1A well-made drama
The story is quiet refreshing and engaging to watch. I watched this drama as it dropped episode by episode and it felt a little disjointed so I rewatched it for that continuous feel, which made me appreciate it better.Many actors in this drama played their roles really well. The main leads, Gulinazha played Rong Shanbao really well and Huo Ming Hao as Lu Jianglai actually brought more life to those moments with Rong Shanbao with his micro-expressions. He is a really good actor and I enjoyed his acting.
The set and the costumes are well-thought of. The tea plantation scenery are very scenic and indeed.
There are even lessons about tea at the end of some episodes. As a non-chinese watcher, I learned something as well. Kudos.
Overall, I enjoyed this drama and would recommend it to others.
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This review may contain spoilers
Listening Snow Tower is an interesting story with a plethora of well-performed martial arts moves, giving vibes of Legend of Fuyao. Somehow it seems virtually impossible to go through the drama without mentally imprinting Wuji on Yi Qing and Fuyao on Jing Rong and this is where memory lane goes incredibly right to some viewers or incredibly wrong to others, puffed out from the strenuous exercise of going backwards and forwards between the dramas.For those that have watched and enjoyed Fuyao, Listening Snow Tower is a good drama to pick up to maintain momentum as it can postpone the sad drama withdrawal. Denial isn’t good but the dramas actually are.
For those that have watched but either dropped or immensely disliked Fuyao, then stay away. This is not nor will it be a favourite flavour of tea.
For those that have absolutely no idea who Fuyao is, Listening Snow Tower is a great drama to watch and then once finished, a binge on Fuyao is a good idea. Keep in mind though that Listening Snow Tower has a faster pace, not really suitable for those that enjoy slow-paced dramas with draggy unnecessary scenes.
This drama as the title so aptly explains in three short words is about Listening Snow Tower and one should really listen. The pugilistic world is a mess, with the out-of-favour and out-of-power Snow Tower due to a rift of internal struggles. Betrayal is never done by an enemy and the cliché is proven right once again as if, it actually mattered to the story’s development.
Yi Qing is the heir of Snow Tower that takes over from his deceased father. As a first task, rebuild and restore Snow Tower’s reputation to its former glory asap. The thing is Yi Qing is ill. He has been ill with an incurable disease since childhood which mind you is not a hindrance to his state-of-the-art marital arts skills and his strategic thinking. His illness does not control his life nor does it run it. Yi Qing loves Jing Rong, the orphan daughter of the Blood Demon who also returns his feelings.
Fuyao again. Like Wuiji protects Fuyao, helping her achieve her full potential, Yi Qing protects Jin Rong, helping her become stronger so that she can fight the Moon Sect bent on destroying Snow Tower alongside him.
Jin Rong is filled with guilt when she finds out that her life is fated to bring others misfortune. Fuyao all over again. Then there are the battles for power amidst the sects, nothing out of the ordinary or remotely original but well accomplished.
The performances do not have the star power of Fuyao however the leads and remaing of the characters are well-matched and performed. Nothing exceptional but nothing to be critical about either. Indeed the drama might all appear a bit bland but bland is better than having a salty meal.
Visually Listening Snow Tower is good, not going over the top with weird-looking bright-pallet coloured costumes which have dragged many a good drama down with its fruit salad look. There’s contrast, white, red, black and it works wonderfully for those who like a more manga/comic book look in a drama with a small number of colour variations.
Overall, is a good enjoyable fast-paced drama, a bit hard to stop watching, a bit hard not to binge on it once one gets into it. Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
Should one watch it? Definitely but forget about Fuyao if possible and enjoy the series for what is worth!
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A ''product life cycle graph" drama -_-
So basically this kind of graph picks up a lil low but suddenly rises up, goes on stably for a lil while and then again suddenly declines to it's lowest point just to keep up at the same level until the data is over.The first and foremost reason I came to ONE THE WOMAN was Lee Ha Nee. I have loved her acting for a long time and the plot saying the drama is a female centric got me even more excited. I don't watch anything ongoing so what got my attention later was the overwhelming response to this show in Korea for an internationally less talked Kdrama. But I came here to only be disappointed and frustrated.
Lee Ha Nee got a double role character in here playing both Prosecutor Cho Yeon Ju and a conglomerate DIL Kang Mi Na of Hanju, who are lookalikes. Mi Na suddenly disappears from an event on an usual day but in her stead Yeon Ju was found severely injured at the same venue. She loses her memory due to amnesia and everyone takes her as Mi Na. Confused by everything happening around her, Yeon Ju tries to adjust into the completely new environment but unable to control her rough & outspoken behaviour. Han Seung Wook (Lee Sang Yoon), Mi Na's in-law cousin and heir to the largest share at Yumin, comes forward to Mina and tries to protect her bcs she was her first love. Together, they try to resolve the issues in both Yumin & Hanju and also dig into the mysteries of both past & present while unveiling astonishing truths about themselves.
