Reviews

Could be great, but ultimately quite lackluster

I started this drama with great enthusiasm, but with each new episode I grow more and more disappointed. The show could be really great since the premise itself is interesting, but unfortunately, I feel like it is lackluster. Something is missing, the extra spark just isn't there.

- The acting is only so-so
--> I quite liked Pyo Ye Jin's acting in "Taxi Driver", but I feel like the script for "Moon in the Day" doesn't give her the same space to give a great performance, especially since her character seems washed down from the earlier episodes, she resembles a damsel now
--> I haven't seen anything with Kim Young Dae so far, but I wish he was a little more expressive; I also wish we could have seen goofy Jun Ho a little while longer because I liked KYD's acting in those first 2 episodes but alas... We got some silly Jun Ho back in the last episode, but that didn't last long either.

- The script is lacking, the writing is lazy
--> The plot is simply inconsistent and it really frustrated me the more I watched.
>> The male lead is supposed to be a super famous actor, why was he never working lmao. He did one script-reading session, and one session practicing archery and then boom! never on set ever again.
>> Speaking of the male lead's fame. Only when it served the plot, his fame mattered. He could walk around the neighborhood, the hospital with a lame ass cap, the market, the Han River (granted, at night), and no one would recognize him. BUT, if he needed to be recognized for the plot, you can bet the masses would take out their phones and scream "OMG, HAN JUN HO!" (as in: taking off his cap at the hospital and boom! he's recognized? Is he Annabeth Chase? Is his cap an invisibility cap? Where are we??
>> Male lead's black mark. Again, when it serves the plot, it was visible. Otherwise, it was not. Be consistent.
>> Male lead's powers?? He had some powers as a ghost, but he only used them like twice? Again, inconsistent!
>> The female lead's development is tragic. She went from cool and independent to a little damsel. She knew how to fight/how to do self-defense, where did all those skills go (looking at the last episode...). I don't expect her to beat the villain completely on her own, but the way she ran away and stumbled (...) in the woods was giving me cheap horror movie production. I felt a little disrespected on her behalf.
>> The villain is ... boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring. His motives are petty, ut not the good kind of petty, it's just plain stupid. Didn't enjoy it, glad he died.
>> They recycled the same scenes too many times. There was no wow-effect and the revelations were certainly not clever to be honest. It was tiring having to see the same three major scenes pop up again and again. They didn't do it well enough for me to think they had any impact. They weren't illusions or insinuating anything. They simply cut the scenes at the most critical moment, only to show the full thing at a later time. That's not a clever, mind-blowing revelation. It's annoying and badly done.
>> I didn't buy their romance... WHY did they like each other, be it in the past or present?? I don't know.

- The characters are quite frankly very flat
--> What is the purpose of Young Hwa's roommate for example? The actress barely has a place in the drama and only serves as a poor "second female lead" for a romance plot with Jun Ho's manager that no one cares about (the romance, not the manager lol). She pops up every now and then to remind us that she exists, but that's it...
--> I also generally feel like there aren't many memorable characters in the show lol, we got the leads/Min Oh/Seok Cheol Hwan who I guess are the principal characters of the show; for drama purposes we got a boring female antagonist in Yi Seul, Jun Ho's manager and Young Hwa's roommate... they're just kind of there but serve no real purpose. They might as well not exist since they don't advance the plot
>> To that I will add that the secondary characters were useless, and that the actors were underutilized. They felt more like cameos than side charcters, what a shame. Very unbalanced.

- The balance between the historical and modern/present-day plot is basically non-existent...
--> I mean, we're on episode 10 out of 14, and we still barely know anything of Young Hwa's past life
--> Where is the plot going, where are WE, the viewers, going? (edit now that I'm done: we didn't go anywhere.)

To me, the episodes drag although they're only about an hour long, which is not long at all (in my opinion), and I'm just a little disappointed so far that an interesting idea got sort of wasted along the way. It started out fun, but the last couple episodes didn't really offer much information that felt new or important. We'll see how episode 10 will be like, and how the last two weeks will wrap this up... but so far, the show is a bit of a let-down. (edit now that I'm done: The ending is not satisfying at all lol, what was that? I guess they both reincarnated and finally meet again, but for some reason, I don't appreciate the execution, I don't know.)

Overall, I cannot recommend this show, unfortunately. It's inconsistent, underutilizes its actors, doesn't give the leads any room for depth, the writing is lazy and the finished product is plain disappointing. Sorry to anyone who enjoyed this lol.

Read More

Body-Swapping and Missed Opportunities

This drama kicks off with a really intriguing concept: a woman in her twenties transforms into a fifty-year-old during the day. Jung Eun Ji and Lee Jung Eun shine, especially in the hilarious early scenes, but unfortunately, the plot doesn’t quite deliver.

Even with a serial killer and a murder mystery, the pacing feels slow, and the story often seems disjointed. The resolution of the serial killer plot in episode 15 lacks depth and thrill, leaving us wanting much more! The male lead's flashbacks get old pretty fast, and the romance takes forever to blossom, often overshadowed by a complicated body-swapping storyline and an unnecessary breakup.

