Reviews

want the actors in something else (skip ep 5)

Overall: there was potential with an angstier story but the writing got progressively worse as the series continued. Skip episode 5 and start episode 6 at 43 minutes. 6 episodes about 30 minutes each. Aired on Youku's YouTube channel, first episode link https://youtu.be/B36ryCeKxUw Rookie Thailand has also produced: 21 Days Theory, Future and The Best Story

Content Warnings: past death, grief, homophobia, bullying, punches, parental verbal abuse

What I Liked
- some sweet moments
- they explained what happened 5 years ago so the time gap made some sense (but 5 years was too long)
- funny with the friends hiding behind plants
- glad she finally stood up for herself though she should have told Night he needed to figure his stuff out asap before someone else started dating Dream
- Dream seeking communication at the beginning of episode 5
- Namwan in the second half of the series (though I didn't hate her in the first half)
- production value was good for what I assume is a low budget series (except for the too loud background music at times)

Room For Improvement
- time skip needed to be 2 years instead of 5 to feel more realistic
- cliched writing, unnecessary love triangles, drunk kissing, etc
- not clear when flashbacks started/ended/were flashbacks
- the multitude of flashbacks made the episodes feel choppy, would rather they had shown everything in the past and done 1 time skip to the present (similar to ITSAY), there were even flashbacks to scenes we had just watched like with the professor (also what on earth is you fail a university class if you can't write an amazing novel? does that really happen???)
- nonsense stuff (who doesn't know their best friend has a sibling, they've never met in person or seen a picture? they could have made this a step sibling during the time gap to make sense)
- failed redemption arcs for the dad and brother
- unclear of how much time passed in the last episode
- hardcoded English subtitles were a little difficult to read (didn't take off points for this)

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Short filler drama if idol/ceo/kid dramas are your thing

I honestly have no idea why I enjoyed this so much, but I did. It’s absolutely ridiculous to be honest. Each episode is 10 minutes (30 episodes total) which doesn’t even seem like enough time to get acquainted with the characters yet at the same time I was invested in the story. Speaking of the story, the plot is all over the place. From the time traveling kid to the domineering CEO/idol thing the main couple has going on, to the grandfather showing up randomly half way in, I don’t really know why I kept watching it besides the fact that it was entertaining. It also might have helped that I had read the webtoon beforehand so I knew the storyline to some extent ahead of time. The acting really depends on the “episode” you are watching, some of it is good, some of it is okay, some of it is meh. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see some of the leads in bigger dramas in the future.

Overall, it’s nothing revolutionary. The plot is not something you will end up having a length conversation about with fellow drama watchers or even remember a few dramas later, but I will say it’s cute in a completely ridiculous way and it’s a fairly easy watch since it’s so short. Great filler drama if idol/CEO/kid dramas are your thing.

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ARE YOU SERIOUS! This drama had a 2 part series and yet the writers still FAIL on how to handle it with a VERY RUSHED & LAME ending? I mean it is a happy ending but it's so pathetic to see only the last 15 mins was actually happy. So dumb. What's up with Chinese writers and their introducing another conflict for the last few episodes of the drama? That's so stupid and cause havoc that wasn't needed.

There are so many things wrong with this drama. First of all, HOW DARE YOU WRITERS keeping showing daydreaming of Yan Shu & Cheng Ze's wedding but not bother with doing an actual wedding? I'm so frickin pissed at this. Second, how dare you introduce a conflict that ruin the end of this drama. Last few episodes should've been happiness not sadness and frustration. This last conflict should've been introduced like the beginning of this 2nd part drama (like ended off with this conflict on the 1st part drama). Third, how dare that evil granny witch didn't get punish for all of her evil misdeeds. She got off like she didn't do anything wrong. I hate it when the writing is like this crap. Fourth, the angry and bitterness between the stepsisters it's so stupid and shouldn't haven been carried out this long. It should've been resolved in the first part of this drama. It doesn't make sense how that once a witch of a stepsister ended up doing a 180. There weren't any signs of progression. Fifth, secondary couple should've started at the beginning of this drama and maybe had the second lead finally giving up the female lead from the 1st part drama. This 2nd couple together wasn't believable. All of the sudden they want to be together with no issues from grandma? Yeah right! Sixth, the ending, while ended happy, sucked overall because it was so rushed.

The male & female leads were the only reason I watched this but I totally regret it. It had a lot of cute and funny moments which I did enjoy but was it worth how this drama was handled overall? Nope.