There are in fact many familiar faces in here which is another reason to look forward to this drama though it failed to a great extent. Kim Chang Wan ahjussi as Noh Hak Tae, Hanju's legal head yet great supporters of lead couple, Kim Won Hae as Ryu Seung Duk, the chief prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecution, Jun Gook Hwan as Han Young Sik, Hanju's chairman and Mina's FIL, Ye Soo Jung as Dir. Kim, the house manager for Han family, Lee Won Keun as Ahn Yu Jun, Yeon Ju's only friend at prosecution and Mina's older SIL are some major roles. Sorry couldn't help but mention all these names bcs in fact they're good actors.
In other minor characters were, Jung In Ki as Kang Myung Guk, Yeon Ju's father ,Na Young Hee as Seo Young Won, Mina's annoying MIL, Song Won Suk as Han Seung Woon, Mina's husband, Jin Seo Yun as Han Sung Hye, Song Seung Ha as Han Sung Mi, Mina's younger SIL. The 1st 2 are very good but are minor roles here. I am particularly disappointed with Song Won Suk's acting though his outfits were all aesthetically beautiful.
It's visible that the writer is a rookie. I mean there are few jakka who at least deliver a good piece without much to complain about but there are some others who fail from many angels, that's the case here. Even for the most major character of Lee Ha Nee turns one dimensional after first few episodes and started exaggerating her role . She would have been doing more while bearing 2 identities at the same time but rather she sticked to one thing and absurdly ignored the other in an entire sense tsk tsk tsk. I will never complain about the ML's passive character because I always think both ML and FL should have the same essence in a story, but I don't think Lee Sang Yoon's character wasn't at all futile. They made fun of neuroscience in many ways and not to forget, of psychiatric and psychological treatment methods. The middle portion was infact full of illogical elements which can be laughed upon.
The basic plotline isn't anything new; it felt like the writer took inspiration from 80s-2010s Indian movies bcs the storyline is exactly the same as many Indian movies with a taste of Kdramas to it. The plot development is extremely awful in the 2nd half of the show. The first 2 introductory episodes were a bit uninteresting tbh but I hoped they'll do better, which actually happened. The show picked up the perfect acceleration from ep3 and made me look forward to the next. However, it again became slow & boring from the 2nd half of the 7th episode. I was hoping that'd be temporary but it stayed the same till the very end. Now read my first paragraph and you'll realize what I wanted to explain. Well, I got very bored from 8th episode but forced myself into it till 11th and then fast forwarded it at 2x till the end.
There's no consistency in setting up the scenarios in the drama either; the director did a poor job in that regard despite their experience. For first 7 episode it was full of family drama (not on the makjang level tho) then till 11th it was an investigative melo and for last 5 episodes it became a power trip between the chaebols. I would have been a lil more pleased if it were evenly distributed throughout.
The best thing about this drama was the comedy elements and 1st-7th episode is full of that only; may be that's why I wanted to continue with the drama despite the 'not at all new' storyline. Especially, it was Ha Nee and her responses & expressions, my goodness; I enjoyed it so so much, like she could carry the entire drama on her own. I wish it could last till the very end, but alas. In fact Kim Chang Wan ahjussi and his annoyed self was soooo cute plus funny. The family melodrama scenes had me laughing crazy, I swear.
The romance storyline for the drama started off really well. It was interesting and the revelations, tho cliché, were well executed. The gradual development ended somewhere around the interval and I as expecting something nice but it wasn't of any use, other than momentary tease party and kisses. Somehow, it can be an unique way if you see but for a drama meant for entertainment I couldn't find anything out of it.
One thing I can't deny is that the last part issue of revealing all the truth behind the 14yo incident involving all the major characters, were quite well written though the execution could have been better.
Overally, One The Woman can be either a n one time watch with fast forwarding the 2nd half or used for trash watch. I wonder why it was breaking records in Korea but it's not even anywhere near the average ratings for cable dramas, i.e. 7-8% (?). Thankfully there isn't much hype among the international fans and I am not gonna recommend this to anyone. I didn't have much expectation or whatever but given that the possible potential was wasted collectively by thw cast & crew, I have to express my utter disappointment.
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The Episode 30 is so cool but kinda short for me, please give us the season 2
SEASON 2
SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!SEASON 2!
