Just because of the time travelling theme, I thought it would be cool since I watched "The Rooftop Prince". I wan't expecting anything from it but I end up liking it greatly.
2) Storyline/Plot:
It's different from The rooftop prince so don't you dare to compare them. You would only make it hard to watch if you do so.
Positive points :
*The story was light yet entertaining.
*I just loved how they combined the Joesen era with nowadays: one snap from here and the other from there , that was brilliant!
*The events were interesting and most of all unpredictable. I have to give script writers credit for many "What was that?" moments because those twists were the drama's core.
*Basically the drama contains romance, happy moments, sadness and even action and let's forget the historical side.
*The drama was full of great emotions that can touch you deeply: the romantic side was simply perfect, this is what I call "A romantic drama".
*The story's development was great since it gets better and better after each episode.
Negative points:
*Now that I think about it, I have no complains but the reason I haven't gave the storyline a higher score is some unnecessary events but that doesn't affect the general story's aspect.
Story: 9/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Ji Hyun Woo : I've seen him in a film before but here he was completely different; he may sound stiff sometimes but heis role was well portrayed: he was cool whether in the past or in the present.
*Yoo In Na : Like everyone, I only saw her in "Secret Garden". I never had great hopes for her in this drama but Wohoo, she was shmazing here! She was extremely good and her acting was great. Moreover, her crying scenes were one of the best crying scenes that I've ever seen. If I was a teary person I would definitely cry when she did because she delivered great feelings.
*The chemistry was simply amazing that's why this drama gains the most romantic drama of the year.
*Other wast were cool and the general acting was satisfying.
Cast: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10
4) The ending:
I don't know why there are a respectable amounts of complains about the ending o_O, it's true that it was a "fan-service" yet it wasn't that bad to hate the whole drama because of it.
The ending was cool, the type of ending that would make you satisfied, they could've took it to another level but it would be ruined that way.
The ending: 8.5/10
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*I really liked it: Light and cool drama.
*The lead actors made this drama fun to watch.
*It didn't take a long time to complete it, simply because it was exempted from blank and boring moments.
*This is one the most romantic dramas that I've seen so far. I liked the drama but I wasn't obsessed over it.
My impression: 8/10
6) Overall:
*If you like steamy romantic stories then you would like this.
*If you're into the time travelling theme then this is for you.
*If you're looking for a good drama that have a great cast then you may like this.
Overall: 8.5/10.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great start, somewhat lackluster finish
I liked this story and thought it had great potential, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the redemption arc readily granted to very devious characters. It felt forced and didn't really do justice to the story. I also feel that Ji Hyun forgives too easily. Jae Won offered no explanation and that felt wrong. I was angry on Ji Hyun's behalf. I understand Jae Won's trauma but he was projecting on Ji Hyun and also willingly conniving with Eun Ji in the process. I don't know! I felt that his return to Ji Hyun required a little more effort on his part. He just shows up and is forgiven.Ghosting someone also causes anxiety. Ji Hyun exhibits no signs of insecurity. The makers were so determined to wrap this happily that they hurriedly tied the ends together but the ends are loose and unsatisfying.
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Helpful Hint: I found the first episode rather boring, the second episode ok, the third episode full of misunderstandings and then it gets good by episode 4 and you'll be completely hooked by episode 5!
"the heartbreaking, pure love by a man, who drives himself to the extreme situation in order to find his only love, his bride." <Pretty much describes the base of the drama - and it was presented in such a powerful and touching way! Thank you OCN!
Cast: Kim Do Hyung (Kim Mu Yeol) a man with a painful upbringing falls in love with a girl from his high school - they get separated and meet again, are about to get married and then she vanishes - he looks for her like any man would, finds himself messed up with the police and loan-sharks and something even more sinister behind the loan-sharks. I have never seen someone love as sincerely and as deeply as Kim Do Hyung does on this drama - it's powerful! It's a new definition of self-less love! He'd sacrifice and risk anything just to protect his "Beautiful Bride" - and man was this guy good at keeping a secret a secret! He was also in the UDT in the Marines for his military service - and I sure hope I get to see some more dramas with guys from that unit! B/c they know how to FIGHT! This guy wowed me several times with some of the things he'd do - I was stunned at things I saw - He was that good! And I loved how all the bad guys referred to him as "the bank guy" - I'd laugh whenever they'd say "the bank guy did that?" :P Yoon Joo Young/Joo Hee (Go Sung Hee) - not my favorite actress (she still needs practice) but she did pretty good in the beginning of the drama - towards the latter part I found her a bit annoying and she seemed to keep making stupid decisions (but that didn't ruin the drama for me). Cha Yoon Mi (Lee Shi Young) a great detective, who was a great partner in helping Do Hyung catch the bad guys and find Joo Young.
All other actors did well in their roles - especially Ryu Seung Soo as Seo Jin Ki - I knew he could play the bad guy role exceptionally well already - since he was the bad guy in drama special 'Sirius'.