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Actually, what make me really want to write a review on this drama because I saw that not many watch it and the reviews also seem to tell "Don't give this drama a chance!" If I were to decide whether to watch this drama or not based on most of the opinion stated here,I think I will skipped this one.Why should I watch a drama with so many bad reviews and even the rating is lower than The Heirs. Uh Oohhh.

So here I am, trying to make this drama more desirable in the eyes of those who still undecided and hesitated to watch if this drama is in their Plan-To-Watch list. Honestly,in my opinion this drama is not that bad.If it were to compete with other dramas in it's genre,I think GC will get top 10 or even 7.I've seen many K-revenge,melodrama in my life before and Golden Cross definitely not the worst revenge drama executed out there.

The Story: As a melo-revenge drama,of course GC has a 'cruel' starter plot aiming to collect as many sympathy as possible from viewers. If you're familiar with this genre, every main lead must have a sad,unfortunate,depressing past and there is this one villain that whenever you see him you will find yourself keep swearing and making a fist toward the screen. Ahaaa! This is what I like the most when watching K-melo revenge drama,despite some of the typicalness in the story, at least you will relieve some of your stress.Is'nt that good? :P There's no exception in GC,if you want to find another kind of melo-revenge variation you won't find it here.Nevertheless,I really love the way it's executed,directed and scripted .I think the uniqueness of GC are mostly present in it scripts because that's what attracted me to keep watching GC despite the flaws. I've to agree with many that the first 16 episodes are really great. But for me the last 4 episodes also good and I still like it. It's acceptable and understandable. And that ending..its realistic. (SPOILER) I mean how many rich people in this world when he did wrong he will get the right retribution,he can just buy that retribution with money.These group of people see the word Unfair=Fair to them.No matter how unrealistic things can be in dramaland,it's still can't escape from some realistic element like this. Thus,I like the ending.

The Acting: I have to say it's superb! I never like Kim Kang Woo before,I've watched him in 2 dramas and 1 of his movie but I never come to like him. But WOW his acting here,I'd like to give him 2 thumbs up and hewheww I don't know that he can ever be this 'hot'. XD Lee Si Young also did a very good job. I really like her character in first 2/3rd of this drama but in the last 1/3rd her character become unsignificant and unbelievably weak. Disappointed :( I came to like Han Eun Jung's character in the last 2 episode, and I'm also okay if she is to end up with KDY. Jung Bo Suk 's acting as a main villain in this drama also superb. I really3 chincha3 hated him as a whole and disgusted at his character.

The Music: It's just pleasant to hear and it's flow well with the story.

Rewatch Value: I'm not a rewatcher person so I just give this section a fair value.

Overall: Golden Cross is not the best k-melo revenge out there but there's some element in it that make it better than other drama with the same genre. Of course,it has flaws here and there but really... is there a flawless drama exist in this world? For me, I never regret my 20 hours with GC and I can say it's worth my time. So people,give this a try at least 3 episode before you drop it and I will say nothing ^^

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Here I am again going to see a movie without any expectation. I did not see the anime or read the manga, but I probably shoud see it.

Overall I liked the movie, it's super cliché really .... but super funny. I loved the characters, especially Kairi, the energy was fantastic, I think it was my favorite.
Sae was really strange, in my view, the way she reacted to things and her schemes, in the most creepy sense.I like Mizuki too, her character was diferente I guess and dramatic and super fun.

About the end I was surpirse but I like it.
Overall it's a funny and fun story.

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Amazing Cast. Amazing Storyline. Amazing Everything!

I love Feng Bao Bao and I am sure everyone loves Feng Bao Bao; no questions there. However, Zhang Chulan's character is what people would be at first like "meh", but you really need to give him attention, listen to what he says and what he does. He has such a way with words and emotions and if you think he is just being silly, there is more to him than that. There are several scenes where he delivers such amazing lines that you might want to go back and listen to them.
There are several other characters that are so good in this show like Wang Ye! It would be so exciting to find out about what he is seeing regarding Wang Chulan, and Neo Hou is perfect for this role. Bi Wenjun's character is so good and watching him fight the first time with Zhang Chulan was a treat! The brothers of NDT, the elders and even the Sinisters are so fun and interesting. The storyline is very well written, and it would be exciting to explore Baobao's origin in the future episodes. For those who are thinking whether they should or should not be watching this, I would say YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD.

REVIEWER IS VERY EXCITED AFTER FINISHING THE 12THE EPISODE.

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Some Taiwanese drama tend to be a little ... uhm... weird? overacted? cringe? writer probably on crack?
Is Love of Sandstorm like that? Hell yes.
But to my pleasant surprise, this drama found somehow the perfect mixture.
It's funny as hell, but the more you think about certain scenes, the darker it gets. For some reason, even as a Westerner I could relate to the characters. The plot isn't even THAT far from reality.

