Reviews

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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Chess Game Within Chess Game, Maze-Like Writing, Intricate Plots With Compelling Characters

Finally, after waiting for nearly 5 years, the much-anticipated Joy of Life Season 2 comes with a bang. While the first season basically one of the best written scripts in the past 10 years in Cdramaland, the 2nd season as expected still managed to retain the same quality, vibe and layers with new interesting characters and stories.

Again, the things that made Joy of Life stand out among the sea of Cdramas is the maze-like writing and compelling characters. The depth and layers the script possessed are truly one of the best I've seen in the past years. I love how the writer have trust in the audience to interpret and understand the depth of the script on their own -- without telling us via monologue or dialog between the characters. It was so smartly written, with intricate and complicated plots also with so many layers for every characters. The Emperor's wisdom is the greatest example of this -- there are always layers to his words, not just 2 but sometimes 3 to 4 layers. Take example the lunch meeting between him, Fan Xian and his 4 sons -- the Emperor's always want his government clean as he took pride in them but at the same time, 'You can investigate, but not until it threaten my position and my ego.' -- he likes Fan Xian bold enough to make that accusation regarding 2nd Prince's treason, but at the same time, he throw Fan Xian's batch into the lake to save face towards the 4 of his sons but behind the scenes, he gave Fan Xian the Tiger squad to assist him with the corruption case. He is very calculative with everyone and there is always wisdom in his action -- he gets things done without dirtying his hands. He plans, make use of someone and still get what he wants in the end.

Some people might confuse it with plot holes or out of characters behaviors but when we decipher the scene that happened, it proved how we can’t simply interpret the scenes from the surface only. Like Fan Xian poisoning the 2nd Prince. It is truly deliberately done on purpose to mess with the 2nd Prince -- it wasnt because he is reckless or stupid. Fan Xian wants the 2nd Prince to taste his own medicine as he simply treats the 2nd Prince's life as worthless just like the 2nd Prince's view of everyone else's lives. But look now how his life is in danger, look how he behaves -- scared like everyone's else -- very embarrassing to witness. If Fan Xian really want to kill him, he will not purposely show him the poison and later give him an antidote. This is all part of his mind games. He never intended to kill the 2nd Prince. But, he achieve his purpose which is to send the 2nd Prince a message on how his life, just like everyone else is fleeting and can be gone at any time. This served as a warning to him. Also, this again to highlight that Fan Xian has always been petty with a Slam Dunk reference ''Sorry, my hand slipped'' when he threw the wheelchair to the 2nd Prince -- the pettiness that totally mirrored Rukawa & Sakuragi. XD

Also, how upon rewatching, you discover more thing about existing scenes from before. Like how we can view certain characters differently upon knowing more about them like the 1st Prince for an example. It is after all not about pissing contest against Fan Xian during his entrance to the Capital -- but more towards he wants to test Fan Xian's character as he is the man who is going to marry Wan'er and in charge of Treasury in the future. Then later, his future alliance with Fan Xian comes as no surprise as he is a man with moral and just because of that, he will help Fan Xian with his mission to create a better world for everyone.

Also, the foreshadowing is really strong in this season! Like how Fan Xian check the pulse of Prime Minister and the mirror scene where he checks it again in front of the Emperor. Or the foreshadowing that the Prime Minister keep telling Fan Xian to learn how to be cunning like The Emperor or to never to trust him -- like he predicted Fan Xian will oppose the Emperor in the future. Or First Prince's faceless paintings to Princess Royal's saying 'There is someone who doesn’t appreciate her beauty' -- all these are hints for the coming 3rd season that’s about to come. I love how conversations between the characters are either laced with poisons or secrets and that the ''joy'' of watching of Joy of Life. All the little details in the drama makes the story -- I love to catch all of these as it usually served as hints on which characters we should trust or not. For an example, the way it always emphasis how the 2nd Prince use human as stair when he took the carriage while Fan Xian's Dad, using a normal stool. Also the special feature on Chan Ping Ping's chair -- it shows how he is still after all still guarded against the Emperor. Same with how even before the revelations, I knew it was the Crown Prince who brunt the village down and it wasn’t the 2nd Prince. This is effective storytelling as when you combined all the hints one by one and understood the nature of each character, you know what to expect from them -- like the Crown Prince already show his fangs since the first season and only this season we know how dark he truly is -- probably darker than the 2nd Prince.