Music: 'Stay' by Steelheart < My absolute favorite track off the entire drama!!! I love listening to it and singing it on repeat! <3 Awesome song! ^_^
I would definitely re-watch this drama if only to see those awesome action packed fight scenes again! ;) and the flashback romance stories were so romantic^^ <3
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This review may contain spoilers
Funny, entertaining and cool characters but writing went downhill with the crime
Up to the latest episodes this would have been a 9 for me, I was loving it, it was funny and light and had an interesting plot and characters. There were a couple of things of why it wouldn't have made it a 10 for me but overall I was impressed and very pleased with how funny it was and how it was developing, that is until they started unravelling the crime storyline.The mystery and crime in this show was interesting at the beginning and they did an ok job playing with the audience making you doubt if who you thought was the killer was correct. Personally as the episodes went I had it more and more clear so I was not surprised by the reveal and, although it was expected, not going to lie I was a bit disappointed at the same time because how his character was tackled.
The problem for me in the last few episodes is that they created multiple plotholes in the story and basically the writing went downhill, as well as how they decided to tackle the obstacles at hand. For most part of the show the premise has been that if a person had eyes closed FL couldn't see anything, but only in the last episodes it's revealed that actually she can hear in those blackout points, then it makes you wonder how she didn't hear anything the previous time she touched the killer, it made no sense. Sunglasses were an ok touch, but depending on where he was wearing them in the night you could have still seen flashes of lights in the distance or anything that would have made anyone suspicious and would have given away what they were using a lot earlier on. And this brings me then to, when they're chasing him in the last episode and knowing he was going to take the boat the next day, apply the same formula? Look for him in the night, desguise yourself and wear sunglasses?
The last episode is also made worse by:
- If she could hear there was absolutely no point in taking the killer out of the police station.
- She didn't even try to find Ok Hee with the information she had, it was not that difficult and she had a starting point, sweep the area with the police force and I'm sure they would have found her.
- Ok Hee Squad and Yong Myeong arrive to the area and keeps saying there is nothing around, but you could even see in the background there were some buildings so maybe stop asking and look around?
- Completely unbelievable the killer was able to take Ok Hee all the way there with his eyes closed. They spent half a show saying how it was impossible and there must have been a way, then he does it with his eyes closed like no problem for the final?
- ML and FL somehow manage to beat that group of people (super unrealistic to be able to beat all guys coming at you at once, but luckly they were doing like in videogames and only coming in one to three at a time...) and then after somehow they wait for a very long scene doing nothing other than touching their painful bodies in the background. No one tries to scape, not even the boss and ML/FL don't call the police...
- Earlier in the series I did think that this group of thugs would appear again at some point earlier in the story but they only brought them back for that? It was weak.
- The scene at the end with the prison was unnecesary and really added nothing, it felt dragged.
- What happened to the killer? Apparently he can even open doors and get other information to do anything he wants, how is he going to be contained in prison? Doubt the prison would believe he has powers and they need to do special arrangements for him. It's never tackled or explained, as are not the consequences of the actions of FL and ML in the last episode when essentially they go against the policemen in charge of the case, same when all of Ok Hee squad appears with the motorbikes and stop the policemen from moving.
- At times they were interacting with the killer in a manner that it felt they didn't even hold grudges against him.
A lot of plotholes were also caused by characters just playing dumb for the sake of the script, especially FL and SML. And I'm still wondering what happened to the cow, she had the most powers so maybe she's floating in space at this point... haha
This brings me to the characters. Generally I liked everyone except for FL, she was annoying many times, the classic dumb damsel in distress that puts everyone in danger and then blames others. At some points I was frustrated not going to lie.
Contrary to what I think is the general opinion I was not a fan of SML, his personality was pretty much made to keep you guessing and to be honest it's no wonder everyone thought it could be him, he was not clear and didn't give explanations, he was kept mysterious in that sense just for the sake of it. Who runs behind someone with a knife in hand and without even shouting or saying something? Who in their right mind knows who is the killer and still lives with him and doesn't go straight to the police? Why trying to tell her instead? The killer said he was smart, I think maybe he was intelligent but not smart., except for the message in arabic, that was smart but what are also the chances that FL would have touched the killer's butt then and not two months later? The plot said it would happen I guess, it was such a gamble.
The killer is ok for the most part, but I didn't personally like that the justification for his actions is pretty much that he's a psychopath doing things for fun. It's not the first kdrama I've watch that uses the same justification and I find it lazy, it's like creating the ultimate villain that is that way because yes. There is no real explanation to any of the murders and it did make me feel a bit dumb because throughout the series I kept trying to make connections between them and I think there were options to make the connection among them in one way or another. Instead it's just because they were there and maybe a couple because they rubbed him the wrong way a bit. I was wondering why he was obsessed with using that specific knife too, but there is no explanation. It's ok-ish I guess but not satisfactory to me.
I loved the comedy here, so many moments of laugh and fun, the references to 25/21 had me rolling. I also liked ML despite his flaws and I thought Ok Hee was so much fun with her squad and Kim Yong Myeong calling her eonni in that hilarious way. I did miss him in later episodes, he just disappeared once they put the comedy a lot more to the side.