What really frustrated me was how the female lead cracked the body-swapping mystery. After 15.5 episodes of build-up, it just gets resolved in a dream? Seriously?!

Despite the talented cast and the promising premise, the plot falls a bit flat and feels underwhelming. It’s a shame because there was definitely potential for a fantastic story!

Read More

Lacks depth and substance

This drama takes on a very serious and nuanced topic -- marriage and divorce. Unfortunately, instead of leaning into all the difficult issues surrounding a failing marriage and dealing with them head-on, it skirts around all the important parts and instead delivers nothing more than Hallmark-type cheesiness without any real substance. A lot of people are saying it was good up to Episode 10 or so and then went downhill. But for me it was downhill, or flat, from the get-go. I don't really get what all the hype is about. Frankly, despite the fact that I love Kim Soo-hyun, I did not enjoy this drama, for several reasons.

1. Supposed to deal with marriage and divorce but fails to get into the real issues. This multilayered topic needs to be handled with maturity, depth, and honesty, and this drama just fails in that regard. While we are led to understand it was just a simple case of miscommunication (or lack of communication) between the leads that led them down the dark road to divorce, this matter is never really fleshed out or given any further treatment. We are not really made privy to what really happens between them. There is one scene that deals with a miscarriage, but that's it. No context or follow-up is given and it is hardly ever mentioned again. In other words, there is a lack of context and story development to enable the viewer to participate and empathize. The drama instead chooses to focus on external conflicts with one-dimensional, cartoonish villains. The failing marriage is dealt with shallowly and romanticized, and the real issues are swept under the rug. Suddenly, this couple has the perfect relationship and their only problems are actually how to recovery the company and vanquish the baddies.

2. Unlikable characters, especially in the first half. In the beginning, the ML seems to have been made deliberately weak. I felt like the drama was pushing some sort of feminist rhetoric -- subversion of the patriarchy and all that. But there is no need to emasculate the male in order to emphasize the strength of the female. Likewise, the female need not be an uber rich girl boss with a bad attitude in order to come off as a "strong independent woman." Anyway, Baek Hyun-woo is introduced as a seemingly shallow, silly, ill-intentioned weakling who could not even stand up for himself or make up his mind about what to do with his own marriage. He relies on a friend to tell him what to do. To make things worse, he actually seems relieved and even slightly elated to learn his estranged wife is terminally ill. Now, I like falling in love with my kdrama/jdorama men for the space of a few hours, and I definitely was not going to fall in love with someone like this. Neither could I relate with the wealthy CEO girl boss who was cold and arrogant and disrespectful and had no qualms about berating her husband in front of their colleagues. It just wasn't working for me. Even later when her arrogance is toned down, Hae-in just comes off to me as abrasive and unrelatable. Many people are saying the leads had great chemistry, but I never saw it. They're both great actors for sure, but there was something off for me about their pairing. Strangely, I felt like the FL was patterned after the typical Asian mom or aunt -- brash, brisque, pragmatic and unromantic, and the ML has the typical henpecked husband vibe. And their romance felt to me like I was watching one of my stoic aunts suddenly becoming lovey-dovey with someone. Goosebumps. But because the actors are both attractive, it probably seemed that the characters were attractive too. The writers seem to realize this and tones down everything in the second half, which leads to my third point:

3. Inconsistent characterization. I guess the writer wanted to show that the characters have a deeper dimension than what was shown in the first episodes, but somehow the sudden shift in the overall tone of the characters didn't work for me. Suddenly, the FL is vulnerable and in love (but still, just for me personally, unlikable and unrelatable). Suddenly, she is a silly lovelorn stalker. I mean, sure. One can argue that her coldness and arrogance were merely a facade or a coping mechanism and that she actually really is a softie, but somehow, that doesn't feel believable. And the ML suddenly becomes strong, capable, fiercely loyal, very loving, and knows exactly what he wants and what to do. Yes, writer-nim. This could have worked if you had written him that way from the beginning. Making a character's real personality a plot twist just does not work for me. I need to connect with the characters immediately or as soon as possible for the story to work. That is the most important factor for me in any story. The plot could go to hell but as long as the characters are well-written and feels real, I am in. I think it just is bad writing overall, the way the characters were set up. Again, the actors' face cards and sex appeal covered this up for most viewers.

4. The drama can't seem to decide what it is, and the main relationship lacks substance. In the beginning, it seemed like it was going to be a romcom. But wait, Is it a thriller? Is it a makjang? Is it a "beautiful love story?" It tries to be all of these but fails. The thriller part wasn't thrilling enough. The romance part was, to me at least, somewhat cringey (probably because of the Asian mom/ahjumma peronality of the FL). And the romcom just failed to show up. Instead, the drama seems to take itself very seriously and seems to think of itself as a "beautiful love story. " In order to show this, it resorts to cheesy lines and overly sentimental scenes that don't really show any real connection between the husband and wife, at least none that you could really feel or that is properly developed. Instead, their strongest and most powerful connection seems to be the dreaded "childhood connection thingie" that Koreans seem to adore -- unmyeong. In other words, their love is one for the books because they were fated for each other, as evidenced, apparently, by the fact that they had a chance encounter when they were children. This is a pet peeve of mine in kdramas. This is a very shallow type of sentimentality, IMO. Instead of trying to establish this childhood connection, why not focus on their current mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connection instead?

