This review may contain spoilers
mixed feelings ...
It didn't turn out to be as what I expected , I thought this was going to be this fast paced strong revenge drama , yet what they gave us was a rather slow paced drama which tried to tackle many ideas at once and somehow each one turned out to be a bit unsatisfying for me .so first of all the acting was superb , but the plot didn't serve the drama that much , this drama focused on many plot lines at once which was annoying at sometimes given the fact that I was mainly interested in mo xiuyao and ye li story and with all those storylines it felt dragged for me , ye li knowing medicine , martial arts and basically everything to get the ML out of trouble was quite annoying it felt like a loophole to fix any obstacle they faced .
I hated the whole mo jingli arc like he was so annoying and he wanted it all he wanted the throne and ye li even after he betrayed lishan academy, ye li was married and he himself was married to her step sister , he just got on my nerves .
cangbei princess was killed and they forgot about her ?? like they gave no explanation to the other nation or anything and her maid what was she trying to seek revenge from mo xiuyao for ? how would he have saved her when he himself needed saving ?? why would she call him her enemy like he wasn't the one to cause her to became a slave.
empress dowager after all she had done she got the easiest way out .
that has been said this drama definitely had its moments , from mo xiuyao getting closure for his brother and killed army and the emotional moments we got to know what happened at lishan academy.
this wasn't perfect but it desrves to give it a go.
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Great start, weak finish.
Female lead is something else, quite different from usual. The female lead is a joy and a treat to watch. She is funny, captivating, witty and actually clever. Quite a badass as well. I find it intriging especially the mystery element in it. I like how the female lead negaivgates everything, she is not a push over. She tries to get to the bottom of what happened. Then all that changed, she just became weak, like why???The other characters are also interesting to watch, there are layers to them. The dynamics of everyone is quite good. The comedic timing is great the chemistry between the cast was good.
I thought this was going to be a show that I will use to pass time but every mintue of the first half was worth it. And then it just started to fall apart. I felt so let down, the first 8-10 eps were so good and then all just became boring. Waste of actors, poorly written towards the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
how a painful past affects relationships
Overall: I was very impressed with the first two episodes that had a slice of life/serious vibe; however, many plot elements, the shifting characterization and editing has brought my initial 9.5 rating down. 8 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala for Southeast Asia and most of Europe (not UK or Spain) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4854/let-free-the-curse-of-taekwondo-2024 and iQIYI for I'd assume the countries not covered by GagaOOLala https://www.iq.com/play/1713h09ez2k?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 Watch after the initial credits of episode 1 for an extra scene.Content Warnings: child abuse, violence, beaten up, death, trauma, dub con kiss, fraud
Watch Suggestions (to get rid of angst between the leads and the love rival)
- watch episodes 1 & 2
- watch episode 3 up to 25 min
- skip episode 4
- watch episode 5 21-23
- watch episode 6 11-14:35 and 32:45-end
- watch episode 7 beginning to 4:45 and 27 to the end
- watch episode 8 6:12-8:10, 19-19:45 and 21-36:45
What I Liked
- chemistry
- caring/sweet moments especially in episode 3
- realistic nervousness/awkwardness
- good kissing
- production value (except the confusing editing)
Room For Improvement
- ominous voice overs
- wish they had established the year in episode 1 (was established as 2004 at the beginning of episode 2)
- the cut to black after a certain moment/not showing the reaction
- plot elements were not well explained, there would be a brief flash or 1 sentence about major events that the viewers didn't get to see
- the plot element at the end of ep 3/beg of 4 was too long and not seeing something very important was cliche
- flashbacks/flash forwards made things unnecessarily confusing
- love rival and other side plots (student, drawing) instead of fully developing the main storyline
- I didn't ship the 2 characters romantically, felt like the cliche 'love heals all trauma'
- the very ending of episode 8 was anticlimactic
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This drama has such a good start. The chemistry between the leads was perfection. Watching Noh Ji Wook get drawn into always aiding the helpless Eun Bong Hee was so endearing. As this couple is forced to live and work together, their relationship drives the drama forward.
