Reviews

This was a very intense, interesting and bizarre drama. I was really drawn in by the characters, especially the female cast, and couldn't wait for the next episode to see what was going to happen.

The best part about this drama is definitely its villain - who took me by surprise with its psycho cruelty and really scared me. Other characters are also likeable - Shin, the shy and introverted wannabe author is surrounded by all these mysterious but hot women and is the epitome of a typical awkward manga character. The women might appear as stereotypical female characters but are still intriguing enough.  

Another great thing about this drama is how it explores the industry of book selling in Japan - very often it is not the quality that is sold but the name.

What I disliked is the harem aspect, which is not really surprising since this is after all a manga adaptation; however the fandom element was a bit too obvious. On the other hand, I didn't really understand the reason why these women would accept such a proposal (which was, after all, the main plot of the drama). It was explained how they agreed to it but not really why they would accept it.

All in all, I would recommend this drama to those who are looking for a short but intense and dark watch. Each episode lasts for 25 minutes only but it is enough to hook you on it.

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I love stories with Sign Language. I think it is a beautiful form of communication. I tried to find books to learn it, but there are so many  (American, British, Spanish, Mexican) so I am not sure which one to  get. Anyway, I strongly recommend this dorama to people who watched/read "Koe no Katachi" and loved it. The big difference is that this story is not in school, but the adult life of a deaf girl. How she starts to be part of the society (by working), how she meets her future husband, how other people who meet her starts to learn Sign Language. How hard for her is to become a mother, to be married, etc. The story is  simple, yet beautiful. I shed many tears while watching it, and it is not because it is a sad story. No, it is simply because there are certain scenes that were too emotional. Like when her future-mother-in-law comes to Mieko's house to ask her to please not marry her son. Like the speech Mieko's daughter gives at school, both  out loud and with signs. And all the times someone talks to her (thru  signs) for the first time: Hirofumi, his mother, the doctor, etc. It was so poignant every time someone tried their best to talk to her.Kanno Miho is the sweetest girl and best fit for this role. She cries many times throughout the 5 episodes, but they all were understandable. Since she is deaf, she has little confidence in herself, and for every mistake or hardship that brings her deafness to the people she loves, she blames  herself. Thank Godness she marries the most patient and sweetest guy on  Earth. Besides her, I loved, LOVED the mothers: her mother and  her mother-in-law. Strong women who loved Mieko, and some time later,  their granddaughter. My favorite episodes were 1, 2 and 3. I have watched Episode 1 twice (I finished this a couple of days ago, and  rewatched Ep. 1 yesterday). There are only 5 episodes, 1 hour and 30  minutes long. First episode is from 1997, 2nd from 1998, 3rd from 1999,  4th from 2000 and the last one from 2001. Like most people, I prefer to watch recent dorama, but it is for the quality of the video only. In regards to story, oldies are better: they are simpler, they are sweeter.  Romance is much better without cellphones and other technologies. For  example, in this dorama, there are no cellphones, so Mieko and Hirofumi  send each other faxes to talk at night. Isn't that cute? The song "I just called to say I love you" fit the dorama perfectly. Beautiful story, totally recommended!

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"Pathologists always have to battle against their anxiety because the responsibility is always theirs alone to bear." - Professor Nakaguma Kaoru

I like that it's a different kind of medical drama where diagnosis and investigations became the main focus here instead of surgery or other medical aspects. I think it's a well made drama except for the unnecessary romance subplot between the patient and Hibako. Each episode has its own issue, and I particularly love episode 4. The episode 4 story was heartfelt and touching. Nagase's and Koyuki's performances in this episode were flawless. Check out the argument scene  between Kishi and Hosoki. I love the interactions between Kishi and the people around him like Morii, Miyazaki, Nakaguma and Hosoki.

The last two episodes however felt forced and rushed. The often repeated line in every episode used by Kishi got annoying after a while though. The background music was too loud for my taste. But the theme song, Fragile by TOKIO is love.

