Reviews

Long time quite wondering about this short advertising. Finally today i decided to watch this...

Story about a girl, who dream to get boyfriend & be kissed. One day she help a woman [Choi Ji Woo (JW)] that turn out fulfill her wildest dream. She 'dream' & get a 'taste' of 7 different man that like her. These man in her mind / memory are an actor/model, but in the 'dream' their not, only Lee Jong Suk the 6th story that's still as a celebrity.

She get to experience dating these 7 man & slowly learn who she is in their life... But when she's about to kiss them, she 'wake up' from the 'dream'. And only after the 6th man, JW told her to pick one and continue with her life in that choice....

So what will you do / choose if you are Min Soo Jin (SJ) and get a 'taste' of meeting ur dream celebrity that's now also ur man... ^^

Overall this really one interesting advertisement short drama. Even though adv, i can't really say they talk about the mall too much. Just enough here & there. So, in my opinion, we can really enjoy this simply as a short drama...

Below I'll write a little bit about each story. But that's also mean SPOILER ALERT!!! So read it with ur own risk!!!












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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1st story. Lee Joon Gi. "Childhood connection"
* The story about the store manager who ask SJ out after her shift ended. Turn out this store manager know her from quite sometimes, they knew each other since childhood & he longed like her & want to confess.
> in my opinion he's a little bit like stalker, that made into romance cause he's handsome & rich. U imagine this man have collection of ur photo every year & that's took without we realized it... If he ugly & we're not watch romance scene, that's actually kinda creepy....

2nd story. Park Hae Jin. "Dangerous Boss"
* The story about the boss who called SJ to his office & just asks her to overwork with him, but turn out they only eat dinner. After eating, when SJ tried to clean the office she finds photos of her, those same pictures were in an envelope that's placed in her locker. Terrified by her boss, she run just to encounter the real creep who took her photo & later the boss who actually save her.
> This ok story. They're not begin from the middle story & I've no complain about it.

3rd story. Ji Chang Wook. "Dangerous world".
* The story about secret agent that infiltrate underground world, but he got caught & branded as traitor. In this story, SJ also turn out as a secret agent. She can fight like she used to it.
> This story begin in the middle. & quite weird actually how fast SJ can grab the reality & get used to it. From all the story, this is the most dangerous one...

4th story. Kai. "I'm your teacher"
* Story about SJ as chinese teacher that's got confession from her student.
> This story also begin in the middle, SJ herself shock at first when she find out she can speak chinese fluently. But the forbidden fruit between teacher & student, sometimes is so tempting... ^^

5th story. Ok Taec Yeon. "The millionaire"
* Story about SJ as a girlfriend of a millionaire heir. Of course as common girl, she got rejected by his family, but turn out he's willing to give everything up just to be with SJ.
> This story also begin in the middle. And are u ready to go against the world with ur man?

6th story. Lee Jong Suk. "The celebrity"
* Story about Lee Jong Suk that's will shoot adv for TV Commercial & SJ is the lucky employee that's got selected to be paired with him. Very nervous with big celebrity beside her, first make every move that's SJ did so ackward & wrong. But later she get the hang of it & even befriended Lee Jong Suk himself.
> This story begin from the beginning. But are u ready to have celebrity as ur man...?

7th story. Lee Min Ho. "The Adventure writer"
* Flying to heaven with all the man above make SJ head over the moon. So when Lee Min Ho comes to her desk, she already so big & imagine the wildest thing about their connection. But turn out it's all just vain & he just plainly a visitor that ask for direction.
> Even though this story start with ackward feeling, but for me this the most grounded story above all & I definitely can relate to this... And if I was SJ, I'll pick this story.

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TIME TRAVEL DONE WELL: BEST UNDERRATED 2024 !

i love timetravel\ superpower shows but too often they r not well executed... so let me tell you about this gem as a lover of this genre! no spoilers!

so for 'atypical family', the synopsis looked interesting , about superpower family in modern times... i love a modern time magical universe , but i am almost always disappointed in the weak plots (like the recent destined with you T_T) The bar was already low for me haha!
So... even if the poster looks cringe, EVEN IF THE first episode was absolutely funky and almost incredilous... i gave it a chance...

still not much hope except WAW! we discover layers in this story and the imagery, plot, dialogue , characters and cinematography and ost are alll cherry on cake. every passing minute in the early episodes was brilliantly orchestrated to build an amazing setting. this shows doesn't try to overwhelm the viewer with superfluous drama or impress, its just a brillant world that imposes itself!

WHAT I LOVED!
>all characters are flawed and nuanced (if not crazy, the title 'atypical' fits really well ) and they are all given space in the show!

> main leads really shine in this ! FL is among my fav characters ever now! imperfect but so much growth and nuance, she made me think of the movie 'the travellers wife'

> the superpowers bring great reflections on our own lives. their powers and loosing them are lessons we can appreciate during the show. so much imagery in the show!!