5. The loopholes. In a romcom, I usually could look past the glaring leaps of logic because most romcoms are meant to be a little silly, and so the logical inconsistencies just seem campy, not a writing failure. But you can't really call campy on this drama because it takes itself way too seriously. One major example of a glaring lapse in logic is the fact that the villain manages to step in and claim to be the guardian and fiance of a patient who has lost her memory. What an insult to European hospitals! You're telling me, writer-nim, that the hospital does not have any protocols at all regarding patient security? Furthermore, Baek Hyun-woo actually sees the villain walk in as he was being scandalously arrested (another huh moment). And he doesn't do anything about it, apparently. Yes, he got arrested and dragged away to prison on false charges, but that should not have prevented him from instructing one of his lawyer friends (or hello, Hae-in's family) to immediately contact the hospital and inform them that that man should not be allowed anywhere near the patient as he is not family and not her authorized guardian. And why didn't Hae-in's parents, on their own initiative, do anything? A phone call would have done it if they didn't want to fly out to Germany to look after their daughter. They knew than man is dangerous and Hae-in is in an especially vulnerable position after having lost her memories, and not a single one of them tried to contact the hospital? LOL. There are many, many others. This is just one example. Very shoddy writing.

To sum up, again, this drama tries to be something -- an epic, sweeping, memorable, beautiful love story, or a deep dive into marriage and divorce -- but does not really have enough meat and bones/substance to actually succeed. Instead, we get a lot of cloyingly sentimental scenes, cheesy dialogue, a half-baked thriller element, and a kind of surface treatment of a serious topic that is more suited to a romcom or light drama, and a dancing or skirting around the important issues about love and hate in a relationship and all the nuances and layers of emotion that are involved in a marriage, and all the heartbreak of divorce. This weird, half-baked stew just didn't work for me at all. The actors did their best to hold it up, but it is not worth all the hype and is way too overrated, in my honest opinion.

Read More

A Poetically Crafted Story That Deeply Captured The Essence Of An Unconditional Love

"The First Frost" is a modern romance drama adaptation of the novel titled "Nan Hong" which means "Hard To Coax", written by a well-known author, Zhu Yi. It focuses on the romantic tale between Sang Yan and his high school deskmate, Wen Yi Fan. The drama immerses into the nostalgic youthful idea of first love and intertwines it together with the melancholic pining of second chances. While its cinematography visually creates a gloomy and dreamy-like vibe, the OSTs adds a sentimental touch that completely draws you into its romantic tale. However...

The First Frost is no ordinary modern romance drama, it is a poetically crafted story that deeply captured the essence of an unconditional love and engraved it as a lasting imprint. An unconditional love that embodies unwavering commitment and fosters a heartfelt emotional journey which leads to personal growth and self-discovery. It is where love isn't a mere consolation or healer of wounds and scars, instead it is where love is a guiding light that illuminates through the darkness bringing peace and safety. It is also where love is depicted to be more than just an emotion and feeling, but a constant deliberate choice that comes from ones willingness to choose to love every single day without any exceptions — no matter the uncertainty or the storms ahead. This drama meaningfully entails an invaluable love while also beholding an important message about self-love.

STORYLINE₊ ⊹❅
The storytelling follows a nonlinear timeline that instills flashbacks of the main protagonists' high school life into their present adult life exuding a reminiscent nostalgic feel. It generally revolves around the female lead, Wen Yi Fan's point of view but it also glimpses through the point of view of the male lead, Sang Yan by the end of each episode which further adds enrichment to the story. The drama begins with a heartbreaking memory that occurred on one rainy night where Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan separated in tears, then courses straight into more heavier scenes that can be triggering as it tackles a sensitive topic which women in real life faces, these scenes highlighted the life struggles of Wen Yi Fan and serves as a necessary element that allowed viewers to have a clearer grasp of her character. The defining line is drawn here as the drama's trajectory focuses not solely into romance, but also into trauma; its effect on life and love itself.

The first half of the drama creates a somber atmosphere that eventually balances out with warmer tones and a mixture of lighthearted moments as Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan crosses paths once again — they become two strangers living together under one roof with a shared painful past. This showed the contrasting differences in their lives and opened the door to their feelings. What I love during this part of the story is how both yearning and loneliness is set-up so gut-wrenchingly yet soothes it with understated affections through the conscious acts of Sang Yan and the unconscious acts of Wen Yi Fan. I found the sleepwalking scenes of Wen Yi Fan to be made not only as a mere catalyst that shortens the distance between her and Sang Yan, but a significant metaphor that reflects Wen Yi Fan's deep-seated feelings which even her conscious self isn't aware about. How she walked amidst the darkness towards the sun to embrace its warmth speaks about her pains, fears and her desperate call to be found — without knowing the sun she had reached out to was Sang Yan, the only person that ever brought warmth and light to her world — this scene was meaningfully executed and deeply tugged on the heartstrings.

