Reviews

*MILD SPOILERS* More cons than pros?

Overall, I did enjoy watching this K-Drama, but it missed the mark on a few things. So, I'm going to review with a list of pros and cons:)

PROS

1. The cinematography! It was absolutely a beautiful watch.
2. The actors did an excellent job, especially with the script given to them.
3. Some of the "plot twists" did have me shocked by the end.

CONS

1. Despite the great concept of a story, it's not always greatly executed. They also continue to repeat some of the same issues/miscommunications, and it gets tiring eventually.
2. Papago. It's literally the nickname of the male lead, as he can speak/translate so many languages. The female lead uses the app at the start of the K-Drama before she meets him, and she uses it just a couple of times after that. Most of the time, she and the second male lead, who is Japanese, don't utilize translation apps at all to communicate. So, A LOT between them is lost in translation. I genuinely don't understand at all why they couldn't use an app to communicate when they wanted to.
3. The genre is confusing. Initially, it feels like a quirky rom-com, but, by the end, it was like kind of more melodrama (although it technically has a happy ending).
4. The way the mental health issues were handled did not sit right with me. *SPOILER* One character has PTSD and dissociative identity disorder. At first, it was portrayed to be alarming and disturbing. By the end, it's almost like a "cute" romance plot device because it brought the leads together. In reality, this person needed therapy, not a relationship. On top of that, but the character goes to meet the person who is responsible for the trauma that gave her the PTSD and DID. They never show us this. The character just goes away and comes back totally fine after all that...doesn't talk about it.

Read More

Quite decent History Fantasy drama

I watched this because both of leads are my favorite but the romance in this drama seems weak but i quite enjoy historical drama so i can tolerate this drama (I quite like 1930-1950 history so i eager to watch this).

FL accidentally travels back to 1936 Paris, where she meets ML, a seemingly calculating man with a deep sense of patriotism. Together, they embark on a legendary journey across time. From initial mutual suspicion, they gradually become partners, jointly protecting cultural relics and supporting the anti-Japanese war amidst the turmoil of the era. Ultimately, they go their separate ways for the greater good of their country.

Their romance develops in a relatively peaceful setting, with some plot points involving struggles for national survival added as turning points. FL is a time traveler, so she's very determined about the future, and her change of heart towards ML is based on her understanding of the future, making good use of her expertise. The screenwriter is quite clever with this. Chen Fang Tong's crying scenes and Wang Hao Zhen's deep affection are both very moving and this is one of the greatest selling point in this drama.

ML isn't some unrealistic hero; he's an ordinary person who uses his wisdom to reclaim national treasures. The story of ML and FL going from enemies to partners is neither melodramatic nor mindless; the subject matter is positive. Although the plot is largely predictable, it's still a good work.

Recommended to watch for hisotry fantasy enjoyer.

Read More

I watched for Zhen Ziqi sake since the plot was mess.

I watched this drama last year because of Zhen Ziqi. I wasn't fond of Li Ke Yi acting before but the chemistyr between the leads was better than Zhen Ziqi with Teng Zewen.

The plot is about FL was switched at birth by her nanny and sold at age five. During this time, she meets ML, and they become each other's ideal women. She ends up in prostitution, becoming a singer. The young marshal ,ML, is well-developed, intelligent, and brave in love. He also falls for her, feeling a sense of familiarity.

The biological mother and brother are both rather dim-witted. FL and SML look very similar; they both see the birthmark but don't suspect anything. Every time the biological mother and brother mistreat the FL it's heartbreaking—a kind of familial intuition. The most intelligent one is surprisingly the adoptive father; he's the first to discover SFL is the biological daughter.

Even when ML exposes the FL as the real heiress, and a bunch of incompetent teammates and even family members don't believe him. Make me angry at FL family for being dim-witted.

There is too many plot hole in this drama but overall it still watchable.

Read More

Simple and predictable, but still enjoyable

The story felt bland and predictable. With the base concept for a story about the struggles of idols, it kind of touched the main points and struggles but then oversimplefied or overlooked them so the story would proggress in the direction of a happy ending for everyone.

