Reviews

Unlike my fellow reviewers so far I happened to like this drama. Although it is very slow at the beginning and it is not Matsumoto best drama. They rest of the cast makes up for this. You can relate to Shiori's struggling with the loss of her husband and being a single parent but also with her developing feelings for Taiga against her better judgement. Not to mention the kids who play in this completely steal the scene and you can't help but love them. I would recommend you atleast give it a try. It's only 10 episodes sometimes the things people say are the worst end up being the best thing you've ever seen. It's all a matter of opinion. Best of luck! Have fun watching!

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My Mini Back-Story:

It was late and I was bored, so I didn't have time for a new drama. Hence, I went ahead and looked for a movie in my "to watch" list. Ta-dah!

Storyline:

The storyline is in no way original. I've seen this happen in several melodramas before. It felt like a deja vu. Nonetheless, it was heartfelt and touching overall.

So if you're ever in a mood for another melodrama-I've-seen-it-before with good acting, then here is what Only You has to offer...

a) Looking for cute couple or nice feel romance? Here is the right place! I thought our OTP worked really well together. I've long overused the phrase "they complement each other". Though, it's true! That phrase applies here too. I also loved our two leads' complexity, but I wish they delved more into their dark pasts.

b) Sports/Fights. Want to see some MMA? Check this out. There are quite some worthy cringing gory scenes.

c) Willpower. I love how Han Hyo Joo's character, Jeong Hwa, is always so optimistic/cheery despite her circumstances. It was inspiring. Han Hyo Joo always lights up my mood.

d) Good pacing. I didn't find that it was too slow at any point. I wouldn't say perfect pacing either, but it never bored me.

e) Funny moments. Not laugh out loud moments, but I did chuckle a few times at the beginning from our OTP interactions.

If you're an avid drama watcher like me, then you've probably seen this storyline from somewhere before. Though, it's not done badly. It just wasn't something that blew me away.

Acting/Cast:

Great acting from Han Hyo Joo and So Ji Sub. Actually, the movie's strongest point goes to the acting.

This is the first time seeing Jyo Hoo in a movie and she gave a good impression like always. Though, I hope she won't stop acting in tv series.

She acted really well as a blind person. The way she looked at Ji Sub's character, Cheol Min, was really expressive. The same applies for Ji Sub. The way he marveled at her makes me believe that he truly loves her. They're both very expressive actors.

Though, the acting wasn't phenomenal. I've seen them act better in previous projects. Not to say that they didn't excel here, but it wasn't anything new.

I wish they delved more into the main characters' minds. I felt like I never understood them inside-out. I still had some lingering questions at the end about our main characters.

Music:

The songs were pleasing to my ears/heart while watching the movie. I especially liked the instrumental ones playing during the scenes where Cheol Min was boxing.

Truthfully, I don't remember much about the songs as soon as the movie ended.

Bonus:

Puppy/Dog!!!

Overall:

Nothing jaw-dropping or mind-blowing.

If you want something simple/slightly tearjerking/enjoyable then watch this. Other than that it's not a must-watch. If you're a fan of Han Hyo Joo (like me!) or So Ji Sub then this movie will definitely not disappoint you.


Overall rating for review: 7/10

Purely for entertainment: 8.5/10

My Dramalist rating (avg): 7.75/10

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This is a drama that does not fit simply into one category. I'd say Padam Padam is equal parts love story, tearjerker, crime drama, and supernatural tale. It combines all four genres seamlessly, and every moment of it felt genuine. I think much of the credit should go to the outstanding cast. I also liked that the director made some interesting storytelling choices that kept me engaged. This drama may not be fast paced, but it's originality stopped me from ever being bored. It was also consistently good. Not one of the 20 episodes felt like filler/unnecessary to me... and I think that's rare.

I can't think of one bad actor in this cast. Jung Woo Sung, as Yang Kang Chil, was intense, and very moving. Han Ji Min, as cool/controlled Jung Ji Nah, was his perfect counterpart. Their relationship had all the familiar elements (opposites attracting, destined path crossings, and family disapproval...) but without simply relying on clichés. My only small criticism is that they had some of the worst onscreen kisses I've ever seen, though the rest of their romantic moments more than make up for it. It could be argued that their awkwardness fit the story, but I just found it distracting. Their romance was portrayed as much deeper than a few cute moments, so I do have to give them a lot of credit for that.

