive and naïve. However, in times of trouble Liu Li can analyze her situations quickly and come out with good solutions, hence saving herself and those she cares. According to actual historical record, Pei Xingjian’s second wife was of Turkic ethnicity. Gulnazar’s Uyghur background appropriately fits her role as Liu Li. For me, Gulnazar’s acting is not totally a flop; I quite like her as Liu Li, even as the disguised Xiao Douzi, she is rather cute and believable.

Pei Xingjian (Timmy Xu) is a super intelligent person, well verse academically as well as an incredible fighter. He later becomes a good friend and the bodyguard of the Crown Prince Li Zhi, saving him from all kinds of danger and near-death situations. Timmy Xu is very good looking with a wonderful physique. However, I wish he were more relax in his acting with more natural movements and facial expressions. As Pei Xingjian, he does make the character very lovable and enjoyable.

My verdict
Apart from Pei Xingjian, this drama makes references to many real historical figures including Wu Zetian (the famous/infamous female Emperor), Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong of Tang), Li Zhi (Emperor Gaozong of Tang), among others. As expected, many of the events in the drama are fictional, including the exaggerated wickedness of the antagonists and their blatantly heinous schemes and crimes. Many viewers feel such acts are overdone and illogical. Some viewers even claim, rightly or not, the plotline and characters are copied from the Korean drama "Jewel in the Palace" (2003). Whatever it may be, don’t let the low ratings mislead you. From the perspective as an entertainment, the story is indeed entertaining with clear line between love and hate, black and white, right and wrong; there's simply nothing in between.

For me, I find the fiction ties in very well with the actual history, romanticizing historical figures and events, giving the viewers a part fictional and part historical story. I love the beautiful Tang era dresses worn by the ladies, the street scenes, the palaces and the overall settings – all carefully done and shot. The embroidery, especially the double-sided embroidery, one of China's pride, talents and legacies, is exquisite and breathtaking.

Until the final few episodes, the writers still continue to add on more outrageous antagonists and twists at whims. I believe they really enjoy watching viewers being disgusted.

Enjoy the ride!

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Verdict: Emotion Sustained, Logic Dismissed

Phantom Lawyer opens with a premise that sounds like it came straight out of a quirky 판타지 meets 법정 mashup. Shin Yi Rang is introduced as a kindhearted, almost too pure-for-this-world lawyer who keeps failing job interviews because of his father’s stained reputation as a corrupt prosecutor. With nowhere else to go, he opens his own law office, and this is where the drama quietly tells you to suspend logic. I could not help but side-eye his decision to rent a place that practically screams “haunted real estate discount.” One incense stick later, and Yi Rang gains the ability to see ghosts tied to talismans left behind by their loved ones. These spirits carry regrets, resentment, and unfinished stories, and Yi Rang becomes their unexpected counsel, helping them resolve what they could not in life.

From there, the story settles into a case-of-the-week format. Each ghost client brings a new emotional thread, and Yi Rang handles them with unwavering kindness. The emotional angle is clearly the drama’s priority, often choosing heart over legal complexity. Cases tend to resolve a little too neatly, sometimes relying on convenient turns rather than solid groundwork. Early on, many of Yi Rang’s cases overlap with Han Na Hyeon, an elite lawyer with a flawless winning streak. While their rivalry is meant to create tension, the constant overlap feels more like coincidence doing overtime than organic storytelling. Some cases wrap up so quickly that they barely leave room for legal depth. Evidence appears just in time, confessions come easily, and loopholes that would normally spark debate are brushed aside for pacing. It feels less like a courtroom battle and more like a moral fable dressed in legal robes.

The structure does not do much to support a larger narrative either. Most cases exist in their own bubble, rarely tying back to a central conflict. Yi Rang’s father’s scandal is positioned as the emotional backbone of the story, shaping Yi Rang’s struggles and reputation. Yet, this supposed main conflict only truly takes center stage in the final stretch, and even then, it resolves within roughly one and a half episodes. The investigation feels rushed, the evidence conveniently detailed, and the resolution lands more on the comical side than the impactful one might expect. For a storyline that had been quietly looming since the beginning, it lacks the weight needed to deliver a satisfying payoff. The drama stays consistently light from start to finish, which is not inherently a flaw, but it does limit its potential for a memorable climax.