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This review may contain spoilers
*Warning, this review has very vague spoilers.....but I thought I'd warn regardless.*I decided to watch this drama because I absolutely adore Shin Min Ah and So Ji Sub. They are two of my very favorite Korean actors--I'd watch anything that includes them. Even though this drama wasn't really my cup of tea (for reasons I'll get to in a second), that still stands true. I'll watch them in anything--they're great.
Before I get to my problems with the show, I'll first touch on what I liked:
1. A slightly unique k-drama ending. Without giving anything away, the drama pretty much wraps itself up by episode 14. Cue the horror I felt that the next two episodes were just going to be one angst ride of a cliche after another (just to fill the quota of 16 episodes). It builds up to a point where you think it will go in a normal kdrama cliche, but instead veers to a sharp left, avoiding it. It was surprising and appreciated. It made the next two episodes more fun, sweet (ie a certain scarf scene), and cute. I really felt that was needed (because of the previous episodes). So definitely a kudos on that aspect.
2. The mementos and theme. While normally the idea of keeping a band-aid REALLY grosses me out, I thought it was an endearing touch on the theme of 'injured people need time to heal wounds that are sometimes really hard to see.' That theme is brought up often, especially as a personality trait that the main-lead has a weakness for in others. Various people in this show are injured in some way or another and I liked seeing how the show dealt with them overcoming that. Having a band-aid be kind of the OTP's 'thing' was nice, especially with how it all tied in at the end.
3. More realistic(ish) kisses and an actual sexual relationship. It's pretty common place that in a k-drama you're going to get those dead fish kisses (which this drama is not devoid of) and just no mention of sex at all. That's just Korean dramas for you. So whenever a drama breaks that mold, like this one does (slightly) it's a big deal in my book. The side characters got some REAL actual kisses and the show made it clear that the OTP had sex (and there were even some scenes that were really playful with this concept). So that DEFINITELY gets a huge thumbs up for me.
Now onto the problems/things I didn't like about this drama:
1. The BIGGEST problem was the family dynamics across the board. Family dynamics were underutilized and not played to their full potential. They were also SUPER confusing. Especially So Ji Sub's family. He rarely interacted with his father or grandmother--so it was super hard to connect with them or get their impact on what the story was supposed to be. He only interacted with his half-brother ONCE (the end episode)! I also just didn't understand his relationship with his uncle or step-mother--they just never interacted. I just didn't understand why....there was huge potential missed there. You barely get a feel for Shin Min Ah's mother and certainly not her brother, nor do you truly understand the pain she had of losing her father. I just....I don't know, felt hugely let-down by the family dynamics, they just didn't play a role in this drama and I felt that left gaping holes in the plot, storyline, and cohesion/flow of the story. It was sooooo confusing, to the point where at various points it HURT my brain trying to figure out why the writers were purposefully skirting around all the normal issues that would involve family scenes. It was almost as if they were working hard trying to prevent any family scenes from taking place, it was weird. Everything felt really disconnected in that regard.
2. Maybe this is just my own weird thing, but.....I thought all the fat jokes/cliches were, ugh...annoying. They continued, right up to the end. Sure, they were trying to make it a "Oh, being healthy (also on the inside) is a good thing, not just losing weight!" But it was essentially just a story of a girl losing weight and gaining a guy. Sometimes I felt like they went a little overboard to the point where it got a little cheesy and cliched (not to mention annoying). But again, that may just be a preference thing. At least this drama only had one instance of weird K-drama bathroom humor. So I'll count my blessings with that.
3. The convoluted angst. It's true that for the most part, this drama is pretty bubbly and comedic. BUT when it does do angst (particularly the antics that break up the OTP) it did not work for me, at all. This may be a slight spoiler, so *WARNING* but at one point, the So Ji Sub leaves her (for in my opinion, a dumb reason).....and for some reason won't allow her to see him, at all. Also, no texting/calling....nothing. Just a complete up and leaves with no trace. He's supposedly supposed to come back to her at some point, but I just felt it was stupid. I didn't understand why it was so important that he had to cut her off, it made no sense. It felt like they were creating angst for no reason and brought me out of the story. It was just dumb. Also, anything angsty like that, just wasn't handled very well. It didn't flow with the story well.
4. Overuse of flashbacks. When a drama is using enough flashbacks to the point where you say to yourself: "Dang, that's a lot of flashbacks." It's overused. It became a crutch and a pointless time-filler. It was fairly annoying, because these flashbacks weren't just of the far past of these characters (which is fine), but things that happened JUST barely. It became really apparent that they were using it to fill time for episodes, which made it just seem sloppy and overused. It to be honest was a little off-putting.
