So hi...
Moving was a drama with amazing cast, acting and storyline. I watched it all, but for me it didn't deserve that 10. Don't hate me for that - taste shouldn't be discussed!!! I only stayed for the kids storyline, the parents' one didn't captivate me. Call me boring, sorry. So my opinions are mostly based on the kids storyline.Acting was amazing. They were extremely cute and Heesoo and Bongseok were such a pleasure to watch. Show stealer KangHoon ( Kim DoHoon) showed me once again why he is one of my favs.
I am honestly sorry I couldn't like this show as much as the people on tiktok and so. The hype was mindblowing tbh. Everyone was and still is so obsessed with it - it wasn't like that for me ... sadly.
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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 StoryContent 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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This review may contain spoilers
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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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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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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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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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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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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Underrated
First of all, is a joy to watch another short drama with Hu Yi Yao, after Secrets of the Shadow Sect...For the drama, it is a agreable short drama with an intersting story and premise.
Set between a virtual world and the real world, alneit a futuristic one
As for the ending, it leaves the ending open but inplied that both mains return to the real world, meet again and resumed their relation, with the possibility and opening for a sequel...
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I've never really understood the allure of Lee Min Ho before and admittedly, I sought great enlightenment in that regard with City Hunter, however, 20 episodes in and I'm still lost. It's safe to say that he is the namesake of Korean Entertainment Industry, internationally famous and even No#1 on the most popular list on our beloved MDL but for all that hype, there isn't much basis. To put it bluntly, he really isn't a very good actor. Sure, he's plenty cute but sadly his gorgeous looks can't save his acting from being plagued by redundancy and lack of versatility.
Lee Min Ho is like a bar of undiluted highly sweetened chocolate; eat one and you'll thoroughly enjoy the delectable sugar high but eat too many and it will turn from delicious to downright nauseous real quick. In other words, he's not the type of actor whose shows one can binge-watch because doing so will be akin to subjecting yourself to the monotony of a recycling machine.
For being an almost perfect hero with no flaws, his character "Lee Yoon Sung" is surprisingly not the sharpest knife in the cutlery and even though the writers created him to be very likeable, he is straight up annoying at times. The biggest example of that is probably when somebody close to him gets shot or severely injured in front of him. Instead of calling the ambulance like a normal person would, he absolutely has to act out the whole 15-minute-long over-emotional dramatic scene filled to the brim with hysterics where he clutches the dying person to his chest, looks deep into their eyes, cries tears of heartache and assures them that they will indeed not die, all the while sufficiently increasing their chances of said death.
I mean, how Kim Na Na survives after being shot is still an enigma to me because our dear Yoon Sung did try his level best to cause murder due to excessive blood loss because wallowing in misery and repeatedly asking your girlfriend why she'd take a bullet for him is oh so important than taking her to the nearest hospital. (Of course, he donates blood to her later and saves the day because we can't let our watchers forget who the true hero is, now can we?)
Park Min Young is a cute actress and Kim Na Na is essentially someone that I would really root for. Which is why, obviously, the creators had to abuse her character to the maximum. I mean if you're going to sell me the fact that a woman who can fight off eight thugs when her man is in trouble, walk right into the heart of danger without an ounce of fear, is an excellent shooter, a level four in Judo and just a badass in general can just as easily be kidnapped, drugged, taken hostage without so much as a mewl in defense by a single man, I'm sorry, but I'm just not going to buy that bullshit. The only thing that I despise more than spineless damsels in distress (without just cause) is a spineless damsel in distress disguised as a strong and highly intelligent heroine.
Na Na did not deserve to be used as a tool to highlight Yoon Sung's character just so he could appear to be the perfect knight in shining black mask, rather, she should've been an independent and resilient woman in her own right who could effectively save herself, but alas chivalry trumps all.
If that isn't enough, City Hunter gives a new meaning to the term "bad romance". It introduces two people who don't deserve to be together in any possible realm and force them to fall in love. As it happens with forceful collision, the result is destruction of both entities. Their affection for each other is completely unbelievable. No matter the martyr syndrome, noble causes and tortured hero bullshit- simply nobody should have to deal with Yoon Sung's horribly immature and selfish attitude. He's constantly pushing and pulling at her, switching gears and being cruel for no reason and Na Na's highly self-sacrificing, outrageously understanding, Mother Theresa level righteousness is frankly, pitiful. Add zero chemistry into the mix and you get a perfectly stiff romance that is difficult to swallow no matter how many justifications you provide to wash it down with.