The final family dinner scene tries to pull everything together emotionally. The concept is touching, almost designed to be a tearjerker, but the execution does not fully land. Choi Won Young, as Shin Gi Jun, delivers a standout performance that adds genuine emotional depth. His presence elevates the scene, making you feel the weight that the script struggles to carry. Unfortunately, the rest of the ensemble does not quite match that intensity. Kim Mi Kyung plays the mother with a restrained expression that borders on flat, while Son Yeo Eun, playing the sister, shines in brighter moments but falters when the tone turns heavy. There is even a moment involving Yi Rang’s coma that feels unintentionally awkward due to the uneven emotional delivery. One small but nagging detail is Yi Rang’s niece, who never questions the bizarre situation unfolding around her, which feels like a missed opportunity for a more grounded touch.

Character writing is where the drama struggles the most. Yi Rang’s defining trait is his endless kindness, but it is written in a way that feels exaggerated, almost like a morality lesson aimed at children. Yoo Yeon Seok has proven in other works that he can portray warm and selfless characters with nuance, but here, he is boxed in by a script that leans too heavily into idealism. Han Na Hyeon undergoes a similarly jarring shift. Esom initially brings a sharp, charismatic edge to Na Hyeon as a win-at-all-costs lawyer, but after her sister’s arc, the character pivots into a softer, justice-driven persona who suddenly becomes shy and romantically inclined. The transition feels abrupt, like a switch flipped without enough buildup.

Yang Do Gyeong is perhaps the most confusing character of the bunch. His personality swings between intimidating, obsessive, comedic, and eventually sympathetic. At times he seems unstable, at others almost childlike, and by the end, he reveals a more grounded motivation tied to his desire for his father’s approval. There is an interesting idea buried there about pressure, resentment, and morality, but it never fully settles into a clear or consistent portrayal.

Then there is the question no one in the drama seems eager to answer. Does Yi Rang actually make money? Representing ghost clients is noble and all, but unless there is a living client willing to pay, the business model remains a mystery. It becomes one of those lingering thoughts you cannot quite shake, like a plot hole in a courtroom drama that refuses to be objected to.

To give credit where it is due, the drama does sprinkle in some enjoyable elements. There are playful references to Dr. Romantic and Hospital Playlist that feel like little winks to fans of Yoo Yeon Seok. The humor leans heavily into slapstick, but it does land more often than not, adding to the overall light tone.

In the end, Phantom Lawyer is best described as an easy watch that blends ghosts and law without digging too deeply into either. It prioritizes emotion over logic, warmth over realism. If you go in expecting a legal drama packed with intricate cases and sharp courtroom battles, this will feel like res ipsa loquitur gone wrong. But if you are in the mood for something light, occasionally funny, and gently emotional, it serves its purpose. It is not bad, but it does not quite leave a lasting impression either, like a case that is closed without ever truly being argued.

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Promising premise but struggles to deliver on its potential.

Marry My Husband tried to juggle three major themes: revenge, romance, and extramarital affairs.

It had a solid premise, with a compelling reason for revenge and an intriguing time-travel setup. Unfortunately, it was anchored by a protagonist who never truly embodied the weight of her second chance. After being cheated on, betrayed, and murdered, you'd expect her return to be driven by burning conviction, but that fire never really came through. There was very little conviction in her act. Her confrontations with the main antagonist lacked impact and often felt juvenile, stripping the narrative of the emotional tension needed for a good revenge arc. As a result, it was hard to empathise with her or feel genuinely invested in her journey. Her eventual "victory" felt more like a technicality than a satisfying payoff.

What's more telling is how Park Min Young’s character, despite enduring nearly every misfortune imaginable, seemed to lack the urgency and passion you would expect. Meanwhile, BoA’s character, who enters much later, reacted with extreme intensity over relatively smaller grievances, creating a jarring emotional imbalance. That contrast alone kind of sums up the show’s problem: strong concept, weak execution.

The romance… was dead. Dry. Lifeless. Bro, get this, our female lead had three love interests, and yet I felt zero chemistry. None. Nada. Missing in action. Both Park Min Young and Na In Woo came across like people who weren’t even interested in being in love for most of the show; which was fine at first, until the plot suddenly decided it wanted to focus on romance again.

The male lead just wasn’t it. His character was one-dimensional, sluggish, and painfully predictable every time he appeared. Watching him was a chore. His stoic demeanor, paired with the FL’s reserved personality, created no spark. Not even with time. If she had been laser-focused on revenge, I could’ve excused the lack of romance, but even that fire was missing.

When the drama suddenly pivoted to their “romance” in the second half, it felt like they were doing speed dating. Forced and sparkless. The one guy who looked like he could have been something, the charming chef, was friend-zoned almost immediately so she could go running back to her boring boss. Disappointing.

The affairs were probably the only aspect handled decently well, but even that, sadistically speaking, lacked the usual thrill the genre is known for. Most of the cheating happened out in the open or with full knowledge due to the plot structure, which seriously dulled the tension. But that’s exactly what makes an affair drama addictive. The secrecy, the sneaking around, the close calls, the mounting suspicions, and that delicious build-up to the inevitable “caught in the act” moment. Without that edge, it just felt tame and uninspired. Where was the scandalous thrill?