So overall, just not my cup of tea. Not completely horrible. There are some good reasons to watch this drama, but I fear it's a little overrated because of the actors in it. Just be prepared for some confusion and a little bit of frustration if you decide to watch this drama. I hope your experience will be better than mine was.
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This review may contain spoilers
17 Steps Ahead of King Schemey McSteamy
This series surprised the heck out of me because I never even intended on watching it. When it was postponed I never really thought twice. Then I saw ZLH in MJTY and was intrigued plus at the time I hadn't seen BL in anything nor any of the other leads though the supporting cast I was somewhat familiar with. I'm not a fan of palace politics but this series got me curious from all of the excitement it generated once the drop date was announced. I nearly gave it a perfect 10 if it wasn't for the very few cons, I couldn't get past. But it really was the 17 steps ahead of King Schemey McSteamy.Pros: It should be very obvious who the favorite character is; ZLH's acting has improved leaps and bounds. This was his first morally gray protagonist and he absolutely nailed it. He was like a mad scientist in every way. I have no idea how XW's brain worked. It was like he was psychic and planned things as he foresaw them. The story originally started more on the FL's side and she too just knocked her role out of the park. It was her redemption/rebirth story plus reverse harem so our ML had to be the 3rd wheel for a while, something that with his absolutely insane jealousy streak was heart pounding and hysterical at the same time.
YL was Spider-Man; dude had supernatural abilities when fighting in that heavy ass armor that the actor even said was really hard to move in. What made this series really worth watching is that other then our cast which were all absolutely amazing; I can't say anyone screwed up their parts, was that the plot was always rolling along. You kept waiting for what's next. You never had to ffw or you'd miss something vital. Furthermore, the cast filmed during peak summer months and in extreme heat, they were constantly on the verge of heat stroke. I loved every member of the cast the ones mentioned above, ZZ, the princess, JXH, the hilarious and yet awesome guards of XW, fake DF, and everyone else, even the villains sans Lord Pinghead as I think he was used as more of a plot device to get the leads together. I'll speak more about him below.
The leads chemistry especially Ep. 36; people should know what I'm talking about. King McSteamy was born! I was actually surprised how much made it in. Usually after a passionate kiss, it's cut to spotlight and curtains or next scene. Here we saw more and it was great! And so glad that the kisses were real and XW was an absolute panther. I could probably write a whole review on just his love and lust plus jealousy alone. From what I wrote in the comments: That whole “JXN: I want you” bit? Woof! And then of course…Duke asswipe is all “I’m gonna rule the world.” Our boy goes “Hold my Qin. Back up dog, emperor and I got this on lock before I even left!” Who saw that coming?!?
XW, uncle, cousin reveal actually brought a tear to my eyes. It was a brief but beautiful moment. Plus XW's jealousy of his own son liking ZZ was too funny and a totally face-palm moment. JXN needs to nip that in the bud before the son starts picking up dad's negative traits lol. Daughter was too cute too. There were so many great moments in this drama; even the villains did what they had to do and for the most part were intelligent so it wasn't like some trope or cliche.
Costumes, sets, fights, OSTs, were great! I probably will come back to write something I missed or forgot lol. Just too much goodness.
Cons: Very little of these, but the .5 was knocked off for several reasons. Though I wish the modern day wasn't returned to, I understand it was done so because of censorship; I really would have preferred the 7 minute wedding to be in the last episode instead of an extra one plus do it before the scene with kids, instead of her dreaming of XW killing himself per lifetime number one. We're past that, no need to go back. Furthermore, Lord Pinghead's whole arc towards the end felt off to me because, he's supposed to be this murderous insane villain who killed children and destroyed a city but it looked more like just a ploy to get the leads officially together. He really wasn't much of anything. Just a paranoid killer. Duke asswipe had mountains more on him in terms of evil.
Wish they kept ZZ's rebirth arc because otherwise even to the almost end, it seemed he was still pining for her and it felt incomplete. He should have been given his own proper ending. Should have killed loser Xue son as per the novel too. Why was Duke asswipe allowed to stab XW with so many guards around him just because he was staring at JXN? The poor guy was already pin cushioned 6 ways to Sunday. YL and DQ should have finished the job before he even launched himself off the ground. Lastly and this felt the most unnecessary, was the death of FY. They could have killed ZYZ as is, he held her captive and tortured her. Why did she have to grab hold of him and he stab her? He could have just kicked her away and run; he would have been caught regardless and JXN should have delivered the death blow herself like "You think I can't kill you? Watch this, bitch!" FY's death was completely pointless. I don't understand this portion at all.