On to the actors' performances...Nagase Tomoya as the HBIC pathologist, Kishi Keiichiro is excellent. He is sarcastic, intelligent and sassy. Nagase's a versatile actor who can play any role given to him with aplomb whether it's a melancholic character like Okazaki Ritsu, a badass cop like Kurokouchi Keita, the mature elder brother like Ishihara Shintaro, a memory loss ex-soldier like Shimanto Taro or a red demon like Killer K. And did I mention that he is gorgeous? Takei Emi excels as the scatterbrained rookie doctor, Miyazaki Chihiro. Nomura Shuhei shines as the trusted lab technician, Morii Hisashi. They are ably supported by Koyuki, Kitaoji Kinya and Kanji Tsuda.

I hope that Fragile sequel (if there's any that is) will have more in depth character developments and backstories for the main characters because here they didn't explored much of them.

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This is my first time writing a review but I felt completely compelled after watching 100-manen no Onna-tachi. I honestly did not expect to like this too much, it's not a genre that usually appeals to me, but I couldn't stop watching. It's been a long time since I felt truly fulfilled by a series, from start to finish I consider it flawless. It's a truly great feeling to watch something and not see anything that I would have changed, It may not be an overwhelming or action packed series, but it's one that will leave a lasting impression on me for a long time.

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Stellar story-telling with excellent characters and an interesting plot. There were no filler episodes and nothing wasted my time. It had a thoroughly satisfying ending. Beautifully done. I will definitely rewatch this one to see if the clues were there that could have solved the mystery for me, but as it was, I didn't know until the show revealed it, which is great because I usually solve the mystery halfway through which really annoys me. Don't be fooled though, while the mystery was interesting, it really isn't the point here. This is a drama about characters and life choices and relationships. Definitely worth watching

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Story:
There are few shows that you start watching because of certain cast members and end up loving it so hard that you start feeling withdrawal symptoms as soon as it finishes. Father is strange was one of those dramas for me. I have always been a great fan of the writer of the show as she have written one of the best family and my all time favorite drama "Ojakgyo Brothers". I would say that Father is strange was even better and cleanly written than the Ojakgyo Brothers. The story was fast paced, characters were well developed, the romance of the central characters started a bit late but they made up with their sweet moments at the end. I loved the family bonding they had. The relationship between the parents, siblings, lovers, even the once snooty sister-in-law's character was also very well developed. I would say it is hands down one of the best  written family drama if all time.

Acting/Cast:
Okay so I started this drama because of my love for Lee Joon and Jung So min  and was not even slightly disappointed with their acting. Jung SO min needs to get more lead roles as she's a great actress and Lee Joon needs to get more recognition for his talents. This man is a gem tell you! The actors who played parents were just off the roof good, especially the father. His emotions were on point in every frame of the drama. Ryu Hwa Young and Min Jin Woong as the other two siblings were also really good, I am eagerly waiting for their next projects soon. But the person who really took away the cake was Lee Yoo Ri. Her portrayal as a sassy, confident, straightforward lawyer was beyond good. I have never seen any of her dramas before, but am soon going to stalk this women's drama history. Lee Yoo Ri and Lee Joon really needs to win award for this drama.

Music:
I am not to keen about the OST's of the drama unless they are very good. Father is Strange  as some good melodies but not very memorable. I would still hum few while watching the drama but don't care much about them after the drama gets over.

Re-watch Value:
Definitely going to re-watch Father is Strange in few months or years. Maybe skip some parts, but definitely it is a worth a re-watch!

Overall:
Just go and enjoy this drama, Don't be scared of the 52 episode mark and try watching first 2 episodes. 2 episodes into this drama is enough to keep you hooked to your computer screens for next couple of days.