So what was Marry My Husband even trying to deliver? It felt frustratingly average across all three of its main themes: revenge, romance, and affairs. With so many lacklustre elements, I found it genuinely hard to stay engaged or emotionally invested. And then came episode 12… where everything truly unravelled. I’m serious... the truck didn’t just crash into Na In-woo. I was in that car too. The secondhand embarrassment I felt from watching that scene was unreal. From that point on, the drama went full cliche mode. Every single K-drama trope you can think of? It's there. Count them. Better yet, turn it into a bingo game, it might actually make those episodes bearable.

The show’s attempt to spice things up with a last-minute, cliche ridden final arc, led by a new but shallow antagonist, felt like a desperate move to create artificial stakes. All just to push the ML and FL through some "great adversity" and earn their fairytale ending. But it wasn’t earned. It was lazy, and it cheapened the entire show. Poor, poor writing there. Bleh.

I see a lot of viewers giving high scores for the music (ost)…what music bro..? Come on...

There’s been a lot of praise online for Park Min Young’s dedication to physically look the part in this drama, and sure, that effort is commendable. But for me, Marry My Husband only reinforced the fact that she’s still stuck in her typecast. This was supposed to be a revenge story about a woman given a second chance to rewrite her fate after being betrayed and murdered. But instead of embodying a revenger on a mission, PMY defaulted to the character she’s always played best: being that soft, delicate girlfriend that every guy wants to be overprotective of. Don’t get me wrong, she does that well, but this role demanded more. This could’ve been her "The Glory" moment, just like Song Hye Kyo, who shattered expectations and redefined her image with her performance. Sadly, PMY didn’t break out. She stayed safe, and the role suffered for it.

If we're talking true MVPs of Marry My Husband, look no further than Song Ha Yoon (the crazy BFF) and Lee Yi Kyung (the useless bum). Especially the former, she carried the show on her back. She was the only one who actually felt alive and kept the narrative moving. Her transformation throughout the drama was brilliantly executed, and she brought the intensity, suspense, and raw emotion that the lead sorely lacked. Song Ha Yoon absolutely ate that familiar toxic, gaslighting queen role; she delivered it with such conviction and chaos that I couldn’t look away. A truly 미친년 performance in the best way possible. She’s the main reason I stuck it out till the end.

Special shoutouts to Choi Gyu Ri (the sunshine sister), Gong Min Jung (quiet lady manager), and Ha Do Gwon (CEO's PA). Each of them brought something memorable and grounded to their roles. Minor characters done right.

All in all, Marry My Husband started with a promising premise but quickly fell into predictability. As the episodes went on, I found myself losing interest. It lacked the intensity, suspense, and emotional grip you'd expect from a revenge plot. While there were some solid individual performances, the overall lack of chemistry and emotional depth fell short, especially considering the heavy themes of grief, love, betrayal, and revenge. Nothing truly stood out or took command of the story. In the end, MMH felt average across the board. It became one of those dramas I continued watching simply to finish what I started, not because I was genuinely invested in where it was going.

Kudos to the final two episodes; they did have a tiny redemption arc by tying up loose ends neatly and giving what the viewers the closure they probably wanted. It was a somewhat decent finish, although it was predictable and felt cheap due to how the final arc played out.

(Writers, directors: for the love of God can we please stop it with the big truck/lorry crash into coma-will you wake up please I actually love you scenes anymore…..it’s 2024 there is more than 1 way to kill someone and send their other half into agony T.T)

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beautiful start into a melancholic love story but then...

after finishing this drama today I'm sad to say it jut get's a shaky 6 in the end - when it was almost a 9 for the first few episodes.

Why is that?


-this drama started sooo promising, good story with some kind of a fresh twist I like -
a male lead character who is handsome, rather rich but still very unhappy and lonely in his life. As a counterpart, a female lead character who is stubborn, painfully straight forward, but rather strong willed.
This is a mix I have rarely seenin K-dramas yet, and I feel it's refreshing and realistic to show that men, also handsome, rather successful men, can be unhappy and lonely and hurt.

The story was progressing rather slowly from the beginning and I did like that pace as the main characters neeed the time to find ways to reach each other, it only makes sense in all the story context.
I found the pace and development perfect until episode 7. From episode 8 on and I was a little worried that due to the fact this has 16 episodes, it suddenly started to drag.