To top it all off, both the actors have a very short emotional range and their crying scenes made me feel like the awkward back-patter who has to fake sympathy in order to not look like a douche-bag. Furthermore, you got to love how every single dirty politician is exposed with video recordings because it's absolutely 100% inevitable that sooner or later all corrupt criminals will announce the entirety of their sins word by word in thin air. You just have to conveniently be at the right place at the right time with a recording device at hand and you got yourself a wonderfully detailed confession. How exotic.
However, get depressed not, because the show does admittedly has its moments. The best thing about it is the fact that the few things it chooses to well develop are indeed, excellently executed. The injuries are very realistic and if our protagonists get hurt they actually suffer for a lengthy period of time instead of possessing magical healing powers. (Ahem, K2, ahem)
Kim Sang Joong is simply the star of the show. I mean, talk about charismatic villains. Not only is he extremely handsome for an ahjussi, he's also a brilliant actor and I think his cold-hearted glares ultimately made this show worth watching. Lee Jin Piyo is a ruthless mastermind, too cruel and extremely focused on his single-minded revenge. Anything that comes in his way is collateral and messing with him is synonymous for signing a death warrant. I'm not going to lie, I seriously shipped his and Yoon Sung's father-son relationship (as lacking and unhealthy as it may be) and one of the best moments of the show was their showdown in the last episode.
Prosecutor Kim with his holier than thou attitude, fierce determination and power walk (despite the fact that he in reality accomplishes nothing as a prosecutor and loses every time to the City Hunter) really grew on me over-time which was why it was really heartbreaking what the show did to him. I mean, if they were going for emotional impact they got it because honestly, I got very teary-eyed in that particular instance.
There's no denying that the story of City Hunter is very well thought out, the suspense element is nicely done and the interaction between the main characters and some of the supporting one's (Yoon Sung's mom, Bae Man Deok, Sung Chang Hoon and Jung Joon) were really touching to see. The music is good and even though City Hunter's strategies aren't exactly Sherlock-esque, I thoroughly enjoyed all of his exposés. There is a tiny idealist that resides in my heart that secretly loves the whole sentiment behind a masked hero saving the people in times of need and despite all of his flaws I was still sincerely rooting for Yoon Sung.
So, in conclusion I'm going to say that City Hunter is over-all a pleasurable drama, it makes you stick to it till the end and anticipate the incoming episodes with a fervor but when you sit back and ponder upon questions like; "What scene would I like to rewatch and put on replay?" "Which event was unforgettable?" "Which part got my heart racing?", nothing comes to mind. It is surely a good time-pass but not something that'll get you invested.
P.S: I hope all the Lee Min Hoes and City Hunter fanatics out there don't have a Cerci-mode walk of shame leading to execution-style murder in mind for me. Y'all are gorgeous human beings so please go easy on pelting the "This review ain't helpful" button.
Teehee ^~^
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This review may contain spoilers
WORST ADAPTION
I’m honestly disappointed with what’s supposed to be an “adaptation.” This version completely strips away the soul of the original work. Watching Kim Dokja lose all his presence and depth was exhausting, and it’s hard to believe the production team even glanced at the source material. If this is what you call an adaptation, then honestly, even Wattpad fanfictions have done a better job respecting the core of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.Let’s talk about the inconsistencies. The Kim Dokja portrayed here feels like a stranger. He would never say “this novel is the worst”—that line alone already betrays his entire worldview. And what’s with the firearms? Both Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk have extensive knowledge of their world; they would absolutely know better than to use weapons that don’t work.
And one very important trait: Kim Dokja doesn't save people out of kindness. He saves them if, and only if, they serve a purpose in his plan. That’s who he is—calculated, practical, and always thinking several steps ahead.
All these overlooked details make the story feel like a shallow shell of what it could’ve been. It’s not just about “changing things for the screen” it’s about losing the essence that made the original story powerful.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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