> THE LAWS OF TIMETRAVEL ARE SOLID& consistant ( except one minor detail)

> they brought up free will & predetermined destiny concept very well

>all secondary elements are also very enjoyable.

>nothing was superfluous or looked like a filler plot except the ad placement LOL

> the intruigue reveal did not disappoint!

> THE PLOT IS SO WELL TIED TOGETHER ITS A MASTERPIECE!

LESS LIKED:
i really liked all except some writer manipulation to withhold information. don't forget its a show about the seen & unseen, past & future!! most often its done well, but sometimes its a bit much
Also ML often looks like a fool , not that it's a bad thing, (bc it fits with his problem ) but it felt a bit much sometimes.

ALL IN ALL:
the attention to detail in the writing and execution shines in every episode. i hope we get to see more of this world!! PLEASE RENEW THIS GEM T_T

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Lost and Found.

Set in the 1990s, this is a riveting suspense thriller about three teenage boys who go missing on a dark and stormy night. Three years later, Xiao Qi, a pick-pocket is caught and identified as one of the missing boys. He is reunited with his grateful family but he does not seem quite the same and claims to have little memory of what transpired three years ago. This revives the investigation of the old case, with Wang Shitu leading the investigation. His investigation shines a spotlight on human trafficking rings. His search is painful and personal as his son has been lost for more than a decade. As the investigation advances, he gets to know Xiao Qi and the Jin family and more questions emerge as to what really happened that fateful night.

This drama does a terrific job building suspense, planting the seeds of many credible explanations with each frightening new reveal. Mystery buffs will enjoy trying sorting through all the lies to pull all the pieces together. The first villain's confession however was not convincingly obtained and that case is too hastily tied up to focus on the final villain. There are too many confessions obtained using this same threat of shaky evidence against a loved one. Even though a shadowy image of the main villain and what must have happened emerges early on, the cat and mouse of pinning them down is riveting. This is one of the most layered, selfish, manipulative and just plain evil sociopaths I have seen in a long time. What is truly scary is their motive is vile but understandable; that this is easily something someone, anyone is capable of doing simply because they want what they want badly enough. The final solution however is somewhat anti-climatic; there are many more interesting ways this could have played out. There are also a fair number of plot holes and loose ends.

The strongest and most moving aspect of this narrative is not the mystery but the relationships that evolve around it. The mother and the father who lost a child and the unimaginable and continuing pain that they endure. And the lonely boy that was lost and found, and how through all this mess they somehow manage to heal a small part of each other. With this kind of cast, I don't have to praise the acting. Zhang Songwen and Rong Zishan's chemistry is well established and as expected, they deliver in spades and make me root for them every step of the way. But the most surprising and distressing performance is Guo Keyu's portrayal of Bian Meizhen's confused longing for her lost child and her devastating moments of awareness.

Overall, the mystery plot is good but does not live up to its early promise and is not as tight as could be. But the character arcs are superbly done and the ending is perfect and brilliant in the most realistic of ways. This is a highly recommended 8.5/10.0.






ENDING SPOILER COMMENTS





Doudou was a red herring from the start and considering the theme of this story is lost children, it is no surprise that there is no fairytale ending. Nonetheless, Wang Shitu does not give up and continues to look. This kind of story is not easy to write or to end in a way that acknowledges and respects the suffering of victims of child trafficking. Jin Manfu is the manifestation of what must be every parent with a lost child's worst nightmare. But this story also reminds us that there are Wang Shitus and Bian Meizhens in this world who can still open a corner of their hearts. And that maybe they can also find some solace by opening a small part of their hearts. The only small bone the drama throws the audience is Doudou probably ended up in a family with a dog and where he is much loved and may one day still be found.








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Unpredictable progression; cliche writing

She took her revenge in the most humane way possible, and it was still somewhat satisfying. The group of friends were actually snakes so their own consequences let to their downfall. She never stooped as low as the perpetrators, didn't resort to violence, and mainly took revenge smartly rather than impulsively.

The folks who left her so messed up in her teenage years that she lived just to take revenge? Yeah, she dreamed up all sorts of delightful ways to make their lives a living nightmare. No limits, no boundaries—she basically wanted payback with interest which made me think this will be gruesome, violent, wild and scary but it wasn't, so it turned out a bit disappointing.

✔️ The story's progression remained unpredictable, but the perpetrators' side was too dull and bland.

✔️ Song Hye Kyo and Im Ji Yeon acting was extremely on point and impressing, whenever they were together I used get chills, especially Ji Yeon, girl scared the living shit outta me.

❌I get that the director/ writer wanted to play the psychological game, but it was too weak imo, considering the preparators never once regretted their horrendous acts. I think the writer didn't want to put FL as a bad person o r make her commit crime.