Of the exceptional supporting cast, I have 3 favorites. Na Moon Hee, as the mother, was a really great character, and expertly played. Choi Tae Joon, as the son, was the only character that made me actually cry. Kim Bum, as the charming yet odd Lee Gook Soo, was my absolute favorite. His character's journey was so awesomely unexpected, and he did an amazing job with it.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a tearjerker, but there are plenty of funny, sweet, intriguing, and inspiring moments too. Some aspects of the story are left open ended, but that didn't bother me at all. I thought the end episode was beautifully done, and gave me all the closure I needed. I can't agree that this drama is perfect, but It is certainly better than most, and not to be missed.

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Kaseifu no mita is a really cool family drama. I really don’t like family dramas a whole lot but this one was pretty good. A creepy, robotic, Nanny McFee character is the housekeeper who of course teaches the family valuable lessons, and unifies the family all while learning one herself.
The main reason I don’t like most family dramas is because they are really unrealistic. However this one really touches on a dark side of life. Not all smiles and happy times, this drama delves into teenage sex, infidelity, suicide, longing, angst, anger and tragedy. Looking at how a family fell apart and was unconsciously mended back together through individual choices made me want to see each episode. I wanted to know whose turn was it to get “fixed”, and how/where was it gonna happen.
Nanako Matsushima was awesome!! She was not only totally believable but she was the character, and it was played to perfection. Other outstanding actors were Shiori Kutsuna who really did bring out the troubled teenager she was playing.
What I didn’t like was the ridiculous concept that the housekeeper never getting into trouble doing what she did. If they were going to be realistic and dark they should have gone all the way. I found the youngest kid annoying (I think that’s what they were aiming for) and a lot of her parts I fast forwarded through. I really wanted one of the kids to become a yankee but ***** no spoilers here****. The grumpy grandfather never became loveable to me and for some reason I found the longing of the aunt (urara played by Aibu saki) annoying and unnecessary. Each time the kids asked Mita (housekeeper) what to do, she answered the exact same thing, that drove me crazy because they kept looking like she would say something different.
The story was great but I felt like the revelations at the end were rushed and unnatural, almost as if the writers didn’t realize it was time for the drama to end. I would have liked the drama to focus a bit more on the housekeeper throughout and not just at the last 15 minutes. Dot get me wrong the ending was still nice and sweet , but it could have been better. The story itself seemed as if midway they needed new material. Like they ran out of problems within the family to tackle so they moved to the unnecessary neighbors. Still it looked like they have this one primed for a second season and I would watch that one too. However in the next family maybe they could make the family less annoying, because in some episodes 4 whiny, selfish, nosy brats and a spinelessa, cry-baby father were too much to take. Although it doesn't suck you in, and make you a part of the family, this one is an interesting watch.

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I thought that Mei-chan no Shitsuji was a really awesome drama. The story is unexpected. It's not a story that is typically seen, especially the forbidden love angle.I only wish that there was more romance. There weren't many of those romantic, awkward moments that I usually look forward to in romantic dramas. The cast did great, and every character was able to stand out, no matter how small the role was. Mei-chan no Shitsuji really focused on the value of trust, and friendship throughout the drama, which I really admired. The writing was done well enough that the point could get across while still holding onto the story. I usually don't rewatch dramas often, but I would probably want to watch this drama again. I thought it was cute, and had a very interesting story, with great morals.

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When I started to watch this Drama, I didn't have high expectations, since a lot of people don't like it.

In the beginning, I was totally annoyed by Anna's personality. She was just some high society lady, never satisfied with anything, always greedy. Oh Yoo was friendlier and more sympatic. But as the story continued, I noticed how special Anna is.
You may think she is just like all those spoiled young women that appear in a lot of shows and Anna really is. But somehow she has grown dear to me. I can't really say why. Her character developes during this Drama, but still she is very unfriendly to everyone. She experienced so much already, so she can't change this much anymore.
After completeing the Drama, I'm really missing the Anna who was always yelling and complaining. Just like Chul Soo's love to her my affection to her also grew. I just love the way she developed but still remained the same.

Even thought Anna was the main character and carried nearly all of the story by herself, the side stories were very amusing as well. They made me laugh several times, but still they fit in well since they had some dramatical scenes as well. I was disapointed because there were one or two scenes where the comedy part didn't quite fit.
Over all I think the comedy and drama parts were well timed and well balanced.

