This review may contain spoilers
Yeong's worst enemy....
This series had me until episode 6 and then it just was a dull hum until the end. It's was a beautiful realistic story. One of the greatest joys was watching Yeong move from being self indulgent over exhuberent college kid to a self aware realist, a published writer. This is also the greatest sadness. He drew on his experiences, his environment and poured it into his writing. Along the way he lost his sparkle.Gyu Ho and Nam Gyu both suffered the same fate. Yeong's inability to accept love without expectations caused him to lose two people who truly love him. It seems all his relationships were doomed due to his desire to have the razzle dazzle fireworks to continue throughout, without being able to accept the mundane. Only after they were over, would he be able to see what he truly lost and regretted. Not knowing his true self and his inability to be alone encouraged two relationships that should never have been. Habibi and Yeong Su came with hidden baggage, one abusive and the other just sad. Yeong Su lived in shadows and manipulated Yeong's niaivete to live in his internalized homophobia. Habibi, with a hidden wife and child, embarks on a journey with him, hoping to capture a bit of Yeong's sparkle to relieve his boredom. Seeing him too drunk and overworked, Yeong chooses himself and walks away. Both relationships were poor choices to facing a life of solitude and expected failures.
His mother is shown to have moved from denial, abhorring, to knowing, to minimally discussing. She doesn't accept his life but still loves her son.
The real charmers, the electricity powering his life, were his close group of friends and roomate Mi Ae. Yet, even with them, some bits of his life were closed. His HIV status is only shown to be discussed with Gyu Ho, who loved him enough to truly accept him as he is. Gyu Ho, after the cowardly way Yeong breaks up with him, never contacts him again. Though, through the bartender at their favorite spot, he let's Yeong know, he is still loved. Not yet ready to make any contact, in the end, it is his friends that he is seen enjoying the fireworks.
The story was beautifully told, and with flashbacks in the last two episodes, we get a fuller history of the reality of his best relationship, Gyu Ho. The sad part for me is that he began to let his status have an effect on him and as he took stock of his life, became more subdued. The last two episode felt like a gradual slide down from the high.
Every character was skillfully brought to life. Yeong was a free spirited over the top whitty self accepting non judgemental dreamer who was scared to dream and Nam Yoon Su killed it. This is a must see at least once.
Note to directors and editors at large:
Flashbacks: This is how it's supposed to be done. Ever flashback should reveal something new and actually propel the story being told.
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A power-struggle between morals.
I started watching 'Extracurricular' on a whim, I didn't think much of it and just wanted to see something that was on Netflix. The simple action of watching one episode turned into a 10 h binge, and I have to tell you it was one hell of a ride. This drama didn't hook me on the first episode, I felt a bit hesitant: Will this be another unrealistic shitty teen thug type of story? But nonetheless I continued.After the second episode I knew, this is something else. The premise seems simple enough, a normal setup for a Korean thriller/action movie but this took it deeper. During the 10 episodes the viewer get to know its main character Oh Jisoo and his contrasting behaviors as well as his partner Bae Gyu Ri. The character work on these two was phenomenal, I loved seeing their facades crack little by little to show what these young humans held within themselves all along. Although they commit actions that goes by the law of morals you cannot help but route for this unfortunate pair. I personally related to the characters, especially to Bae Gyu Ri and her struggles to keep her image in front of her parents, the school and Jisoo. Although the circumstances that these characters goes through is unrealistic you can draw similarities to their struggles of fitting in, money, grades and love.
The acting was simply amazing! Nothing more is needed to say, all cast members seemed to act well in their parts and the production was done so smoothly that I almost forgot that it was all an act.
Well all I can say is that this blew me away, I was chocked at the amount of enjoyment I felt watching this short but thrilling drama. Everyone that enjoys to feel nervous and wants to see something a bit fucked up and dark: 'Extracurricular' is something for you!