The lead characters both around at least 30 or even 40, first needed some very understandable time to become aware of their feelings for each other, given they are both shy people when it comes to personal emotions, and given the difficult circumstances.
But from episodes 8 on we got more and more if these dragging scenes, the characters just standing around in slo-mo forever looking sad, or walking along a street in slo-mo. looking sad etc. It felt like time fillers to me from a certain point

We had the lead characters confessing their feelings for / to each other from episodes 8 to 10, they go camping together sleeping in the same small tent and spending the night there (the writers just completely leaving out what happened there? What did they talk about? how did they say good night? how did they interact? how was the next morning waking up togther etc. etc?)
We even have them spending a real night together as lovers, the fl openly confessing her love to the ml and then? Nothing, the next day these two people, who are not teenagers but between 30 and 40 years old and very good looking both of them, act like 13- year old teeagers, awkward, cold, distanced, even like they don't know each other personally? I didn't find that convincing.

(In reality: These two lead characters have been drawn to each other for what feels like forever. They finally spend the night together. Yeah, you know what would happen after that? If you ever had that situation yourself with such a prolonged...'forepaly', you know exactly that hormones are in crazy mode after spending such first night finally, and there is no way these two people would act like strangers and all cold the next day. Normally, after all that and confessing to each other, you search the next possible time window to spend more time together and you definitely interact differently, even when it's small things, and you look at each other differently.)

After epsiode 12 the dragging gets worse. There are so many silent scenes in slow motion repeating themselves, where you see either the ml or the fl walking down any street suuuperslowly (especially the fl), looking dazed and sad, or the ml sitting somewhere (either his appartment, a noodle shop or his office) looking blank and sad.
It was just too much of that slow motion walking and looking sad for me. You can use that to accentuate important moments, or moments of real daze and sadness, but when it is used like here the effect wears off and it feels artficial and annoying.

So, the story unfolds, the ml finally hears that the fl is the daughter of his dead stepdad and one of the siblings who got thrown out of their house because of his bitchy, nasty mother. He tries everything to clear the situation, even gets them the house back.
His mother, remaining the nastiest person, gets forgiveness from everyone (which I find HIGHLY unbelievable, especially because she did not change one bit and was just a bit softer for a short moment because she felt pity for herself for having been caught.) What happens to her in the end? We don't really get to know.

I found the last two episodes even worse to be honest. Apart from lots more dragging slow-mo scenes, we suddenly see the pharmacy guy getting together with the fl's older sister - which felt forced to me. I didn't feel like that could have really happened like it did, simply because the pharmacy guy had strong feelings for the fl for years. Suddenly switching to her sister felt strange to me.

So, back to the leads; after all is cleared, surprisingly everyone forgave the ml's awful mother, the siblings get back the house etc - and our leads? - still do a supertragic ' we have to seperate, goodbye forever' - ending of their relationship at a point when it's not necessary anymore? Oo (All of it by the way with both of them having almost robotic blank and sad facial expressions all the time, even when they are alone with each other in the woods.) Ok, even if so, and although I don't get why at that point, they don't do it the way most probably would, by particularly _not_ meeting again to not make it even more hurtful, but istead send a message or talk on the phone to say goodbye, - our leads? They go the extra painful length of driving out of Seoul two hours to go to the favourite wooden trail of the ml, walking together in the sunshine at the most romantic place to then really, expresionlessly, saying goodbye in front of the fl's house? No way!

Then, a time jump all of a sudden, one year later. So for some unknown reason the leads really haven't seen each other for a full year. Then, for further unknown reasons, the older sister suddenly tells the flthat their mother kind of forgave the ml already a year ago (which makes me wonder why the mother wouldn't have told the fl herself a long time ago knowing perfectly well how much her daughter is in love with the guy), the brother sets up a meeting of the leads at a rooftop concert, they both get there, the ml has a bunch of flowers, (endless slow motion again Oo) - they smile at each other and?.....THE END?

I was just annoyed at the end, thinking like what? Why? Why didn't the mother tell her way before she forgave the ml? Why didn't they get together after it was all cleared up a year earlier and instead do this reall weird break up scene with the wooden trail? Why all of a sudden can they now meet exactly a year later, why the flowers, why now? What then?

And I just couldn't get past this unchanged behaviour of the leads after they had spent that night together, I felt like I just saw they were actors acting, and that these two people have not spent a night together. You know, when you are in love like that, when there is such longing, and after you have finally spent a night together, knowing the other person intimately, their body, their scent, etc, you just look at each other differently, you act differently etc. It was just obvious it was an artificial script with two actors who played their roles like it was written down, but these two characters didn't really exist and they were not in love or had spend a night a after a long time of longing for each other.

All in all, almost the whole second half of the episodes was rather disappointing and it got worse with every episode. If the writers would have kept the good tension and realistic vibe they had from episode 1-7, It could have been one of the best and most touching stories in a long time then.