I'm debating really if they should have chosen a different path for this series, in the sense that they could have kept the mystery and even crime (maybe not a serial killing but smaller cases?) and kept the comedy and lightheartedness all throughout the series. Even at the end when they bring it back for closure it felt a bit weird after all the crime and drama, I was not feeling it so much as the earlier episodes.
Overall I would recommend the series, it's entertaining and funny for the majority of the episodes. If you're looking for a romcom or romance focused series this is not it. It's not that there isn't romance, it's just not the main or secondary plot points of this show. FL likes SML but it's kept light, ML likes FL but it's kept light (although I have to say I enjoyed very much the way he would look her at times and the hints here and there, it was cute). Secondary characters like other secondary characters and their relationships are mostly in a comedy way, what it's fun romance that I enjoyed.
Not sure I would rewatch it, I would rewatch maybe until around episode 12 for the comedy, but I wouldn't rewatch after that.
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1 plot, 100 subplots
the keyword here was 18 "again", they just kept repeating things and branching out their subplots more and more. I don't blame them becasue they had to make a 2 hour movie into a 16 hour drama but they should've atleast only did 8eps. or at some point they should've made the ml forget his family and try to live his dream as it was intended, but after his wish suddenly he was chasing his kids and hanging out around his wife/getting jealous every two seconds.the good;
the family bonds
the friendships
the friendships in the family
the acting was nice
the directing was beautiful (ie the cinematography)
the comedy was sometimes good
the bad;
the existence of the 2nd lead
the 2nd leads backstory and his over confident and selfish personality (his flirting got on my nerve)
Deok Jin and Hae In's over complicated dragged out romance (we can't be together for blah blah reason)
and basically every plot unrelated to the fact that the ml was young again
the 1st ten or twenty mins and the last 5mins were the only thing plot related, suddenly they'd go out to eat
ep14-16 and the endless breakup was just horrible that made me reduce my ratings from 8.5 to 7
the ost was nice but that Hello Hello song was overused that it got on my nerve
there's a saying, "if you don't have a plot add a stalker" and guess what, they did
the work drama around the mom was "realistic" but they even got to ruin that, for 1- everyone randomly hated her, and 2- suddenly everyone forgot (I'm mostly talking about the boss)
and I never rewatch stuff
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I've been enjoying it so far, it's really funny ?
This drama is hilarious so far 🤣 I've been laughing so hard 🤣 I love the chemistry and obviously the main lead 🥲His acting is something else.I have been a fan since "May I help you" ,"Brave citizen".I really recommend this drama if you want something funny, out of usual, with a lot of romance and unserious characters 😆
Well is not the Cinderella I've been excepting but way more better.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😍
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A FRESH, ENGAGING CDRAMA❤️
FINAL REVIEW❤️A Heartwarming Journey of Growth and Self-Discovery
Filter, starring Tan Jianci and Li Landi, is a refreshing and heartfelt drama that beautifully blends humor, warmth, and life lessons. From start to finish, it offers a comforting and engaging experience, making it a perfect show to watch with family.
What Makes Filter Special?
✅ A Feel-Good Story with Depth
While Filter is lighthearted and comedic, it never feels shallow. Instead, it weaves important messages about self-acceptance, personal growth, and understanding others. Each episode leaves you with something to reflect on, making it more than just an entertaining watch.
✅ Genuine Chemistry and Strong Performances
Tan Jianci and Li Landi bring their characters to life with natural and endearing performances. Their chemistry feels effortless, making every interaction engaging. The entire cast contributes to the drama’s lively and heartwarming atmosphere.
✅ Perfect Blend of Comedy and Emotion
The humor in Filter never feels forced or cringy. It strikes the right balance—lighthearted yet meaningful. The comedic moments flow naturally, while the emotional depth ensures the drama stays impactful.
✅ Valuable Lessons About Self-Acceptance
One of the most beautiful aspects of Filter is its message about embracing one’s true self. The drama highlights how societal expectations and personal insecurities can shape our perceptions, but ultimately, true beauty lies in self-acceptance. It encourages viewers to see their own worth beyond superficial filters, making it a truly empowering watch.
✅ A Drama That Stays With You
Beyond entertainment, Filter leaves a lasting impression by teaching valuable lessons about perspective, relationships, and the importance of being authentic. It reminds viewers to appreciate both the big and small moments in life, making it a drama that resonates deeply.
Final Thoughts
Filter is a gem of a drama that leaves you feeling happy, warm, and inspired. It’s not just about romance or comedy—it’s about life itself, and most importantly, about accepting and loving who you are. If you’re looking for a drama that will uplift your mood while offering meaningful insights, Filter is a must-watch.