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This is adopted from a proper BL novel  but is not BL and though they do a good job with taking the story in a non-BL direction, some flavor is still missing in my opinion.
The novel is so much more convincing when it comes to the main relationship, the Beloved Enemies because in it Gu Qing Pei is actually gay and is extremely attractive to other gay men that surround him (His foxy cunning is so alluring). Yuan Yang is young and brash and initially has non consensual sex with GQP, but the passion in their relationship gradually is very convincing. But that is the novel.
This Drama is a separate beast altogether. Though the main relationship remains explosive with unresolved sexual tension that is very palpable, in absence of actual sex a real mentor and pupil relationship comes to a forefront and the progression of said relationship is very realistic. As a rule the story deals with two very different and lonely people who have no one they can trust, as they are thrust into a situation they both don't want while being chained by their temperaments and positions., And the show does very well with the options it got. I mean, I would watch it for the suiting (costumes) and visuals alone, but it also has an intriguing plot and some good arcs and a great eye-candy cast. So kudos to this. I know it's futile, but I hope that one day we will get a proper BL adaptation of this too... *sigh*

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I can't find faults with this drama. I'm sure there are some there, if you dig, but damn, I don't want them to be pointed out to me because this drama took me completely by surprise and I fell head over heels in love with it.

What was I expecting? I enjoy a good time travel, especially when it mixes modern and Joseon eras, ala Queen Inhyun's Man. And I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, so I was looking for a light romp and plenty of fish out of water fun stuff etc. Well, I got that and so much more with Live Up To Your Name. Firstly, the story... the plot itself wasn't too complex, a doctor from Joseon who practices traditional oriental medicine more out of greed than empathy, is transported through time to modern day Seoul to meet a cardiothoracic surgeon who see's her patients only as the internal organs she can repair. As they start to learn more about each other and their different methodologies, so do they also begin to learn about themselves. You see, more than anything, this story is a character story, and though it might start off as a story of things and circumstances happening to our characters and making them react, it evolves into a story about choices, self-determination, and ultimately, what it is that defines them as people. They learn and grow together in such an organic way that it is beautiful to watch in action.

What I love is how the writer had such a delicate touch when dealing with heavier topics. It could have gone the route of being preachy, but I don't believe it ever veered there, and even the characters who made wrong choices were also humanized in a way that didn't make you absolutely hate them. The romance, of course, was pure gold. Whoever cast Kim Nam Gil as Heo Im and Kim Ah Joong as Choi Ahn Kyung together as the leads deserves a medal. Not only was their chemistry off the charts, but it was so natural and realistic, that I almost felt voyeuristic in some scenes and all they had to do was look at each other. Kim Nam Gil was simply amazing start to finish and has the ability to be goofy and bumbling but also serious and intense all within the span of seconds. Kim Ah Joong took me a while to warm up to, but I think part of that was due to her character's thawing out with each episodes, and by the end, I was definitely mesmerized by her skill. I'm not seen anything else with either of them in, so I'll definitely have to look out for them both.

I can't comment too much on the OST only to say that it suited the themes, wasn't overbearing, and highlighted the poignancy of the show. I'm sure I'll pay more attention on re-watch, which I most certainly plan on doing.

I also want to mention a little something about the medical aspects of this drama. Yes, it is about medicine, both modern and traditional, and yes, it does glamorize medicine in ways that aren't necessarily realistic sometimes, but I can forgive because it is a fantasy (time travel, hello?). But, if you're not into medical dramas, this might not be your thing, however, let me just say that the medicine is just a vehicle to drive the show, it's not really what this show is about. If you are a sucker for character driven stories, then give this one a try. Just close your eyes every time someone sticks a scalpel or a needle into someone else.

And lastly, the method of time travel aka the gimmick that brings Heo Im from past to future, is one of the most unique ones I've seen, and not one I would voluntarily choose. Yikes!