I personally think Kim Young-Kwang is actually a very good and versatile actor, and he plays his characters very convincing and different every time. In fact I meanwhile think he is the best male Korean actor concerning versatility and playing his characters absolutely convincing, easily switching from genre to genre. Sadly, the directors can't get it right and give him a drama that has a good and convincing storyline from start to end.

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A lunar apocalypse.

Silence is not empty, it's full of answers. It's upon us to find them out and unless there is an effort, it remains in nothingness. The sea that is full of beings, has the capability to engulf the entire world in it's womb, yet it knows it's limits. But what about the sea that's sleeping silently somewhere out there in the universe and knows no way of self-control? That's what we are here to discover.

THE SILENT SEA (고요의 바다) is a mixture of sci-fi, thriller and apocalypse; it has no romance elements and unlike most Netflix Korea shows, it's not gore and creepy, which means even for a thriller, it's not a heavy watch. The story is presumably an adaptation of "The Sea of Tranquility (2014), created by the director of this show. The drama is set up in far future (probably 100 years ahead). The world has changed a lot and the climate change has brought forward severe issues. Simultaneously, the development in case of aeroscience has sky-rocketed, resulting in easier travel to different planets and facile communication with earth.

A team of 11 has been formed to recover important samples from the moon, before they could shut down a station that faced a tragic accident 5 years ago, killing all the inmates. The team travels their on the spaceship 'Nuri 11' and sets out to 'Balhae Space Station' located on the lunar land. On their mission of retrieving the sample, they discover unusual activities and come to find out mysterious facts about the station that had happened 5 years back.

Song Ji An (Bae Doo Na) is a scientist who previously served as an astrobiologist but had to switch after a tragic incident to her sister. She was convinced to go on the mission. Han Yoon Jae (Gong Yoo) is a soldier for the space agency, who joins the team as it's captain. Dr. Jian's knowledge and Capt. Yoon Jae's leadership, are what drives the entire show.

Dr. Hong (Kim Sun Young) is a doctor who joined the team to provide medical assistance. Chief. Gong Soo Hyuk (Lee Moo Saeng) is also a space soldier who joins the team along with his space engineer brother Gong Soo Chan (Jung Soon Won). Lieutenant Ryu Tae Suk (Lee Joon), Chief Kim Jae Sun (Heo Sung Tae) are some other major characters.

The plot development is nice. The first 2 episodes that were expected to lay an introductory foundation, did a good job in establishing a good impression, except that they were slow paced. The space scenarios and the lunar premise were pretty intriguing to witness, for it also created a good amount of curiosity about what is next. I can't say that the entire story is immensely intriguing, because it had problems with pacing and storytelling. I expected some more back stories and for all of the characters, but it's understandable given the limited runtime. The gradual unfolding of mysterious facts and intentionally hidden secrets, were indeed intriguing. The ending, ummm, not something fabulous, that I was expecting but I liked how simple and meaningful it was.

Netflix Korea seems to be giving chances to previously failed or lesser experienced directors, writers and makers but it must try providing them with resources to nurture their skills. Just like Squid Game's, the director of this drama lacks profundity, though the show is not mediocre like SG. The pacing is inconsistent, not slow or rushed constantly that makes it boring or uninteresting of some sort, but a little noticeable.

The sound production is apt bcs it's Netflix, haha. The screen-editing is quite good; the connecting plots, revelations of elements and the suspense build up is up to par. CGI, well, Netflix is surely trying to improve thia area after serious criticisms; it was visible through this show. Even so, the CGI was actually poor in first 2 episodes, I can't lie about it though it improved with episode.

Writer Park Eun Kyo is an underutilized talent. She might seem a rookie to the audience, but she's the co-writer of the critically acclaimed Bong Joon Ho directed movie, "Mother (2009)". The basic concept of this show, though taken from another movie, had to rely on a well-written script, as the short movie was turned into a 360 minutes webseries. In that regard, jakka-nim has done a pretty good job. The overal story and screenwriting might not be something amazing, but overally as a show, it's a nice piece. Few things about the spaceship that went wary in the first episode could have been easily avoided but duh..

The drama addresses future world problems that we now only assume and predict with theoretical studies. The world has undergone enormous transformation due to severe climatic changes over years. Because of desertification, there is a scarcity of water as the water bodies including the sea dries down. All these are the concerns of future societies. The drama also narrates the possibilities that the future beholds in the area of space and planetary researches.