So it shouldn't be surprising that when the relationship between Ji Wook and Bong Hee hit the breaks so does the momentum of the show. During the last third of the show, the noble idiocy runs rampant. As always this is supposed to show depth and character development, but it just kinda falls flat. I just wanted to see my OTP back together again.
The suspense portion of the story could have offered more. Throughout the drama, there is a main murder mystery that weaves its way in and out of the story. Dong Ha does a very good job as the main antagonist. His interaction with Ji Chang Wook is very compelling. It seemed like whenever the tensions were high between these two, viewer ratings saw a spike. This arc is supplemented by short one to two episode vignettes that do little for the overall story. Personally, I think these one off cases, distract from the main story and delude the tightness of the plot. The time taken to spend of these little cases took time away from answering questions about the main story.
This drama's best selling point is its cast. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun do amazing jobs portraying the main leads. In addition, the dynamic of the supporting characters was so entertaining and funny. Noh Ji Wook's firm consisting of Bong Hee, Eun Hyuk, Chief Bang and CEO Byun kept me in stitches. Their regular office banter was a highlight of the show.
Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. I do feel that there is a lot of untapped potential, but the characters are too endearing to pass up. This show is a pretty light and breezy watch. I did enjoy the 30 minute episode framework. It made this show very watchable. If you do hit a bit of snag in the last third, I recommend you stick with it, since the ending is very cute.
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Worth your time if you get past the controversial premise
This series starts with a very controversial premise, FL got drugged by a 'friend' and was 'sold' to the ML who mistook her for a prostitute (not putting spoiler tags here as this is basically on the first 10mins of the drama). If you in any way cannot stomach this, then DO NOT CONTINUE WATCHING as this drama (similar to other lakorn) has many other questionable scenes and it will only for sure upset you and it is not fair to give it a very low rating because of this. Lakorns are their own kind and shouldn't be compared to Kdramas and real life. If you know you are being served chicken, you should not expect it to taste like pork.If you are able to get pass Episode 1 and willing to open your mind and just be entertained then this Lakorn is WORTH YOUR TIME.
Now rating this as a lakorn, I would say I enjoyed it a lot and perhaps it is the best this year.
-it is surprisingly fast-paced with no annoying filler or secondary plot (I remember even in KluenCheewit which I like, I tend to skip scenes that are not with the maincouple as I find them tedious)
-on the first 5 episodes the ML is basically an obnoxious caveman, grabbing, force kissing, verbally abusing, literally harassing the FL. He seems non redeemable, but things actually gets better episode 6 onwards.
-this lakorn has the best second couple, usually I don't care so much about second couple but in this one I really enjoy seeing Chen and Na. Their relationship was the most natural, normal and comedic. I love this combination of the spoiled rich boy and the tomboyish no non-sense bff of the FL. Na's character is definitely one of the best, she's super chill and the voice of reason on this drama.
-the ending wasn't rushed. They took 3 episodes to start wrapping it up. Unlike other lakorns where you only get like 5 minutes of happy moments, in this drama it is satisfying to see how it ended for each character. It is also refreshing to see that the antagonist are not as evil or ridiculous as in usual Lakorn. By the end of the drama, they were able to humanize the characters.
-there are many eyerolling moments, but this is lakorn so just roll with it HAHA. It kept me watching and entertained the whole time so not much complaint there.
-The editing is also good, the story itself as mentioned is questionable at certain point, but the flow was good. I remember watching Husband in Law and the editing and cuts made by the director is so confusing.
-The script could have also been improved to justify the character's behaviors, specially on the controversial scenes mentioned. It would probably lessen the hate directed at the ML if he got a better script explaining why he did what he did.