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The main stand-out on this series is the acting. The chemistry between all the characters is just purely amazing. The interactions, the play of comedy and seriousness all seem so perfect. Choi Kang Hee is superb as the lead female. She did justice to the role!
The overall story is refreshingly different from other crime dramas. Or is it a crime/ romance drama? It is absolutely different from anything before.
The quirkiness of the characters is breathtaking. Well written for comedy when needed and seriousness gives it an air of a not to serious but serious Sherlock Holmes/ SH parody vibes. The comedy did well to infuse itself into the story, being well executed by the magnificent cast.
The characters are well rounded as they can be in such a short series. None are really square or boxed-in. However a problem arises here.
We have a semi kind of set-up as to the main arc and plot which does not really get developed perfectly as it should. There are more questions than solutions. Who is that? Why is she there? What is that? These are some of the questions the viewer will be asking.
Don't get me wrong, the story line progresses and there are amazingly brilliant parts every episode!
This drama could have done well as a 50 part series.
As is it is well worth the watch if you are into crime dramas with a smattering of conspiracy and some unforeseen romance that seems totally organic, and not just thrown in for good measure. 
My advise, however, is watch it closer to the airing of part two (Feb 2018) to really get the benefit of the whole story.

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Such a good drama--it was the best (although some liberties were taken as it is partially a comedy and parody of a "real" situation). The first half was hilarious and I loved it.  It got more serious and dramatic the last half. This drama has everything I would want in a great story with excellent actors. (All of the actors were good but Joo Won and Oh Yeon Seo were absolutely perfect!) Great storyline, directing, acting, and my interest level was sustained throughout the entire drama. I will definitely watch this again and recommend it to my friends and family.   It's a must-watch--don't miss it. I rated it almost 9.5 out of 10!
(I would like to make an off-comment.  I wish this drama had a different name--at least change it to "My Sassy Princess" instead of "My Sassy Girl".  It often seems to me that Drama titles are very misleading and don't pique the audience's attention the way they could. They should at least hit the main points--Historical, sassy/opinionated, dramatic, etc.)  

PS I really meant this to be a comment, not a review, but since there are no reviews yet, I'll just leave it the way it is.. Enjoy! (Also, I thought they did a really good job on the music--I loved the main theme!)

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This stupid drama put me through a rollercoaster of feelings. I've never felt so sad, angry, happy at the same time until I watched this drama.  its a good drama but omg you have no idea how much suffering someone feels until you watch this. throughout this drama, you will feel the urge to want to throw your computer to the floor or punch your tv and I can tell you for sure I did want to fucking throw my computer to the floor and just give up on this drama completely but I couldn't because something just kept pulling in. in the end, it had a happy ending but overall it's a good drama and as you can see it will bring out a lot of emotions for you

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First I am Kim Soo hyun fan, he's my ultimate Oppa, the main lead of METS-my king Lee Hwon!  Second, my top favorite drama is Ballad of Seodong which is a seaguk. Third, I am not a seaguk expert since I have yet to watch a lot of seaguk like queen seondeok etc.  And lastly, this is my first time to watch Park Bo Gum work - and by the way I avoided liking him because I find him too sweet and  less manly from seeing him randomly. But after watching him for the first time through this drama, It is impossible not to like him, my Crown Prince -Lee Yeong!

  And so what is my take on the drama.

Can't help to compare it with METS which is the last seaguk I have seen before watching Love in the moonlight.  I did not appreciate the historical/wit/political/technical aspects of METS as a seaguk which they tried to show because I can't help but compare it with Ballad  Of Seo Dong in which I  saw huge difference on how both are written and so I can't like it on the technical side. And on the romantic side - I did not appreciate the love story because I did not like the main female lead appearance, acting and voice in the drama, and so I was not moved by the scenes, did not flutter nor cried.  The only thing I enjoyed is watching KSH and his superb acting.
 While in Love in the Moonlight - although it is a seaguk - it was not trying hard to be technically good and the drama made it clear even from the first few episodes, and so my mind was not focused on the technical side which exempts the drama in being compared to the greatly written seaguk, rather the first few episodes are humorous, clearly stated a less heavy less technical historical drama - with a touch of modernity and comedy. And I liked it. While on the romantic side, the story is straightforward, sweet and fluttering. Despite of the age gap of the main leads in real life they did have chemistry.  And so Love in the moonlight won my heart as compare to METS. If KSH had a different partner in METS -I might have a different choice. (I'm happy to see the young main lead of METS played the main lead of LIML.)