The pseudo-science created for the drama is compelling for sure. It is less of space science and more of a creative or fictional astro-biology. The lunar premise and the technological advancements are what we are gonna see in far future. Space show, in all aspects, is a new premise in the K-drama industry and it's good to see that it didn't entirely go phut. This is to a great extent an experimental drama. Just keep in mind that, the basic idea of the drama relies on astro-biology and not aero or lunar science.

There is a clear message of how greed and over-ambitious anticipations can bring destruction to mankind, even when it gives greater scope of research in science. Regret, responsibility and guilt are some other major elements incorporated in the characters. Good news is that, unlike many other Netflix Korea shows, The Silent Sea doesn't end with a cliffhanger. It didn't leave any single thing open or showcase any possibility of another season.

Overally, "The Silent Sea" is a good and interesting one time watch. The sci-fi elements and the actors are the prior reasons to watch this drama. I wasn't expecting anything excellent outta it since it's after all a Netflix Korea original show which is famous for creating 6/10 stupid shows. But anyways, this was good and moderately likable judging from all the points; be it technical and cinematic aspects or the message it wanted to convey. It's not very nice, still a decent watch, for sure.

P. S. Can't cite it bad just because of the poor CGI and faulty space facts used solely. There are plenty of aspects in a drama to be judged.

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Good :)

What a ride!
I must admit I had high expectations for this, and at the end I was a bit disappointed.
The story flows well and the acting is good, but I guess there are some parts that are a bit lacking.
I enjoyed most of the show, but didn't really get attached to TopMew's couple, even though I liked how they ended the story.

Story is obviously filled with toxic characters, but there is a lot of development.
In this sense, I think Khaotung (Ray) has done a tremendous job. If I have to make a note, I think that they skipped a little the mother's complex, in favor of Ray's choice to make everything better for Sand.
I want to be totally honest: I watched the series for Khaotung and First, and for Mark, and I couldn't stop because I wanted to see more of them.
That said, I think that some parts are just not necessary (the whole Boeing's plan and its liaisons with Sand and Top - I just got annoyed although I wanted to watch more of Mond's) and the overall story got a bit slowed down from episode 9 onwards.

I liked a lot the fact that they didn't force BostonNick, and that Nick finally chose to be by himself. It was great to see a happy ending. Nick was my favourite character overall, because he was always so pure and honest, yet caring. He was not trying to change Boston, but realized he was just faking the whole boyfriend thing and "I've changed, now I only see you" thing.
That was my favourite part.

I screamed when I saw Mix at the end, but it was unnecessary to the story xD
At first I thought they would've proposed a new version of Boston, but I'm glad they didn't.

Overall, it's an enjoyable story, "spicier" than usual for GMMTV and I guess a little bit more realistic than the average GMM series.
It's not a masterpiece, but you can watch it without thinking "oh gawd, I wasted a lot of time".

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Ryan Ding was the best part of the drama, Screenwriter's love of Incel Stalkers--terrible.

I figured someone may want a more balanced review that isn't, "This is all crap" and "this is the best ever" First I have to establish that I go mostly by talent of the actors/crew. I don't really do the whole mooning over actors thing. Not my jam. I don't automatically upvote a drama because the actor is "hot" or whatever. I go by how the drama is or isn't. I go by if the art is good or bad.

For those of you that are planning on reading the book, read the book second and watch the drama first. The drama first is OK and regular and kind of middle of the road. The book is excellent, though lacking in details, so you should be helped by doing it in this order. I should warn that the second half of the drama is nothing like the book.

For comparison, this drama is better than Longest Promise which had some of the worst writing I've witnessed in a drama. This drama, though suffers mostly from an unconfident writer who isn't sure how to do anything from the book.

If you are going to watch the drama, you're likely watching fro Ding Yuxi and the production values.

The best lifetimes are in order (for the drama):
The animal lifetime (Hilarious and voiced very well)
The Demon lifetime (mostly for Ryan Ding living the role--and changing his mannerisms in every single way playing it).
The Sect lifetime Almost 1 for 1, but then went off the rails a bit towards the end.
The flashback couple lifetime (Cang hai)
Prime Minister's daughter
Princess/General This was cut in half from the original, so didn't have the gravitas, but I understand they had to cut it likely because of censorship.

The character I hated the most was Xiu Ming. I hated his ending too, especially since he's split off from the original character who was a stalker in the book. He literally stalked the female main character across lifetimes. *Stop redeeming stalker characters~~* And yes, I can fight you on this. When someone is trying to "rescue" you without your consent, and follow after you for *lifetimes* then yeah, that's called stalking.

I mostly skipped (10 second skip) through the whole banished clan thing--it didn't belong in the drama and I lost about nothing. The acting wasn't that great to begin with. And I didn't care that much about the Zihui storyline at all, which felt disjointed from the rest of the drama anyway.