What ultimately shapes the story more coherently lies in the second half as it dives deeper into the main protagonists innermost feelings and their past. This is where an evident romantic progress between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan is seen, but it is also where the shadow that has long been haunting Wen Yi Fan comes into the picture. I appreciated their sweet and intimate moments which led into a much livelier atmosphere, although it soon transitioned into the angsty and heavy arcs, such transition helped heightened the emotions evoked during these arcs. The separation in Hong Kong wasn't added simply as a mere trope, it showed the comprehensive depth of the story and stayed consistent to Wen Yi Fan's trauma. As much as it is emotionally gripping, it brought out more layers of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's characters. This aspect is one of the dramas advantageous feat because of how it had interwoven trauma into the story with an insightful knowledge and at the same time dealt with it respectfully. It did justice in showing how trauma greatly impacts one's life, how coping mechanisms varies greatly for different individuals, and how healing is not linear nor does it heal easily. It gave a realistic portrayal of trauma and wrapped it with a positive message.

As for the romance between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan, it leans more to slow-burn where their relationship developed intricately, hence, I thought it felt more organic as the characters were made to gradually intensify their feelings. The way their love story was written never felt cringe or cliche, it was mature and brilliantly stood out for how utterly beautiful and unparalleled it was depicted. The drama painted Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's love story in translucid colors that vividly showed the pure unconditional love they have for each other, to the extent that even the words "I love you" pales away in comparison for how wholeheartedly they conveyed love in more than just three words. The second leads romance wasn't able to fully pique my interest at first as their story felt lackluster however, the latter half of the drama showcased a much more interesting plot for them which eventually made me invested in them as well.

The drama ended on a very satisfying note as all loose ends were neatly tied leaving no room for unresolved matters. The antagonists in the story each faced the consequences of their actions, there was no unnecessary redemption arc as every toxic connection was cut off. Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's high school memories were remarkably concluded by how they seamlessly weaved all the details together and the addition of Sang Yan's unseen point of view gave light for viewers to see how absolutely profound their relationship actually truly is. As if it couldn't be more perfect, they executed the proposal scene in a way that magnificently captured the raw authentic emotions expressed by Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan during that moment, making it feel so realistic — the evident nervousness, trembling hands and lips, the tears, and heartfelt words. It is the best proposal scene to have ever been created. The ending they had given is beyond just a happy ending, it is an unforgettable and deeply-moving moment that certainly left a lasting impression.

The cinematography artistically enhanced the overall emotional tone of each scene with the constant use of lights, mirrors and reflections that gives off visuals that are a blend of dreamy, melancholic and nostalgic vibes. It was breathtakingly cinematic and definitely elevated the watching experience.

CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❅
Bai Jing Ting as Sang Yan
Sang Yan is a character written with so many good qualities in him that it overshadows his flaws and makes him come off as someone too perfect, but actually he is far from perfect. He just happens to have a lot of love in him as he was born surrounded with love which is his greatest privilege. He grew up in a loving home where he is constantly showered with affection and care from his family. He used to be someone spoiled and self-centered as he had never suffered any setbacks in his life, everything had always went well for him and this is what made him flawed. It was through his separation with Wen Yi Fan where he realized that the world doesn't revolve around him. The pain he felt in this heartbreaking experience is one of the important things that helped shaped him into becoming the present Sang Yan. Sang Yan is a character who is the complete embodiment of persistence, regardless of being afraid or the outcome, he just tries and never gives up.

Sang Yan's love for Wen Yi Fan isn't an ever-burning passionate love instead it is a quietly-fierce and unconditional love that is strong and unwavering. Despite how his love is fierce, he had never forced his feelings on Wen Yi Fan. He expresses his love for her through subtle acts of affection, where he notices and cares for even the smallest things about her. What struck me the most about him is how he is able to let down his pride and acknowledge its insignificance compared to the pain and suffering Wen Yi Fan has been through. Sang Yan letting down his pride doesn't necessarily mean he lacks self-respect rather it spoke of his inner strength that emanated from his deep sense of self-worth. Instead of becoming another storm in Wen Yi Fan's life, he became her home, he truly understood and sees through her; not just her heart but her very soul. He is an emotionally intelligent man who loves not because he wants something in return, but because he willingly wants to give love to the person he values — and this speaks about his self-love, he loved himself that loving Wen Yi Fan comes naturally for him.

Bai Jing Ting's acting performance and portrayal of Sang Yan is phenomenal. Every emotion he expressed across the screen was strongly felt. His facial expressions and eye-acting, particularly his micro expressions were so apparent it helped connect with his character in an emotional level easily. His eyes always held so many emotions that his crying scenes are carried out realistically. He is one of the very few actors I know who can really act a crying scene without making it fake. He really gave life to his character.