Story:
Even though the set up -  Boy pretends to be a woman-  Three childhood friends -two liking the same woman - was same with Sungkyuwan Scandal, as the story progresses you'd learn to like the characters and the story that you won't mind them being common. There is actually not a single boring episode, first few episodes would make you laugh - next would make you flutter - then would make you cry and would make you thrilled.  Overall, my emotional expectations were met, my heart was filled. the biggest factor of this is Park Bo Gum's appearance and acting,

Overall, it is a RomCom/Melo-drama  in a Seaguk Setting - which turned out great for me. I loved it! Will definitely watch it again!

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I judge how good a drama is based on the emotional payoff at the end of the series.  If not for the terrible ending, I would have given this series a higher rating.

The drama spent a lot of time exploring humanity and choices, and how our choices can affect who we become in the future.  Unfortunately, for a drama involving criminals, police, and profilers, there is very little about justice and the consequences of those choices.   Some villains from the beginning of the drama were never mentioned again.  

The romance in this story was unnecessary and awkwardly included in the drama.  A sign of poor writing.

The acting across the cast was excellent.  From the child actors to the main male leads, everyone did a great job and conveyed complex emotions properly.   Watch this drama for the eye candy, and enjoy their acting while you are at it.  Seo In Guk did a great job, as did Park Bo Gum.  Unfortunately, I really couldn't understand either of the characters nor could I understand what the writers wanted us to feel from watching.  I don't think anyone could be like Seo In Guk's character and be as levelheaded as he was, even when facing murderers.  Were we supposed to feel pity for Park Bo Gum?  I agree with many reviews that the true chemistry is between Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum.  When both of them were on screen the screen sizzled.

All in all, it felt like the drama was trying to make us feel more and think there is some hidden message.  But it was not well written enough to properly convey whatever those messages were meant to be.  At the end, you got a serviceable crime drama with an element of melo (hidden identities and such).  The good acting made the drama worth watching, but don't expect this to be a masterpiece.

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I was hesitant to watch this at first, I thought it would just be some darker "Just Like Heaven". I sure do not regret my choice to click play. It is beautifully written, both Miso and Kang Soo's stories are so banally touching.
It really makes one thing about life, illnesses, death and the impact it can have on others.
One particular part hit home: "-Will you remember me? -How can I forget you... -I mean, the good times". It is easy when you lose someone to remember the bad and difficult times, which are often the immediate past. We tend to forget all of the beautiful moments because they're further in our memories. One Day was a good reminder as I am guilty of that.
I also loved that there was no romance involved, though we can easily imagine there was.  This fine line between love and care was just perfect, and I like that Kang Soo took the time to appreciate her for what she was, and not only because he was reminded of his wife.
It is a masterpiece in my book (do I have to mention how it can start a debate on euthanasia? and the way to address the visually impaired?) and great if you're looking for some heart-warming human interaction.

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Surprisingly, not a bad movie. Though the story is a bit of a let down when it comes to expectations, the overall result is okay, with a satisfying ending and some nice development. Kamanashi Kazuka, whose previous works showed more acting talent than this one, was okay portraying a police officer who is as introverted as it gets and who shuts his young bride out in her every attempt to get closer to him. His female co star is good as well, being all cute and childish, enough to convince that she is way too young for what she is going to attempt. The romance between them is nice, though the movie would have been better if it showed a more realistic plot. But, overall it's enjoyable, so 7 out of 10.

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