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This review may contain spoilers
A must watch healthy relationship
This drama deserves a solid 10 from my perspective .I rarely writes reviews for drama just after finishing it but this deserves exception. . This is story of two people falling in love by understanding each other. So the lead have more screen time than any other unnecessary dramas. This is kind of healing romance with a realistic characters. The actors match the character so well that we can’t imagine anyone else as LZX and YSL.This drama is an example of how healthy relationship can make a person better. If someone asks a drama on healthy relationship , you guys can show them this for sure. No evil scheming ex-girlfriend or evil parents spectating couple or anything. All are positive people. His ex girlfriend even helped them to get together.
This drama contain romance, comedy and some lessons. The characters are well written. This is just a simple love story between two normal human being we see around ourselves. This drama is like reading a good book. You know reading some book in a chill atmosphere after hectic work , you know what I mean. There is no angst or much drama. The entire focus is on their romance and relationship. They do have deep conversations. Some might say all they do is having lunch and talking but if they listens to their convo well , you will know why they are having that convo. Also in my experience we like someone or develop a relationship by talking with them and understanding each others thoughts, likes and dislikes right?.
Ye Shi Lan(FML) is a paediatrician working in Anxing hospital . She is one of the character many can relate to. She has her own flaws also her own qualifications .She has a purpose for her life, she has a goal, she plans her life with practical way. She wants to fulfil her dream of buying a house which is an influence from her father. She is timid but she is aware of her flaws. She accepts her mistakes, apologise , she tries to correct things. One thing I liked that she was a pessimistic person , when Lu Zhao Xi(ML) gives advise her to think life in a positive way, she actually took it seriously and made herself positive. She is ready to accept the advices if its good. She is someone who we can make understand things. Her relationship with her best friend jiajia is also good. They are not typical best friends you see in dramas. Here they share everything with each other, they are not ashamed to talk anything with each other. Also Jia Jia gives the best advices to her instead of some crazy immature ideas.
I was able to relate to YSL in some scenarios like why she is thinking like that. YSL felt she didn’t deserve Lu Zhao Xi when she felt some affection or like towards him, she saw herself inferior and LZX had so many qualities so that she didn’t find a reason why would LZX like her.
The female lead got the most character development in the show I can say. In first episodes , she seemed unhappy, lack of confident, less outgoing , always keeps herself and always sees things in positive way also she started to get along with colleagues also. Later in episodes you can see, she became more vibrant , active , doing sweet talks with Lu Zhao Xi easily. Coming to our ML , Lu Zhao Xi, He is the one of the best ML out there. He is born in a rich family , he got everything but yet he is aware that he is privileged due to his family background . He is not the usual robotic face President/CEO. He is the main reason I got hooked to this drama. He is very considerate , influence people around him positively, respect others, very understanding. You can see in one episode where they were having an event for trying the birth pain stimulator for men and he came forward and gave some good speech there. So such things shows how thoughtful he is . He is a person everyone deserves in their life. He doesn’t misuse his power. He is very playful , easygoing and friendly. He is the standard for a man in girls life. He sees life in an optimistic way. Even when Ye Shi Lan misunderstood him back there in Taoyuan Village, he never took that to heart , he understood why she mistook and never judged her , even he tried to comfort her . When she came to back to hospital he teased her for fun but nothing serious , YSL thought he would take revenge but nothing like that happened. When he was trying to make her jealous but when thing didn’t go as planned he instantly felt regret and depressed because he felt he hurried YSL and affected her mood, he was worried about her. You can see when he realised he liked her more than momentary crush he was afraid to confess not because of the fear of rejection but because he was worried she would feel awkward to face him in future. That much he thinks of her. Lu Zhao Xi is not thunder Leo (usual type). He express his emotions, he express his love , he do a lots of sweet talk. Because even when they become together we will not awkward .
Their relationship is very beautiful. They respect each other , love each other and have a lots of admiration. They never fails to compliment each other and support each other . I love while developing their friendship first, they shared each and everything with each other, because when they become couple they didn't have any big secret hiding from each other. They know most of things about each other.