-The actors seems to be rookies but overall okay. Kem's acting (ML) is no way near the level of Mark Prin or even Mik Thongraya but he did pretty well for a beginner. He is also handsome but I would say it's obvious he's still very young, there are angles where he looks kinda chubby with his baby cheeks. He could work out a bit to get more chiseled. Mookda (FL) is also okay, nothing spectacular but she delivered. Her makeup sometimes looks off though, the orange lips doesn't suit her and she looks prettier with her hair down. The person in charge of the clothing also seemed to think throwing in as much designer stuff into an outfit will make the characters classy, but sometimes it just looks tacky.
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Story - 6.5
The FL is a rich spoilt brat and the ML is the most caring and forgiving person to ever exist in dramaland. Though the FL gets involved with the ML as a game but the ML is always sincere towards her. I cant really comment much without being spoilerish - but the story would have been better if they had improved the FL’s character a little. Overall, the message I got from the story is that no two relationships should be judged on the same parameters - just because two people started right doesn’t mean they can’t be wrong and just because two people started wrong, does not mean they can’t be right. Also, stop being arrogant and over-dramatic in life, Nai don’t exist for real.
Acting/Cast - Great acting by everyone. Jirayu has now become my favourite Thai actor (Sorry, Push). My favourite character was the Mom. She was clearheaded and no-bullshit and no - drama person. She did not ever let anyone get to her or destroy her awesomeness. I loved Nai’s character as well except that being so nice and forgiving is unrealistic. I cannot even imagine.
Music/Rewatch - Average.
If you’re a lakorn person, do try.
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The acting is pretty good, but as the story gets a bit more ridiculous, it sometimes seems strained (not the body switching part, but more like when she gives in at some points I won't go into detail for to avoid spoiling). The music was actually pretty good. Now let's get down to the story.
It had an interesting premise. Cool edgy chick who isn't down for injustice. Does her own stunts. Huh interesting, woah there's body switching that's cool? It was very cool. Very very cool. But there's one problem. The romance. The romantic line ruined pretty much everything for me. The story without the romance was super interesting. But... well... the romantic story line was sometimes just disturbing, gross, and creepy to be honest. There were some points where I was concerned that the main actress should get a restraining order. I literally could not see how she could come to like someone who was obsessed with her. It wasn't like it was cute like first stage of falling in love with someone, no it was straight up obsession and it was creepy. Like he was affecting her life and sometimes it was borderline rapey. I honestly cannot understand the romanticizing of it. Sometimes, I expected to hear some dramatic "danger" music but instead got the "omg love love" music and I was like, what? Are you seriously saying I'm supposed to think this is romantic?
Also, Gil Rah Im's character development was such trash. Like it seemed like her character development was secondary to his, like they could disregard what makes sense for her to do as long as it continued the story in a way in which was favorable to his. So glad I finally proved to myself that I wasn't missing out on anything and it was as bad as I thought it was.
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This film deals with family relationships, how they resolve their problems and their misfortune, how to hide their abnormals from the media and outsiders but most of all, it was about how to protect each other in front of many obstacles while following their dreams.
A three generations relationship with the most unusual story is what made me watch this and unexpectedly liking it.
You may want to give it a try as well.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's everything you'd want in a 5-episode special; a mix of romance & comedy
Before I get into the specifics, you have to remember that this is a 5 episode special, and can't be interpreted in the same manner as a second season might've been.*note: for the reason that this is a continuation of "2gether" it will be hard not to refer to it.*
Story: Rather than an actual sequel, "Still 2gether" is more of a chance to re-witness Sarawat, Tine & all of the other 2gether characters that were missed from the show. In regards to that, I think it lived up to it's expectations. It served its purpose as a romantic, sweet & comedic continuation, and I don't feel the need to over-analyze the story. Once again, critiquing the show as a stand-alone is quite hard, but in terms of the story & plot, it's quite sweet & cute :) It's not meant to be much of a brain-racker, and I don't think expecting a full-on 'plot dynamic' from solely 5 episodes would be doing it much justice.