Zhang Ruo Nan as Wen Yi Fan | Wen Shuangjiang
Wen Yi Fan is a character who suffers from trauma and abandonment issues. She is someone who had lived life wearing a facade to mask away all her pain, but before all the suffering she has been through, she used to be someone bright and filled with love. The biggest turning point in her life was when she lost her father, she didn't only lose the person who cherished and cared for her most, she also lost her home and a part of herself. She is someone who had long stopped believing in love and believing in what she deserves. She had built a wall around herself that even her closest friends aren't able to see through her. She is a damaged person who is afraid to reach out for help because she still carried the betrayal of her mother who left her to suffer alone. Running away has always been her coping mechanism and way of survival. The separation and reconciliation arc in Hong Kong is a major event that helped her character to outgrow her traumas, realize her strength and opened her heart to self-love. Wen Yi Fan is actually a character who is courageous and resilient. Her ability to move forward with life despite everything she has been through and her constant determination to continue to live speaks so much of it.

Wen Yi Fan's love for Sang Yan is absolutely selfless and unconditional. Her way of loving Sang Yan does not come in the form of wanting to own him, instead it is in the form of wanting the best for him. Wen Yi Fan had always believed that Sang Yan is a person who deserves all the good things in the world, she sees him as someone so precious that she wants to preserve his brightness. Although, her decision to runaway without reaching out to him wasn't a completely right choice, it was still an understandable act as she did it to protect him from the shadow that has constantly been haunting her, because the last thing she would want to happen is for Sang Yan to lose his life. Her love for Sang Yan helped her break through the shackles that had long chained her, she healed not for herself alone but so that she could be the best for him. She values Sang Yan a lot that she willingly meets him where he is at just as much as he willingly does for her too. In the past, she might have broken his heart but she was one of the reason that helped shaped him to become stronger.

Zhang Ruo Nan's portrayal of Wen Yi Fan is worthy of recognition and praise. She really understood and connected with her character that she conveyed every emotional scene brilliantly. Most especially her crying scenes, they were so heartfelt. She wasn't only good at emotional scenes but her drunk scene is deserving of appreciation too for how natural she portrayed it. Her acting performance is outstanding.

OSTs₊ ⊹❅
The OSTs helped set the vibe of each specific scene which allowed every emotion depicted in the drama to come across the screen more impactfully. They weren't only captivating to listen to, each of the songs were meaningfully written and gives highlight to Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's love. It is definitely one of the key elements of the drama that enriches the watching experience. I love all the songs and my most favorite of them all is 'I'm So Into You' by Xiao Bing Chih.

OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❅
The First Frost is a masterpiece that rekindled the feeling of what it is like to have a first love, it is a drama that deeply portrayed yearning and reunion through its rich plot. It is also a drama that takes you to experience an unforgettable and meaningful story that will not only move you, but make you feel seen as well.

The First Frost is a beautiful reminder for when we forget to be kinder to ourselves, for when we forget to remember love..."Treat yourself well, and the world will hold more love for you".

Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan's chemistry is impeccable. I will never forget their portrayal of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan, they did justice to their characters and truly brought the love between these fictional characters so powerfully on screen. All the other actors and crew of The First Frost did an amazing job as well in creating this drama, their efforts and hardwork wasn't in vain. The First Frost is now officially my top favorite modern romance drama.

FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❅
- Wen Yi Fan's sleepwalking scene
- Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's confession scene in Beiyu noodle shop
- Sang Yan formally introducing Wen Yi Fan as his girlfriend on Qian Fei's Wedding
- Sang Yan taking care of his drunk girlfriend Wen Yi Fan
- Sang Yan's fight scenes
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's hospital talk scene
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's entire high school memory
- Wen Yi Fan finding out about Sang Yan's momento or keepsake box
- Sang Yan's "I volunteered"
- Wen Yi Fan's talk with her younger self
- All their intimate scenes
- Proposal scene

p.s all of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's scenes together are my favorite.

˖ . ݁❅𝜗𝜚❅. ݁₊

"When you're old, gray, and sleepy,
you snuggle wearily by the fireside,
and take a random book for company,
you savor the look in your eyes,
when you were chasing your dreams.
You used to have that look,
and be full of affection.
I loved your great and elegant past,
your mistakes, and your true beauty.
There is only one man who has ever gazed,
into your pious and holy heart,
and fallen inlove,
with your sad and aging face.
In the moonlight,
you bowed your head,
stooped, and murmured dejectedly,
in an attempt to escape from love.
Then you sneaked over the hill,
and hid your face.
Someone who is fierce,
who will love me among the stars, until death,
and know that love is as strong as death,
and be on my side,
forever and ever.
I want someone who is fierce,
and will love me until death,
it's you."
— Sang Yan & Wen Yi Fan (Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson)

Read More

Lazy writer

I watched episode 15 last night and thought, "Wow, I haven't seen a Korean drama adopt an Indian soap opera style before." I had been watching patiently week by week, hoping the writing would improve, but it didn't. It mixed up everything: divorce, a mean mother-in-law, cancer, memory loss, etc.—you name it. I thought the writer was being creative in offering something new because people said the writer was a big deal. However, it turns out the writing is just like a story created by a middle-schooler on Wattapp.