EARLIER REVIEW❤️
After finishing four episodes of Filter today, I’m completely obsessed—I need more ASAP! This drama is an absolute gem, and I can’t stop laughing. It’s so refreshing and different from the usual C-dramas, making it even more addictive. Every scene is pure entertainment, and I’m living for it! Tan Jianci and Li Landi are comedic gold—their chemistry, expressions, and energy are just perfect. I’m loving every second of it🤣🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️❤️
From the very first episodes, Filter proves to be more than just an entertaining drama—it carries a deep and meaningful message about self-worth, confidence, and respect for women. Beneath its humor lies a refreshing take on societal norms, breaking free from the traditional portrayals of female leads that often reinforce unrealistic beauty standards. In a world where media often pressures women to strive for impossible beauty standards, Filter is a breath of fresh air. It provides a comforting and uplifting experience for viewers, reminding them that beauty is not about fitting into a mold but about embracing one’s true self. Every confident girl is the most beautiful, and Filter makes sure to highlight this message in a way that feels both natural and empowering.
For anyone looking for a drama that is not only fun to watch but also carries a meaningful and positive message, Filter is a must-see. It’s incredibly satisfying, proving that entertainment can be both enjoyable and socially impactful.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Filter is a breath of fresh air in the world of C-dramas, blending humor, mystery, and heartwarming moments seamlessly. The drama captivates viewers with its unique storyline, stellar cast, and perfect comedic timing, making it a must-watch for fans of engaging, well-crafted entertainment.
Tan Jianci and Li Landi – A Perfect Duo
Tan Jianci once again proves why he is one of the most talented actors in the industry. His performance is effortless, balancing comedy, wit, and emotional depth with ease. His expressive eyes and impeccable comedic timing make every scene enjoyable, showing once again that talent should be the true measure of an actor’s worth.
Li Landi is equally impressive, bringing charm, intelligence, and strong emotional depth to her role. She portrays her character with authenticity, making her instantly likable. Her chemistry with Tan Jianci is natural and delightful, making their interactions one of the highlights of the show. She holds her own in every scene, proving she is a force to be reckoned with.
A Well-Cast Ensemble with Perfect Chemistry
Beyond the leads, the entire cast brings the script to life with strong performances and undeniable chemistry. The interactions feel natural and never forced, making the humor land effectively. Unlike some comedies that rely on over-the-top acting, Filter strikes the perfect balance, ensuring that the humor feels organic and genuinely funny.
A Unique and Engaging Plot
What sets Filter apart from other dramas is its fresh and unpredictable storyline. It keeps viewers intrigued while maintaining a lighthearted tone, making it an enjoyable watch for all ages.
A Must-Watch for C-Drama Fans
If you’re looking for a drama that will make you laugh, keep you entertained, and appreciate truly talented actors, Filter is the perfect choice. Tan Jianci and Li Landi deliver outstanding performances, making the drama even more engaging. This is one of those rare shows that can be enjoyed with family, making it even more special.
Final Verdict: 1000/10
A refreshing, fun, and well-executed drama that showcases Tan Jianci and Li Landi’s brilliance. If you haven’t watched Filter yet, you’re missing out!
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This review may contain spoilers
My advice if you watch this. skip episodes 25, 26, & 27 of the DVD version.
At 29/32 (DVD/TV) episodes this drama became not a matter of love, or family, but of watchers' endurance. The romance was slow. The relationship cliches (I thought would be dispelled) - Were merely touched upon and then dropped. i.e., females being clingy and males using that as a gender flaw in general. In this series it was a plot-point driven home to a significant other. But, like most of the issues raised in this story, unresolved. While, the episodes plodded on.Then, just at the climax of a two couple break up - Suddenly a lawsuit. And in episode 24; the invested time in both secondary couples was tossed out the window for a sudden detour into medical malpractice and filler.
Do I believe our capable doctor ran away, and that our female lead needed to make her impassioned plea to a patient's parents? Not, really. I assume it was all filler moments, because some of that precious screen time was handed over to the female lead's ex and new girlfriend. Both, late characters to this series that no one was invested in.
From the beginning, multiple couples were part of this series. It wasn't just about the mains. They had 5 EPS to resolve the secondary couples: San San and Gu Xiao, & Yin X and Jin Shi relationships. I assumed something happened in production, but since I don't know what that is. These, are my final words.
Get ready for a methodical hospital romance, with secondary stories and characters that don't matter, because they will be abandoned before the series ends. As for the main couple; misunderstandings abound. Which leads to break ups, childish choices, and repetitive hospital story-lines. Add a secondary female angst (watchers thought was vanquished in a heroic monologue early in the series) that rinsed and repeated into the last 5 episodes of the series, and I just can't recommend it.
My advice, if you watch this; skip episodes 25, 26, & 27 of the DVD version (29 EPS in total), and skip anything to do with those other couples.
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However, on the other hand, I like the acting especially Woobin's. The part when he reunites with his mother just simply touched me - the only scene I cried throughout the whole show.
In conclusion, I won't find this drama that worth to watch unless you are a fan of any of the main casts.
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Catching up with life.