But from I've seen, they executed this sooo nicely! There were so many nostalgic "2gether" moments in the first few episodes of "Still 2gether", and as the show progressed, the better it became! The finale was a perfect wrap to the tale of Sarawat & Tine - and everything weaved together no nicely in the end.
[a little cute spoiler: for anyone waiting for a kiss scene, you needn't to worry ;) ]
Acting/Cast: I think all the actors did a pretty spectacular job. What I loved about 'Still 2gether" is that the cast have definitely improved their acting :) They've embraced their character's roles and stick by it quite well. Considering the fact that this is Win's first role as an actor, he did a great job as playing his role as Tine! In my opinion, Bright who plays Sarawat's character did a really good job too! [despite knowing the other conflicting opinions on this matter]. Sarawat & Tine's chemistry has improved by a tenfold & they're so natural with one another. And I loved the supporting characters so much! I'm so glad Gunsmile is getting more recognition; and I loved his comedic character, Boss (who else is on board with the BossPear ship like me?) Mike & Toptap (Mantype), PhukongMil (FrankDrake), Gun (Green), Guy (Dim), Fong (Khaotung), JJ (Ohm) and all cast & crew members did a great job in doing all their characters justice.
Music: I'm not much of a music fanatic, but you can never go wrong with Scrubb's songs or the "Still 2gether" OST in that manner. It's so beautiful!
Overall: I'm giving this a 9 overall because it deserves to. Both "2gether" and "Still 2gether" have been such a fresh breath of air, and because this series aired during the pandemic - I'd say that it's been a sort of comfort; worldwide! It's gained such a large international fan base, and rightfully so. It's a sweet and cute continuation - and all I hope for is another opportunity to witness these characters *wink*
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Just Lame...Unfortunately
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.It's so disappointing every time I witness a drama self destructing...
Acting/Cast: Just okay. The female lead's acting started off strong in the first episode or two, but it quickly dive-bombed off a cliff. What her acting regressed in to reminded me of the female lead's acting in the beginning of Perfect Marriage Revenge. Except, in Perfect Marriage Revenge, her acting improved as the drama progressed. It was like she was trying to imitate the female lead in The Glory, but only at random moments, so she just seemed like she had a split personality for no reason. Then, that split personality acting turned into cookie-cutter basic female lead personality (which is an absence of personality). The best acting is probably from the second female lead and maybe some side characters. The male lead is boring too. If you're going to have no personality, at least have good chemistry with the female lead... 2/10
Writing: Literally the same plot as Perfect Marriage Revenge. I was hoping that this drama would at least be an improved version. Unfortunately, I ended up giving them the same overall score, but for different reasons. The leads weren't as likeable and didn't have as much chemistry in this drama. However, the villains were a lot better and the entertainment value was a bit higher. This drama also has some entertaining side characters as opposed to Perfect Marriage Revenge. The drama really goes downhill when the character Oh Yoo Ra is introduced in episode 11. The original villains were good enough - I don't know why they felt the need to add in another villain towards the end of the drama. Oh and you know how in every single romance drama there's a point about 2/3 into the drama where the leads "break up"? Well...simply the introduction of this new character is the catalyst for it here...and it's such a dumb reason. I started hating the female lead. I described her as being "self-righteous" (a very unattractive trait in my opinion). Also, the male lead does some ridiculous sacrificial lamb BS that was so cheesy and lame. I couldn't believe the drama had devolved into this stupidity. On a positive note, I liked the added complexity to the "rules" of fate and the detail of the female lead's father being involved in her second chance. 3.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: The direction got drunk and wouldn't go home... I'm not a fan of the OST. And the intro...I usually don't mention intros because they really don't matter at all, but in any case, it's terrible. It doesn't fit the drama, but whatever. I can say that the beginning of this drama was well directed. The female lead's reaction to waking up ten years in the past, face-to-face with her abusive ex that had just murdered her was on point. It was so realistic...seriously, it was the highlight of the drama. Too bad the writers couldn't maintain that same energy for the rest of the drama. 4.5/10
Entertainment Value: Very entertaining through the first half of the drama. It takes a turn for the worst when an additional character is suddenly introduced in episode 11. The female lead started to really piss me off and her acting became a mess. The drama started getting cheesy. This wasn't supposed to be a Makjang right? It felt like more of a Makjang than Perfect Marriage Revenge did...and not a good one. 5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 4/10. Highly disappointing, but it did get some things right.