I love how 95% of the casts are still the same. And it awe me how they didn’t seemed to age except Zhang Ruoyun did lose a lot of weight from the previous season. And again this season, he returned more kick-ass than before -- Fan Xian is still literally one of the most layered, rich and brilliant character I have encounter in Cdramas. He didn’t lose all the characteristic that made him so spell-bindingly shining -- almost like a sun, in fact, this season he just further confirm why he remain my most favorite fictional character -- with how colorful, how unyielding, how he didn’t seem to care for anything but actually care too much, and how he is very uninterested with the power game, yet very good at playing it. He is like a male lead I always want in my dramas -- the one that I always root since he never ever makes any stupid decisions, like ever. I guess I watched too many dramas with the leads yielding to the bad guys' request when they are put in the corner so Fan Xian, is a refreshing case since you can threat him with his love ones, yet he still won’t follow your requests since he is playing the game better than anyone. I'm so happy that all my favorite veteran actors; The Emperor, Chan Ping Ping, Fan Jian, Prime Minister, Fei Jie all reprising their roles and in this season and we get to see many layers of them even more.

And even the new actors, I actually enjoy them -– it’s actually very rare for me to actually love mostly 95% of the characters in one single drama but how can you not? They are all written with little quirks that makes them interesting like the charismatic 1st Prince, the nervous but funny Beiqi Princess and some small supporting actor such as the 2nd Prince Guard -- on how dumb he looks, and always seemed to judge the Prince and how he is studying for imperial exam. Or the even the new Yan Bingyan -- I adore him. I love how he will always try not to laugh everytime Fan Xian did something funny. And it is the best where he finally let a big smile after being trolled by Fan Xian to pay for the whole breakfast.

And with Joy of Life, I find all the villains fascinating instead of hating them. I don’t root for them, but I like them as characters. I don’t remember I dislike any villains in the drama -- and we have a lot -- actually a lot of really grey characters. There are always endearing part of them and that includes the very hateable character The Royal Princess. But I like her a lot -- there is some wickedness in her that screamed deranged but all hide in this beautiful and alluring façade. Or the 2nd Prince -- how he seemed all unserious and casual but at the same time enigmatic and mysterious.

While I always love Joy of Life for the menacing storylines and their intrigue plots, Fan Xian's family dynamic is still one of my very favorite parts of the story. I love how the writer explored the Fan family dynamics to the fullest this season; his Dad is the one who takes him home and pretends not to care but we all know he cares the most. Then his step-mum, how Fan Xian honoring her during his wedding. Then Ruo Ruo's blind faith on Fan Xian and the ever adorable Fan Sizhe, he has finally grow up! I love the part where he finally gets those words of care from the Dad. What a wholesome family! Then we have Wan'er -- I adore adore Fan Xian and Wan'er's relationship. Wan'er represent the life that Fan Xian really wants and he finds calm and tranquility with her -- something that he didn’t get from anyone else. Reminds us that despite the world might be chaotic for Fan Xian, he can always return home where he can finally let his guard down and trust his family fully.

What made Joy of Life simply brilliant is how both the good and bad guys are EQUALLY intelligent and brilliant. It wasn’t a one-sided battle of wits. It is a chess games within chess games kind of story -- we always thought Fan Xian control his destiny (even when he act in his own free will) but no, all these are calculated as he is simply a chess piece as they predicted all that moves from him -- even the controversial ones. However, I love the very fact that Fan Xian truly live a very fulfilling life with no regrets so it isn’t frustrating to watch or root for him. One thing in dramas that I dislike when characters always holding back and wait for their next life to change their fate but not Fan Xian. He truly lives his life to the fullest and loving all the people in his life at the best of his ability. Thus, even if he dies in the middle, he lived a fulfilling life with no regrets and stay true to his ideals and principles -- the best kind of life -- suit the drama's title to a T.

