Reviews

How many synonyms exist for "awful"? Use them all

This will be one of my short reviews. I realize that it's a waste of time to try to give all the reasons I didn't like something, so I prefer to focus on what I like and write long reviews for the dramas I loved. So from now on anything that gets less than a 7 gets a short review.

I thought it would be at least interesting or romantic or cute. It was none of these and the only way I can describe it is awful. How the heck does this have a 8.3 rating? I'm all for different tastes etc., but there's no way in hell this has a legitimate 8.3 rating.

The actor doesn't know how to act, he was already bad in other dramas, but here he wins the crown. His character was so stupid, so fake, so not suitable for him that I laughed instead of caring.

The FL was beautiful, al least in the first episode. Then she was so cringe and her acting so fake and over the op that I couldn't even find her beautiful anymore.

The village, another caricatured bunch of people that irritated me no end.

The story itself, a bad parody of every mafia stupid movie ever made. Not only I didn't care about any of the characters but I was frustrated that anyone thought this was a good premise for a rom com. Did he pay anything for being a bad person? Nope. That alone tells you that this should have never been a rom com script and that's where I draw the line.
To break the rules, you have to know the rules. Here there were no rules because simply there was no script, no captain at the helm. That Netflix gave this the green light is beyond understanding.

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Spies and Dramedy - Mr and Mrs Smith, Japanese style

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama — the   anticipated light comedy turned out to be a clever blend of social commentary, mystery and unexpectedly sharp action. If you enjoy Mr. & Mrs. Smith-style marital intrigue, watch without delay!  Be sure not to miss the sequel film on Netflix as well. It's outstanding.



Each episode explores a social or moral dilemma through a former heroine who cannot ignore injustice, against the backdrop of neighbours and their lives,  and a husband whose apparent naivety becomes increasingly intriguing. There were many thoughtful reflections on friendship, loneliness and  marriage.



Nishijima Hidetoshi delivers his signature understated excellence. His restrained performance adds depth to the later episodes and significantly enhances the overall impact of the drama. Watch out also,  for an amazing  performance by Ryoko Hirosue, famous for the classic 90s dorama Beach Boys.



If you appreciate Hidetoshi's work here, I highly recommend the 2021 film Drive My Car, the excellent series What Did You Eat Yesterday?, and his remarkable early performance in the 1993 college drama Asunaro Hakusho.



I hope this drama aI thoroughly enjoyed this drama—and I genuinely did not expect to. I went in anticipating a light melodrama about bored housewives, but what I discovered was a clever, addictive blend of domestic comedy, social commentary, mystery, and unexpectedly sharp action. If you enjoy Mr. & Mrs. Smith-style marital intrigue, this is well worth adding to your watchlist. Be sure not to miss the sequel film on Netflix as well.



Each episode explores a social or moral dilemma through a housewife who cannot ignore injustice, the people around her who require assistance, and a husband whose apparent naivety becomes increasingly intriguing. Beneath its entertainment value, the series offers thoughtful reflections on friendship, loneliness, marriage, and the roles women are expected to fulfill.



Nishijima Hidetoshi delivers his signature understated excellence. His restrained performance adds depth to the later episodes and significantly enhances the overall impact of the drama. Also outstanding was Ryoko Hirosue,  who is well known for her breakout role in the classic and much loved Golden Age dorama, Beach Boys. She has recently returned to her singing career. 



If you appreciate Hidetoshi Nishijima, I also highly recommend the 2021 film Drive My Car, the excellent series What Did You Eat Yesterday? and his remarkable earlier role in the 1993 college drama Asunaro Hakusho.



I hope this drama surprises you as much as it did me! For more Japanese drama and film recommendations, follow me on Instagram: @fumiyawagi

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The Romance Was Cute, but the Story Ran Out of Steam

# Review

The start was really strong and addictive, and I’m pretty sure this drama would have worked much better if they had kept it to 8 episodes instead of stretching it to 12.

The chemistry between Tae Ha and Eun Sae was really cute, and their relationship was probably the main reason I kept watching. But once it became clear that they loved each other, their relationship basically stopped developing. There was no more tension, uncertainty, or anything new that could keep me invested in them as a couple.

From that point on, the story started to drag. Watching Tae Ha trying to get out of the gangster world while Eun Sae slowly got her life back just wasn’t interesting enough to carry several more episodes. Those parts felt repetitive and much slower compared to the strong beginning.

It had a really promising setup and a couple I genuinely liked, but the story simply didn’t have enough material for 12 episodes. As a shorter 8-episode drama, I think it could have been much tighter, more engaging, and overall much better.