I don’t think we need another review for the 2nd season of “Yumi’s Cells”, so this one will be me casually talking about the parallels, the changes and the newness of the show which will also include few complaints, ofc. And it will contain spoilers for obvious reasons, so to know about the quality of the show, please refer the reviews for the season 1 bcs it’s almost the same in this season.DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU'RE NOT DONE YET.
# SO, It begins with the B&W face of the person that we loved in the s1 with all our heart. The pain in those eyes though, very heartfelt.
# We have to go through a ‘moving on’ era and process the breakup, with whom? Obv, with Yumi and her cells. The various tactics she pulls to get rid of her feelings and just forget, the time she takes to get over everything and let go, all of them were sad.
# I am glad they remembered the fried egg umbrella.
# Book as a sign of love and book as source of comfort, truly liked that.
# The rainbow music player device is still there. Gays are winning AAAAAA.
# Ruby remains annoying but the writer-nim put some sense to her character in this season and that made her very likable. She’s cute anyways.
# Was hunger cell always that calculative? I mean I knew it was clever but the way Yumi ordered stuffs in that restaurant along with that free stuff was clearly jaw-dropping.
# They continue to present some of the conversations between the cells as chats as the character thinks about stuffs during confusion.
# The fan and anti-fan war between cells for Babi was so cute man, I enjoyed till it lasted.
# I honestly was not sure about Babi at first and the reason was obv Woong, but by the end of ep4, I realized that he was a charming man.
# The recycling garbage dump of Yumi was a creative thing for sure.
# Yumi slowly falling for Babi with the confusions she held and with the fears she possessed was a rough yet sweet journey.
# A lot of things felt like déjà vu, bcs we were again falling in love, may be in a different manner, but feelings were regardless the same.
# There were contrasting paralles between the two relationships that we saw in the 2 seasons and I loved how they were represented by the makers, even so unintentionally?
# Yumi having reasonable suspicions in every matter following her fallout with Woong felt very real.
# Babi’s cells welcoming Yumi’s ‘SARANGH SEPHO’ was one of the sweetest things, I cried.
# Embracing newness and changes that come along is what life demands from us, was the moral of Yumi’s responses in her new relationship.
# Changing profession so as to honor your passion is a fulfilling feeling. Yumi qutting her work and becoming a writer was a witness to it.
# Aurora as the new lights and the turning points in the life, a reasonable method of relating.
# The blackout in Yumi’s village when she gets drunk was so funny.
# Rationale cell’s voice is worth falling for.
# The naughty cell had a blast this season, my gosh.
# The 40kg lingering feelings behind the trunk of the pride’s car put by conscience was also another relatable idea worth of appreciation.
# Woong appearing at the end of ep 4 and that thing continuing in the next episode was painful and heavy. The 5th episode that started with misery, I found myself relieved by the end of that episode because of the way Yumi dealt it. Woong was at least given a perfect closure, I was glad.
# I am so happy they didn’t introduce new OSTs and used the ones from the s1, indicating a perfect continual flow, However, it was also a lil sad for it reminded me of Woong too.
# Introduction of many other body parts as cells, like tongue cells, hair cells, foot cells.
# P. O. as Control Z (read Control JEE) was the cutest. I honestly didn’t know about his role and seeing him was so joyful. Then he was made to stay longer, and I was so happy.
# Surprising was Control Z and Ruby falling in love and dating, and I guess it was for all of you too, haha.
# Babi and Yumi’s relationship was smooth and sweet for a long time, very likable. The way it was shown definitely played a big role in making the audience want for more when, in fact, Babi isn’t as significant in the webtoon. Nevertheless, we all fell for Babi.
# What happened to their relationship was not expected but was I surprised? Not really! Was I mad? May be but not that. Bcs I knew Babi wasn’t the man for Yumi in the webtoon and how Woong and Yumi ended up, I learnt a lot from it. It also taught me endurance.
# Long Distance Relationships are not easy and for most of us, it’s a myth. It was bound to be shaken one day and by any means, which happened to be a third party disturbance in this case, which was again natural. Not justifying it at all but getting swayed towards your colleague when you’re away from your partner is real so it’s upon the person to have control over their emotions, at which Babi failed.
# We have all the rights to be extremely angry bcs after all, Yumi is our primary concern and her feelings matter more to us than anything else.
# Yumi’s response to this was also natural and one of the two options she had left to do and she chose what her then emotions and impulses demanded. She could have stayed and given Babi another chance but with furiousness she simpy chose to walk away.
# Again, again, again, it was only natural how upon meeting Babi after a long break and being confronted, she melted like butter despite her efforts to resisit. It was because they were away for a while and seeing each other again made them realize that they were not over each other. So the time asked them to get back together and they did.
# I will never understand people who lowered the ratings or started shitting on the show bcs the show didn’t have a lovey-dovey relationship entirely as shown in the first half rather it turned rough and realistic. It’s only natural to be mad on the characters but this is stupid.
# The process of Yumi becoming a writer was an ecstatic journey. We saw her spending carefully, thinking through a lot, being calculative at everything and manage her love life at the same time. But the way she bloomed into an artist and flew with colourful wings by the end of the show, I was so happy for her and for the fact that she got what she wanted and rightfully deserved.