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This show is fantastic; it's something new. This is among, if not the best, kdrama I have ever watched. Although I do have a few sentiments to share: (1) The show had an extremely strong beginning, however somewhere in the middle, it felt lukewarm. It did pick up again eventually. (2) I almost dropped it out of annoyance towards Yi Seo because of her obsessive tendencies and unnecessarily rude attitude. I had to continuously remind myself that she was sociopathic to rationalize the way that she was acting. One thing I cannot forget, however, is the scene where she kissed Saeroyi without his knowledge. That was creepy and unneeded. I would remove that, if I could. (3) There was a lack of romantic development between Yi Seo and Saeroyi. I wish the build up were shown more gradually and naturally because I never really figured out when Saeroyi started feeling differently. Was Saeroyi already lovestruck when Yi Seo confessed her feelings? If not, then when did he fall inlove? I don't know. I don't know if it was done purposely as romance is not the storyline's focus, but the romance between the two came out forced.

Despite what I've said, I absolutely loved watching this. It was a wild ride, and it made me feel so intensely. It isn't surface level. It is above and beyond Saeroyi's relationship with Yi Seo. In fact, it tackles many aspects of being human exceptionally - the importance of bonds, the sturdiness we should possess in hardship, the search for meaning, the effort it takes to abide by our principles, the way that everything else gets clouded in pursuit of something, the effect of upbringing to one's viewpoints, self-interest, dehumanization. Not to mention it also touches societal issues such as racism, bullying, and the scorn that transgenders receive. It's just so well-made and well-executed. Moreover, the casting is simply outstanding, both the protagonists and antagonists are effective. They give full justice to their roles.

All the characters are flawed, and while they are unconventional, they are also substantial. They are oftentimes irritating, self-serving, and unreasonable - but that's what makes them all the more enthralling. While they undoubtedly manifest all these qualities, they continue to move forward, gasping, struggling, improving themselves in their own way, seeking for reasons to continue on, even if their reasons are repugnant, such is life.

The plot encapsulates being human in such a spectacular way, and I truly admire that. You would find yourself disagreeing with plenty of things. You would encounter absurd worldviews. You would question your own morals. And you won't even notice it, but you would find yourself engrossed and attached. The flow, the storytelling, the dialogues, the OSTs - everything is impeccable. The ending was pure satisfaction.

Needless to say, watching this has been a great pleasure to me. Give this show a chance to prove that it deserves the hype.

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I was never planning on writing a review until I watch this drama.

This review reflects my opinion only.

There are so many positive reviews on this site that I thought I might give this a try to give one among few differing opinions here for those looking for it.

Story:
There is not much logic to be found in this story. As many know already, the e-sport aspect has been butchered by the writer so I'm not gonna pretend to understand the industry and give my two cents.
Too much fluff in the relationship between the leads and any conflict feels superficial. We're not shown why the ML fell for FL, or the process of recognizing his feeling, properly. He just suddenly started to flirt with her for everyone to see.
The plot is very tropey, just like CEO cliché story transplanted to e-sport industry: Genius, super rich male lead with the short tempered girl.
Side characters serve no real purpose other than to react and facilitate the relationship of the main lead couple.

Acting:
Only touching on the leads acting here.
Xu Kai is okay, not great, not too bad either. If he has any brilliance to show, the script wouldn't allow it haha.
Cheng Xiao is very bad at acting, period. She has mostly the same facial expression throughout, wide eye repertoire when she's trying to emote. She even acted the same way after Tong Yao fell off the stairs (can't remember the episode). She's been in a few dramas already, none of which I've watched, and starting with lead character from the beginning. She'll continue to act as leads in the future, but if her performance in this drama is any indication, I wouldn't watch any of them.

IMO, this drama is overhyped on this site.

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Amazing Storyline and then went downhill in the Last 5 episodes

I know the storyline is gonna end up like this. Premonitions on certain characters and telling their ending before hand. But seriously, it looks like in lacks a 1 or 2 episodes to sum it fully up. Imagine solving a puzzle for 40 episodes and solving it in 30 seconds. That's it? That's the ending.