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I've said it before but potentially my favourite part of this drama was the dynamic between the two leads. Two very contrasting but equally unusual and fascinating characters coming together in a strange situation.
Eight is a playboy who doesn't believe in love, he is selfish and seduces woman for money and to get ahead in life. In contrast, Saiko is an extreme introvert - her awkward nature often makes her seem eccentric or strange - oh, not to mention her kiss kills you and takes you back 7 days to the past.
All in all I really enjoyed it! I kind of discovered this drama out of the blue and didn't expect to like it so much, a pleasant surprise.
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A Slow Descent Into Hell…
Life is rarely a straightforward and narrow road and for artist Hee Joo (Hyun-Jung Go), her road seems to be an incessant path of bumps, twists and turns as she gradually begins her descent into “ Hell”.
The storyline places emphasis upon unravelling questions towards Hee Joo’s fall from grace.The female lead seems to have all ; she had a rough start but now has two beautiful children, a doting husband, a lovely home, and a successful art career, yet something still seems to haunt the female lead . Yet when a terrible incident happens to her daughter Ri-Sa (Su-an Kim), Hee-Joo is shocked to end up meeting someone she used to know in her past Hae Won (Shin Hyon Bin); a ghost of her former lively-self. Hee Joo and Hae Won’s encounter marks the beginning of a hellish journey that will test and trial everything that Hee-Joo believes she already knows…
Adapted to the small screen by director Im Hyun Wook ( ‘ People You May Know’) and screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra ( ‘ Just Between Lovers’, ‘ Snowy Road’) from Jung So Hyeon’s novel ‘ Someone Who Looks Like You’ , ‘ Reflection Of You’ takes a noticeably darker and bittersweet tone than most melodrama revenge-tales, and a slow-burn plot which will test viewers’ patience spans to the maximum.
Of course this isn’t to say that there isn’t intrigue for viewers surrounding the plot premise or initial start; it wastes no time hooking audiences ( shown as a literal metaphor through the fishing line thrown into water in the first episode) and adds a few little threads to keep the series interesting; the mysterious and unconscious John Doe visited by Hee Joo’s husband who later disappears, the tension between Hee Joo and her affluent , aloof mother-in-law , Hae Won’s use of an alias as well as her evident connection to Hee Joo .
The acting front of the series was admittedly fairly good. Whilst there were a few questionable line deliverances at times it’s undeniable that our main cast really shone throughout . Hyun-Jung Go delivered a brilliant performance as her complicated onscreen persona Hee-Joo whilst Shin Hyon Bin would often steal the limelight as Hae Won ; the chillingly vengeful, enigmatic and mysteriously paradoxical character who acted as the main foil and plot drive throughout ‘ Reflection Of You’.
Yet amongst screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra’s smoke and mirrors tactic through using mysterious subplots and haunting scenes to shield viewers from the actual truth of the past and events to follow, ‘ Reflection Of You’ isn’t without its more evident loose threads either.
The series is undeniably slow-paced. Whilst this is a necessary tactic for keeping the storyline afloat and the input of cliffhangers during most episodes helped the drama to gradually reach its apex , ‘ Reflection of You ‘ could often ward off viewers and potential newcomers. The series would often become bogged down with its arbitrary soap-opera trope-worthy moments, occasional out-of-place transitions and use of over-the-top dialogue and line deliverances. Whilst it does present a form of ( intentional or unintentional ) dramatic irony in the lavish and melodramatic world of ‘ Reflection Of You’, it could often create a sporadic and disjointed plot with many loose plot ends sticking out like a saw thumb by the ending of the series.