The music was also fitting very well, I seldomly enjoy an OST this much. I'm even listening to it at the moment (:

Overall I'd highly recommend this Drama. I'm sure it won't fit everyones taste, but to me it seemed very well balanced, except some scenes of a side story. Still I liked the whole cast, especially Anna and Kang Ja (her friend). The main story was enjoyable, so I'm considering watching the original movie, even thought I'm afraid that it might be a bit disappointing...

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My Mini Back-Story:

I watched A Moment to Remember for the third time yesterday. The first time I stumbled across it was by accident. The second time I told my parents that they should watch this, since I thought it was incredible. And now for the third time, I watched it with them again after 4 years.

Storyline:

The storyline is quite simple, yet the amount of emotion it magnifies is beyond words. I'm afraid I won't do it justice. I'll just dive right into what you should be looking out for when watching this movie.

a) Definitely pathos driven. Compare our OTP's meeting from the first 20 minutes to the scenes near the end. I felt so bittersweet at the end. It's no sarcasm. I love how they transmit such raw emotions.

b) Pay attention to details. I really loved how they incorporated scenes that happened at the beginning to the latter part of the movie. There's a lot of foreshadowing too.

c) Unique couple. It's a wonder how such a man can love his woman this dearly (I sound so pessimistic about reality haha). They share a lot of tender moments with moments of struggles that you can't help, but root for them. I loved the baseball scenes.

d) Simple, yet gorgeous. I've already said how this story is simple, but the way it touches upon such a hard topic such as "Alzheimer" and make it interesting is flawless.

e) Major tearjerker. Don't say that I didn't warn you. I usually don't cry or even shed a tear for movies/tv series, but this one, I just couldn't hold back. I didn't cry for the main couple, but I rather cried for Su-Jin's situation.


Acting/Casting:

If you've ever read my other review, you'll see that I'm a huge fan of Jung Woo-Sung and it definitely sprung from this performance of his. He always plays his role sublimely without hesitation. In other words, he never makes the scenes feel uncomfortable for the audience. It really shows in the way how his co-stars seem genuinely comfortable with him.

I love how he transitions from an aggressive/troubled lad to a heart-warming and forgiving man. He has a lot of facial expressions which proves that he's one of the higher/experienced actors.

Moving on...

Even though it was just a film and not a mini-series, I thought Jung Woo-Sung and Son Ye Jin had a lot of chemistry on their limited time. Well doesn't he have chemistry with all of his female counterparts, anyway haha?

Son Ye Jin's role, Su-Jin, reminds me of Ji Na from Padam Padam a bit. I think it's just me watching one melodrama after another haha. Though, Woo-Sung's character, Cheol-Su, also reminds me of Kang Chil from Padam Padam. Perhaps, it's due to him being an architect in both melodramas or how he's aggressive with everyone except to his woman (Yes, we can all swoon)?

Anyway, Ye Jin looks so young here. She's definitely a natural beauty. Aside from that, I thought she was also on par with Woo-Sung. Loved how her character didn't hesitate to make the first moves. They truly complement each other through their differences.

I'm sure the men who watched AMTR want a woman like Su-Jin similarly to how the women who watched AMTR want a man like Cheol-Su.

On another note, I also liked how they added family members and friends from both sides. Even though they didn't appear all the time, they gave more character backgrounds/information on our OTP. In this case, not developing their characters worked perfectly, since the movie clearly focuses on Su-Jin and Cheol-Su's lives.

Music:

The music worked well with the scenes. Though, not my type/cup of tea. I don't think I'll ever remember the songs played in the movie. But it did give a good feel in the moment I was watching.

Bonus:

Beautiful cinematography. I loved the details in the scenery, such as the one where they were strolling in the sunset (I believe it was sunset?). I won't mention others in case I ruin anything, but you'll know what I mean after giving it a shot (you should if you still haven't!).

Overall:

Even though this movie was released in 2004, it feels rather fresh and new.

What more should I say? It's not a mini-series, so there are no excuses on time limitation.

I have watched this three times, so shouldn't that summarize my entire review already?

A Moment to Remember is without a doubt my favorite Korean movie. I just wish they would make more movies like this!


Overall rating for review: 10/10

Purely for entertainment: 9.5/10 (Why not 10/10? I'm not always in the mood to cry when watching anything, be it movies or dramas.)

