This review may contain spoilers
Voicing out an unpopular opinion on a popular drama is always risky but I am going to take that risk and do it anyways: CLOY is nice but it's not a masterpiece. The biggest problem I have with this drama is that there are too many unnecessary elements, scenes and I dare to say even characters. It's not that I don't enjoy a good subplot but in this drama we were presented with so many of them that it felt overwhelming:
- the drama within YSR's family
- the drama between YSR and her stepmother
- the drama between GSJ and YSR's family
- the love story between GSJ and SD
- SD's unrequited love to RJH
- the mysterious murder of RJH's brother
- JMB's involvement in the murder and his guilty conscience
- the lives of the ahjummas in the North Korean village
- the North Korean soldiers entering and discovering the luxuries in South Korea
Many of these could almost be material for a new drama but they decided to squeeze it all in CLOY and I am asking myself WHY? Is the main plot not interesting enough? IT IS (at least I think so). Two people from enemy countries crossing paths and falling in love, dealing with the hardships of a harsh political regime that doesn't allow them to be together, breaking national laws in order to protect each other - that sounds enormous to me! I am not saying that I didn't like the supporting cast and their characters. In fact they were amazing and very likeable (hence my highest rating goes to the acting/cast of this drama) but a little bit more compactness would have made CLOY MUCH more enjoyable. Dragging out each episode to almost 1,5 could have been avoided if they had toned it down with the subplot and focused more on the main couple.
Speaking of: RJH and YSR definitely have chemistry. You can see that both actors enjoy working with each other. Nothing feels awkward or forced, it's all very natural. I liked that. However just like with the plot, the producers have great material but don't know what to do with it. RJH and YSR are supposedly very much in love but it takes a bit more for me than deep stares, endless tears and cheesy lines for me to believe that. We have two people who are in their late twenties or thirties but they barely hug, kiss or do anything that makes me believe that they long for each other. They were sweet, yes but where was the fire? The passion? And no, I am not necessarily talking about sex here. When I say "longing" I don't mean it only in the physical sense but the emotional, too. It's only when they say goodbye for the 10th time that we see them acting as real lovers - and they do that well, no doubt! But most of the time they only have this subtle push and pull thing going on, denying things even after they have confessed to each other already like? To put it in a nutshell, they had good chemistry but it didn't go beyond "Aw they are sweet together!" for me. Imo they could have (should have maybe) scratched the whole super cheesy "fated lovers" thing that happened in Switzerland and focused more on creating more moments between them that make us believe that they are established lovers who are past the flirting stage.
What I really liked About CLOY was the cinematography and the way the differences between the North and the South were being portrayed. While watching the episodes set in North Korea (the best ones imo, after that it went kind of downhill) I actually believed that they were filming there. They did a fantastic job and it felt very realistic although I am aware that it's probably not. I was so fascinated that the sudden easiness of Seri getting to South Korea and RJH not facing any consequences after all he did was something I could swallow. The final … was loaded with clichés and overdramatic scenes but it satisfied most viewers I guess. Me not so much but I want to stop here so this review won't get any longer …
To say it briefly: CLOY has a great main plot and catches your attention very quickly in the first episodes but as soon as the setting changes to South Korea, the writers seem lost and lose their focus, only to slightly gain it back in the last two episodes and topping it all with a fairy-tale like ending everyone expected. It is worth watching for the comedic way the differences between NK and SK are being potrayed and the good acting from everyone included in the cast.
Was this review helpful to you?
The second lead couple ARE SO CUTE OML their fights and bickering always make me laugh. Ok let’s talk about the ANTAGONISTS YES I SAID THAT QIAO XIN AND MI YA GIRL STAY IN UR LANE OMG YALL AINT SHIT SORRY. If y’all have high blood pressure please don’t watch this drama because I think my veins exploded already;”)
But overall the acting was great, especially Qui Ying’s given the fact that she’s fairly new in the acting industry but tbh the crying scenes were trash. The competition scenes were INTENSE OMG I don’t even game but that shit got me sitting on the edge of my seat. The songs/osts were amazing and overall I would recommend this drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"My sister, my friend, my bride, have all left. As always I'm left alone" I'd say, this was one of the most unique stories I've seen yet, with the most gorgeous cinematography.
One of the best thing about it were the actors, especially the male lead and the second male lead, they were totally mesmerizing (No Homo), one could actually feel their sorrow and grief.
Another thing about this show were it's OSTs, each track perfectly fits with whatever situation was given, and that track that played during the goblin and reaper walk <3.