The finale of ‘ Reflection Of You’ undeniably divided audiences; a final conclusion towards the twisted world of the series, but leaving a lot of unanswered questions and logic on the sideline with main characters Hae-Won and Hee Joo’s arcs feeling underdeveloped .
So is ‘ Reflection Of You’ actually worth watching or is it a waste of time? ‘ Reflection Of You’ is a drama which will admittedly engage or disengage audiences dependent on expectations. Whilst this is generic situation for a lot of K-dramas, ‘ Reflection Of You’ often finds itself digging its own grave at times by its snail-paced progression and dragging out plot points behind its expiry date . This isn’t to say the series is “ terrible” or “ unwatchable”; the acting is fairly dynamic throughout the series, the plot premise is intriguing and there are some wonderfully-interweaved scenes by director Im Hyun Wook to give viewers goosebumps. However the incompletion of a series which was dragged out for viewers alongside mismatched storyline and plot points, can admittedly lead to some mixed-feelings and uncertainty towards the finished product.
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This review may contain spoilers
Khen....Khen....Khen
Why, Khen, why?Why did Mas have to keep calling your name in that irritating tone?
Why did you go back to the past and leave your computer? The internet was not invented, so what would you see? Where would you get connectivity? Why, did your battery last that long?
Why after showing how the story began, did you not recognize Mas as the boy in the library when you went back to the past?
Why was a ghost allowed to have sex with a human? If a maid had entered during the deed, what would she actually see?
Why did Khampaun refuse her husband before she found out about his lust for Sompho? Why did she blame Sompho and not the husband? Taking it out on the unwilling mistress never ends well?
Why was it important for Sompho to have her story told? Did it bring any meaning to their story?
Why was the repetition of Mas back story necessary when it did nothing to enhance the story?
Why did Mas ask Ken to bring the box during the party and openly speak to him? Wouldn't he appear to be mental laughing and speaking to himself? Especially in the age when cell phones and earpieces have not been invented as yet?
Why did the girl next to him not notice?
Why when all realised that they were dead, why did they have to meet in the dry bush before beginning their journey? Why didn't they go to collect him? Like "Bro, you're dead. Let's go?"
Why was Mas filming on the computer about his home when the info would have corroded with time if it's not preserved? Again, why would the computer exist in time travel?
Why (humor me) would Khen carry Mas to the future if he wasn't a ghost to time travel?
Why show the ending with their meeting but start the beginning with the death with a whole lot of disconnected fillers to elongate the story leading nowhere?
Why was a story with such promise end up being so nonsensical?
Why didn't the screenwriter and director have a chat with those from IFYLITA to see how it's done?
Why was Mas' acting so bad?
Why did I waste my time hoping that it would get better?
Why, hmmmm, why?
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in some ways it was like a dream work environment, Bok Dong didn't care for background or educational degree or age, and he gave everyone a fair shot, he gave worth to the employees, they work hard and the customers let the saying "the customer is the king/they are always right" get to their heads and they disrespect the people who are just trying to make a living. but here it was different.
usually korean dramas don't do this, but I liked the theme eps for Halloween, Christmas and the others.
the ost was like an anime's theme songs and overall it was a fun ride~
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Devious Prince plots his own fake marriage
We see a beauty with amnesia is the wife of a cold ruthless general/ prince. She is the * bait* to his trap. She has no idea she is not married and her * fake* husband is using her in his scheme. How low can ML get? Pretty low, he is betrothed to his cousin. The stunning good looks of this ML & FL can falsely misleads how ruthless the ML can be to use her. But the FL is slowly feeling the husband is not a good husband she could love. The ML has it planned out. But he cannot control everything including his own growing attraction to his *wife*Excellent plot. ✅️
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