Reviews

Such a waste of idols drama

Wow a real disappointment. Ive been waiting for this since the announcement was made and mainly because of IU!! A total mess. I think there's an internal clash in creative output between the director and writer. I don't blame the actors because it's obvious they all tried. Completing it only because of IU& I like the antagonists' acting.

Don't make it sound like I'm too critical when the plotholes are many and too obvious. Can't blame the director solely because he has other good dramas in his portfolio but this one is plainly bad. Something is off but it doesn't reach the public's knowledge. Hence we get this mediocre production
As if they couldn't decide what they actually want to focus on. Too many storylines and then chaos. I was really enjoying it in the beginning but then as I said it became too messy - more drama than substance. Such a shame cause it could have been really good with this cast and the premise.

They couldn't bring back the Goong's glory,it had 2000's nostalgia protection lol. I bet if PC was in 2000's then probably it would've blown up lol

Read More

Verdict: Guilty (Pleasure)

This is my junk-food drama; I know it’s imperfect, but it’s MY imperfect drama. Objectively speaking, this is probably just an okay drama, but for me it’s strangely a favourite -- a guilty pleasure, if you will. I’ve rewatched it more than any other drama I’ve seen.

I would say it begins a little trope-ish, the characters are almost gimmicky. Such as Eun Bong Hee being ditzy or Noh Ji-wook having... to put it lightly, the worst temper. But the law and crime aspect twists it into something quite entertaining. The court room scenes are good (even if not super accurate), the cases are interesting and the unexpected (if you didn't read the description like me) murder plot keeps you entertained. Thankfully, they do develop the characters and give us some great dynamics later. For example, Bong Hee does gain more skills and tact as she progresses. She went from arguing her client wasn't a stalker essentially based on vibes (and ignoring the fact that he previously had a VALID restraining order placed against him) to playing a vital role in catching a murderer and solving other cases!
The interactions between all the characters were always a delight to watch too, we have some good tension between Ji-wook, Ji Eun-Hyuk and Cha Yoo-jung. The characters are the back-bone of this show, they’re almost all likeable. For example, Mr Bang is an absolute gem! He and Mr Byeon were comedy machines! Moreover, even though I am admittedly an extreme amateur in judging acting quality, I think the cast is excellent!

I can recognise the care that went into crafting Noh Ji-wook's role in particular. The actor who played him (Ji Chang Wook) seems to have specific mannerisms for the character that are very clear, but still natural. For example, when he’s thinking of how to answer a question he’ll touch or open his mouth, he also touches the bottom of his nose sometimes. Another thing he’ll do is, if he’s shy about saying, he’ll touch his ear, or if he’s holding his suit case he brings it close to his body in a defensive manner. And if he’s lying, he smiles —which i noticed he also does when interrogating people very often. Usually I can never notice what actors are really doing, so this stood out to me (and also makes me sound a little deranged, to be frank). Though… it’s probably attributable to rewatching this like four times. In general, I would say the show improves substantially from the beginning in most aspects, including production and writing.

I can also understand how this show can get frustrating, the first time I watched it there were plenty of things that irked me. After all, It’s essentially a situationship drama since they’re really in a situationship for more episodes than they’re actually in a *relation*ship for. Not to mention, when they’re actually together, someone's busy getting killed. Something that irked me in particular, is that Bong Hee is ridiculously oblivious --or even arrogant at times-- when the drama starts. She is very avoidant when dealing with issues, and that’s something she doesn’t entirely shake. A prime example is Bong Hee’s decision to lie to Ji-wook about why she didn’t want to be with him yet. It was selfish and compensating for her own guilt. I don’t agree with Ji-wook lying to Bong Hee about Jung Hyeon Soo either, but I especially hate that Bong Hee blamed it on him and then gets mad at him for doing exactly what she’s doing. She makes both of them feel equally as bad or worse for no reason. Though, I wouldn’t say it’s far off from what many other dramas used to do. If you’re someone who enjoys healthy communication in your dramas, this one will have you pulling your hair out.

However, one thing I will always hold a grudge for, is the unnecessary fight about a client hitting her husband over the head. That sounds strange out of context but this will make sense if you’ve seen it. It straight up feels like an assassination of the character they built up for Bong Hee. They had already brought back some avoidant and annoyingness towards the end, then they gave the the most unreasonable thing to be upset about. Then she asks: “why did we fight?!” that was you, that was literally 100% your fault. It frustrates me that they turned that moment into some “women are mysterious creatures, just say sorry or whatever!” stereotype (perhaps even bordering on misogyny) moment. Seriously, it shouldn’t have been like “why are all women like this?” especially when it was *one* specific person being "like that". Arguably, that also portrays some valid feelings as trivial. Sure, all the guys are caught out on it, but it was plain unnecessary. It added nothing, it just chipped that ceramic bowl of character development. Sure, the bowl's still usable, but the chip will always be there.