The storyline the build-up is good,but seriously you could've done it better. I had to log in and rate this because it disappointed me too much. I had to double check if that is the last episode. Such an amazing drama wasted because of the ending. If I were me I should've stopped watching at EP 35.

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I just finished watching this near midnight and I don't want to put away writing this until the morning. What I'm feeling now demands to be written down.

I don't think I've watched any drama until now that felt so absolutely pointless at the end of it. That doesn't mean that everything was great until the end though.

First of all, it was real slow. Throughout most of the episodes, there isn't anything much happening than characters wallowing in emotions or doing what they do without any background score.
There was no getting used to it, you just had to bear with it. Mostly you bore with it because, while the screenplay inched along and something finally happened, the actors emoted well and those scenes were good.

Also, I can say with certainty, if it were not for my liking both Mike He and Ariel Lin, I wouldn't have made it even halfway through.

And, Then there is the ending..
After you sit through it all, the way they choose to end it is nothing but absurd. I didn't fully watch the last two episodes. There was no point to continuing with the torturous-ly slow process when the only reasons for watching the show took a beating.

That's all I can put into words now. The only reason any one can have of watching this,in my opinion, is if they like the lead actors, because it's a tough ride even then.

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I am just going to cut straight to the chase with this one, HINSTS II was absolutely incredible not just a stellar story on its own but a sequel that delivers on almost everything the first part set up.. The drama feels so much sharper and heavier in the second part, which is exactly what you want from a Part 2.. Since the first part already laid a solid foundation for the story, the characters and the direction this will go, this sequel dives deep into that darkness.. We get a clearer view of how everything actually went down and most importantly we finally see the pain those monsters went through..

This story like the first part is all centered around the horrific incident and the aftermath of that trauma.. This time they did a brilliant job showing the lasting damage this event left on the main characters..

I think I should get this out first.. From a storytelling perspective, the 10 episodes make sense.. They cover all the questions, tick all the boxes, explain the whys and hows and show what pushed Li Yen Yao to that level of desperation.. It ties everything together neatly.. That said, this could easily have been 4 episodes shorter and still been just as good if not better.. For people who were waiting just to watch the guys who ruined her life suffer, it might feel a bit long.. Personally, it was totally worth it.. I just wish their pain had lasted longer.. They died too quickly and they didn’t even feel half of what she had to go through..

There is nothing more satisfying than watching bad people get what they deserve in the most brutal way possible.. But at what point does revenge turn into something darker than cold blooded murder itself?? You will know exactly what I am talking about if you have watched the drama.. We could argue about morality, humanity, conscience, ethics, whatever you want to call it.. But the truth is, something started that day and that ' something ' only had one possible end.. That’s what we saw here.. If this wasn’t the ending, then it would have been those scumbags walking away with a smile on their faces again just like last time.. Because in this journey, no matter which path they took, everything was always going to diverge into the same destination eventually..

It’s not a very clever drama with a cunning hero.. Most of the emotional nuance can get lost among the horrible things happening, the bloodshed, the brutality and the sexual aspects of the drama.. This is where the longer storytelling I mentioned earlier really comes into play.. The story gets the respect it deserves because it doesn’t rush anything and it lets us see that there are other extremely compelling elements to this sequel besides people being killed for revenge.. As the story moves forward, we see how the barriers she built to protect herself from those memories slowly break down, inching her closer and closer to the moment when everything collapses.. We watch her reach her breaking point and we see how because of that Li Yen Yao is pushed into a psychological spiral.. His inner and physical conflict only intensifies as he reaches that tipping point where he realises there is no other way left except revenge and justice for the pain that practically ended their life.. So that at least she can have a life or whatever is left of it..

Watch out for episode 5, that’s where things get confusing for some and everything makes sense for others.. And the way Chou Pin Yu's real face is revealed?? Honestly, that was ' peak cinema ' as they say.. And that scene with the plant she watered.. That was so well done.. That one moment showed exactly what she was going through, a glimpse of what is actually happening to her.. And again just like in the previous season, the transition from past to present was slick.. The bar scene in episode 5?? Perfect..