I watched whole drama with smile on my face. The confession scene was one of the best confession scene I have seen. Only real words, no honey coated promised . During the confession scene, Ye Shi Lan shared all the insecurities with him and I wanted to give a hug to her. LZX understood her worries. And he was able to comfort her.I love how Lu Zhao said, “Though I can’t promise only good things will happen to you in the future, even if something
Bad happens, I’ll try my best to make it in good direction”. I feel this line is good , because no fake promises like I will make only goo things for you in future etc etc. The dialogues are written beautifully , it’s like reading a poem or book. Also the Scenery of Taiyuan village is good.
In short I would totally recommend this drama to anyone. Definitely going to be in my Top list of fav dramas and rewatch list.
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Intelligent suspense takes its most elegant form in The Bad Kids
My preferences in entertainment go a little something like this: sure, I’ll give it a shot. Wait. It’s scary? Yes, I’m slowly backing out of the room.The Bad Kids is not horror, nor would I—even in all of my yellow-bellied glory—consider it traditionally scary. Even so, you'll be able to tell about five minutes into the first episode that this is not to be watched on any day when you want a fun, happy time. If fully immersed in this drama’s eerie atmosphere, I can wholly believe that you may lay awake that very night, contemplating the series of fictional events that you have borne witness to. It's an addictive kind of insanity. I’m definitely not saying this out of personal experience…don’t know what’s leading you to think that…
I strongly advise potential viewers to go for a totally blind watch-through; hence, I won't be mentioning any aspects of the plot here. Even if you usually do not care about being spoiled before watching something, you absolutely should not look up anything about this show before you finish every single episode. Central to The Bad Kids is how it produces a phantom instinct within your gut as you try to figure out what is going to happen next, and that engrossment in the story evolves into a part of your own satisfaction. Let the show work its wonders and let yourself absorb it fully.
One point about the story that should be mentioned as a selling point, though, is that while The Bad Kids is about crime, it focuses on that through relatable themes like family bonds. A major plus to the watching experience is how you are forced to form and change your opinions about each character based on how they treat one another—and in what situations. I’ve rarely seen characters being depicted with this degree of care in other works. They feel genuinely human: imperfect, self-contradictory, and emotional.
I was also impressed to the extremes with the acting. Imagine the perfection that's in not needing to fall to the level of typical high-school dramas, where the lead teen is played by a dude in his twenties with clear skin. That perfection exists in The Bad Kids, where each of the three child actors—whose roles are incredibly demanding—are literal children who do not falter at all within their roles. Though I’m giving a special shoutout to the kids, I don’t want to gloss over the other actors who elevated the story. Every cast member was flawless in their depiction of their characters and how they collaborated with one another to depict intensely real relationships. Qin Hao is also someone that I will be keeping an eye on in the future; the way that he balanced the good and evil of his character so naturally gave me chills.
The Bad Kids has skyrocketed up to become one of (if not the superlative) my favorite dramas ever. Days after finishing the last episode, I couldn’t fend off the temptation to start again: and this time, I took notes so that I could keep track of every possible hint that the producers dropped. That’s right—this self-proclaimed hater of note-taking in school willingly opened a notebook and clicked a pen just so she could wrap her head around this show. And I loved every second of it. You might take this as evidence that I'm a tad cuckoo in the head (you probably wouldn’t be wrong), but you’ll understand me as soon as the credits roll on the last episode. There's so much detail to process and make sense of.
If this level of writing, acting, and production could be held as the standard for Chinese dramas, then I am impatient for what is to come. Until then, I’m going to treat my drama withdrawal with perhaps a third dive into this show.
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Apple+ hit the trend with best intentions.
The reasons I had anticipations for this mini drama were:1. It's Apple+
2. The amazing cast
3. The storyline
The fears I had:
1. It's a debut for Apple+
2. The drama is only 6 episodes
3. The director's debut in drama
And overcoming all my expectations as well as doubts, Dr. Brain has been able to present itself as a series of quality and it's an absolute treat, I want to aasure y'all that.