In general, the ending had some undue friction, their initial friction led to chemistry because it progressed into a tease. The friction they added later, was just watching a couple fight and feeling like you’re third-wheeling. I'm not entirely sure I want to feel like I'm uncomfortably seated at a restaurant watching the main couple's trivial fight, desperately trying to come up with an excuse to leave. It also just didn’t make sense. You’re trying to convince me a prosecutor can’t read facial expressions to figure out if his girlfriend likes an outfit? Meanwhile he’s been reading other facial expressions left and right the entire show? Next you’re gonna tell me I’m an optimist. Overall, they could have done with some editing down. That’s coming from someone who would watch a second season in a heart beat.

On another note, there were some thoughtful details I appreciated more after rewatching. Notably, I realised there was an overarching theme of (love and) loss in this, we are given examples of all the different ways loss affects different people. Some deal with loss with anger and violence like Jung Hyun Soo (of course, that is not to say he was justified at all. It just works as an explanation for how he got there). You could even say Bong Hee fits into this category initially. Some have reservations and push people away like Ji-wook. Others, like the psychic seeing his lover one last time, had optimism. There are also instances of hope, and regret, sprinkled in dynamics such as Cha Yoo Jung and Ji Eun Hyuk.

(❗️This part refers to more specific scenes of the show. If you have not completed the show, I especially recommend skipping this part❗️)
They also tend to directly parallel scenes. For example, Ji-wook’s “plead” for Bong Hee to like him was basically the exact opposite of the circumstances in Bong Hee's confession. In which, she ran to him in the middle of the night, unintentionally blurting out her feelings, and he responds “don’t fall for me”. In this later scene, he runs to her as the sun shines on the leaves foliage, casting shadows. He hugs her, and says “please like me now”; It’s the exact opposite. This happens again later when Bong Hee broke up with Ji-wook. Before that he said “even if I ask you to leave me, don’t leave”. Bong-hui breaks up with him by saying “even if you ask me to stay, I’m leaving”. Additionally, these pivotal moments (like his plead, the break up, then the proposal) often happen in the same spot, on that street filled with trees. I thought these were nice details to add, and really solidify how the characters themselves contrast each other.

There are some random things though, like… introducing a psychic then immediately killing him off? Hilariously unnecessary and unfitting in retrospect, but they definitely used it for some good comedy moments. I would say they also provide us with a lot of unintentional comedy. That includes:

1. Bong Hee fondly looking back on a memory of utter distress saying: “he tried to prosecute me ☺️ he demanded that I spend 15 years in jail 🥰 I keep falling for him 😍” I just can’t help but ask, they… couldn’t pick a different scene???

2. For some reason, there’s a theme of using worse versions of things they have better versions of. E.g., sleeping on the (squeaky grandpa) couch or a chair… right outside your bedroom door, watching tv together… on your laptop, when he probably has a tv. Why?

3. Speaking of that grandpa couch, IT’S EXTREMELY SQUEAKY!! I’m shocked they didn’t edit that out.

4. Also for some reason he seemingly has a star wars storm trooper in his house?!? Never mentioned in any capacity, I had to pause to double check what it was, but I promise it’s there. If I recall correctly, it’s most visible in the episode where he’s reinstated as a prosecutor and goes to get the robe out.

5. “Let’s never break up” and in the same episode “let’s break up” almost comical.

6. There’s a weird amount of fridge organising in this show, like both Bong Hee and Ji-wook do it??

7. The intro really does not fit this show because we go from this cutesy “and I know love… is stupid 🥰” song, to someone getting murdered

Overall, it’s an entertaining drama and I would say it’s very reminiscent of the time it was released. Trying to speak objectively, I think it’s quite enjoyable even if it is flawed. At the very least, you’re likely to enjoy the characters (especially the comedic relief characters) and the main murder storyline.

Read More

A Half Baked Hallmark Story

Perfect Crown is the type of KDrama that has come to define modern kDramas. big budget, big casts, but a script with zero impact, written by chatgpt.

Both of our leads, HJ and Prince Yi An, are two privileged adults who are mentally stuck in high school. The world only exists to hurt them. Our two second leads, PM and QM, are caricatures made to prop both the leads up. We are told Prince Yian is the best prince ever and not once is this supported by any on screen evidence. The drama is advertised as a marriage contract about a 21st century wife, and we do not see any of this play out.

The drama is like if someone took 50 top moments from the cringy romance webtoon you read as a teen and made it a drama, but forgot to add any details and proper plot. Every character has piss poor writing and arcs are nonexistent.