The casting for this drama was crucial to making the story work and this is definitely one of those cases where the cast truly shines.. Tseng Ching Hua carries that quality that defines both the teen and adult versions of Li Yen Yao.. He feels like a soul forced into the harsh truth of existence.. It puts him in this strange place between who he was and who pain turned him into.. I really like LYY's character arc, someone becoming desperate and hungry not just for revenge but also to protect the only person he loves.. The rest of the cast was really good too.. Alice Ko basically did for this part what Moon Lee did in the first, she carried the emotional weight of the story and pushed it forward with her performance..

There is a real ' why the f**k would he do that?? ' moment toward the end that honestly bothered me, his second last kill.. There was absolutely no need for it.. It suddenly paints LYY in a different shade, but then the show weirdly downplays it afterward as if it doesn’t really matter.. So what was the point of that?? Was it just to make his death feel inevitable?? But wasn't that already the case??

Now, the ending might seem vague or open, like what actually happened to her?? But it really isn’t.. She fulfilled her promise to him about following her passion for ballet.. Then she rereads his letter, walks toward the ocean and drowns herself.. The mid credit scene makes it clearer.. She meets him again in the afterlife or whatever you interpret it as and together they finally complete their last unfinished wish, preparing the Christmas tree.. And that’s it.. That’s the real ending..

There was never going to be a happy ending in this one, not for a single moment did the story suggest otherwise.. What we got was the best possible outcome for these characters.. And honestly I am glad they didn’t soften it or exaggerate it.. It was the perfect ending for a beautifully written, directed and performed story about two people and the agony that shaped their lives..

Overall, just like Part 1, this is a well made drama that delivers the best possible conclusion to the story.. I can’t say I enjoyed it, that’s not the right word, but I was completely riveted by it.. This story had one of the best portrayals of a character’s mental breaking point and it wants us to feel it, to understand it.. It’s not a pleasant watch and it’s not meant to be.. And honestly, seeing those trash people whose humanity was long gone, the soulless monsters finally face their comeuppance made this worth it..

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All the Tropes and All the Charm..

Skipping Love Your Enemy means missing out on some pretty solid writing and acting.. You might have seen losers in love before.. But this drama takes silliness to an entirely new level.. That said.. I have to admit I genuinely enjoyed their relationship.. There were a lot of unexpected heartfelt moments in the drama..

I started watching for JJH.. But the cast surprised me.. I really loved the supporting characters... They delivered great performances.. And the story has its moments.. The comedy was on point.. No unnecessary side plots or gimmicks.. Even the second male lead was well written.. Which is rare in kdramas.. He wasnt annoying at all.. Well not until his last scene..

One of the standout elements in Love Your Enemy is Seok Jiwon’s character design.. Particularly his integrity.. It adds so much depth to his character.. He was truly admirable throughout the drama..

For me the highlight of the drama was their younger version.. Their teenage relationship.. It was so well written.. And the actors really portrayed it with such authenticity.. Honestly they deserved a couple of episodes just for themselves..

Overall.. Love Your Enemy is a refreshing drama.. It has all the tropes.. Childhood friends, Childhood sweethearts, Enemies to lovers, Workplace romance and Second chance romance.. It delivers great humor and a no nonsense storyline.. Easily one of the best romcoms of 2024..

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Cafe Minamdang is a Hoot!

I'm surprised that most of the reviews reflect dissatisfaction with this drama. I'm in episode 10 right now and let me tell ya that I have not had so much fun watching a K drama as I am having now. I'm still laughing at Seo In-guk as Nam Han-joon (I even rewinded some scenes to get another laugh). Who would have thought this guy can do brilliant comedy. So, I'm writing this review even before I finish with the drama just to share my two cents and how much I enjoy watching it.

Cafe Minamdang was Han-joon's brainchild to trick his mother, a deeply religious Catholic, from the shock of knowing that her son and daughter were running a shaman scheme. But behind the facade, Han-joon, riddled with guilt after his best friend prosecutor was murdered, took this route to find the murderer.