I liked both ML and FL, not sure if it is the directing, but there were moments when they were not very natural, but I liked them. HSout out to Chani as well, I enjoyed his performance. Also some scenes feel rushed, and it seems that there is not enough time to properly represent every character. The characters lack depth in general, maybe due to wanting to focus on everyone, but not really pulling it off since the characters are many and not a lot of episodes to do it right.

I love ATEEZ, (they were the reason for me to watch this) and as non-actors they were good with what they had to do. I believe tho they were a bit underused, like they can sing and dance much better compared to what was actually shown, but it is what it is...
Tea Party and Shaxx music was ok, but for Sparkling I was really uninpressed, since they were almost all Ateez, but they gave them such empty and weird songs. At least it became a good meme "Finally now, it's my time~"

It was still an enjoyable drama in my opinion. It scraches the surface of a very relevant topic in idol industry, and as a fan myself, I wish there was more awareness for the slave contracts and trainees conditions. If looking for an actually good series, I would not recommend, but if you want something chill and not too deep, it is an option.

Read More

I absolutely love Bad Buddy. It’s honestly one of my favorite series ever. The story is simple, but the emotions feel so real and genuine. Pat and Pran’s relationship is beautiful to watch — the chemistry, the tension, the soft moments — everything just feels natural.

What makes it special to me is how sincere it is. It’s funny, emotional, romantic, and comforting all at once. I laughed, I cried, and I got completely attached to the characters. It’s the kind of series that stays with you even after it ends. I could rewatch it over and over and never get tired of it.

Read More

I would blamed SFL screentime for lack of romance tension between the leads

I watched this because of Wang Nan and Sun Qian Xun. It was actually nice but didn't beat their previous collaboration.

Sun Qianxun is basically a guarantee of comedy, and her collaboration with Wang Nan is excellent. The early episodes are very funny, both absurd and hilarious. However, the plot starts to falter after SFL gains intelligence. There are too many plot holes: one night, cute baby, allergies, impersonation—it's all there. And there's impersonation twice.
The grandmother even tries to dismantle FL, who then admits she's human. ML feels deeply deceived and wants to marry the 3FL but he can't let go of the FL.

Most importantly, SFL has too much screen time! She's practically invincible. This results in insufficient romantic development between ML and FL, and the process of their initial romance is unclear. Expectations were a bit high, but overall, it's not as good as the first season.

Decent watch though

Read More

If you look for romance, better look away from this drama.

I watched this because of Jiang Shiqi last year. Based on the synopsis, I thought it would be a drama about a fake heiress, a metaphysical wife, and lots of banter, but it was completely different, a pleasant surprise. FL is well-developed, with a beautiful mental state and attitude. She doesn't complain about being kicked out of her home and has no attachment to her ungrateful family. The comedy was well-played in this drama and the verbal sparring is not too much. Jiang Shiqi stills good on this comedy track.

Although the villains cause trouble, they are easily subdued by our heroine's extraordinary abilities. FL doesn't even get slapped once throughout the entire series, which is very satisfying. But for chemistry, between Zhong Zheng and Jiang Shiqi are non existed. It felt so artificial and they just do the task and getting paid without any tension.

Only recommended to hardcore fans.

Read More

One of the best Zhang Jinyi-Lu Huanyu dramas.

I watched this last year but i only found out the page and rewatch it when i missed Zhang Jinyi-Lu Huanyu combo.

FL is quite pretty, and her character is good—she gets revenge on the spot and hasn't suffered any major injustices. TML hasn't done anything too outrageous either. There's a misunderstanding about a "white moonlight" character, but it's within my acceptable range. The production team seems to be relatively well-funded for a short drama, which explains why so many people watch it; it's really quite good. The kissing scene was good and the comedy was quite on point, the best part when ML put a ring into FL middle finger and she only show middle finger to everyone.

Recommended to watch.

Read More

A Film That Made Me See Love Differently

I went into this film intrigued by the trailer because I genuinely didn’t know what to expect, but what I got was such a beautiful and heartfelt romantic story.