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Moving (2023) - I genuinely didn't expect it to be THIS good✨?

I genuinely don't know how to describe how good Moving was. This drama literally had everything I could ask for: action, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, romance, comedy, school life, family, politics, and even horror elements, yet somehow none of them felt randomly thrown in. The story was incredible, the pacing was almost perfect, and I genuinely can't remember a single episode where I felt bored or thought the show was dragging. Every episode felt like a short movie, and the execution was just insane. I started watching thinking it was going to be mainly about three superhuman high-school students, but the story kept expanding into something far, far bigger.

What absolutely blew me away was the parents' arc from Episode 8 onward. The way the story suddenly went backward and showed the lives of the parents was phenomenal. Jang Joo-won's entire life, from gangster to victim, secret agent, miner and eventually a chicken-shop owner and father, was unbelievable. Bong-seok and Hee-soo's parents weren't just "backstories" for the students. They were fully developed characters with their own histories, relationships, trauma, sacrifices and stories, and eventually everything connected back to the children. The storytelling became increasingly complex without ever feeling unnecessarily complicated. By the time the past and present finally collided, I was just sitting there like DAMNNN, what am I watching?! 😭🍿

For me, Moving is genuinely masterpiece tier. The world-building, lore, character development, relationships, action, emotional moments, and genre blending are all executed at an incredibly high level. Most importantly, it made me care about the characters, not just their powers. Bong-seok, Hee-soo, Gang-hoon and their parents all felt like actual people with lives beyond the plot. I gave the story 10/10, acting/cast 9.5/10, music 8/10, rewatch value 9/10 and overall 9.5/10. I completely understand now why this drama is considered one of the finest K-dramas ever made. Absolutely beautiful. ✨🍿

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It has the feel of five short interconnected tales strung together; it is really enjoyable.

If you have watched Justice Bao, you will be familiar with this kind of style: the same recurring cast featured in loosely connected arcs, driven by themes that honor moral virtue and family values.

I especially liked the stories of the eldest and youngest sons-in-law.

In the eldest son-in-law's arc, the wife had every right to be furious. A husband and wife are meant to share both joys and sorrows, yet he walked into a life-or-death situation without telling her. He showed filial piety toward his mother, but was downright cruel to his wife. This story delivers a great slap in the face to patriarchal society by having him sue his father for his mother's sake. The actor gave a solid performance, though he was a bit too skinny.

In the youngest son-in-law's arc, even though the lesson was harsh, it served as both restitution and a valuable reality check. One month would have been far too short, but one year was just right to truly test patience, virtue, and goodwill. The actor, Winwin, delivered a very charming and endearing performance.

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IT'LL BE THE BEST OF 2026 IF IT ENDS WELL.

The Road to Splendor is heading to a hall of fame if it can just land the ending perfectly. It has every sauce, spice and ingredients known to a good drama so far and only the gods of bad endings can ruin this.
So far, it has been a beautiful watch. We are seeing two strangers with no previous childhood relationships (still hoping I won't see one) grow not just in love but in life. Who says becoming a court official doesn't sap off life from your soul? Most historical c-dramas tend to bluff over this fact, thanks to the fortified plot armour their leads have. But it's different here, the ML is changing, he is becoming ruthless and has almost stepped out of his life as a salt-smuggler. A still recognizable feature of him is his unwavering love for his woman. I exceptionally like how he is written and portrayed because life is not a bed of roses. We change when life changes too.
As for the FL, she is IT! Cheers to more graceful, composed, strong, versatile, and wise portrayals of women in dramaland.

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The thrilling completion of a marriage

It gets you hooked from the get go! So many plot twist and an ending you do not see coming. I really enjoyed it, as always, Nam Goong Min killed it in his role. To me, the pace was right to, they are no boring episode. The more the story goes on, the more you question everything, even when you try to guess who really did it, you can't guess it. Kudos to the villains too. They were despicable til the end, lol. If you want some romance, skip it. Even though we actually have a loving husband ready to go to crazy length to save his wife, the focus is not on this side of their relationship. And to me, it's not a bad thing. The way the couple is does not call for lovey-dovey scenes. It wouldn't fit the show.
Definitely recommend to watch if you enjoy thriller and/or Nam Goong Min acting. ^^

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decent and entertaining drama

it was okay. i thought it was decent. its one of those dramas where you don't think too much about what you're watching lol i've learnt to lower my expectations and just wait and watch my 2 eps per week. i mean i was entertained throughout the whole airing and never missed a day. yeah there were times where the plot dragged on for too long, or was too rushed (or just a bad storyline lol) but it was good nonetheless and the main couple's chemistry was good.