I know for sure this drama will be successful in terms of viewership since the writer went back to basics by having good-looking casts and glamorous styles. This recipe guarantees ratings. But, it makes the work look cheap. No wonder the Baeksang tossed this drama out of the window by only giving it one nomination (even though the committee might regret this later and wish they had given zero nominations to this series).

Read More

ABSOLUTELY MIND-BLOWING & MUST-WATCH!

so i’ve never written a review on here before, in-fact i just got into kdramas within the last month and have only watched a handful so forgive me if this isn’t the most “together” or intellectual review but all i have to say is WOW.

STORY — i can’t speak highly enough about the story. the fact that this was written and directed by women!! heck yes!! i typically get bored with things extremely quickly and tend to go on my phone and this didn’t happen once with this drama. every single scene meant something. there was nothing added just to fill up time. everything was important. everyone was important. every single character was vital to what went down throughout the sixteen episodes each in their own unique and intriguing way. the way the writing, directing, and acting showcased everything perfectly is absolutely mesmerizing. there wasn’t a single weak point in the show. i also liked how even though there were subplots with side/supporting characters, as i said, they weren’t there to just fill up time, but ending up playing a huge part into the overall story in the end. the parallels that ended up coming together in the episodes (especially the first few episodes versus the ending) were MIND-BLOWING.

ACTING — i could go on and on and on about the acting in this show everyone did phenomenal but there were four people who specifically stood out to to me:

shin ha kyun: as i said im new to kdramas but did this man blow my mind??? oh my goodness. the emotions he portrayed as such a tortured man dealing with so much. he delivered every line perfectly. AND THE SMILE. you know the smile. insane. i heard he got nominated for a big award. so deserved.

yeo jin goo: another mesmerizing performance by the other lead character. absolutely phenomenal i loved to see how much his character evolved as the story went on and how different circumstances changed the way he ultimately ended up. his acting in the last 3/4ish episodes some of my favorite in the entire drama. he killed it.

choi dae hoon: i’ve watched this actor in CLOY and FOE and if i’m being honest he didn’t stand out in those to me - i barely noticed him if im being honest. however, in BE he blew my mind. genuinely one of the best performances of the show. he had so much he had to do and the role was such a heavy one and the way he portrayed a character dealing with all of the emotions he was and making you sympathize with him was so crazy and he deserves all the praise!!

choi sung eun: she was phenomenal. another actress i’ve never seen before but her whole demeanor was amazing. i loved her character a ton and i want to say its all thanks to the actress. each emotion came across perfectly and i felt like i could somehow relate and understand every single one of her actions. i hope to see her in more projects!

special mention to lee do hyun he was great in his few scenes and as a fan of his, it was nice seeing a familiar face!

OST — im quite new to this but i loved the soundtrack. i loved the whole vibe and it fit extremely well. left me unsettled and intrigued as if i was one of the characters.

REWATCH VALUE — i can guarantee once this has sat for a little bit i will be rewatching. the plot-twists were great and i can’t imagine how cool it will be knowing everything ahead of time. i might have to make someone watch this with me and then i watch their reactions for the first time because i was a mess on multiple occasions.

OVERALL: i’ll put it simply. if you are on the fence about watching this - WATCH IT YOU WONT REGRET IT!

Read More

This is a hard movie for me to rate, and review, because I have such mixed feeling about it. Old Boy is an expertly told thriller, full of suspense, that I simultaneously loved and hated.

What I absolutely loved was the beginning. I would even dare to call it the best beginning of a revenge story that I've ever seen. From the opening moments to the time he is finally free, I was on the edge of my seat. Oh Dae-Su's transformation is also amazing to watch, and I was completely impressed with Choi Min Sik's performance.

From there we get to the heart of the revenge story. Oh Dae-Su's search for the man who ruined his life is full of intrigue. Yoo Ji Tae brilliantly plays the antagonist Lee Woo Jin, with a really creepy sophistication. There's also an epic hallway battle scene, that shows some amazing direction, and is pretty iconic. I was falling completely in love with this movie, and then there's Mi do...

It's hard for me to express how much I hated this character. At first she seemed interesting, but then it was clear that her character would be weak, and shallow. I watched a rescreening of this film recently, and overheard two women complaining in the bathroom about how offended they were by her character, and how this ruined the movie for them. I was also offended. Then there's a minor character, Lee Soo Ah, who I found to be equally shallow, and offensive. I cannot blame the actresses, these characters were simply written poorly. The female characters are my first major problem with this film.

The other issue I had was with the ending. The story behind Oh Dae-Su's kidnapping, and how this revenge story is resolved, is meant to be shocking, but I thought it was just ridiculous. Some people may love the over the top story, with it's controversial subject matter, but I thought it was too unbelievable to take seriously. This was a major let down after loving the beginning so much. The end just kept on adding shocking twist, on top of shocking twist, and then ended in a bloody confrontation that was also shocking. When it was all over I felt like I had watched two different movies. I definitely preferred the beginning movie over the end movie.