I thought the concept of this drama was weird, but after I started watching, I was hooked and it made sense to me. A gifted profiler turned shaman. He did not even have to fake it because he is such a genius in reading people that his transition from profiler to shaman was seamless. A shaman does the same thing: help individuals with issues in their lives by listening to their woes and helping them overcome those challenges.

The mystery thriller/comedy/romance combined would have been a disaster had it not been executed well. What I like most is the epilogue after each episode that gave clarity to the viewers as to what transpired before the crime and any action taken by the characters happened.

And the other characters ie, Oh Yeon-seo as Han Jae-hee, as a hyper detective with her ninja punches and volatile personality (a clear foil to our hero's persona that reminded me of the eccentric detective, Sherlock Holmes), Nam Hye-joon, Han-joo's younger sister, an exceptionally intelligent hacker, his right man and Minamdang's barista, Gong Soo-chul and the loveable Jonathan complete his ensemble of very funny and smart team engaged in fighting crime as well as helping their clients, who of course, paid for their services. Loved the crime squad team of hilarious Jang Doo Jin, Kim Sang Hyup and Na Kwang Tae.

That was a fun ride. Just completed watching and I must say, I was thoroughly entertained. I prefer watching crime thrillers like Voice and Monster with dark and jarring scenes and serious looking characters and since Cafe Minamdang had a serial killer storyline, I took the chance and watched it. In comparison, Cafe Minamdang was like a breath of fresh air with characters that were whip smart, don't take themselves too seriously and maintain their sense of humour in dangerous situations. I think the message these characters wished to convey was for the audience to join the ride and follow them as they solve the crime in their own way.

I highly recommend. If you want laughter and entertainment, at the same time, satisfy your love for crime thrillers, then this drama is for you.

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Like lighting a firecracker only to see a weak spark

1st half was awesome. Riveting and filled with so many twists that you are constantly guessing at who the serial killer is.
The middle felt a bit stupid and seemed like filler episodes showcasing the serial killer of the day.
The latter half started to get good again as it came back to the main story and we get to try to connect all the dots, but the ending was anti-climatic. They rushed to try and explain everything and it ended up becoming a bit too "easy" in wrapping everything up.

The main problem with this drama was there was just too much going on, too many people/relationships and it got very hard trying to keep everything straight. I felt like I had to take notes. Plus the timeline was really messy and confusing (I still don't understand when in the timeline, PD Hong Ju had her baby and why no one would notice that she was pregnant).

But for the most part I was engrossed at finding out who the serial killer was and how it all played out. Acting was great from the entire cast. I am a fan of Seung-gi so I mainly watched this for him. I'm not sure I would have stuck this out if he wasn't in it.
If you are a fan of thrillers or a fan of Seung-gi, then you may enjoy this drama.

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ONE thing I can say about this drama is that it is NOT a RELAXING drama, but a PAINFUL, STRESSING drama. You can't find any laughter or positive scenes in this drama, but you can witness how evil people can go, even if you are close to them.

HOWEVER, considering the plot and the setting, this drama was not that bad like others are criticizing.
I think the ending was well done, despite all the negative and betraying story line until episode 31. Until the end, this drama was full of sad, gruesome, irritating, and questioning scenes. I was really curious how the "motive", the three had in the beginning for Tae Hee, will cause issues, but over all, it was well scripted.
Story: I think it was based on a novel, but the directors did a great job turning into a screenplay. Not only the plot but the choreography and the shooting places were great too.
Acting/Cast: The casting choice had no problem. One thing I want to say is that they lack a bit of facial expression. Everyone had almost only one or two faces that they were really difficult to read their feelings sometimes. Some are criticizing Joy's acting, but I think she did a great job.
Music: I really liked the intense OST they had with violins.
Rewatch Value: If you watched once, I think you may rewatch it if you want to see the cute couple again.

Overall, this drama was well made, and I really enjoyed it. At some point, I was questioning how low everyone will go, since even some promising characters betrayed the viewers. I really loved the way the drama was rapped up, cause it was not something unreal, but logical and reasonable. To be honest, I was also okay if the drama was ended in a completely negative way...

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Ending that rather rushed!