Dr. Brain (브레인) is adapted from the webtoon with the same title writhen by Artist Hong Jac Ga (홍자가).
Dr. Brain is basically a sci-fi plus investigative mystery thriller keeping Koh Se Won (Lee Sun Kyun) at the center of the story. He's a brain scientist who has been working on syncing two brains for a long to establish communication through memories. Born with peculiar brain characteristics he has had a horrible past yet manages to make family and do excellently well in his career. One day his world breaks apart as his family falls victim to terrific accidents in a short span of time, but being an emotional man, he rather invests even more time in his research. And oweing to his inventions he now start accessing memories of his wife as well as the people around her to get to the root of everything. He puts the best of his efforts to combine the fragmented memories together in order to draw a complete figure. And while doing all these, he gets to unveil the conspiracies and the biggest culprits who have made him miserable.
I must say, the plot development is absolutely wow in here. For a 6 episode mini-drama, it is very important that each and every part should impress the audience, which was successfully achieved by the drama. I personally wasn't much intrigued by the 1st episode (except the neuroscience research stuffs, since I am a post-grad guy in zoology) but the 2nd one got me awestruck, ngl. The suspense buildup throughout the series is indeed marvelous and the progression is well executed. The way everything unfolds bit by bit using the pieces memories from various different persons is really very intriguing as the story progresses. The revelations have been made at appropriate timings and the pacing of the entire show couldn't be more perfect.
I can't help but praise so much about the acting area of the drama. Not just that the drama has several master actors, also we saw their acting graphs rising to some other level than before. Ahhhhhhhh! The feelings of witnessing their plays is something unexplainable. Apart from Lee Sun Kyun at the top, we also have here: Park Hee Soon (Lee Kang Mu) as a private investigator, Lee Yoo Young (Jung Jae Yi) as Sewon's wife, Lee Jae Won (Hong Nam Il) as Sewon's colleague and Seo Ji Hye as Lieutenant Cho.
We also have amazing actors like Uhm Tae Goo and Kim Joo Hun as guest actors. Among other seemingly minor yet important characters are: Moon Seung Keun as Dr. Myung and Jo Bok Rae as Sergeant Park. I am particularly held back by Seung Keun ahjussi's acting in last 2 episodes. His pronunciations and dialogue delivery made my eyes to bawl out.
Kim Jee Woon PDnim is a very familiar face when it comes to Korean movies and he's proved his worth long back. However, Dr. Brain is his directorial debut in Kdramas and this is the fact that made me doubt about the results. But to my surprise and utter satisfaction, he has done so so so well that I can't help but applaud for him. If you see the storyline is almost like a movie's but still 6 hours is too long for making a movie. And he's successfully proved his experience despite that.
Cinematography is an aspect that's been taken care of very well. The camera movements as well as capture angles perfectly showcase the scenarios involving the puzzles put forth by the entanglement of various sets of memories inside Koh Se Won's brain, his interaction with multiple consciousnesses and his visions. The CGI is also very nice for the hallucinations, imaginations and dreams that Sewon was having as side effects. The sound production too is perfectly done to suit the moods and vibes of the drama.
Scripts involving brain and neuroscience is nothing new for Kdramas and moreover this is fiction. The theories of brain sync, put forth here doesn't make sense at all, at least for the year 2021 but the execution is so very good that it almost feels real, even to biologists like me, haha. I guess that's the magic of science fictions. Who knows these theories might become possible after a century or two.
Despite the mixed feelings, I honestly wanted the drama to do well. And for a matter of fact, my biggest fear was how the entire world is now immensely interested in investing in Kdramas. It's some sort of insecurity that I have developed recently which make me afraid about the originality of Kdramas, which is slowly becoming diluted by mediocre Netflix series. But Dr. Brain has come to my rescue as a beam of hope and I wish it continues to prosper and burn even brighter in the future.