Now, to the general audience who are fine with consuming brain rot, they could enjoy this. But to anyone who wishes for 1% substance in their romance, two characters who actually are likable, this is not it for you .

Performances: Gong Seung Yeon stole the show. Utterly beautiful acting and the only believable character. Devious but stone cold in her resilience.

- IU: probably some of her worst acting but she was good on emotional scenes. I don't think she ever fully merged with HJ and I get it because HJ is very unlikable in general. That romcomy ditzy acting is hard and IU did not show this well

- BWS: not familiar with his past works but his performance was nothing good. The character of Prince Yian is just a Y/N level male lead ........the stone faced expressions and the constant shots to make him appear cool were beyond cringe.

-Noh Sang Hyun: a wonderful actor but a ridiculous character turn for him. His performance was great however.

Overall, this drama was just bad. You could watch a montage of their romantic scenes instead but the chemistry wasn't even that great for me to rewatch any of it. You're better off going and rewatching Goong.

3/10

Read More

Fun but Fell Short of its Potential

Perfect Crown started off strong. I’ve watched the first 4 episodes multiple times while waiting for the next one, I was that hooked. The entire cast did amazing, they really pulled off their respective roles. The chemistry between everyone really sparked the screen and it kept me going despite some disappointment with where and how the story is going. Honestly, the set up of the first few episodes really upped my expectations. They made both the main leads’ characters as these strategic (at least to me they had that effect in the first episodes), individuals but instead of coming off as strategic and being the one leading their story, they became the firefighters fighting all of the fires their enemies would set, they looked quite naive in some scenes, not what you would expect from the characters that they are playing. But that was more of a script issue than the actors’.

The other thing that got to me is the editing, there were a lot of scenes from the past and present that they would insert, and that would have been fine if it was all neatly tied to the story. Some foreshadowings could have been a red herring to confuse the viewers, but I just view it as loose ends and weak story telling. I feel like they could have used a couple more episodes to tie every bit of foreshadowing they added.

Overall, Perfect Crown brought me back to the K-Drama land, I enjoyed watching it, I had fun reading theories from other viewers, and I would still rewatch it but I wouldn’t take it too seriously.

Read More

Elegant, Emotional, and Addictively Slow-Burn

The Prisoner of Beauty delivers a compelling mix of political intrigue, emotional restraint, and slow-burn romance.

What worked best for me was the atmosphere and character-driven storytelling. The relationship between the leads is not rushed at all — instead, it is built through tension, duty, misunderstandings, and moments where they consistently choose restraint over confession. This makes every small shift in their dynamic feel meaningful.

The way the male lead slowly begins to lower his emotional guard, especially in moments where he quietly protects her despite political pressure, adds a lot of depth. The female lead’s strength is also written in a very grounded way — she does not fall easily, and even when feelings are clearly there, she continues to prioritise survival and strategy over emotion.

There are several standout moments where their feelings are almost exposed but held back at the last second, which actually makes the romance more intense than if it had been openly declared early on. Their connection is built more through silence, glances, and sacrifice than words.

The political layer also ties into their relationship well, especially when trust becomes uncertain and both are forced to question loyalty versus emotion. Some of these conflicts are where the emotional weight of the story really peaks.

The downside is a slightly uneven pace in the middle, and a few subplots that feel like they could have been tightened or resolved more cleanly. At times, the political threads slightly dilute the emotional focus.

However, the ending and overall emotional payoff still make the journey very satisfying.

In the end, this is a very elegant, slow-burn historical romance with depth, restraint, and a relationship that lingers long after finishing.

Read More

MORE LIKE PERFECT DISSAPOINTMEMMT OF THE YEAR

woooo writing this pains me because it’s literallyy my favourite actor and actress in this shit show. But k gotta say the truth. They should never ever let the person who wrote this pick up the pen again I’m damn serious . Chat GPT would have even given me a better plot than whatever this was


I defended this drama up to episode 4 that’s when I noticed it has no substance just IU and Wooseok carrying but it was so shit that it made them look like horrible actors that if this was my first drama of them I would definitely never watch anything they are in again.

Really tried to overlook a lot but then every second of this shit show had some thing to over look.

I wanted to rate it a 1 but coz my favourites are in it I give it a 4 but honestly they should have kept it in the archives and never released such atrocious performance. uuuurgggh im so mad

Read More

Honestly shocked by the bad reviews, this show is amazing

I watched this a long time ago and have rewatched it three times since, but I hadn't gotten around to writing a review until now. This was one of my very first Korean dramas, and it opened up a whole new world for me to explore. I am really shocked by the number of bad reviews this show has on MyDramaList because I loved everything about it. Even after watching many other K-dramas now, this is still my absolute favorite.