I mean, be ready to get straight to the point. This drama is BLUNT. STRAIGHT FORWARD. You are used to KDrama-World, where the climax is (at max) a sloppy kiss on the couch where the camera slowly focuses to the IKEA flower pot? Oh honey, you're in for a ride. Some scenes made me want to clean my browser history with bleach and damn, I've seen some sh*t.

What you definitely need to know is that the first episode drags a bit. In defense of the writer, he had quite a lot of characters to introduce. But thanks to that, I know who's who. Unlike other dramas where I still don't get who's the protagonist after 5 episodes.

During the drama you'll follow different couples and their plot lines. If you asked me, the parents could have been toned down a bit. No offense, I just don't like "older" couples. And don't get me started on Jiao Jiao - this girl is completely nuts.
I was binge watching Love of Sandstorm and currently trying to function on 2 hours of sleep. Probably shouldn't have binge watched another drama before that. And maybe the only way to enjoy this drama is in the void between madness and a mental breakdown, where you just find anything funny. Idk.

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This short movie is for the cat lovers and fans of Nakamura Aoi. The storyline is quite simple yet still plays with our emotions. It shows just how quickly loneliness can disappear when you have a furry companion to keep by your side.

Story-
Nakamura Aoi's name isn't mentioned (either I didn't hear it or I forgot) instead he is constantly referred to as "friend" by Goyoune, his little kitten. There was quite a nice relationship that the two shared. Aoi played the role of a lonely guy who had dreams of becoming a famous manga artist however had a few issues with it.

Acting/Cast-
The main actor really suited the role, he had such a sweet smile and character when acting with the cat. The cat's voice actor had a cute voice too which matched the cat. ^^

Music-
Songs that played fit with the scene, it was chosen well although I think it could've been improved.

Rewatch Value-
This would be nice to watch with a friend if you're looking for something short and cute to watch. I may rewatch it in the future sometime.

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I really, really thought about making this only my 3rd-ever perfect 10/10 drama. It was that good. Eventually, though, I settled on 9.5 just for some very minor complaints.

Overall, this is probably the best drama I have seen since Healer. It is beautifully written, evocative, touching, and hilarious. It's really everything you would want from kdrama. It's got a fantastic ensemble that are all fun and lovable. Every episode brings something special. A very, very addictive and binge-able watch.

Jang Na Ra is as perfect as ever. Seriously. There's honestly no better drama actress in the entire country. She believably plays both a 20-year-old and a 38-year-old. She can and will make you laugh and cry like crazy.

This is the first time I have seen Son Ho Jun in anything and he was impressive. His melo scenes felt a bit off, but I think that was more to do with the nature of his character than his acting ability. One of his melo scenes is probably my favorite scene in the whole drama.

The two "second leads" (in quotes because they get less screen time than a couple of the other Supporting cast) succeeding excellently in doing what they were supposed to do: be ridiculously attractive. Jang Ki Yong just looks like Korean Benedict Cumberbatch, which, of course, is awesome. And although she really just looked like little kid most of the time, I couldn't deny that Go Bo Gyeol was hyper-cute. Their characters didn't get as much development as you might expect, but they were still a lot of fun to watch and were utilized well by the writers as tools for the development of our hero and heroine.

Two Supporting Cast shout-outs I simply MUST give are for Kim Mi Kyung, who I think should be tagged with a Main Role here, simply because she was the 3rd-most important character in the show. I have said it before and I'll say it again: Kim Mi Kyung is her own gravitational force. What an incredibly watchable, dynamic, compelling actress. Every time she and Jang Na Ra shared the screen, it was amazing and wonderful.

The second shout out goes to Han Bo Reum, who is just plain gorgeous and a lot of fun to look at. Very funny, great smile, excellent hair. I never got tired of her or her character (and the hilarious yet oddly fetching late-90s outfits they always made her wear). She was excellent and, at age 30, will hopefully get some good lead roles under her belt soon.

If you're looking for a quick rollercoaster of emotion with some ridiculously amazing acting, just stop what you're doing and start this drama right away.  A low-risk/high-reward prospect at just 12 episodes, there will be nothing to regret once you're done.

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I haven't watched a drama that truly touched me like this since 'Reply 1997'. While I had my fair share of great shows this year, this drama truly shined.

Finding out that your next-door neighbors are your biological parents is the kind of coincidence we hear about on the news, the kind of thing that we wonder if it truly exists. I started watching this show because I wanted to see this unusual situation unfold.