Overally, Dr. Brain is thrilling, enraging, captivating and intriguing at the same time and in my opinion, it is a must watch. Please please please don't pass it down thinking it's apple+ debut in Korea. It's an amazing show as it is.
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Wake up in the midst of sobering contemporary everyday life issues of 3 women in their 30s and 1 man
With "Work Later, Drink Now", KDrama tackles a sensitive South Korean social issue. What starts as a cheerful, cool FeelGood series turns out to be serious business. Viewers are taken by the hand in a clever, light-hearted way, only to wake up suddenly in the midst of sobering contemporary topics, as we accompany the protagonists in their everyday life, work, family and friendship issues - here in particular: three unique young women in their 30s and one offbeat man.The KDrama points at a topic in which South Korea (though small as it may seem) is once again at the forefront of the world: alcohol consumption. There is so much drinking (and eating, because it's so common) on this show that just watching it can make you dizzy and a little nauseous. To the western eye, that may be WAY too much over the limit. For the Korean eye, it might have to be be sooo much for the audience to even notice that it is/could be too much.
The focus of the story is on three girlfriends in their prime who are hard-drinking and happy to drink. With their personality, they may at first glance be a little off the norm, but then again they aren't. They are (from each other) fundamentally different in their professional situations, socialization and life plans. But it is precisely in this way that they also offer viewers all kinds a sophisticated projection while following each one of them in their everyday life and various challenges they face. The dialogues are razor-sharp, the entertainment high value, the episodes compact. There's also wit, humor and music. This mixture plus the pace are obviously just right to pick up the broad masses of +/- 20 to 40 year olds and to present a mirror of their own living environment in an easily digestible way. The second season will definitely come...
------------ SIDE NOTE: --- Alcohol consumption in South Korea ---
Per capita consumption of converted pure alcohol in South Korea is world class. And rising. The World Health Organization certifies South Korea to be the leading country in the consumption of high-proof spirits. Drinking has established itself outside of private life, especially professionally at company dinners after work. These team dinners often degenerate into a veritable drinking spree (practically prescribed professionally).
After beer, soju is the second most consumed alcoholic drink - a colorless distillate made from rice and added wheat, sweet potatoes or barley, which is on the one hand quite cheap in price and on the other hand, at around 20 percent, is somewhere between beer and high-proof spirits (schnapps, vodka, rum or whiskey ) is located. So it can be consumed in large quantities, especially in combination with beer - and the hangover the next morning is inevitable. South Korea's national drink, soju, is the world's best-selling 'liquor' with around 90 million cases sold each year. Yet, the beer market is also happy about South Korea, which, (in spite of its comparatively small country size) is currently one of the largest and most dynamically growing beer markets on the Asian continent.
What begins as party fun usually ends sadly. In the short term, it may be a hangover. But if you practice this form of alcohol consumption at a high level over a long period of time, the damage to your physical health is enormous in the medium to long term. There are studies that show that even among South Korean students (male), every third (!) drinks to the point of unconsciousness (!) for more than half the week. It doesn't get any better in professional life. And if you don't have a job, there's another reason to get drunk. This has inevitable consequences not only for people and their physical/mental health, but also for the health system. The country pays the price of an enormous pressure to perform taken granted in the context of its own turbo capitalism - with the health of its population and moneywise with billions, too .
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a feminist movie. What kind of image does it conjure up for you?I can tell you that this isn't a story about a confident, "girl crush" woman. Rather, it follows the story of an ordinary woman and the gender based microaggressions she faces.
This movie isn't an easy watch precisely because it's so real (similar to Misaeng). You could only hope that all of those events don't happen to the same person in real life though.
I knew about the general plot before watching the movie but it still really hit me hard. At the start, I thought it was really fast-paced because it just threw you into the movie. But as the movie progressed, I got used to it and was able to connect with it more.
However, I think reading the book would help you understand the movie better. There was a few scenes that didn't feel resolved in the movie, but I think were explored in the book.