all three couples were fun to watch. i liked yi jae and soo bin but idk sometimes this couple is just pure ragebait lolll soo bin needs to grow up fr. he makes horrible decisions, has the mind of a highschooler (perceives and romanticizes yi jae as how he did in highschool and even after 10 years, he still thinks the same...), and is just an annoying (sometimes red flag) bf tbh. i still can't believe yi jae forgave him so fast after the horrible event 10 years ago. like come onnnnnnn and this man comes back and acts like everything is ok?!?! bffr

second couple was really good. they had lots of chemistry and didn't have too many misunderstandings. it was really fun to watch them tgt. i loved watching oh ha na's character grow and with yu geon by her side (YEASSSSS)

third couple... it was okay... super rushed in the beginning and thought they were gonna be so good but then the side plot with the dating show?? like what even was that... it was so random and weird and well ig one couple needed to be mysterious lol and then the open ending??? like what even was all of that.

the plot twist was the best part of this drama. like i would have never guessed. it was so unpredictable, which made it so fun to watch and tune into for the next episodes. i was on my toes fr.

i also liked seeing the progression of soo bin's mom. i felt so bad for her character and im glad she got her happy ending.

there were some (a lot) of plotlines in this drama which were HORRIBLE but it was okay. i stayed consistent and watched my 2 eps per week and was satisfied. my expectations weren't high so this was a good drama for me 7.5/10

p.s. the ost has bangers. they did so good for this ost i luv it

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A Comedy That Forgot It Was Funny

This drama is a perfect example of why mixing genres does not automatically make a story richer.

It starts as a genuinely funny comedy with a great premise, strong physical humor, excellent timing, and Ha Yoon-kyung practically stealing every scene. Episodes 3 and 4 were particularly good; for a moment, I thought I was watching one of the funniest Korean dramas of the year.

Then the series decided it needed to be something else.

The comedy gradually disappeared and was replaced by endless schemes involving 17 billion won, corrupt politicians, an increasingly cartoonish villain, confrontations, betrayals, and plans to recover the money. A lot happens, but very little of it is actually interesting. Many of these confrontations simply reinforce information and motivations that are already perfectly clear, making the story feel increasingly repetitive rather than more complex.

That is the real problem: **the drama increases the stakes while decreasing the audience's reason to care.**

There is a redemption arc for the protagonist, and it works well enough. There are also some nice moments showing how his fake relationships begin to affect him emotionally. But none of this required abandoning the comedy that originally gave the series its personality.

By the final episode, the villains lose, the protagonist reforms, we jump three years into the future, he runs a legitimate auditing business, and the female lead has become a lawyer and joins the firm. There isn't even a conventional romantic payoff between them—which isn't necessarily a problem—but there is also very little emotional impact left by that point.

The drama isn't terrible. That's almost what makes it more disappointing.

It begins as something distinctive and ends as something completely generic.

Mixing comedy, crime, drama, romance and redemption can work beautifully when those genres complement each other. Here, they mostly replace one another. The series keeps changing what it wants to be until eventually it doesn't feel particularly committed to anything.

Episodes 3 and 4 showed how good this drama could have been.

The remaining episodes mostly showed how much personality it had lost along the way.

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Please Fall in Love with Me When It’s Foggy (2025) is a cute romance comedic miniseries with ML: Wang Nan (as Lu Xici) and FL: Jin Yana as (Xu Shuangjian) in the leading couple's roles. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple had great affinity and some impassioned romantic scenes. The genre on MDL is romance/drama but it had a good amount of funny and/or bizarre situations that border the ridiculous. Still, a couple of ML's familial characters and his assistant and friends are great and provide a comical relief after troubled situations. Overall, even if the female lead was clueless for a long time during the drama's duration, once she got a hint, she was sure that she also wanted to be with him. The leading couple was really good and, whether bickering, being funny or intimate, they were fantastic together.

In the meantime, you can watch the drama on YouTube under the caption: "She Thought She Was Just a Substitute, But After Divorce… The Ice-Cold Billionaire Can’t Let Her Go!" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb1B1rxk_Ug) or "【Mist Unveils Forbidden Flames】inxed Bride vs CEO Nemesis: Debt Duplicity, Love Rivals & Redemption!" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91oVuCp44lE)

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Falling Into This Drama! LOL!