# The editor in chief’s character was super funny and so was the scenes written for his cells but those ugly ass weird cells made me so angry, I mean why would you make his cells like cylindrical human beings? TT
# Woong coming back to screen, and that time with a fair possibility to get back together with Yumi, had made me so so so happy but why in the world the writer had to bring him back with the intention of hurting harder??? I was very mad, ngl.
# I was never happy with the 2nd innings of Yumi and Babi, not bcs they made choices to do so, but Woong’s comeback had me excited. And as expected, they were clerly not completely happy with whatever was happening though thankfully it never turned toxic.
# Well, but the ending of the 12th episode somehow felt rushed and abrupt, I mean the way they decided to get married out of impulse did bother me, bcs I was assuming they’d break up for the 2nd time then.
# Okay then, I was expecting a blast to result from that scene in next episode or at least in the finale, which didn’t happen, rather things were wrapped up smoothly and ig I am not mad about it.
# The metamorphosis card thingy was relatable wow.
# The cold virus and it's fight with the throat cells were so aptly presented, also with the ginger molecules, haha. The way the immune cells were acting up then was very biological.
# Ahn Dae Young and Yi Da??? let me cry bcs they were also cute.
# The fat cells were so cute, I'll kms.
# I liked how things were processed between Woong and Yumi’s in the finale, which obv made me expect things but atp, I think everything happens for a reason (honestly I cried about it not happening).
# About the ending, I am satisfied and happy about the way it ended. It was the best possible closure to me. Yeah, It was confusing a bit and we can say we are gonna have another season where Yumi finally meets her soulmate but I will wait.
# The guy whom we saw in the party, i am sure people are going crazy to know but first of all, I want them to announce the renewal, then I want to know whom they are gonna cast and that will probably happen few months before the season airs.
# As much as I wanna know who the actor will be, I think it will be a huge huge huge surprise if they introduce him right in the 1st episode of the s3.
Not gonna list out the complaints but lemme rant a bit. The plot development was not shoddy or anything there are definitely some plot elements that felt off. I can completely dismiss my criticisms if I think of it as a realistic option, but I am still unconvinced on personal levels. Few of the screenplay felt a little off and slow which should not have happened for a 14 episode show with multiple short and long time leaps.
Adding to it, I would have love some elaborate explanations about few things involving their relationships which didn’t happen here, and which was very much prelevant in the s1. The faster flow could be to blame but I guess they also wasted time on focusing on some additional characters, so why not this?
Will there be a season 3? Well, I am both uncertain and optimistic about the possibilities just like I was at the end of s1. So, it might or might not happen, which we’ll know within few days if we are lucky, but as much I know about the webtoon, there is definitely more to the story and personally I would love another season. But I will also be okay if they don’t plan to make one. Considering the original work and the buzz, its more likey to be renewed though. Anyways, I want one, so please.
As I am come to write the ending note, I urge everyone to realize that the relationship in the season 1 was a realistic one where the one in the season 2 is a idealistic one so the appreciations and complaints will differ in a varying degree, basing upon personal references but rationally speaking, I am still standing on a neutral stance. I liked both of them for different reasons albeit the fact that I liked the season1 better, regardless, I think there is no firm requirement for comparing the two for they’re the same continual drama.
Final Remarks… Overally, “Yumi’s Cells 2” was again able to make us feel different and had crucial influences on our hearts and minds. The show retained its originality by once again proving that the story is about the cells and not human beings. It had some rough points technically and the makers could have worked on it, but it is still good and I am sure that, if you’ve been reading through, you loved it too, haha. Will eagerly wait for the season 3.
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I started this show because everyone seemed to obsess over it. I figured it should be a worthwhile to give it a go. To my dismay, I ended up watching what I'd considered as one of the most boring dramas I've gotten to watch.
The main character is adorable, but pretty dull and always very whiny and can't ever stand for herself. Supporting characters are just as boring or irrelevant, and their personality is too extreme for me to care about them; they just yell all the time. Nam Joo Hyuk's character is really the only one doing anything interesting on the show.
I just don't understand why this drama has such a cult following and fans calls it a must watch. Everyone praises this show but it's honestly very slow and boring. I've watched over dozens of Korean dramas from different genres that were better than this one.
The reviews on this website are biased. It's honestly all in the ratings, and for a reason -- Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok Joo is slow, boring, with very dull characters and a non-interesting general and side plots. It is cute, but nothing beyond that.
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Story: 5/10* Most brownie points goes to the 2nd lead's story development.
* Minus 2 for Se Ri's foiled escape plan on multiple repeats plus a lot of cheesy unnecessary (although I acknowledge that cheesiness is subjective. lol)
* Minus 3 for the senseless tragedy towards the 2nd leads. They sacrificed the 2nd leads story just to inject a sob story which isn't even necessary. We know it's unnecessary because the main story will still stand even in the absence of GSJ's death.