❌In the present, the perpetrators were very weak and easily overpowered by the FL, this was the very reason, I felt, their characters were one-dimensional.

The romance, subtle, that's how it was supposed to be, though I felt that even if ML's character had been completely eliminated, the plot wouldn't have been affected much but he was the typaa of rainbow-sunshinee person she wanted in her life.


Overall, I still enjoyed, it's great for a binge, and the actors acting is captivating as well.

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could this be the worst kdrama in 2014?

First off, this is my opinion. If any of you liked the drama, then good for you. Just respect the fact that not everyone liked it

This drama made me wonder if Korean elite really lived like that. Seriously, students who rule the school, so much so that the teachers are afraid of offending them??? Be that as it may, the extravagant display of wealth i.e. helicopters, chauffers, butlers, etc... was just a bit too much for me.

I though that this story revolved on bullying but the sub-stories easily overpowered this notion. The FL, while visually pretty, was nothing short of irritating, Blank expression from start to finish... MEH... I hated her character really. The way she avoided her ex BF would make you think that the guy did something MAJORly bad. But loh and behold.... it ended up that she was "protecting" him. Seriously, what kind of storyline was that. Protecting him from the fact that she got pregnant and miscarried? Very lame.... This show was literally children playing grown-ups by making common life problems a BIG issue.

And Hera? From bitchy BFF, it felt rushed how she turned a 360 sympathizing with the FL.

This story has just too many flaws and I wholeheartedly agree with anyone who gave it a low rating.

Not to belittle the efforts of the cast and crew, but this really was such a waste of airtime on Netflix.

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Sigh, what is there to say

This is going to be a review focused on events and behaviors rather than individual cast members.

Recommend For: Anyone who likes relationship Drama with an emphasis on the capital “D”, complicated relationships, playing detective/armchair psychologist (I do not mean this in a derogatory way at all—I dabble in both), or learning healthier relationship dynamics (in this case, a lot of it from a what NOT to do perspective lol)

Do Not Recommend For: Anyone looking for a “feel good,” “peaceful,” “not like other dating shows” program. If that’s what you are looking for, drop after episode 3

Okay. Wow. This show started off very peaceful, very heartfluttering, very soft. And ended the complete opposite. It will give you whiplash and, depending on which couples you are rooting for, you may even feel very depleted/down/anxious in real life after certain episodes.

The showmakers did a great job creating storylines—the middle section (before Singapore) dragged a bit but things really picked up once they were in Singapore (the last few episodes). Lots of drama, lots of twists, lots of building up mystery of what certain contestants will do. I think this show went from “Oh yeah, it’s obvious who will pick each other at the end” to “Hmm, this could really end in three+ different ways.” So that element of it is great.

The showmakers tried to make it a heartwarming, deep show, but unfortunately it ended up being a messy drama due to two castmembers being very confused and confusing. Literally, there is no one on the show the two didn’t confuse at one point or another. So I really don’t blame the showmakers for how the show turned out. They did a phenomenal job crafting the familyvibe and making space for the siblings to show love for each other and acknowledge each other in a way that family sometimes forgets to do in regular life. A good reminder for all of us to let those we appreciate know how and why we appreciate them.

Moving on to the main bit: I think this show should be shown in high school health class (remember the healthy relationships module?) because there is SO MUCH to learn. From this show, I’ve become more mindful of:

• Words
o There are times when a castmember is sensitive to words they receive, but then turn around and dish out hurtful words too (not on purpose, probably just didn’t think carefully about the impact of their words or thought they were making a joke when it wasn’t actually funny). It makes me reflect on things I’m sensitive about others doing but excuse when I myself do the same thing.
• Clarity
o Confusing people is hurtful and causes harm over a longer period of time than just telling the truth. Rip the band aid off once instead of tugging at it over and over. From watching the cast, I also learned key things to look for if I suspect someone is being insincere or playing with my emotions:
 Are they clear? Can I ask them a yes/no question and actually receive a yes/no?
 How do I feel when they speak to me? Do I feel anxious, confused, and like I’m always having to *guess* what they’re thinking?
 Do our conversations go anywhere or are they in circles and jumbled?
• Walking Away
o Part of maintaining healthy relationships is knowing when to walk away. I realized that even if all the butterflies and attraction are there, sometimes it is best to just cut the relationship off at the very beginning if it’s already creating anxiety, negative tension, huge yo-yo-ing of emotions. I realized that I personally just want something peaceful and calm, that makes me feel good without the unnecessary anxiety over whether my partner actually likes me or not. Of course, the castmembers are in a situation where they have a limited set of people to pursue for a period of time, so I don’t at all mean this as a dig at any of them who chose maybe not the healthiest connection.
• Values
o Having similar values means you can share a similar foundation. If I’m liberal but my partner is conservative (in terms of family roles, expectations of behavior, etc) it may require a little extra attention to make sure we both feel healthy and supported. There are some differences in values that will prevent a relationship from being healthy and fully supportive of all sides, no matter how wildly the partners love each other.
• Self Care
o Dating when you haven’t worked through your own traumas and issues can mean that your defense mechanisms, built in response to trauma, can hurt your partner. I don’t think I have to be “perfect” before I get into a relationship, but I will definitely be working on my communication and processing. I noticed a lot of pain came from a castmember keeping everything inside and only at the last minute expressing their real feelings (even to their sibling!), when it easily could have been avoided by saying something like “Hey, I’m interested in you but I’m also a little confused about if my feelings are real interest or just fleeting. I want to find out if it’s based in something real and want to let you know about my current confusion so you can make the best of your time here as well.”
o It is impossible to please everyone. Be yourself, be honest (but not curel) with your thoughts and feelings, and you will build a community that supports who you really are as a person.