Fav track from the show: Lasse Lindh - Hush/Stay With Me - Chanyeol & Punch
There's one thing I agree with those who bitch about it... that cringe, the age gap... Ig 19 and 39(By his looks) (938 if you consider his real age) isn't much of a difference in Pakistan xD. At sometimes he looked like her father, especially that moment when he pats her head. If compared with the second couple, I'd definitely choose the latter.
Was Goblin: The Lonely and Great god good?.. yes. Was is it great?... definitely yesss. Should I recommend it?.. yes if you can bear with its slow pace
Personal Ratings: 9/10
Sauce: Goblin: The Lonely and Great god
Was this review helpful to you?
Iconic...flawed but lovable characters grapple with what is means to live and die and be reborn
This is just the total package: well-developed storyline and character development, iconic cinematography and set/fashion design, flawed but lovable characters who find reconciliation and redemption, funny and touching dialogue, and deep themes of what it means to live and die and be reborn. Chemistry and cuteness of leads is off the chart. And the soundtrack is also A . Buckwheat :)Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Toxic, Not Naughty
I am still wondering why I bothered to watch this drama. I wasn't a fan of Cutie Pie, toxic relationships made to look cute are not my thing, but the trailer made me wonder if this drama would put some of that in the past. I should have known better. Naughty Babe, quite simply, is a disaster. I'm not sure what was worse: changing the original story, the lack of plot, the complete lack of character development despite years having gone by, or the acting. Honestly take your pick.So let's start with the story. There really wasn't one. Honestly it felt like a toddler throwing anything and everything at a piece of paper and calling it a masterpiece. With only 8 episodes, they needed to stick to a central story line and they just didn't. The mystery of who messed with Diao's car and caused Yi to crash is probably the most consistent story line, but even it falls flat. The choice to change the childhood attack Diao suffered from a dog to a tiger was absurd. The CGI tiger was awful and the change didn't serve any purpose other than creating inconsistencies and erasing some of the development in their relationship from Cutie Pie. Because it was so disjointed, the pacing felt off. It never got a good rhythm going and I struggled to stay invested. Things like their plan for the wedding was just so nonsensical and out of the box, and not in a good way. They were in on the plan together, so why Diao kept going on about being afraid he was going to hurt Yi and break his heart and blah blah blah just didn't make sense. And the ending, maybe it was just me, but it felt like there was a level of favoritism for their son over their daughter. They interacted far more with him than they did with her, especially considering it was her birthday. Again, could just be me reading into it too much.
One of the biggest issues though truly was the complete lack of character development. It's supposed to have been what, 6 years or something since Cutie Pie and three since Cutie Pie 2 You and literally nothing has changed in their relationship. In fact, they've taken steps backward. I didn't watch it, but my understanding is that a lack of development was present in Cutie Pie 2 You as well. Relationships change over time, that's just a fact. That Diao and Yi's relationship remained so stagnant shows that the writers and production had no clue what they were doing. Because of the foolish decision to change the attack to a tiger, some of the issues between them that had been dealt with or at least acknowledged were rendered pointless and they were right back where they started. And you would think, after all the time they'd been together, that they would have figured some things out. But no, they are still unable to communicate effectively, they make assumptions, there's a clear lack of trust and understanding between them, oh, but they're madly in love. Cue eye roll. The imbalance in their relationship is still very present. There are times that Yi comes across almost as more of a father with his controlling ways than as a fiancé. And Diao, for all that he does stand up for himself on occasion, it never seems to be when it matters or when it would do the most good. Frankly, they're just frustrating to watch. And a bit disturbing, because, all joking aside, at the heart, their relationship is not one built on love, but rather years of manipulation and Diao being conditioned to rely on Yi. And that is simply not addressed. It just points back to the fact that nothing has changed since Cutie Pie and their relationship is just as toxic and discordant as it was then.
Lian and Kuea reappear and while Lian does have his useful moments serving as a sounding board for Yi and actually giving solid advice at times, Kuea causes some issues by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and making incorrect assumptions that he then feeds back to Diao. Together they're alternately vaguely amusing and mildly cute. While their relationship in Cutie Pie displayed the same imbalance as seen with Diao and Yi, they seem to be on more equal footing here. Nuea and Syn also pop up briefly and bring a few moments of levity. The only other character that I actually liked was Yi's father. He had a decent balance of comedy and seriousness that worked fairly well.
Nat and Max are not the strongest of actors and expecting them to carry their own show was asking a lot. Of the two, Nat was the more compelling to watch. His expressions are limited and there's really no nuance to his acting, but it feels more authentic. Max is just wooden and his emotions always felt very surface level. It looked like he was acting.
The production value was meh. There was nothing special about it. The product placement was incredibly annoying and distracting. It's been a minute since I saw a drama that was so in your face with it. And the music felt pretty generic. Nothing like Cutie Pie which had some decent and catchy songs.