All of the main characters are kind of broken in their own ways, yet they slowly heal when they meet each other. It’s not just romance, the friendship aspect is really strong too. If you’re expecting the typical plot where the “ugly” female lead falls for a handsome male lead and later transforms into a conventionally pretty woman, this film is not that at all.

Gyeong Ruk feels like a one in a million kind of man, but at the same time I understand where his preferences come from. He values sincerity and purity over anything fake, and Mi Jeong embodies that. They literally become light in each other’s lives, and it’s so warm watching how deeply he loves her. Sangmin’s acting here is honestly amazing. You can really feel his “I can’t live without her” emotions and it hurts in the best way.

They clearly love each other so much, which makes everything even more painful. While Gyeong Ruk starts chasing his dream again because of her, Mi Jeong ends up leaving him because of her inferiority complex. I can see why that decision might confuse some people, but the idea that she leaves because she loves him too much is such a complex feeling, and the film explains it really well.

Yo Han’s character is also really important as the witness and narrator of their love story. Even though he’s quietly struggling with his own depression, he keeps putting on a strong front for his friends until he eventually can’t hold it in anymore. That’s when his friends finally step in, support him, just like how he always did for them.

Overall, this is a bittersweet film that is easy to watch on the surface but actually very deep. It leaves a lingering feeling in your heart after it ends. I honestly think this is one of those films I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Read More

Why the leads screentime was limited than supporting cast?

I thought "Breaking the Cocoon Prologue" was the first season, but it turns out it's the sequel! I was so disappointed! But it doesn't affect the visuals much; the leads from other dramas are all incredibly good-looking. I didn't expect the first season to have so many plot twists! Watching the good parts in order should be even better, no wonder I didn't understand some of the plot in the second chapter.

After understand this drama, FL 's revenge is pointless; she doesn't save her son; she doesn't change the hosts' fates; she's reborn into nothingness. The kissing scenes between Wang Yilei and Zhao Xixi are absolutely mesmerizing but i feel they could develop more romance subplot since the leads screentime was quite limited due supporting casts.

I watched this since i love Zhao Xixi but personally i wont recommend this drama since it was complicated.

Read More

Slow burn without burn.. it's just slow

This should have been a 8 episode drama instead of 10 cz its good till ep 2 or 3 i.e. until watarai and minato confessed. Although i didn't expect them to date right away i was kinda expecting and awkward phase where watarai would hide from minato and minato would chase him. I bit more fox type minato now that he knows his crush likes him but nah they just decided to stay friends and the next episodes are them going on unofficial dates and watarai thinking. Couldn't they just put all the thinking in 1 episode and end it there?

I agree with the other comments the flashbacks come in too often which makes it annoying. I have 0 interest in their flashback cz i think we know what needs to be known in ep 1 we don't wanna know all their sweet moments. They could have combined that and showed it as Minato falling in love for watarai at the end.

It's good but not amazing you would just skip through it. Im hoping i don't drop it

Edit: i finished the 2nd half. Although the number of flashbacks reduced. 90% of the 2nd half was Minato leaving Watarai behind as always. Watarai literally told him the reason he didn't wanna move in and make things official is cz he's scared he'll be left behind and what did Minato do? Leave him🙃. But i liked the last episode it was beautiful although it felt incomplete. I wanted to see Minato fulfilling Watarai's wishes like making him coffee, back hugs etc .Still feel it's okay not as good as other JBLs I've watched idk something just felt missing the whole show.

Read More

If romance subplot was more slower, i would like this drama more

I watched this because of Jia Yi Xuan, her recent works are quite letdown some of her dramas are on my on-hold lists so i tried this her drama with Wang Yiran. The beginning is even better about undercover agent who look like FL brother so FL took a fancy for him; the romance between ML and FL falls in love too quickly and feels a bit cliché. The romantic subplot isn't very nuanced. I still prefer the FL when she's a powerful underworld boss—she's both yandere and arrogant enough. Both of leads acting were decent but actually it not make impressed enough. The chemistry was okay to watch but not to make me giggling, i am just nodded on this.

This drama takes the old tropes of body doubles and undercover agents and gives them a fresh, poignant feel! There's no artificial sweetness, only the agonizing struggle of knowing the danger yet being unable to resist approaching. Personally the romance development was too fast if they come slower i would like this drama more.