My Dramalist rating (avg): 9.75/10

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The story of Zettai Kareshi is something completely different. There aren't too many stories about a robot. I found that the plot was refreshing and not something that is typically seen, so I kept wanting to watch one episode after another to see what happens. The acting by the two male leads was great. I could really feel what their characters were feeling. But, I thought that the female lead sucked! She was a good actress, but the emotions and feelings seemed extremely forced. I don't really like only having one song for a whole drama, because it can be really annoying, but I actually liked the song. I wouldn't rewatch the drama, because I thought the end was very disappointing. Usually, in the beginning of dramas you can tell who the love interest is, but in Zettai Kareshi you really have no idea who it is until the last few episodes and by the time you've already picked your favorite, you'll be disappointed if the one you're routing for doesn't get picked.It doesn't matter who you pick in Zettai Kareshi, because the end result will still be disappointing. I still think it is a cute drama, and something worth watching if you having nothing else to do, but it's not something that will be rewatched.

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This was one of the most exciting dramas I've seen. One of my ultimate top favorite dramas. The story is itself is pretty interesting and extremely addicting. There are tons of action, funny scenes and sweet scenes. Every episode captures your attention and makes you want more. The cast is amazing. You definitely get attached to many of the characters. In particular, Lee Jun Ki did an amazing job. You get to see his array of acting skills because of his character transformation. The music was fitting. This is a series that I would surely want to watch again in the future. This one is definitely worth the watch!

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There were lots of things that I thought were ok about this drama & lots that got on my nerves. I didn't like how the story b/t the 2 leads was so quick. The fact that the girl that was uncertain about herself had so many guys trying to hook up w/ her was weird. & Y did she befriend ppl that tried to rape her? Yeah I said rape, b/c any1 who says "the more you struggle, the more excited I will be" to a girl is out to force himself on her. I had real issues with her making friends w/ the ppl that did this type of thing in the drama. I am just not so sure I was convinced that this drama was even ok. I liked the story but it should have had more to it besides the up & down romance & the fight b/t designers. It wasn't a complete waste of time, but I don't think I liked it as much as other dramas out there.

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My one and only problem with this drama was that the soundtrack consisted of only two ridiculously overused songs. I first started watching Personal Taste because the summary gave me the impression of a happy-go-lucky drama that would probably lack plot, but be hilarious. It's not that at all, the characters all have interesting back-stories to them giving it the overall theme of how love affects people and the importance of blind trust. Unlike most dramas, I found the character's reactions much more reasonable. Overall, I think it's a must see and found it very lighthearted at first. The relationship progression between the two characters were well produced.

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Ok... I decided that I had to write a review for this one... Being my favorite Drama of all time... And the best drama I've ever seen... And the most intriguing love story I've ever witnessed... I think you get the point.

Story: Ok, i must admit the first episode was... weird. Not bad at all but i found myself having a hard time following the what the fuckery that was going on, but i get it after having seen the drama, again, for the seven billionth time, but as soon the second episode started, i was hooked. And i don't mean just-watching-it-in-one-sitting hooked. I not only neglected almost 24 hours of sleep, forgot to eat 4 meals, got sitting soars on my butt AND lived without cola for the entirety of the 24 hours (i am an addict). I also missed an ice-cream eating party with three of my friends where we were supposed to eat 30 liters of ice cream. 30. Liters!!! I hope you know how devoted i am City Hunter.

Acting: Lee Min-Ho and Park Min-Young were already some of my favorite actors (Lee Min Ho in Personal Taste and Park Min Young in Sungkyunkwan Scandal) and i already knew that they were good, but HOLY CRAP were they good in City Hunter. Around episode 4 i had convinced myself that the characters they portrayed were absolutely real. And they were not the only ones who did a great job; The supporting cast were equally as good as the main. Especially Lee Jun-Hyuk (The Prosecutor), Kim Sang-Ho (The Ajusshi) and Kim Sang-Jung (the "Father") blew me away with their performances.

Music: The Music was really good, and they seemed to know just when to play it, for the scene to really affect you.

Rewatch value: I've already seen it like a billion times. I know all the lines. And I don't even speak Korean. Need I say anymore?

Overall: I loved it. It was extraordinary in a way I haven't seen in a drama or anywhere else for that matter. I recommend it to everybody! Everyone. Haven't watched it? Go Watch it! Have watched it! Go watch it again, you know you want to.

Sidenote: In Danish (I'm from Denmark) Lee Min-Ho's name literally means Lee... My Hoe... Yeah... just thought i would put it out there.

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