I was also confused if Kim Ji Young's behavior was supposed to be more metaphorical or literal. After reading some reviews of the book, I think I understand what it's trying to say. There was one review in particular that said she didn't have a voice in this society so she had to adopt other personas / mimic other people in her life to say something.
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Something special about this drama is certainly the scenery they used for some scences. Just Beautiful. (Next to other awards this drama got Best Picture Award). Some thing else that is special about this drama is the ending (which I loved). I am sure you cried while watching a movie before, not because you're actually sad but because it was so emotional. And when the movie ended so did your tears. Here, I cried because I was actually sad. That's how attached you get to the characters.
But dont let that keep you from watching it. It has a great male lead. good story that keeps you interested.
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Acting/Cast: The acting done by the cast was better than I've seen in most dramas. To say it was good is an understatement, there was such genuine emotion in each scene and it all felt very real. L and Yoon So Hee did such a great job with their characters and their relationship. The only thing that actually bugged me was about Taks character. At first, I really wasn't into Tak. I wasn't sure how he could turn into a complete jerk, even through such stress. It did frustrate me, but it was nice to see an imperfect character get knocked back to his senses.
Music: I'm really not trying to overdo this review with more compliments than it deserves, but the OST in this mini series was so note worthy. The soundtrack was so great to listen to, and it fit the band and the vibe of the show very well. I especially liked the last song, One More Time, I felt that song was absolutely perfect to finish the drama off.
Re-watch Value: I don't re-watch dramas a lot, especially ones with complex stories. I'd rather re-watch shows where all you have to do is laugh and smile. As good as this was, I might just save it as a memory, I don't think I'll re-watch it all by myself. With a friend however, I can totally do that.
Overall: I wanted to give this drama a 9.5 for how I felt about it after just watching it, but after some thinking, I gave it a 9 for everything I said above. With the ratings and the other review, you might think on skipping this one, but I'm here to say that this is a mini series worth watching. It's a 4 hour long ride, so if you feel like it's not you're thing early on, give it a chance to prove itself.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Woman of Dignity became one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history"to be honest when I first read this title it didn't really affect me because I never believed that high ratings = great drama but since I love KHS I thought why not watch at least I'll enjoy KHS beauty & I'm happy I didn't miss this great drama I'll get into details with no spoilers at all so read it with no worries :)
What I liked about this drama:
1- It's not your typical drama in terms of story, acting or even characters. we have two female leads that are the main story in the drama with supporting characters that each have a story of their own just as fun as the main story with everything connected to each other I usually get bored of dramas that focus mainly on the female & male leads so this was such a fun drama for me.
2- It gets better with time, 20 Ep was a scary thing for me since usually the last episodes would get draggy but that wasn't the case with this drama thankfully, it gets better and it's just so fun that you won't be skipping anything.
3- I liked the light comedy that was added to the story mainly by Jung Sang Hoon, the humor was such a breath of fresh air in this somehow tense drama
I feel like if I write more I would end up with spoiler so that's it a small review about Woman of Dignity I hope you enjoyed reading it .
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Blossom Through the Cloud is off to a flying start!
The series kicks off with a fast-paced opening arc that ditches toxic melodrama for a refreshing story about resilience and workplace gender dynamics.The script tackles the real-world challenges women face in the male-dominated aviation industry. I especially liked the scene where Captain Fan supports and guides Ruan Sixian’s journey from her first day at the aviation academy to her return to Hengshi Airlines as a trainee pilot under her wing. It was also great to see Fu Mingyu bring his three female pilots together—Huang Ying (Hengshi Airlines' first female captain), the current Captain Fan, and future captain Ruan Sixian—for the historic launch of their new aircraft model.
The early episodes make the closed-door training sequences and subsequent flight simulator assessments feel genuinely earned.
Miles Wei is a master at playing the executive type, effortlessly balancing a stern, no-nonsense corporate exterior with subtle emotional depth. He is perfectly cast here as Fu Mingyu, the disciplined, logical vice president. While initially rigid and dismissive, he acts as a pragmatic businessman who swallows his pride to recruit top talent. This early highlight showcases real character depth. As an experienced, talented actor, he will surely anchor the romance with a mature, grounded feel, making his character's journey from skeptic to devoted partner feel earned.