Would I recommend it? 100% would. It was a gem that I didn't expect to fall in love with but did. The pros way outweighed the cons. The plot was very well handled even the portions that deviated from the book. This is how dramas should be written and done with proper endings. Must watch y'all!
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Taking Away The Romanticism Of The South-Korean Militia…
Military enlistment is a topic which is often swept under the carpet in South-Korean culture, or romanticised in stories near the finale as part of the “ long wait” between lovers at the end of a drama storyline . ( The drama itself presenting a parody of this scene when a young woman causes a scene to promote her “ love” for her boyfriend enrolling only to present a stark contrast in the circumstances afterwards .)
PD and screenwriter Han Jun Hee as well as screenwriter Kim Bo Tong takes an anti-romantic ‘Fullmetal Jacket’ - style approach to the short series ‘ D.P’ The enlisted men alongside Jun Ho are viewed as nothing more that batch coded weapons and those who leave their side are viewed as merely loose-cannons without names or dignity . Yet the drama is unsurprisingly without director Han Jun Hee’s wry sense of comedy either- sardonic and satirical rather than sweet and slapstick, but woven well into the introduction of characters and the narrative.
The cast undeniably helped to make the storyline come to life. Actor Jung Jae In did a brilliant job ( like the rest of the cast) as main lead Jun Ho ( Jung Hae In). A troubled youth who shares his own conflicts and troubles before enlisting in the army and being forced into the military defect arrest team , Jun Ho becomes morally conflicted over the reasons why men leave the army for various personal reasons and the dire corruption of the authorities. From romantic heroism turned tragic to bittersweet realism, the duller and stark cinematography presents a harsher and prominent message to viewers about these stories shown per episode .
On a more critical note the drama isn’t without its flaws either. Whilst the messages are prominent as a criticism against the authorities and corruption ‘ D.P.’ began falling short especially after the 3/4 mark. The acting notably did degrade slightly as well as delivered line deliverances, and the pacing began to struggle Adding to the dilemma was defining more about Jun Ho’s calling of identity from given inferences in more vivid detail to explain his ideologies, as well as during the last few episodes. On the other hand the ending was certainly unexpected-profound and helping to define the key messages of the drama, but will likely leave viewers with their jaws dropping.
Overall a fairly good watch though admittedly not for the faint hearted . The pacing and more definitive character writing were sadly slight letdowns for this drama but ‘ D.P’ does make up for it with a profound and critique about the South-Korean military enlistment scheme, as well as using a catchy OST and moody cinematography to present these messages clearly .
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1) Love Set - Two women get entangled in an intense battle of wills on the tennis court and try to pummel one another, but the stakes are higher than they realise.
Review: I don’t know if it was the plot in general or just my inability to comprehend the message being conveyed but the end left me kind of confused. I’m trying to find a deeper meaning but can’t seem to come to a conclusion. Perhaps there isn’t a deeper meaning behind the plot and what happened at the end, just happened. Other than that, the acting was great.
2) Collector - A befuddled man wants to know why a woman he’s seeing disappeared to go travelling with her male friends - but she demands a gesture of his true love.
Review: This was pretty creepy, a stark contrast to the previous one but I really enjoyed it. This might be my favourite out of all the short films. The plot was different and gripping, the acting was superb and IU is so pretty!
3) Kiss burn - As she listens to her friend’s tale about how the marks on her face are from making out with a guy, the two of them inadvertently cause a mishap.
Review: This one was more light hearted than the other two and even had me chuckling at the end.
4) Walking at Night - A man and a woman take an evening stroll together and ruminate about dreams and their various past moments spent together - as well as death.
Review: I enjoyed the noir style cinematography which added to the eeriness of the film. However, I found myself getting a bit bored halfway through. But the actors again did an amazing job.
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This review may contain spoilers
Wasted Potential
A good story and captivating start but developed to be an "excessive" tearjerker, TBH it could have been a big hit (Facepalm).But it didn't.
Why it could have been a big hit?
It got a generally-likeable fantasy genre, a mysterious yet charming immortal male lead, an A-class casting lineup, a great couple chemistry and mostly, a fascinating storyline (in the start).
But why it didn't became one?
Poor arrangement on plots, less impressive production, a let-down on the mysterious characters development, dull climax and mostly, too much unnecessary parting and whining (from the girl who is facing death).
I really enjoyed the start where the female lead signed a contract with "Myeol Mang" (sort of like a destroyer) and thereafter started their ill-fated relationship. I was actually pretty excited when the female lead swore that she was going to make "Myeol Mang" her love of life so he can die for her, so "Korean drama cliche" but I just love it. Of course we all know they will eventually fall in love but "How?" is something we anticipate. Well, it turned out they fell in love before I even noticed, and oddly started with all the emotional parting (again and again) and accepted their fate (again and again). The flow was a bit off for me as I didn't feel their deep-down love and suddenly they are willing to give up their lives for each other, like huh? I don't deny they look pretty good together, but the story development was quite lacking though.