First of all, I’m not gonna write a long ass review about every detail of this drama. Just have a few thoughts that I want to throw it out here. Overall, this is not a bad drama, however it wasn’t that good either. It has so many potential to become a great one to be honest, but the writer-nim surely need to be more creative to make it works.

I do have a huge expectation from this drama since this is the first debut of Actress Jisoo, so I really wanted to see her performance and acting (even though I can make myself clear that I wasn’t a fan of Blackpink, not one of the blinks). Still, I’m rooting for Jisoo journey to be an actress. And, I gotta say, she did quite a good job considering this is her first debut. However, the story line do injustice to her role. Because clearly, the drama portrayed her as someone who is weak-hearted and stood still without doing anything worth mentioning. If only her character could grow and develop for a bit, I could really give a perfect score for this drama. But her actions, most often, unnecessary and she always in Soo Ho’s ways and that’s really complicate things. If only, they can let her take a gun and fight alongside with Soo Ho, they could be the strongest couple..

For me, the big problem here with this drama is the script itself. Very repetitive. I almost think the story is about hostages and the spy who got stuck in the dorm and unable to get out even though there’s so many ways to actually escaped from it. To be freakin’ honest, the scene where all the hostages come out from the dorm in finale episodes can be done in episodes 8, but how they took so long just to get out from that dorm? How can they think the idea of escaping by fooling Mr. An and bring the soldier to the main door only after 16 episodes? This is really mind boggling. They should make the second half of the drama for something else, out from the freakin’ dorm but instead they dragged it till the end. Disappointing is really the word I could think of.

However, despite my critiques towards this drama. I really appreciate all the hardwork from the cast members to bring this drama to life and watchable. Of course, Jung Haein’s performance unquestionably and undeniably good. Yoo In Na’s acting is really great, I am so satisfied with her performance. Thank God she have a good brain to leave the dorm and for once, think about herself. Ms.Pi and Buk-Ok character’s deserved standing ovation. I really hate Buk-Ok for what she did, she boiled me with anger everytime. Jang Ha-na is the real superwoman in here. She really know what to prioritize and I’m glad she did what she did in order to save the students. All the veterans actors did their fabulous job in acting, but their characters often too repetitive and overlapping with one another. And too bad, there’s no scene showing the proper closure between Youngro and her friends, they just left it hanging there. The ending tho quite rushed in my opinion. So many things left unrevealed, and without a proper explanation.

Did I say I would not write a long ass review? Argh, forget that one. I will just continue abit more —

The OSTs from this drama are quite good. Kim Hee Won - Friends & Jamie Miller - Wishes. These two are my fav. Both songs are really unique on its own, sorrowful and heartbreaking too.

Okay, my final thoughts.. watch at your own risk. This is definitely not a lovey dovey melodrama, it’s in fact a slow burn romance that almost burn you with anger. Lol kidding. For a sucker of sad ending drama like me, I’ve seen better and better dramas out there, this is still not that really sad considering you can actually expect that the outcome would be like that. I just hope that they can executed it properly without us audiences thinking that if they do this or that, things could have turn differently. Thus, this drama is just an OK drama that I would not considered to rewatch it again.

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Slice of life murder mystery with some dark and over the top humor.

It’s such a weird mix of genres and tropes, but somehow it works perfectly. You get yourself a crime murder mystery, slice of life with some deep and meaningful moments and conversations, comedy that at times is rather dark, and in other scenes slapstick and over the top. It might seem like a silly comedy at first, but it gets dark closer to the end.

The whole story is led by a genius idiot Ahn Dae Seong. He is what I would call a smart person who is unable to make smart life decisions. How can anyone have such a strong brain power, but still be so street dumb is beyond me, but it works in this scenario extremely well. That said, he is actually a truly nice and genuine person. He apologizes when he does something wrong, works hard if he thinks the cause is worth it, and he cares for people in his life. Even though he might make everyone frustrated, it’s hard not to like him and not to root for him.