Song Kang (as Jung Gu-won) plays a demon who despises humans—though you find out the reason for this later on—and has been making deals with people for their souls for a very long time. He meets Do Do-hee, played by Kim Yoo-jung, the successor of the Mirae Group. Because of her position in that family, she is mostly met with envy, hatred, manipulation, and scheming plots by the other members to prevent her from taking any real power. Her relationship with Joo Cheon-sook, the leader of the Mirae Group (played by Kim Hae-sook), is the only warm connection she has.

As events unfold, Jung Gu-won and Do Do-hee become deeply entangled with each other. The story itself is refreshing; even though there are other shows about demons or the devil, like the American series Lucifer, the plot and lore behind My Demon feel brand new and well thought out. There are no senseless or wasted moments in this drama; the story makes perfect sense all the way through its 16 episodes. It is also unpredictable, unlike some other dramas where you can see the twists and plot points coming from a mile away.

The acting is brilliant. Song Kang plays a very convincing demon and brings so much emotional depth to the role. The cold, arrogant demon we meet at the start changes a little more with every episode. As a viewer, the more you learn about his past, the more you start to understand him. The fact that Song Kang can take the viewer along on this emotional journey proves he has brilliant acting skills. I have seen him in other K-dramas, and I think he is amazing.

Kim Yoo-jung also plays her role as the Mirae Group successor perfectly. She makes for a very convincing hardened, strong-minded, and battle-ready Do Do-hee. Her emotions are perfectly executed in every scene, allowing you to fully understand how she became this person and how she changes as the story unfolds.

The chemistry between Jung Gu-won and Do Do-hee is amazing, and we definitely have the lead actors to thank for that. Many actors fail to deliver this level of connection even when the scripts are well-written, but Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung truly make it work. As a viewer, you end up rooting so hard for this couple. Lastly, the rest of the cast did a great job, the visuals are beautiful, and the music was incredibly well-chosen.

Read More

Beautiful OST, Great Acting, and Sweet Justice for ML

The acting is very good. The OST is beautiful and makes me want to hear it again and again. The actors are also handsome and beautiful, especially knowing Zhao Lusi is playing in it. The story is actually good too, though some parts are not really my cup of tea.

There was a part when the ML’s indecisiveness led to the FL suffer. But because of that, somehow, a sense of satisfaction built up in me knowing the ML will regret it like : yeah, serve you right, that’s what you get, ML, because of your actions, just regret it for life.

But overall, the story has a happy ending, so it’s okay, and later the FL becomes powerful again because she returned to her own identity.

Read More

Your Dear Tea Farm that went off the tracks episode 5

Overall: from the trailer I thought this would be spicy, from episodes 1-4 I thought this was a slice of life but then in episodes 5 and 6 it became a soap opera. Based on a book which I haven't read and I am reviewing the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/your-dear-daddy-episode-1-v94mtn7i5g?lang=en_us

Content Warning: non con picture taking/sharing, past (intimate partner abuse, suicide), mental health struggles, attempted murder, blood, beaten up

Watch Suggestions (to focus more on the m/m couple and less on tea farm life)
- watch episodes 1
- episode 2 skip 20:20-24, skip 40:10-46
- episode 3 watch 18:15 to 20:40 and 40:15-45
- episode 4 watch beginning-1:25, 11:30-17:50, 22-35, 37:15-45
- skip episodes 5 and 6

What I Liked
- Saitharn knew what he liked in the first episode
- easy to understand premise
- get to see Fluke again!

Room For Improvement
- comedy sound effects did not make things funny
- this was sold as a romance but the leads didn't talk until 18 minutes in of episode 3 and only had a few minutes together for the entire episode, suddenly it veered into lakorn territory in episode 5

Read More

What it says on the tin

I came late to the whole Wooju Bakery hype so I only had to wait like a month for this to come out. I understand how people could feel disappointed with the show given the amount of delays, hype and time it had surrounding it.

Saying that, I think the hate this show is receiving is unnecessary.
Is it high budget? No
Is the story line all over the place? Yes
Are there cuts and missing scenes everywhere? Also yes

BUT! Having seen the trailer many times before the show aired, it never came across as a show to be taken seriously. It's camp, silly and just fun to watch. There's not really any drama, no difficult plot line to follow and plenty of moments to cringe and facepalm at. Jeff and Barcode's chemistry, like always, is phenomenal. The casual playfullness and softness that they bring to Raon and Wooju is a breath of fresh air after the heartbreak that is KimChay.

I am so glad that Studio on Saturn fought for compensation for the cast and crew, and that this show was finally able to air. It's going to be something I rewatch when I need some happiness. I'm also glad that Jeff and Barcode were able to work together again, and I cannot wait to see what happens with Happy Ending!

TL;DR - Is it the best executed show out there? No. But it's fun to watch and brings a happiness that we all need, especially with how the world is right now.

Read More