At first, I felt the story was a little complicated, especially the conversation between "Myeol Mang" and the "Deity girl", so I thought they were somehow building up for the climax, hmmm it turns out to be.... nothing. When you are always waiting for something unexpected, it failed your expectation. It's like you are eating a candy floss, the first bite was so great but before you can savour it, it's gone. Yes, the second half of the drama was an empty-shell. There was so much potential in the "Deity girl" character, but she didn't really contribute anything significant to the show and it turns out like destiny has controlled her instead, she gave up and become a Samaritan for the couple LOL
Honestly, it could have been better if they have more plots on how they developed feelings (maybe on how their hate turns into love) instead of just using almost 10 episodes to cry, to escape and to get back together. As for second couple, a so-so to me too, as their love-triangle was pretty draggy too, however I find Cha Joo Ik's role pretty interesting, especially how he uses his poker face for love confession, sarcasm, even when cracking a joke LOL.
Basically, I stayed on to the end mainly for the casts, simply enjoying Seo In Guk's alluring smirk, Park Bo Young's adorable expression and Lee Soo Hyuk's attractive deep voice. That's about it. Wasn't that excited for the storyline as you will be able to figure out the ending on your own by looking at the pace of the story and how it develops, it's like even if you missed out a few episodes you will be able to catch up haha.
These are just my point of view, and I believe people might have different thoughts on the drama, saw the comment area is just flooded with criticism. I don't regretted watching it though, that's why it deserves at least 7.0 for me, a "slightly above-average" piece? Just that we have so much dramas out there to compare with and it just loses out, but not so bad actually, or maybe because I have seen worse.
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This review may contain spoilers
I found this drama both wonderful and frustrating at the same time. I loved the overall message of 'if you have a dream, you remain young forever'. The fulfilment of broken dreams, even though it didn't happen the way the five SOLO players planned for it to happen, was a very satisfying journey. HSY is a character that had to grow on me. His frowns and shortness seemed so overkill at the start, it was difficult to get behind. But TN, grandpa, his step-mom, the KK team brought out the warmth in him and one couldn't help but smile and laugh with him by the end of the drama.
TN was confusing to me. I kept being told she was this super intelligent girl, but I rarely got to see her high IQ at work. Most of the time, she was just the typical, dazed, female lead that you get in most Chinese dramas. It was disappointing to me that they didn't flesh out her character more and showed her to be more than this girl that keeps giving heart eyes to HSY. I did love her brightness and how she bought HSY out of his shell and wrapped him in her love. I just felt they could have done so much more with her character.
Yang Zi and Li Xian had such an awkward chemistry. Even though I could tell they gave it their best and in a way, it worked to the character's advantage, it felt like hard work to buy into them as a couple. But I did end up loving them as a couple and giggling like a little schoolgirl every time they were just cheeseballs to one another. They were very cute in an awkward way.
Wu Bai was just such an awkward character. It felt a little like HYT's management placed him in this role to punish him or something. He was too big of a star to be in this role that had no depth and his sole purpose is to be the best player on the team. And it was obvious at the end that they couldn't film him with a lot of the big group shots and so they just put in solo cuts of him. He felt completely out of place and as much as I wanted to like him, it was just frustrating to watch.
Mi Shao Fei has to be MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER of this entire drama. And I wish so bad that they spent more time on him and Yaya's story. Their storyline captivated me so much more than HSY and TN's storyline. I felt the chemistry was better between the two actors. When Mi Shao Fei was starving for encouragement, Yaya naturally poured out endless amounts of it for him. He held onto her like a lifeline when he had absolutely nothing.
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Overall
Negatives: I felt that the drama itself is disjointed and inconsistent. It had these wonderful storylines that were rich and full of life, but then they would not be able to bring out its true potential. I also think the cutting of scenes/directing was a little off which was a bit distracting to watch.
Positives: I did end up loving each of the characters. I wanted more of each character and more of these romances in the story. I think the actors did a great job with the material and overall, I laughed, I cried, I cringed and I cheered. I would recommend this drama despite its shortcoming. Mi Xiao Fei and Yaya had my heart.
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Horrendous, nauseating, and yet still boring as f.
That was awful. I'll start with the positives:- Mos is supernaturally attractive. Every bit of him is stunning - hot body, porcelain skin, handsome face, those eyes, sexy voice, all of him.