The first couple of episodes, I’ve been holding my breath for the moment everyone finds out the truth, but the drama keeps teasing us (although it does make up for it with the comedy and the suspense).

Maybe it’s because I haven’t watched that many +20 episode dramas, but I felt too impatient and annoyed at the beginning. I could totally imagine many people dropping this drama somewhere around the first ten episodes. Even I –crazy about it as I am now that I’ve finished it- have thought about dropping it before Gwi-Nam found his real parents.

This is why I wanted to tell you guys to stick it through and you won’t regret it. At least, I haven’t.

I truly loved the social commentary that was subtly going on in this drama—South Korea is still a country deep-rooted in traditions although it has become so advanced. ‘Unexpected You’ makes its viewers question some of Korea’s firmly standing traditions, and comments on the nature of the relationship between in-laws in Korea. I thought the writer handled these sensitive matters very well, in that she gave us the two sides of the issue fairly.

The characters are flawed and feel real, even Gwi-Nam who I thought was too perfect at first (turns out, he has his own share of faults). One thing I found funny was how Gwi-Nam was like the closest thing to perfect a man could get, to the annoyance of men in the show.

It was like the drama was telling us that this is how a man should be, but in a completely comical way. I couldn’t stop laughing when the men in the drama grumbled about Gwi-Nam setting the standards so high and ruining things for them (a little meta that I enjoyed).

I hope more people would discover this gem for what it is.

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A very nice and entertaining drama

1/ STORY

The story is well written. The beginning sets up the plot, installs the characters, make them discover each other and interact. They go through sub plots and sub stories which are cute and emotional. Then, the main story develops with the two leads and the evil. There is also the ghost employees’ stories which needs closure before the final showdown, between good and evil. All this is fast paced and fun.

Romance is developing in a very natural way. At the beginning FL is stuck with her one-sided love. Then the main leads develop feelings, under the table for one of them and unknowingly for the other. The events and truths unveiled slowly help them to grow more confident about their feelings...

2/ ACTORS/CHARACTER:

- Go Seul Hae: Nice unsophisticated young woman enthusiast cop dedicated to serve. She has a sad background but remains cheerful. Then she meets ML and his employees and everything changes. She fights villains, spirits, falls in love and become a pretty girlfriend etc... I only watched Jin Ki Joo in Come and Hug me that I dropped. She is doing great here. A very compelling performance.

- Cha Chawoon: A magician who employs ghosts he lives with, to enhance his magical shows. Soon, they are dragged into the civilian police to "serve and protect". From a selfish money grubber nagging boss, Cha Chawoon becomes a real savior and shows his goodhearted side. Park Hae Jin in a very good performance since Forest.

- Choi Gum: 2000 years spirit of the Cha house with a mysterious past who behaves like a silly guy but he has his importance at the key moments.

- Three ghost employees: They are the most fun part of the drama despite their individual sad story which stuck them in their ghost condition. They are fun and good employees. Even if they often complain they truly like their boss.

- Hee Soo: Seul Hae childhood friend and first crush. He is a decent man and a good cop but his timing for love is bad. The actor Kim Jong Hoon did very well in this double-faced role.

- Hae Chun Moo: Super bad guy became super evil spirit and a serial murderer. Scary and convincing enough.

- Ye Ji: young shaman apprentice who is less materialistic than she thought and a worthy pupil.

3/ OST

Good. Nothing cringe or annoying.

4/ REWATCH VALUE:

Very fun and emotional. It is rewatchable

5/ OVERALL:

One of the most fun and entertaining kdrama of this half year. This drama is a great mix of romance, action, fantasy, comedy. The ending is epic and delivers more than expected. Totally recommended. 10/10.

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Somewhere inside Goblin, buried under a mound of PPL and tears, is a good show trying to get out. The first two episodes suggest what might have been, deftly mixing intense action and off-beat humor in a dark world filled with ominous reapers, wounded goblins, ghost-seeing teenagers and cabbage-wielding grannies. The stage seems set for a life and death clash of epic proportions. Alas, it soon becomes apparent that the writer forgot to include an antagonist. The goblin-reaper face-off devolves into a chummy bromance, leaving “fate” to play the role of spoiler. Unfortunately, it’s hard to fight disembodied destiny. Whole episodes are spent weeping in pretty scenery and eating Subway sandwiches. The talented cast tries to up the urgency, but with nothing tangible to battle, the pacing slows to a crawl. The extended episode lengths and the director’s tendency to linger a little too long on every moment exacerbate the problem. Even the romance falters on the uncomfortable age gap between the protagonists.