In order the best parts of the drama:
1. Ding Yuxi

-hands down the best part of the drama. The director let him do *mostly* what he wanted, though there were a few times I felt like he was limited by the director. *ahh* Ding Yuxi playing mischievous is something I really like because it's in his wheelhouse--but the director cut him off? I said this consistently since the beginning. If you want to watch the drama only for him, it's not a bad pick.

2. Production values: These are the costumes, music, CGI. The CGI was the best in Heavenly realm. I'm guessing the writer had to set more things in the heavenly realm to save on costs. I'm not against that. (Costs more to rent a space than build a set sometimes) That said, I wouldn't have minded if they saved on production costs and gotten better actors. The production team went all out. The only person that probably should have paid attention more is the sound guy. He missed a few sounds he should have put in. I feel like they couldn't pay all the actors all the way through due to the production values being high.

3. Red Thread Master and Yang Chaoyue

Contrary to popular belief, Yang Chaoyue was better in the second half of the drama. I thought she wasn't that good at the beginning, but she grew into the character more. Slight downgrade for the whining bits, but I think that's more down to writing and directing choices, than personal choices. I also, really liked the choices of the Red Thread Master, which surprised me. The dynamic between the two acors felt more natural. She definitely picked up a few things during the course of the drama and became less stiff and emotionless. It's not top of the line such that Yang Chaoyue was pushing Ryan Ding, but it wasn't terrible either. If you want to see actresses that pushed Ryan Ding, then there is Romance of the Tiger and Rose. And I'd also say Moonlight with Esther Yu--who also pushed him quite a bit. While she wasn't terrible ^^ I still would have chosen a top line actress and sacrificed some of the production values like the 3D printing of crowns to try to get a better actress as lead. Guan Xiao Tong would have been my natural pick since she can play the range.

4. Director. Some of the blocking was off, particularly on Ryan Ding--I don't blame Ryan Ding for this--that's on the director's head to run through the scene and let the actors play it out a few times. And a few directing choices I disliked entirely, though these are minor.

5. The writing. The writing was meh for me--I mean if you take it separate from the book it's running 3-4. It's really, really creepy that the screenwriter wants *so hard* to redeem incel stalkers this much. I mean, WTF. Trying so hard to redeem incel stalker from the book, and then try to redeem them in the drama, but no one wants that. What I felt from the screenwriter throughout was that they were constrained a bit by budget, but also they lacked confidence to make the bolder decisions. For that reason the drama feels like a fanficiton version of the book rather than an improvement. This isn't to slam fan fiction, BTW, but to say, it feels more copying cookie cutter. And BTW, I'm not one of those, the book is always better. I go wherever the story is best.

6. The Nepotism adds

Occasionally, in order to make a production, the financing asks that you add characters--there were quite a few and a few characters that should never been downgraded were downgraded for the drama. Usually in regular production, adding characters means more budget. The only exception is nepotism adds where there is a contingency. This is why I think a few of the actors who were added, but not in the book were solely added for budget reasons, not storyline reasons. Zihui should not have been split into Xiu Ming and Zihui. This by far, weighed down the drama and you didn't get the tighter plotting that the book had. The whole of the Muluo tribe--Uhhgghhh no. OK, the demon bit was good. But still.

BTW, I still want to yeet Xiu Ming off this drama.

BTW, I'd so watch a movie version that actually followed the novel more 1 for 1.

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Firstly, this drama was made around 2018-2019 or something and was delayed until 2021, lmao. I don’t know the reason clearly—maybe some production issue. So, if you're planning to watch this, you should know what to expect.

It is just another rom-com with poorly written characters filled with clichés and old tropes. The story is pretty simple. The FL has a bad impression of the ML, and now they meet at "So I Married an Anti-Fan", a variety TV show, and discover much more about each other.

Not gonna lie, the ML had some toxic behavior in Ep 1 because he lacks listening skills. He wasn’t as toxic as other MLs I’ve seen, but definitely, he has that mean behavior in the first few episodes. The ML has trust issues for various reasons, and even the entertainment industry is scary. He doesn’t have friends and lacks social skills too but isn’t a cold lead—I mean, he expresses his care for the people he loves. Choi Tae Joon, playing as Hoo Joon, was just OKAY, nothing great at all.

The FL’s character really disappointed me. She never stood up for herself. She gets herself into every possible embarrassing situation. She lets people make a fool out of her and doesn’t take any action against it. She swallowed her pride completely. She was just an "Anti-Fan" but was treated as nothing less than trash. Choi Soo Young, as Lee Geun Young, acted really well, but I really didn’t like her character.