Cast: 10/10
* I'm feeling generous because everyone did deliver and no obvious flaws. Most brownie points goes to Ye Jin, Jung Hyun and Ji Hye.
Music: 7/10
* I like classical music so it is a plus.. But the scoring, in general, does not really evoke a remarkable emotion--like when you hear the background music, for example, in your mind you see a flashback and you suddenly remember the emotion it evoked.
Rewatch Value: 1 (Just seeing clips of Seo Dan and Seung Jun hurts so nope, not gonna watch it again).
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Edge of Your Seat Suspense.. Thriller That Keeps You Hooked..
Undeniably the best thriller drama of 2024..The drama boasts top notch production quality and excellent cinematography.. Though the beginning can be frustrating.. As the ML is gaslighted into a confession and his family suffers manipulation and helplessness.. It effectively sets the stage for a gripping and intense thriller..
It gets even more frustrating.. How they mistreat the ML's mother and how they try to protect the person who tried to Kill her.. How helpless the ML is.. Yeah it gets on your nerves..
The story progresses too slow at the beginning.. But that makes the eventual twists even more impactful and makes it even more interesting.. A proper thriller that slowly unravels and pulls you deeper into its web of suspense with each twist and turn... That's how it is.. I am glad I waited to binge watch it.. Because there’s no way I could have handled waiting a week between episodes.. Watching the ML spend more time in the ER than his house after getting out of prison was a bit much..
Besides the ML and SML and Ha Seol.. The rest of the characters were truly awful.. Most weren’t just bad they were outright evil.. Manipulating and feasting on others pain.. Even the detective who forced the ML’s confession was being gaslighted by the chief.. It’s a story packed with evil people.. I mean nobody felt a hint of remorse of regret for what they did..
Initially, I felt bad for Choi Na Gyeom. She stood by the ML for 10 years, visiting him in prison when even his mother didn’t. That devotion was admirable. That was quite something.. But how he kept pushing her away.. Ignoring her.. That felt bad.. But well.. She turned out to be a psychopath.. A total psychopath.. But Go Bo Gyeol nailed her role..
Around episode six the story starts coming together... Everything starts to make sense and just when you think you’ve figured it out.. Another twist drops and then another.. It keeps you hooked till the very end.
There were a few flaws though.. Like the unrealistically clear footage from a foldable keypad mobile phone.. Seriously.. how was it not grainy??
Anyhow.. Black Out delivered a satisfying conclusion.. Though I would have loved to see the ML’s friends suffer more for their actions.. They lost what they valued most and ended up in jail but they deserved even worse.. They deserved more pain.. More and more and more pain..
For the first time in a long time.. I was fully immersed in a Korean drama.. It was one hell of a rollercoaster ride..
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2This review may contain spoilers
And Yet, We Loved..
Love’s Ambition works so well as a story about love, loss and second chances.. I think, because it feels like two love stories in one.. The first is about how Xu Yan and Shen Hao Ming meet, get to know each other, fall in love and self destruct.. The second is about how they find their way back to each other after that and also find their true selves.. The business aspect of the drama, well I would call it the most weakly written part of the show.. Anyway, I loved how the drama showed what both of them lost after they separated and why it mattered that they found each other again..The main leads of the drama aren’t your usual 'green' characters.. Both are grey, shady even and the ML in the first half leans a bit more toward the darker side as we saw when the big reveal takes place.. They both have their flaws, but his are a bit too much at times.. He is one sneaky, manipulative man.. The FL isn’t exactly a saint either, the first 10 minutes of the drama give us a glimpse into the roots of her problems and the lengths she will go to protect her new identity, life and future.. Whatever her reasons, she is building her life on lies and sooner or later, it has to fall apart for her to truly start over and find real happiness.. The same goes for the ML, his beliefs, image and cunning nature all needs to break down for him to find himself and become worthy of her..
“A life built on lies..
I tried my best to make it a fortress..
But how can there ever be a castle on sand??”
Before I say anything else, I have to mention this, Zhao Lusi’s acting is on another level.. She nails the emotional and crying scenes every single time.. It’s so convincing that you can almost feel her pain.. It’s not really the writing that makes you empathize with her, it’s her raw, agonizing performance that draws it out of you.. It truly was a showcase of great acting.. Her character was better crafted than the ML’s.. She was clear about who she was from the very beginning and we never once doubted her love for him or the reasons behind what she did.. And Zhao Lusi carried the character with such effortless perfection..
And William Chan truly deserves credit for portraying a character who is unlikeable, sympathetic, pathetic and pitiful, all at the same time in the first half, yet somehow still manages to win our love and support in the second..
I think this is something the drama actually got right.. They first showed the ML as a good guy, a green flag, absolutely in love with the FL, for a good 10 to 12 episodes.. Then out of nowhere, he turns into a manipulative man.. And guess what?? The writer changes his mind again, suddenly, he truly loves her but just doesn’t know how to express it.. So this cold, brooding, cunning man becomes a jealous, insecure mess in the second half of the drama.. But the reason it worked for me was because his character didn’t feel inconsistent.. Even as he became that jealous man, he still stayed true to his earlier personality.. Cunning, shrewd and composed, but this time, he showed his love more openly, even through all the whining and interference in her life..