Naughty Babe is simply a continuation of the toxic relationship first shown in Cutie Pie and a further romanticization of it. I don't generally totally regret watching a drama, but I fully regret taking the time to watch this one. There is frankly nothing positive about it and unless you are a die hard Cutie Pie or Diao/Yi fan, I would avoid it like the plague. You'll never get those hours back.
Was this review helpful to you?
enjoyable enemies to lovers vertical series
Overall: I gave this a rating bump since it's from China and it has good kissing as well as the best execution of a miscommunication plot I think I've ever seen. Episodes 1-4 are free on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XZKGQbzA70 Watch all 19 episodes on the DramaBox app which also has: The Mafia's Obsession, My Secret Agent Husband, Summer Indigo, Kiss Me With Unspoken Love, Desired by My Unknown Husband, Mafia Lover, The Forbidden Flame and My Serial Killer Lover. Later added to the GagagOOLala app.Content Warnings: non con picture taking/sharing, vomiting, public outing, homophobia
What I Liked
- for once I wasn't super annoyed at the miscommunication, felt more realistic
- their dynamic
- kisses
- supportive colleagues
- story centered on the MLs
- production value (nice transition with the umbrella opening)
Room For Improvement
- some of the dialogue was too quiet
- wish he had first brushed his teeth/mouthwash
- perhaps a bit fantastical for how the CEO reacted
To watch for free (each episode costs 50 coins, need to get 15 episodes/750 coins): watch the series and if you don't have coins click off the coin prompt, you should be able to watch 10 episodes by watching an ad each, claim the coins you get for watch time 70 (or can watch another series free episodes (be careful it doesn't go to paid episodes or you'll lose your coins), do the check in (20) and watch an ad for a bonus (30), watch some of the ads for 20 each to finish the series in 1 day for free (the 15 adds in total will be 300 coins aka 6 episodes). There are also bonuses for logging in, getting notifications, following them on social media.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not Good Enough
Japanese Drama "Momoiro Anzuiro Sakuro" is a ridiculous drama that has the potential to be romantic and, indeed, it does have some romantic moments, but the rest of it felt forced and forceful.The drama had two things that brings it down, the aggressive male lead and the childish female lead who let everyone use her as a pushover. It almost felt like the romance wasn't even her choice, rather, she just couldn't say no to the guy. Actually, she ask him to stop in many office scenes, but he just ignored her and tried to make it look like a game towards her. As for the romance with the second lead, it lucked chemistry right from the start. At least the performances were good. But the rest was just ridiculous.
So, overall, 1.5 out of 10.
Was this review helpful to you?
NJH is so cute and hot, SSK is so amazing here too.
At first, I hate this drama but then I slowly loved this drama. I can't miss any of the 16 episodes.
I'm a little bit unsatisfied with the ending but still, I loved it.........
I'LL ABSOLUTELY REWATCHED IT AGAIN......
I miss them so much.
I wished to have a season 2 or a movie after what happened to them in the end.
How was there life after that?
How about Habaek? let him use his powers once without limitation in the human world.
Well, thanks to our very talented writer for writing this drama
And also to the directors and actors to fill our imagination not by just reading it or seeing it in unmoving pictures (manga).
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
A masterpiece of a series, totally worth the wait
It took ages, but Ticket To Heaven is FINALLY here, and I've got to say it was SO WORTH IT. This series is a masterpiece. Every episode makes me cry, or at least tear up. It's just so raw and tender and intimate and real, gut wrenching but also incredibly sweet at the same time. Every week I was on the edge of my seat.Acting:
Gem and Fourth's acting in this is just AMAZING. I won't lie, I had my doubts after episode one... but they completely proved me wrong. They completely embody their characters and tell their stories so perfectly.
Music:
The music is wonderful and fits the story perfectly, it totally gets you in the feels. I'm not a big fan of the intro song, but I won't deduct points just for that.
Story:
The religious theme is original and extremely well done. I see how this concept could be hard to pull off, but everyone did amazing and the writing is just wonderful.
Overall:
This is an absolute MUST WATCH. 10/10 on every aspect. Only downside is how painfully short it is. I wish we had more episodes!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
A Riveting Drama with Stellar Performances
Story: This drama is a well-crafted narrative filled with intricate mind games between the female lead and the two male leaders, each manipulating and using one another from the very first episode. As the story unfolds, the plot thickens, and the characters' schemes - or at times, their support for one another becomes even more intriguing. The romantic dynamics are also interesting, with a clear contrast in how the two male leads interact with the female lead, adding depth to the story.The supporting characters also added colors to the drama. This is one of the dramas where I don't really think some of the characters were redundant, as they all put in their own weight for this drama.