End of positives.
This feels like it was written by a very sheltered 13-year old girl who inserted herself into the story as Bank's character. I'm not sure how else to describe his total lack of agency and relentlessly female wardrobe. You might think he has agency, but think about it - he's just a plot device, not a person. Even the one ability he has, designing jewelry (and the necklace is hideous), only exists when it's needed to move the "plot" "forward", and it's usually inspired by the supernatural elements of the story that are totally pointless and have no effect on anything.
I feel zero chemistry between Mos and Bank except insofar as Mos is so hot that he has some with anything that's in the same room with him. Partly because Bank's character is so vacuous and unrealized that there's nothing to be attracted to. Think about it. Describe his character: he... uh,... well,... he dresses like a girl. And wears so much makeup that if he actually were a girl, he'd look like a sex worker. That's really it. Oh wait, he faints a lot. A LOT.
This was the worst example of the worst kind of uke, who is incapable of surviving an average day without a seme to save him from drowning in 1 inch of water (this actually happens). Lin wants to use lovey-dovey nickhames, so he decides to call Sun "Dad". Not "daddy", which is at least an accepted slang term for an older (and generally wealthy) man, but "dad", which is only ever used in reference to your biological father (or occassionally a father-in-law) - is it possible for something to be more cringe? It's the ultimate infantilization, and it's frankly misogynist and homophobic, equating femininity with weakness.
The vaunted NC-17 scenes are so bad it's unintentionally funny. You get to see Mos's ass in the paint scene, so there is that, but that they didn't take off their high-fashion clothing first took me right out of the story. You could feed an entire village in Bangladesh for a year with what those outfits cost (in story). There's a BJ scene with slurping sound so loud that it would disturb Japanese people at a ramen bar. I guess Sun must have a micropenis, because otherwise there shouldn't be enough room in Lin's mouth to slurp that much.
One of the secondary couples has bird sex in a toilet stall while one of their fathers is watching while bent over backwards in a disturbing pose.
The only couple that's vaguely engaging also goes full uke-seme, the absence of which dynamic was what actually made them appealing - Yo behaved like a man, until he had a boyfriend, when he reverted to acting like a very sheltered 13-year old girl.
The production seems to think that loud = funny. All you need to do is have your characters scream their lines, and it's all very ha. (Or I guess it's "all very 5" for our Thai viewers.)
But worst of all, this was just dull. It wasn't fun to hate-watch, like Unforgotten Night - it just made me cringe almost continuously - and thank God for the +10 seconds button on iQiyi.
I can't recommend this - the only thing in it with appeal is Mos, and you can get anything you want of him and more on his instagram.
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First impression: a exploration of desire and the consequences of following it blindly
The opening episodes of Only Friends: Dream On reveal a series that is very aware of its own appeal. Rather than softening the emotional chaos that made the franchise popular, the new season dives even deeper into it. The result is an intense start, filled with tension, provocation, and questionable decisions that always seem on the verge of setting the characters’ relationships on fire. There is a clear enjoyment in watching this game of messy emotions and poorly calculated impulses unfold, and the direction knows exactly how to make the most of that unstable atmosphere.Much of this strength comes from the cast. The chemistry between the actors is the true engine of the narrative, and the camera often relies more on glances, pauses, and teasing than on long stretches of dialogue. The interactions carry a constant energy of attraction and conflict, creating a sense of unpredictability that keeps the viewer engaged. Some pairings thrive on the almost provocative friction between strong personalities, while others build a softer, slower tension. This variety helps prevent the drama from feeling repetitive, even when the story fully embraces its more exaggerated side.
Another strong point lies in how the series treats its characters as flawed people. No one appears entirely right or wrong, and much of the dramatic interest comes precisely from that moral ambiguity. Jealousy, insecurity, and desire are presented with very little filtering, giving the conflicts a raw and spontaneous tone. At the same time, the production maintains an engaging rhythm, balancing moments of intensity with pauses that allow emotions to build before eventually erupting.
On the other hand, the series occasionally stumbles over stylistic habits that attempt to add a level of sophistication that is not always necessary. The cuts to testimonial-style interviews, while intended to provide depth, sometimes interrupt the natural flow of scenes that would stand perfectly well on silence and subtle expressions alone. By over-explaining the characters' internal worlds, the script risks insulting the audience's intelligence, trading organic tension for a structured commentary that feels more like a safety net than a narrative leap.