Before Anything Else… Yes! You should watch it! It is a very funny, light hearted, adorable and fluffy drama. There is no hatred, scheming, villain, annoying plots or fall outs. It is simply a cheerful drama with strong sense of friendship, hard work, bromance and of course, romance. It can be cringe sometimes but mostly, it is cheerful than anything else.

The Only Weird Part — Korean Speaking
They show that the ML is fluent in Korean language, and there are also many times when he is having conversation with Korean esports players (unfortunately, even they are Chinese actors lol). But as someone who has learned Korean and watched hundreds of kdramas, their Korean conversations were very weird, awkward, and unnatural. The accent did not satisfy at all. Somehow, because it was bad, it felt lowkey funny.

Want more in depth review and rant, read here: https://medium.com/@qingye18/falling-into-your-smile-74d93833990f?sharedUserId=qingye18

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Should you watch it? YES!

The drama is just fun (like chaotic comedy, though not stomach twisting comedy) and then it gets thrilling. There is good amount of fun every now and then, I didn’t find a single boring episode. Once fun part progresses, the thrilling war/fight starts, people fall apart, some die, and in the end they succeed in protecting each other. I have to say, by the end, you’ll have the patriotic energy surging in you.

=> This is one of the first drama I have seen where the production team actually put an effort to show Female Lead disguised as a man convincing. Like YES!!!! I love it!!! This is how it is done.

=> Planning to watch this drama? Then try to take it slow, maybe like 1–2 episodes per day. This isn’t a drama you can binge watch in couple days. So, take your time and enjoy it. It has a lot of fun moments and I think watching such a drama for a long time will definitely bring you daily-joy.

=> The Chemistry of Main Leads
Initially, ML and FL have a hate-love relationship. They keep bickering and fighting. They are so chaotic and it is very fun. And they find comfort and friendship in this chaotic relationship they have. Later this chaotic friendship turns into love between two people who are busy protecting their nation and loved ones.

If you want romance, no, this is not a romance drama. Of course there is romantic story building as a by product. But the max you’ll get is a hug. There is no kiss scenes in this drama.

Read more of my in depth review and rant here: https://medium.com/@qingye18/arsenal-military-academy-a-2019-c-drama-set-in-1911-0893c0cf19e9?sharedUserId=qingye18

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This healing drama follows two people navigating their own personal and professional slumps, finding the courage to move beyond painful circumstances, and also finding love along the way.

It’s anchored by a classic underdog story about a high school boys’ soccer team that beats all the odds in pursuit of a championship win. The boys are funny and endearing, and many of them are also navigating their own struggles and heartbreaks.

The leads, Chen Jing Ke and Esther Yu, play the team’s coach and team manager. I wouldn’t say it’s a stand-out role for either of them, but both actors give heartfelt performances, and the progression of their characters’ relationship — from their battle of wits at the beginning to their professional partnership, mutual support, and growing feelings for each other — feels natural even though the romance isn’t the primary focus of the story.

It’s also nice to see Esther Yu in a role that’s a bit more mature and serious than the cute, bubbly types she often plays.

As the characters help each other face emotions like guilt, regret, and self-doubt instead of bottling them up, the series highlights the value of having community — family, friends, teachers/mentors — as a support during difficult times.

It’s a mostly feel-good series that I’d rate at an 8.5 — worth watching once for the heartwarming story and capable cast, but not a rewatch.

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A 50 Episode Weekend Drama in Disguise: All Over the Place & Too Little Episodes

I knew not to expect much when the AWARD WINNING movie by the ML that had everyone gagged was entirely AI. I could not stop laughing at this absurd premise in the beginning and it went downhill from there. This is the strongest support for why I dislike ensemble casts for 12/16 episode dramas. Reminded me a lot of Record of Youth (but somehow worse with weaker acting). Never focusing clearly on the leads and way too much screen time for supporting characters. A lot of people say they liked the beginning while others like the 2nd half. But I honestly never had much hope for this drama. From the start, the story was operating on a flimsy foundation:

- The Weak “Love Story”

The writer relies on these ~aesthetic~ flashback montages to establish how the leads like each other instead of SHOWING us how they fell in love. I felt no connection to their love story, and had no reason to root for them when all it took in their past was her pointing a camera at him + him saying “your dream is nice” for them to like each other. Then the present day too, I really don’t get why the FL even liked ML again after all that trauma she faced in the past because of her choices involving him + the way he barges in after 15 years. The ML at least had a very messed up physiological reason to like the FL, she being the only kind person in his life when he was being abused + his crazy family situation. I understand him forming an attachment to her (even tho it’s super toxic for him), but the FL honestly had no STRONG reason to want to get back together with him imo. The way he barged into her life like he didn’t go no contact for 15 YEARS when he knew where she worked, and immediately placed himself in a position of power over her is so weird too. The writers failed to make me want them back together cause I thought the whole relationship was toxic for them both, and not important enough for the FL. If the ex-boyfriend actor guy came back earlier and wanted to get back together, I don’t see any reason the FL would’ve refused cause the main couple’s relationship don’t seem grand and special enough.