Acting: I was drawn to this drama because of Ren Jia Lun, who plays Wei Zhao. Having seen his previous works, including the Blue Whisper (Parts 1 and 2) and the Burning Flames, I knew he was an exceptional actor. This was my first time watching Landy Li (Jiang Ci) and Jeremy Tsui, and I found their performance impressive as well. Special recognition goes to Jeremy Tsui for his portrayal of Pei Yan.
OST: The soundtracks were fantastic. Part of the lineup include my favorite OST singer Liu Yuning. Additionally, Curly Gao were also part of the line up.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yun-Fat Chow does an amazing job of inviting you in to his character while keeping a cool and aloof distance. Li Gong does well as the Empress, but the rest of the cast is unmemorable.
In a nutshell: Visually appealing if you like bright, ornate visuals, but may be too flashy for some. The story is melodramatic which can sometimes be boring.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful story
Great historical drama and beautiful story. Great cast and wonderful cinematography. Loved the ending too! Highly recommend this drama. Full of surprises and emotional scenes. The music fit perfectly and added to the scenes just right. Loved how their friendships lasted through the years and everyone found their paths in life.Was this review helpful to you?
It's a real pity, because I absolutely loved virtually everything else about this drama (though my hatred for Park Si Yeon's acting/the character in general probably contributed to my immense love for the rest of the drama, as I was too busy hating on her to really criticize anything else).
This is one of my favourite romcoms ever, in any language. It's got comedy and it's got romance, and it does both very well. I spent the first few episodes laughing my head off- this drama actually does a pretty good job of finding comical situations that haven't been reused five bajillion times in other dramas and movies.
What really made My Girl for me, though, were the two lead actors. Lee Da Hae and Lee Dong Wook both have a fantastic sense of comic timing (just wait until the hospital scene where Gong Chan/LDW freaks out), and they're both so expressive and have such diverse facial expressions that they can make an already funny scene even funnier. They're amazing at comedy, and really, just amazing actors, period. Even when the drama starts turning more serious and high-stakes, they're able to deliver comedic, serious, sweet, touching, and tearful moments as required, often going rapidly back and forth between the funny and the serious. Together, they're even better. They play off of each other incredibly well, and their chemistry, too, is one of the things that really made this drama what it is. I'd say that their chemistry rivals that of many often-praised kdrama couples: think the sizzling sexual tension from Secret Garden, mixed with the overwhelming cuteness of My Princess, and you have Seol Gong Chan and Joo Yoo Rin in My Girl.
On the subject of Joo Yoo Rin: Lee Da Hae truly shines in this drama. I seriously cannot believe that neither her nor Lee Dong Wook got awards for their acting in this drama, while the awful Park Si Yeon did. Lee Da Hae is brilliant as the quirky, over-the-top, scheming yet loveable Yoo Rin. She makes me laugh and cry here with ease, and she seems to have fleshed out this character completely- Joo Yoo Rin is so realistic she might as well be real, and I really couldn't imagine any other actress in this part.
In regards to the rest of the cast: Lee Jun Ki acts the part of Seo Jung Woo quite well; I just think that it was never a hugely well written character to begin with. Yoo Rin's friends and father didn't stick out that much to me, but I loved Gong Chan's family, and together, they really did present the image of a realistic, slightly weird but loving, oddly knit together family unit. And... then there's Park Si Yeon, who is consistently awful. Kim Seo Hyun is a badly written character, and Park Si Yeon is a bad actor. She has all of approximately three facial expressions, the most common of these being the disdainful/contemptuous/annoyed/sarcastic snort that she does every five seconds, and in the later episodes, that really made me start to want to slap her in the face and skip ahead every time she appeared on screen.
The writing... well, it IS a Hong Sisters drama, but in my opinion, actually one of their best. My Girl has all of their wit and humour, awesome story and romance, and quirky yet loveable characters, but doesn't exhibit some of the flaws that are often associted with HS dramas- for example, weak endings(the ending of My Girl is actually pretty up there, as far as kdramas go). It's faced-paced, well-plotted, and thoroughly addictive.
The music (both the score and the OST) fit the drama perfectly, and as usual for a Hong Sisters drama, the music is excellent, and played at more or less all the right moments. Though it might not make my personal playlist as some drama OSTs do, My Girl's score is outstanding and the OST is a great match for the drama.
Overall, this is a hilarious drama, well worth watching. Basically, my main complaint with this drama is the shallow, poorly written second female lead (a common feature of Hong Sisters dramas/kdramas in general, unfortunately- think You're Beautiful, just for starters), and the poor acting with which said poorly written character was executed. Aside from this, I loved My Girl, and Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae alone make this worth watching again and again.
Was this review helpful to you?