There is also a slightly risky sense of comfort in the casting. By relying on pairings whose dynamics are already well known to fans, the narrative loses some of the “who will end up with whom” mystery, making the script feel a bit too dependent on the actors’ charisma rather than the unpredictability of the plot. Some musical transitions also feel somewhat dated, with a soundtrack that occasionally tries to dictate the emotional tone more loudly than the performances themselves.
Even so, these details rarely undermine the overall experience. Technical issues in mixing and pacing are easily forgiven thanks to the series’ willingness to present characters who are flawed, possessive, and delightfully human. Only Friends: Dream On does not try to be a philosophical treatise on love, but rather a vibrant exploration of desire and the disastrous consequences of following it blindly.
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Perfectly Imperfect Romance
MUST READ REVIEW IF YOU'RE HESITANT TO START THIS DRAMA :This drama is based on a spin off ( original side plot ) from the manhwa(Korean comic) with the same name .
The original manhwa has a total different plot .
If you're here to watch a fantasy drama with God's fighting , or expecting fantasy things like power and more . Sorry to disappoint you there's no such plot as that .
Morelike the central plot of this drama is empty . It's the romance which has the main focus on . I don't believe you always need some quirky
twists to build up romance . The more the natural , the better it is
This drama is the maturest romance drama . This drama is what you call
" CANDID " . It has a new way of direction and plot writing which many people are unable to digest as they are used to watch bullshit . Those who demand unnecessary twists , a begginning and a ending .
It's slow initially but picks up the pace after episode 4 .
This drama is based on the interaction of a god and a human .
Their romance , fights , moods , jealousy , and somewhat comedy .
It was about the romance and love of a god and a human in the most human way ever . I mean how often do you come across a romance plot was has the power to continue itself with just focus solely on 2 leads .
It's tempting in that way . Slow , but worth it .
When people hear supernatural they always expect more ,
If you have watched My love from another star , that's it .
This drama has the same romance but without any powers or much of a fantasy .
As simple as that .
I always decide to watch a drama based on it's poster .
And it always pays off , this drama has a tempting poster . And mind you posters never lie .
Coming back ,
What surprised me was the interactions , the cinematography , the dialogues , the satire .
Both the leads do have a chemistry . I am a romance maniac and I don't watch things which don't connect .
This one did , and so I did .
I hesitated so much to watch this drama after reading such mean comments . But finally I did after 8 months . All the comments here are BULLSHIT which are criticizing this drama .
This isn't perfect , Yeah I accept that . But this isn't that bad .
They could have had made this drama a 100 or a 1000% times better ,
It's just like that irritating feeling that when you have such a great plot why not try to make it better . But I'm not disappointed with what I watched . Rather i enjoyed it to the fullest coz it was interesting .
THIS IS WORTH A WATCH . ONE OF THE BEST ROMANTIC DRAMA'S I HAVE EVER WATCHED MOREOVER THIS HAS THE BEST ROMANTIC SCENES . The scenes aren't copied . They are surreal , something that you could connect with .
Plot 8/10
Cinematography 10/10
Dialogues 10/10
Soundtrack 10/10
Acting 9/10
Overall 9/10
P.S : Somehow after reading the comments I felt people nowdays don't like mature romance . Maybe the audience who are watching this are teenage girls or boys . --_-- to make such abrupt bullshit statement about this drama .
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The acting for the rest of the cast was at least commendable, except for Se Kyung who was mostly crying or running back to Young Gul with that expressionless face of hers.
There were too many loose ends here that half way through the drama, it felt like they were writing an entirely new script.
I feel that Jae Hyuk was one of the most believable character in this drama. He is a young chaebol with a tyrant father who beats the sh*t out of him and a typical rich mother who constantly meddles with his love life. He is a confident and arrogant businessman who wants to be at the top of the fashion industry but always stops short at meeting his father's expectations.
At least, I understand why he would fall in love with the helpless, absent-minded and doe-eyed Ga Young because he feels that with all the pressures in his life, there is one thing that he is capable of, and that is his to help Ga Young reach her dreams of becoming a top designer and in turn this gives him strength.
Young Gul, however is an emotionally unstable, struggling designer cum knock-offs factory owner and a greedy, conniving and deceitful man who feels that rich people like Jae Hyuk has the moral obligation to help him every time he is short in cash. The depiction of his character is so extreme that I don't think anybody else can pull it off other than Yoo Ah In.
The entire runaway from thugs because you bedded the boss' woman and be an illegal migrant to America part is just so crazily random that it doesn't add to anything in the drama.
I think that the fierce competition between Jae Hyuk and Young Gul's businesses and Ga Young's love would have suffice as the main reason why they want to kill each other.
Anna and Jung Ah are the worst antagonists everrr. Thank heavens for the crazy woman aunt and the sadistic rich father!
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