The SL is really toxic and annoying. I couldn’t stand him ever. He has reasons to be so, but none can justify his own toxic behavior. The SFL is pretty annoying too. She always cries. The SL and SFL really have a toxic relationship. All the abusive and violent behavior is a HUGE RED FLAG.
I really didn’t like a lot of side characters EXCEPT for the FL’s friends and the ML’s manager.

None of the characters actually had any character development, nor were they likable.

The music wasn’t that impressive but suited the scenes well.

This drama really had a GOOD "Enemies to Lovers" trope. Romance was the only reason I didn’t drop this. But the leads, once they fell for each other, RARELY had any bickering, which made this even more boring.

Overall, the drama is nothing WOW as a rom-com. In the name of comedy, it was much more like "embarrassing scenes." I’m pretty disappointed. It was an OKAY watch for me. Definitely NOT a must-watch, but you can give it a shot.

THAT'S ALL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF MY REVIEW WAS HELPFUL ^^
END :D

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A Cinematic Journey To Love...

When it comes to writing love stories, romance dramas often tend to blow out relationships heavily into cliche territory; the female or male lead is head over heels for their significant other, jealousy spins around their love interest approaching (respectfully) other men and women, and an onslaught of dramatic misunderstandings occur as a consequence.

When you decide to sit down and watch “ Run-On” for the first time, it may strike viewers as unusual to come across several prominent, atypical features within our leads and their relationships; the most evident being that our female heroine and translator Oh Mi Joo (Shin Se Kyung) and our male lead athlete Ki Seon Geom ( Im Shi Wan) are intrinsically written as individuals, rather than the typical “ unit” approach taken in most romantic dramas.

Shin Se Kyung is brilliant within her role as our fairly down-to-earth female lead Oh Mi-Joo; a talented and hardworking translator with a difficult childhood , Mi-Joo alongside her best friend Park Mae Yi ( Lee Bong Ryun) , is more focused on her career and struggling to pay the bills than anything else.Contrastingly, Ki Seon Geom ( again, brilliantly played by Im Shi Wan) comes from a wealthy family, has a successful career as an athlete, however, he is quite simply fed up from others using him, his money and status as a social climbing ladder as episodes progress. By a whim of fate, the two individuals from opposite walks of life end up meeting and gradually developing a relationship. However, this is also where the series hits its biggest snag as well.

The “ opposites attract” cliche is one of the most infamous storyline usages in romantic dramas, yet when it came to Run-On, one of the notable elements of a storyline intrinsically based on this cliche seemed to feel unexpectedly lacklustre. By default, it shouldn’t have done; Mi-Joo and Seon- Geom were well-rounded individuals with intriguing backstories , storylines and striking similarities as characters, yet, principally rather than playing out their similarities, the show seemed to ride too heavily upon their differences which often resulted in their relationship feelings fairly indifferent for viewers .

One reason behind this can be explained by Mi-Jo and Seo Geom’s relationship progression over the course of the series. Despite their differences, Mi-Joo had many similar impacts of her past like Seon-Geom, however, neither character really tried to reach out, to talk or bond over this matter either.This should have helped to bring our couple together more throughout the drama, however, this would have only been possible if the storyline had more of an arching development for our characters, (due to little sense of climatic building),strong pacing or intrinsic development over a course of sixteen episodes.

Alongside our main couple, the drama attempts also to introduce the romantic pairing between slightly naive art student Lee Young Hwa ( Kang Tae Oh) and the cynical young CEO of a talent agency company, Seo Dan Ah ( Choi Soo Young). Before commenting upon their relationship, it is fairly striking that Dan Ah has numerous deep and likeable qualities as a character ( despite her sometimes “ overly abrupt” personality); she isn’t written off as a figure of female animosity nor as the “ antagonist”, but rather an individual hiding deep secrets, a naturally hardworking businesswoman and who is the type that struggles to reach out to others both emotionally and socially ( often leading to both comical and sad misunderstandings).

Against all odds, the relationship between the pair was arguably more appealing to audiences than our main couple at times. This is intrinsically due to the fact that Young Hwa and Dan Ah are truly the epitome of different within their backgrounds, moralities and even personality types, yet are still able to develop and bond due to their similarities( particularly their admiration of art). On the other hand, their relationship will still notably lacking in depth; a consequence of several plot inconsistencies, tropes as well as the series possibly running out of time to not truly captivate “ life imitating art” to the fullest.

Overall whilst Run-On was an intrinsically sweet romance drama which had several surprisingly well-written characters, an appropriate ending , humour and touched upon several notable realistic issues including homosexuality, illness, mental health and family, notable relationship portrayals , development , plot holes and of course an overall didactic purpose for the show, felt both lacklustre and lacking in the grand scheme of things.

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