-Got Back Together Too Easily/No Tension
I don’t understand why the writer moved so fast past the “will she forgive him and will they be back together” storyline in the beginning. It was personally the most interesting part of the story, I mean this is a second chance romance and we wanna see how they make their way back to each other. But it felt like only a few eps was spent on it, she just forgave him all of a sudden and they were all lovey dovey. There was really no internal tension in their relationship after that and they were just making movies happily?? All of the other problems after this were external like toxic parents, and whatever drama was happening with birth secrets and the other couples. Their love story seemed like a side character at that point.

- Interesting ML Character
I did like what they wanted to do with the ML’s character but couldn’t because of the 2 other couples + dozens of side characters I didn’t really care about. The ML worked and achieved his dream, all he needs is love but the FL never had that chance, they fundamentally have different ambitions in life, she don't see love as the first priority.
His inexplicable attachment to her was always unhealthy imo, and he treated her quite rudely because of it, disregarding her opinions. He only really likes her because she was the only kind person in his life when his family was crazy and he was being abused. He literally thinks she's the only reason for his happiness + the only way he'll be happy is with her, which is not healthy imo. But this did make for a really interesting ML who has to learn that being so attached and doing everything for the FL (like typical drama MLs), suffocating her, is not good. Unfortunately, focusing on a bunch of characters + 12 episode format didn’t allow for much development, and I was sad to see wasted potential

- Side Characters Should be Side Characters/This is Not a 50 Episode Weekend Drama

Another unpopular opinion is I didn’t really care for the 2nd couple even though they were cute. The 3rd couple too is so unnecessary. I miss older romance dramas that didn’t have insane ensemble casts and we had to sit through everyone’s pains and sob stories tbh, just the leads. The story felt like a weekend 50 episode drama that confused on all the characters, but we only have 12 episodes so they should trim it a little. I get having a cute 2nd couple but they took way too much of the story when they’re just as cliche (tortured famous star and humble supportive love interest), then the plot about the 2nd ML’s dad just felt extra, we could’ve developed the leads’ relationship more. The random ex boyfriend cameo when the FL is obviously not gonna leave the ML, creating fake conflict, also unnecessary.

- Chemistry/Acting
No one here stood out for me with acting. The leads especially, I think are just not very strong actors. I felt like I was watching the exact same character Hyeri played in Reply 1988 with the accent and being a bit of a goofy tomboy (I kept thinking I wanna watch that drama instead lol). Hwang Inyeop is himself as usual, having to look perfect in every shot. I didn’t feel like they embodied their characters or had SIZZLING chemistry. I’m no saint and do root for super toxic drama couples IF they have great chemistry, which didn’t happen here. I do think they could’ve had better chemistry if the characters didn’t get together so fast, we could’ve seen more of their past, and there was more tension tho. The only one I liked for acting was 2nd FL and her mother. The 2nd ML was just pretty with the same wide eyed look in every scene, which is good for him.

Spoilers
Unpopular Opinion: Her Going Abroad Made Sense (But the 12 Episode Format Messed It Up)

Even as someone who thinks this drama is incredibly boring and some storylines stupid, I think the FL going abroad was planned from the start and the writers didn't pull it out of their ass as a plot device. The ML was gone for 10 years and got to grow as his own person + learn filmmaking skills. Now it's the FL's turn to do the same. She chooses to stay on the bus this time VERSUS how she got off the bus, missed her film school exam because of him (yes she made the choice, I'm not blaming him, just that this is a contrast to her choosing him vs her dream) This makes perfect sense to me and naturally where the story was heading.

BUT the way they handled the tension and reunion after 2 years was very dumb, rushed, and I think the 12 episode restriction didn’t help. I see this breaking up and going abroad thing working so much better in the 12th episode of a 16 episode drama so they can develop their relationship properly in the remaining 4 episodes with the ML having a healthier mindset + the FL having accomplished what she wanted.


TLDR:
Overall, this wasn’t really THAT horrible for me cause I never had any expectations. I had some moments I was mildly entertained like the movie filming. But I watched this with an emotional detachment from beginning to finish, and don’t think I’ll ever think about it much after.

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