Ruan Sixian stands out as a genuinely competent female lead. Instead of playing a clumsy rookie who relies on lucky breaks, Liu Xiening portrays her with a sharp, uncompromising dignity. Her drive to become a captain stems entirely from personal ambition. Rather than leaning into toxic boss-employee tropes, the script expertly pivots to mutual respect.
Pacing: The opening episodes feature zero filler. Every secondary character introduced—from rival pilots to board members—connects directly to the upcoming corporate restructuring or Ruan Sixian’s assessment challenges, keeping the story moving at a steady pace.
The cinematography skips the oversaturated, washed-out lighting that usually ruins low-budget romance dramas. Instead, the sleek airport lounges, uniform designs, and flight deck scenes are shot with clean lines and sharp, cinematic framing.
Soundtrack-wise, the series kicks off with the beautiful song "It's a Beautiful Life" by Aurora Sunshine and Tayler Buono. Every track features an emotional, atmospheric theme that perfectly fits the high-altitude workplace setting.
The mid-series shifts gears from the comedic, rocky beginnings of its characters to deliver a highly satisfying blend of professional triumph and mature romance. Refreshingly, the drama does not drop the aviation realism just to make room for romance.
Final concluding episode acts as emotional "comfort food," successfully resolving workplace friction with a heartwarming and happy ending.
Negatives:
The narrative seems to lose its momentum with a domestic stretch and an added "breakup" plot in the final stretch. The editing seems a bit messy in places leaving viewers confused. The subplot with the best friends love story felt like a filler.
Despite the flaws, the core vibe is still there.
It is a beautifully produced, feel-good journey that proves dreams can take flight even after a heavy storm. Also highlights that true love shouldn't require giving up your ambition, but should instead act as the wind beneath your wings. Highly recommended if you love strong female leads and workplace dynamics.
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The writing in this series is incredible. There are so many twists and turns, it will constantly keep you on the edge of your seat.
The acting is absolutely brilliant. Yeo Jin Goo does a brilliant job of portraying the duel roles. Lee Se Young is superb as the regal yet strong queen.
I highly suggest this drama to everyone especially if you love historical dramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
I was hesitating whether to write a review or not these past few days because of my feelings towards the ending, I decided to.Where do I begin with this drama? this drama had me hooked since episode one, I fell in love instantly with the aesthetic of the whole world and costumes and not to mention Feng Tian Yi, he is one beautiful hypnotizing man, I wasn't expecting much starting it but then before I knew it I was going insane waiting for the next episodes to the point I watched a lot of them raw, I even made Youtube videos and gifs of them and I do not make those things so it's pretty apparent I fell in love with this drama.
Feng Tian Yi was definitely my favourite character and a reason to watch this, he has a fiery temper and attitude but a kind heart underneath who is willing to put everything at stake to protect who he loves, Zhang Ruo Yun's acting was the best in the drama, I was impressed and so drawn by his graceful yet fiery way of portraying Tian Yi. I could feel all of Tian Yi's emotions just from the look in his eyes. As for Fu Ling, I really liked her too, she was sincere, kind and stood up for herself and what she believed in and never liked to see someone put themselves at risk for her sake, as for her acting, I think it could have been better but it's fine. There is many characters in this you will hate, my god is there lol and a lot of the story could have been avoided had this imbecile characters stayed out of the way but a drama is a drama after all.
Music was really nice too, though the end theme forever has me going wth because it's kind of random lol but oh well it's catchy.