I can agree that this is a well made film, and very original, but I can't exactly say that I liked it. I would still recommend it because of the parts that were exceptionally well done. The great moments are what stayed with me once it was over, and made me almost forget why I didn't really like it.

It's also worth seeing if you're simply in the mood to watch something twisted.

Read More

I started watching this drama due to great ratings and great reviews, but I soon came to regret my decision. I couldn't come to terms with wasting my time with the first 5 episodes, so I decided it might become better along the way, but boy was I wrong!
It was painful to watch the main actress, she made a mess of her role, and I must say Jin Ho was really shallow with his portraying of this particular character, and I must say I have enjoyed his talent and adaptability with his other roles as well. Moreover, I found the script messy, quite lacking and very artificial.
The funny moments were seldom, but the were indeed nice to watch, but honestly, feeling a pain in my stomach because I had just watched a 40 something minute long drama for only 10 enjoyable minutes was not my cup of tea.
I guess personal taste does play a major role in watching this drama. 3/10 from me, and that's putting it mild.

Read More

It's frustrating

Before anything I'll avoid talking about the age gap bc it's overdone at this point.

However, that doesn't mean I won't talk about the fl.

-1st of all her fashion choices? In my life I've never seen a heroine dress that way. And this says a lot bc I don't even care about fashion or what the actors wear ever! Literally ever! But what was happening in this drama punched me in that face so I couldn't ignore it how much I tried (I did try, a lot)
The outfits she wore were all grandma like outfits. Literally. I mean everyone has their taste but it doesn't even look good on her or flattering. On the contrary she's a beautiful and youthful looking woman (in her irl everyday life) but the outfits made her look older than she actually is.

-Second of all Never in my life have I seen a fl with literally ONE hairstyle throughout the 16 episodes? (a part from a bathroom scene and the end scene) her hair is in a tight bun 99.9% of the time. She looks gorgeous with literally any other hairstyle except that!

Okay enough about the fl, she's a great actress and
a beautiful woman but she didn't make the best choices this time around.

Now the drama itself.
-There's ZERO chemistry between the leads ZERO! And it's not about the age it's just a compatability thing.

-the plot is predictable and flat and every time they face a problem, the problem solves itself in the dumbest way possible or they straight up IGNORE IT AND NEVER TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN!

-so many useless subplots that didn't turn out to anything in the end.

-bad characters that didn't get what they deserve and good characters that didn't get what they deserve either.

It started out okayish, had potential. It was even funny but all went downhill after the first third of the drama.

The only good thing about this drama is the acting bc they all are really good actors.


Overall it was a frustrating experience for me and I'm sorry yo say I wouldn't recommend it.

Read More

Endless Intrigue and Cunningness

I am writing this review during the dramas half point and I must say it started low, but it has certainly increased in value to a drama I will endlessly recommend! If you’re struggling with the first few episodes just pull through it will likely go down depending on the end as one of my favorites of the year! This drama really has a perfectly fitting name so if you want a drama where both Zhang Linghe and Bai Lu play characters slightly different than the usual roles they play, both showcasing how talented they are. Also the entire casting did a spendid job in my opinion playing their respective roles. As of episode 20 this drama is definitely meeting all my expectations that I have been patiently waiting for since April when I longingly awaited its release only for it to be held back at the last minute. I will update this at the end when I have completed it to let you all know if it held up until the end!

Read More

It's been a while since I have felt so much hate for a main character. Arrogant male leads in Korean dramas are everywhere and generaly I don't mind them, I quiet like them actually, because most of the time in the end their "arrogant" attitude is exagerated and underneath all of that, they're good people. But the description of this drama really isn't lying "Se-Gun is handsome and confident, but very vain and shallow".

The STORY here, of course, isn't anything original but it just screams fun! Comedy, romance and a cliche moral about beauty is really all we need to relax after a hard day and it really kind of had all that, but...

The CHARACTERS, especially the main male lead, were unlikable and that's an understatement in some cases. Se Gun is a shallow douche that only cares about looks. He's fine with everything about a girl as long as she's pretty. Sure, by the end he falls in love with the "ugly" (NOT!) girl and magically becomes a better person and a better character with some sappy development driven by, of course, a sad past. Now to begin with Se Gun's character isn't exactly the worst, they just handeled this type of male lead very badly, exagerating his flaws to the maximum and making him seem like the vainest person ever. Were this a full lenght drama I would have dropped it solely because of him. The female lead wasn't exactly a treat either. Her motivation for liking the main lead was the same - she claims to like beautiful things. The difference is that she just wasn't really a bitch about it...I don't know if that makes it okay though. Not to mention the fact that she had little to no self respect which I can kind of overlook as just a character trait but be warned.

90% of the cute moments in this drama were torture, because they were fake! While Nan Hee had her ring on, everytime something nice happened it was extremely bitter sweet because the writers just had to make sure that you know that Se Gun is only dating her because of her looks! I just could not overlook it, especially when the second love interest for our female lead was 10 times better than this jerk.