Still decent watch though.

Read More

I'm confused, don't let yourselves get confused too.

I watched the series from beginning to end, but initially I had hoped it would be a good series, but unfortunately that hope disappeared over time. I watched it by fast-forwarding and rewinding, feeling bored.

The story was fragmented. It lacked coherence. Is it a Hong Gil Dong drama? A revenge drama? A king's overthrow? A love story? A soul-swapping drama? Or is it the famous Korean noble, slave, concubine equation? What is it? The subject matter was fragmented. There should be coordination and unity between the fragments. This didn't happen. No event was explored in depth; it was treated abstractly and simply. Therefore, I can't place the story anywhere.

There's a minister. This minister has seized complete power by lulling the king to sleep with incense, slowly poisoning him, making decisions as he pleases, and enforcing them. He has puppets. He has everyone bound. But there's no tightness in his control. It just goes on as it is. No one objects, no one fights against it. Nothing happens. It's like, "Go ahead, my servant," and he just goes along with it.

But there's a clever girl, a concubine's daughter, neither noble nor not, somewhere in between. This girl is a caregiver for the minister's father. Then, he tells her he's marrying her to his son, but he marries her to his own father.There's such a strange twist. The girl is intelligent and is on her way to becoming a doctor. As luck would have it, the minister's son is also a doctor and the head of the police force. However, he's hardly a doctor; he's a daddy's boy, dim-witted, and a errand boy, killing when ordered. That's the kind of person he is. In the end, he dies too.
Our girl is a doctor and also a Gil Dong who helps the poor. She's good at archery; she hits her target.
Our prince is the king's brother. The king is constantly sedated, so he thinks he's ill. He believes so too. But after meeting the girl, he realizes this isn't the case. Because he mingles with the people, he learns about certain things, and he figures out that she's Gil Dong. Also, this treacherous minister has a son who is handsome and holds a position in charge of the police. She's also the daughter of a concubine. He resents her for this reason. He tells her, "What are you doing here? Go sit at home. You're the daughter of a concubine. What does this have to do with you?" He belittles her, but also belittles himself, and doesn't want her to join his family. He knows she'll be married to his grandfather, and the girl knows it too, but she doesn't speak up for her family's sake because it affects her father.

Ultimately, this Gil Dong girl and our prince fall in love. They solve the problems one by one. However, they can't get married. The boy is noble, the girl is a slave. Even this prince becomes king in place of his brother. They still can't get married because he can only be a concubine, not his wife. Therefore, in the end, their bond is revealed by a ribbon. They experience a spiritual exchange. It's believed this began when the girl saved the prince from drowning when he was about to drown at the age of 7-8. This is revealed at the end of the story. The prince abdicates the throne and marries the girl. Happy ending. This is my simplified explanation. Of course, the series is more complex. Those who like this type of thing can watch it as a lighthearted read. However, the actors are good. At first, I didn't see any chemistry. Because the male actors are young, and the female actor is older. The age difference is obvious. But you get used to it over time while watching. I found the actors successful. The men are young and handsome. They will be very good actors in the future. They show their potential. Their physiques are also very good. But I especially liked Ha Seok Jin, who played the King. He really improved in episode 15. He was excellent. He's become my candidate for Best Supporting Actor this year.

It's a drama you can watch without expecting too much.

Read More

I Did Not Like It

I'm hard-pressed to remember anything I liked about this movie. I guess some folks enjoy the real life unhappy ending shows, but I'm not one of them. Weird film. Twists and turns, just not the fun kind. And are we supposed to believe that the FL would still have a job if she were to show up looking like she did at the beginning of the movie? Doubtful. Oh, now I remember something that I thought was funny: When the leads are confessing to each over the walkie talkies it was fun (though unrealistic) to see their co-workers gathered together listening in and cheering. Then things go Korean and now all of a sudden the two social outcasts are further ostracized in the company cafeteria. Because they like each other. If only they could get away with a middle finger salute. But hey, I'm just your average rude American. what do I know?

Read More