Every so often. interesting ideas pop up about guilt, redemption, and the role of kindness in a cosmos more random than rewarding. Alas, the fickle gods that rule this universe stay above the fray. A drama that actually allowed its characters to take them on rather than simply lamenting their cruelty could have been powerful indeed.

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Let's stop the bullshit

Initial reception ep 1-8

I binged 8 episodes this show in one day. 10 hours chewing a piece of gum with a bottle of water
at my side as i digested the show, I sometimes would watch some scenes more than once just to be clarified on some things to make sure i wasnt seeing things wrong.
I was genuinely intrigued with the premise. A villian that lives as a villian, breathes as a villian, she plots, she schemes, she's wicked and selfish. No remorse. The acting was okay


Her actions as a result of years of betrayal and abuse , That first scene of her in the rain over her mother was cinematic. The visuals were striking and it'd built a good foundation for te story
And as she cut down her adviseries in high school and later in adulthood. I realized she was shaping up to be formidable. But unfortunately the more i watched the more i noticed a key issue.

*cue the violins* -the sympathetic edit
I noticed the way the show was going by episodes 4-5, made it seem like we were supposed to feel sorry for her. Oh poor girl. Gone through so much. Had no choice because life made her this way. PEOPLE made her this way. So we must understand that she's playing the hand she was dealt with...and is doing exactly what she needs to. To survive. Cut the cameras . Lets be deadass fr

THIS IS WHERE I DISAGREE
she is the architect of her own doom. Every action she has taken has what led her to this point. Every time she retailiates the consequences of her actions come back and bites her in the ass. Everytime. Her actions seemingly justified to her are the same actions that have led her to this precipice and she must pay. You can't control the actions of people but you can regulate your reactions. Any fallout from your reactions are your burdens to bear. Your fault.

And this is where the weaknesses of the story show forth. How does a person that feels they're perpetually a victim seek salvation or contentment? If there is a refusal to hold her accoutable for her actions. How is it rationable to blame others for her actions but not blame her for the consequences of her actions on others?

I remembered watching the glory. Lim ji yeon's character was nasty work. Evil to the core. That chain smoking bitch...I crowed when she got hers. But during the show we watched the dynamics with her mother and how her upbringing played a part in her behaviour. Did you people care? Hell naw . BURN THE WITCH. she did evil things because she was evil and must be punished.
Did ah jin physically bully her classmates ? No but was she the architect of doom for 3 characters? yes. So what makes her more sympathetic?....Because she's the protagonist of this show and yall have been hypnotised. WAKE THE FUVK UP.


I will only feel rest once she gets what's coming to her and that is why i will tune in everyweek to pray for her downfall.

Update: Spoilers ahead
i enjoyed her downfall but let's be serious the writers and producers were never really going to punish her. She doesn't feel guilt so her slinking off to the countryside Like an evil spirit permeating the air and crying in the night is as good as we gon get it.

Final reception ep 9-12
The only thing I felt watching this was...men are dumb . But I did have time to ruminate on the story at the end
I've been watching kdramas since 2011. And I'm genuinely amused at the reception to the ending . Any person paying attention had to have known already that this was the way it was always supposed to end. She's never going to be punished
Not really


Jun seo was ready to throw his life away when she was arrested for her father's murder. He's always put her wellbeing over his life. Time and time again . So why we shocked that he felt the only way to sto p her was with his life. But here's the core issue. He's aware she's a sociopath. He's aware she had no human sympathy or kindness so him holding on to her with his last breath is his problem. Frankly I would have done the same...tf after trying to kill her. Did she give you consent that she wanted to visit hellfire with you? Are you mad?

I genuinely enjoyed her husband playing mind games with her. I have no complaints. But I knew the writers were going to
...gasp save her in expense of someone's life. Which continues her cycle of doing bad things. Dodging her consequences and somebody dead or ruined to push her out from issues. Accountability is the real bitch

Lemme rant a bit idgaf
When in gang died and the longstar ceo was after her. She could have left. She hadn't wanted to be an actress in the first place. She signed a contract with moon joo hyuk willingly but still jae oh had to die so she could leave the contract she happily signed. After she ghosted him to marry that hot chaebol. Look at her strutting round his house. Doing All that only for his death to mean nothing in the end.

So in conclusion...men are dumb. They will be willing to do anything for you once you gaslight and manipulate them into falling in love with you and making sure they never have you. Know this and gaslight a dumbass man to achieve your dreams today
Goodnight.

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