The supporting cast is also to die for. Well written and built personal stories and backgrounds with well placed hints made each one of them a perfect suspect, until we found out the truth. It’s hard to predict who the killer is (at least for the first half of the show) and why they do it. As I watched, I might have felt frustrated with how Dae Seong is suspicious and calls everyone a suspect, but when you look at it from his perspective, everyone was in fact acting suspicious, just for vastly different reasons than he assumed.

From all the supporting characters, Fish was my favorite. Truly adorable little potato, knew it from the start. They also have one of the more powerful and interesting back stories of them all, that is presented in a sensible manner.

Of all the characters, the one that annoyed me was the detective and 5dollar, but I still understood where they were coming from. Dae Seong truly did everything he could to seem like a potential killer, and literally no one in that neighborhood was helping with the real investigation. And from 5dollar view, he might have seen himself as a victim, no matter how twisted it might seem from our perspective.

That said, even though I truly enjoyed the premise and many side stories, I feel like at times they tried to do too much in too little time. Since everyone was presented as a potential suspect, they all had to have their own individual stories told to explain the circumstantial evidence. Since the number of supporting characters was high, some stories were bound to get less screen time and felt more like fillers. Since some were not explored enough, they got a little bit boring for me, as I was not that engaged in them. Yet somehow, they were able to give a perfect closure for all presented plot lines.

There were also some situations that I questioned why the characters had barely any reaction to, and took barely any actions to solve them.

The last thing that was a bit unsatisfying was the reveal who the killer was. While for the most part it was not easy to predict who it might be (since everyone seemed equally suspicious), when all suspects started to be proven innocent, all hints pointed in one direction so the suspense died.

I was truly positively surprised by the acting too. Lee Kwang Soo brings a comedic aspect to everything he does, it’s hard to deny it. I was quite scared it would be impossible to create any suspense and a more serious mood when he is on screen and I was completely wrong. He aced the emotional scenes. I actually liked his more serious takes more than the silly comedy ones.

Kim Seol Hyun shined the most closer to the end. In the first half of the show, her character seemed a bit like a plot device, but it all led to quite a prominent role in the later episodes.

All the cast members did their best to present realistic and relatable characters, and for me, they all delivered. Ahn Se Bin as Yul? Amazing performance for a child actress, especially with such a demanding role!

Production value was extremely high for a mini series like that. Aesthetic wise, it had a bit of a retro vibe. Not making it look like a big production was a good choice, since it fits the world building - all happening in a small neighborhood with just a few characters - it should feel familiar.

I have to say, one song from the OST gave me chills when it was first played - Nokdu’s Orange Dream. From the arrangement, instrumentation, vocals, to the lyrics, it truly is a perfection. It serves as a good introduction to Dae Seong as a character - someone stuck in the past glory, dreams and hopes, who is unable to move on. The whole OST was lit and extremely fitting every scene specific songs were played for.

Overall, such a surprisingly good watch. I expected nothing, and got more than I could receive even if I had rather high hopes.

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Did We All Watch the Same Drama?

After reading the MDL reviews for Siren’s Kiss, I prepared myself for disappointment. Instead, I found myself completely hooked. At this point, I’m convinced I accidentally watched a different version of the drama—one with a compelling storyline, engaging characters, and an OST that emotionally manipulated me in the best way possible.

The drama kept me invested from start to finish, and the music? Let’s just say my playlist has never recovered. Every time an OST played, my emotions packed their bags and went on a journey.

Sure, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was definitely mine. And honestly, isn’t that what matters most?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9/10) – One point deducted only because the OST set unrealistically high emotional standards.

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POSITIVITY

In my opinion , I really like this drama , I didn't see any racism or any kind of problem. The story is pretty good , and while watching it I couldn't stop smiling , it made my heart flutter. The main lead guy , he is just ideal type of guy, who every girl would want to have. I understand everyone has different opinion but it doesn't mean to show case in such a harsh way, every drama is not perfect , all the drama have some kind of spoiler in it. If you hate the drama then keep it with yourself , why to spread hatred through your own opinion. NOT EVERY PERSON HAS THE ABILITY LIKE YOURS TO THINK NEGATIVELY!!!
Please don't behave as if you haven't heard the word called humanity.

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