Sure the ending was cute as hell and I'm very into this "inner beauty matters the most" moral that I could almost overlook everything that's bad about this drama but I just can't, I won't even let myself! As a woman I respect myself too much to see such chararter as Se Gun be romanticised and justified. He even blamed everything on Nan Hee...*sigh* I just can't

Didn't notice anything horrible about the acting. Not a fan of So Hee's acting though. Happy that Seul Gi finally got a main role, sad that it had to be this drama. Don't remember anything about the music. The cinematography was as unintresting as ever.

There is absolutely nothing about this drama that's worth your time, you can look at a screenshot of the beauty that is Hyo Seop and you would have seen everyting good about this drama. Maybe...maybe if you're easily pleased then you will enjoy it but I really don't recommend it.

Read More

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty – When Mediocrity Goes Viral

The best way to watch this drama? Grab some food, put it on 1.75x speed, and just let it run.. The show has no real substance. The writers clearly got lazy and decided a proper story was optional; instead, it’s basically a long food showcase where dishes get more screen time than the actual characters.

Yes, the title hints at food, but the description also promised "romance, fantasy, comedy", Did it deliver? Let’s see:

Fantasy– Oh yes, time travel! The lead goes back to the past. I guess that’s *all it takes* to count as fantasy these days.
Comedy – Original jokes? Forget it. Just recycled gags from every older drama of the same genre you’ve ever seen. Classic.
Romance – Romance, they call it? There’s no buildup, no real conversations, barely any screen time together, and suddenly the ML falls for her just from tasting her food, forcing himself on her, while the FL randomly decides she likes him too. As if that weren’t enough, the leads have non-existent chemistry. They simply look like two good-looking people sharing the screen, nothing more. And after all this, the creators expect us to believe they’re in love. It’s utterly absurd

Now to acting.
Yoona’s performance was fine but predictable. She’s been playing the same rom-com roles for years, merely swapping the setting and profession. Nothing new, nothing surprising—just another comfort-zone performance from her, which, as usual, turned out to be average.

Chaemin shows good potential, but his acting here was wildly overhyped. He was mostly good throughout the run, but not the miracle the internet made him out to be. Honestly, most of the buzz seems driven by his looks rather than his actual acting, and that’s just how it works in K-drama land.

Also wanted to add this: Park Sung-hoon being dropped turned out to be a good thing—this weak script didn’t deserve an actor of his caliber. It was better suited for a rookie like Chaemin (who played his part well👍,still I believe his performance was exggerated by the audience), especially since it was the food, not the cast, that carried the show.

As for the central storyline—there wasn’t one to begin with. By the last four episodes, it felt like the writer finally as well as suddenly realized, “Oops, we don't have a plot,” and started throwing in whatever came to mind just to force a happy ending. The result? A drama with no sensible closure. The creators practically mocked the audience, with, “Let’s throw the dumbest stuff at them as we known they’ll swallow it,” and, unsurprisingly, audience did.

Conclusion: This is easily the most overhyped drama of the year—mediocrity at its finest. A one-time watch if you have nothing else lined up. With a 80-Minute episodes dragged out by endless food shots , average acting and no solid story, it’s not something anyone would revisit.

Read More

yeah no...

I feel like I'm missing something since all the reviews are positive...

Segasaki was very toxic, it weirded me out tbh. I'm usually not sensitive to some toxicness in dramas since it's just a drama but this was too much for me. He was highkey stalkerish and abusive. Like that ain't cute at all to me, idk. I was waiting for his character development but it never happened, he actually got worse.

Yoh was fine but he really made me frustrated when he just let him be like that to him.

The couple wasn't even cute. They NEVER talked. I'm not even exaggerating, where's the communication? 2 grown adults living in the same house should be able to communicate. I don't even get why they like each other when they just misunderstand each other and never talk it out. I felt like I watched 8 eps of two guys making out with each other all the time. What was even the point of this drama? Nothing improved, no character development at all, what was the point?

The actors were good tho :)

Read More

A beautiful story about love and friendship

I want to start off by saying I havent watched the original yet but I may update this review after I do.
Update: ive now watched the original and to me i do think this remake did it justice. Tbh I enjoyed this more than the original because I think the writing and pacing was better. They added more elements that fleshed out the characters where i could understand their decisions more.


Now if youre worried about a love triangle, dont be. The male lead is just a secondary character with a secondary storyline. The main event is the friendship between mi so and ha eun. You see their journey as friends from childhood to adulthood. Its by no means an easy journey as they drift apart often but in the end they always find their way back to each other. This isnt exactly a sapphic movie either but its a beautiful love story about a female friendship.

I really wanted to watch this movie cause of kim dami and jeon so nee and they did not disappoint. They portrayed their roles perfectly and they had great chemistry. I also liked the directing as it felt really raw and brought out the actresses strengths. It had an independent film feel to it.

I will also say to bring tissues as this film may make you cry.

I really enjoyed this movie as a coming of age story about a female friendship and would recommend for the story and acting.

Read More