I honestly think the ML could have salvaged everything if he had just handled it better.. When she found out about his child, if he truly loved her, they could have talked it out, found a solution and saved their marriage.. And I genuinely believe she would have forgiven him, because she really did love him.. Instead, he goes on a rant and acts like an absolute jerk, even though he is the one who did and hid things that were far worse.. I mean, he literally had two chances, the girl herself went to him, apologized and told him she loved him and he still couldn’t climb down from his high horse.. What a waste..
The supporting cast was good, but there were no standout performances.. Honestly, apart from the two leads, there wasn’t much for anyone else to work with.. What’s up with all these other characters?? They have almost zero personality, not even Wan Peng.. No wonder the performances ended up feeling shallow..
After seeing her past scenes, I honestly wished she wouldn’t forgive her parents.. Even revenge would have felt justified.. But at the very least, she shouldn’t have forgiven them.. Not even in the last ten minutes of the drama just to wrap things up neatly.. But well, they got their happy ending anyway..
There’s been some talk about how she completely forgets her dream of becoming a news anchor.. But the way I see it, she wanted that job not because it was her true passion but because it represented everything she thought she needed to feel whole.. Respect, control and a version of herself untethered from her painful past.. For someone whose early life was marked by helplessness, becoming a news anchor was her way of taking back control of her own narrative.. But after the breakup, she no longer needs that kind of validation.. She has already been exposed, hurt and stripped of her perfect image.. In other words, she stops chasing recognition and starts building something real.. She is no longer running from her past.. She is building a future with full awareness of who she is and what she has been through.. So while it may seem like she forgets her dream, it’s more like she outgrows it..
Overall, it’s a stunning drama with a great, great soundtrack and despite my issues with the pacing, it never drags on too long.. No matter how uneven the writing gets, Zhao Lusi’s acting remains superb, with William Chan doing his best to keep up.. Not that it’s his fault, she is just that good.. My favorite part of the drama comes after their separation, the angst, the workplace dramas, the role playing.. Basically everything this " almost divorced " couple does.. I only wish they had cut down the business subplot a bit, because the comedy in the middle phase was so good and deserved more time and honestly I could have done with less of the business stuff.. I am giving it a nine.. I love myself a happy ending and Love’s Ambition gave me one..
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"What's It Like to Date a Walking Red Flag"
That's what this title should be called...I watched the animated version, (The Girl Downstairs) and now having watched the live version, my opinion hasn't changed. I was very surprised when I heard that they were making a live version of this because IMO, it really wasn't worth it. While the storyline vastly differed from each other (webtoon vs live action), the main characters were the same. This is probably one of the shallowest k-drama I've ever watched. Usually, you might see some immature ones like you find with some high school genres but this one certainly had no real, true depth.
The FL was a huge, walking, waving RED FLAG right from the beginning. She had no charming traits to her at all. A smoker, a drinker and basically a hothead. She obviously had some serious mental issues and was very unlikeable. The only reason you can think of why the ML falls for her is because of the physical attraction and all the moves she was pulling on him. After finding out the reason why the SFL, Jin-ju, left him in the first place, you sympathize with her and honestly, I was baffled as to why he never chose her. Jin-ju was way better than Doona. You only get glimpses of Doona's life and whatever the ML read about her online but she never once really opens up about herself at all. She just expects the ML to put up with her closed off attitude and he embarrassingly does.
Halfway through this, I was getting sick of watching the ML just get used and abused by the FL. He was constantly apologizing to her and putting up with her tantrums, mood swings and silent treatment for no good reason. He put up with so much of her BS that you lose respect for him early on. By the time EP7 came around, the minute she got into the Manager's car, I basically threw my hands up and gave up on both of them. The ML remains a pushover the entire time. It never stopped right from beginning to end and there was absolutely NO character growth from the FL at all. Four years go by and yet she remained self-centered, obsessive, whiny, and demanding til the very end. She never seeks any professional help. She could've used some serious therapy. In all honesty, it would've been good to see her talking to a therapist or doing some kind of work on herself like meditation. At least then it would've shown some self-reflection or inner work and it would've shown the audience that there's professional help and some options available to those who need it. That even "idols" could use some help.
In regards to the side characters, they contributed almost nothing to the story. The writer just couldn't write anyone having a real, heartfelt conversation. Like why did the FL's mother even bother making an appearance and nevermind the ML's family or best friend? All the side characters were just fillers. All the non-verbal communication was just irritating and frustrating to watch. I didn't even care about all the intimate scenes because I didn't care much for the ML and FL and especially the side characters. At least the side characters showed some changes and personal growth and I didn't even care for them.
It was really strategic and lucky that Netflix dropped all episodes at once as I think it would've been a lot different and worst if we had to wait for 1 or 2 episodes weekly. Overall, a hard pass on this one.
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