In short the story is basically about fated lovers and what they have to overcome in all of their lives, will history repeat itself? or will something worse happen? or something better? watch to find out ;)
I give this drama 10 because I truly loved it even if I am upset about the ending (the ending is heartbreaking bad, I love a good tragic end as much as the next masochist but this was just BAD) despite this, I was hooked for the past month on this, this is my favourite drama of 2016 and I don't see a drama topping it this year. If you love romance and fantasy and action this is for you, beware there is a lot of sadness in this drama too throughout, but the love story between them will have you smiling, honestly the drama is so visually stunning you would watch for that alone! The CGI also had me surprised considering how cringe worthy many drama CGI is but I think it was all good.
I'm going to miss this drama and Tian Yi and Fu Ling, I wish for a second season, if only :)
EDIT: while originally heartbroken over the horrific unjustified illogical ending, there is an alternative ending and it makes much sense and all is well :) it is happy and now I can breathe again lol. Make sure to skip episode 28 and watch episode 29 instead, episode 29 is the same as 28 but with the better ending instead.
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A MASTERPIECE FOREVER
If you are a c-drama lover Do Not Miss this series highly recommended it is simply a masterpiece the story of yanpoyue from an arrogant highlyselfconfident army boy who thinks that he is and has to be the best bcz he has to rely only on himself in his life and doesnt know the importance of his comrades to a mature soldier who eventually becomes down to earth understands the meaning of teamwork and learned to value his comrades the character development of yanpoyue is greatThis drama has shown every aspect of a soldier's life with a great perfection and detail
This is package full of:- bromance courage,selfconfidence,teamwork, hardwork,passion,motivation and many more amazing life lessons are conveyed very well through this drama
Yang yang has given his 1000% for this drama the hardwork he has put in for his dream role is really commendable
All the actor and supporting actor did a fantastic job in giving justice to thier roles i got connected to every character of this drama
One of the best work of yang yang so far and the best military drama till date
This drama does'nt have and does'nt need any romance its bromance love respect care for the comrades is more than enough to make people connect and fall in love with this drama
This One is surely one of my Forever favourite
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STORY
The concept of this marvelous piece of drama, that was too small but will stay indelibly marked in our memories, is life dreams and aspirations. How important it is for us to follow our dreams no matter how stupid or unrealistic they may seem. How important it is to do what we want for us, and for nobody else, how significant it is for us to believe in ourselves even when everyone else is against us, how essential is for us to fight for them even when they seem completely unnatainable. A story about life decisions and choices, about growing up, about fighting our inner demons, overcoming obstacles, chasing dreams or giving them up, finding reasons to live and dream and ultimately how to understand and love ourselves. A perfect coming of age story that everyone should watch. The secondary concept of the show is to showcase different types of parent-children relationships, how they intefere with our dreams (and our life in general), and how we need to confront them.
The story is pretty straightforward, it centers on three teenagers. The story is set in a high school and the background is piano-playing. Embedded in the story we get to see each protagonist struggling with their demons and through their heartwarming story they learn how to face their fears, grow up, forgive, become better people. The drama, as expected, never gets dragged, it has a point and goes for it from the very beginning. It is funny, whithout being superficial, it manages to be emotional, without being melodramatic, and most importantly it is serious without getting boring. I seriously have no drawback to point out as this was simple and yet beautifully written and thought out.
ACTING
Kim So Hyun, never fails to impress and she was impeccable once again. She pulls of her character greatly, she is kinda bitchy with a quirky personality, yet she is loveable and a great leading character and actress.
Ji Soo was luscious to watch, so fun, yet so sentimental. A great performance.
Shin Jae Ha completes the wonderful leading trio with another exquisite performance. All 3 actors presented their unique and realistic characters perfectly.
The supporting cast was brilliant, namely Ye Ji Won and Hwang Yeon Hee played their respective roles amazingly, being moms, they felt very realistic. Congrats
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
This is one of those dramas which can be watched and appreciated by everyone. Definately worth watching, it is just 3 memorable and well spent hours here. Teenagers will get great life lessons, and as for the older kdrama fans, as did i, you will feel a warming deja-vu feeling of your school years, longing feelings about those times, the good, the bad and the ugly everything is presented here in the best way possible. Definately worth a watch, and certainly rewatch-worthy.
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