Anyway, very long review. I didn’t want to write too much about my thoughts on the psychology and behavior of the individual castmemebers (although, believe me, I have a LOT of thoughts, and have shared a lot of it in the comments already lol) since we all interpret their behaviors and character differently, but wanted to instead focus on what I took away from the show. I appreciate the dating programs that also, through the cast, provide insight into a healthier way of creating, maintaining, evolving, or ending relationships.

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Worth a watch

LIKE

How Mi Yue showed her authority in front of ministers

How Prince Ji was impressed by Mi Yue on several occasions one when she was facing the military generals

When Mi Yue's brother (King of Chu) still had a heart not to harm his own kins

What Ying Si did for Mi Yue that he had never done in the past

When Mi Shu was guilty of what had happened to her own son and Mi Yue still helped her

The moment when Mi Yue looked back and realised she still in love with her own country

DISLIKE

When the couple I shipped were unfated to be together

MUSIC

Man Yue 滿月 - Chen Si Si 陳思思

REWATCH VALUE

Yes absolutely worth it.

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How to fall for scammers: Bok Family edition

I started watching this drama because of the superpower aspect of the drama. I was curious about how they lost them and what special thing Da Hae will do so they regain them. Let's just say it almost fell short.

Our Atypical family has five members: Grandma (Bok Man Heum) who is the family leader and has precognitive dreams, Grand dad (Eom Soon Gu) who serves as the family pillar and a normal guy, Dad (Bok Gwi Ju) our male lead who can travel to the past and the supposed family gym runner, Aunt (Bok Dong Hee) who is a former model and can fly and the Daughter (Bok Ina) who is shy and introverted and can read minds. They all, well 3.5/5, suffer from "modern-day problems" like insomnia (grandma), bulimia (aunt), depression (dad) and smartphone addiction (daughter-she is the 0.5). I think I-na just needed a little more adult care and some therapy, then she would've been fine. They are all struggling to use their powers because of this alleged problems but spoiler, it's not, it's because they aren't happy. See, this family merely coexists with each other under the same room with grand dad trying his best to keep everything afloat. Enter Do Da Hae. She alongside her "adoptive" family run cons to get money to pay off her late dad's debt and the Boks (quick question: why didn't they take their dad's surname?? I digress) are the latest targets.

At first it seems like it will work seeing as they are practically beyond repair. But because of her fixation on playing wife and healing them, she unintentionally drags them out of the slump, and injects some happiness into them, thus curing them. She also helps them reconcile and finally care for each other thus mending the family. And she also falls in love putting the plan at risk because conflict of interest. Our unexpected second couple comes from Ina and her school crush who notices our invisible girl as much as she tries to stay hidden. He has her back and always makes her feel important.

This drama was a fun but mostly frustrating watch. Ngl, until like ep 6 ish, I was struggling to figure out how I feel about it. I was serving an interesting mid if I could say. There's fun moments and painfully obvious clichés. Not to mention the main couple's romance being outshone by the Kids. I won't talk about how the writer gaslighted (?) us into rooting for the main couple's romance after all the things Da Hae did to manipulate them or even how Ina's supposed friend turned best friend turned BULLY was just not happy about her not talking which is why she humiliated her like that..😑😑🙄🙄.
Not the biggest fan of the ending because it just raised more questions and I wish our young couple deserved more screen time.

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“Open Your Eyes”

Well, it is true that Maya’s lessons are realistically needed for the future of the students and how they would navigate their surroundings in the future. The narrative of the story where it focuses on Maya prioritizing her students mainly causes a heartwarming touch to the narrative. But most of the time and episodes, gave me an unsettling and uncomfortable watch. Mainly because the drama focuses on the harsh truth of society brought upon to these growing children. The system is insensitive, unhealthy, and encourages bashful eye-opener for the sake of learning. Nevertheless, the ending made me shed many tears, especially because school/youth dramas are my cup of tea.

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