Reviews

Oh how much I wanted for this drama to be good. How much I missed a good Japanese drama in my life. I was so grateful for this drama it was unbelievable. It is basically a no romance drama, at least romance was not the main this,  Matsushita Nao and Ishihara Satomi were just wonderful. They had a great chemistry and their portrayal of two sisters with a mainly conflicted relationship and many life problems was spot on. I loved this drama for its sincerity, incorporation of real-life problems, humor with a hint of seriousness when needed and mainly for an impressive and very realistic portrayal of family bonds and the relationship among siblings. It was a drama that I the least expected to tear up while watching. This is definitely the drama I would recommend to every drama watched no matter the age and no matter if you are a romance only lover. This drama will make you rethink your life choices and your life path and open your eyes with it's truly wonderful, fulfilling and emotional ending.

Saruman loves and approves!

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I love me some good medical drama. That's probably just Grey's anatomy fever, but every time I watch a medical drama I have high expectations. Well, this one definitely reached my top level. I absolutely adored the story. It was not rushed, it was believable it had wonderful, realistic character and most importantly it was thrilling to watch and made my heart ache many many times.  It glued me to my Isengard throne until I finished. I admit I finished this drama in a day (so what everyone has a lazy day, my orcs can work by themselves). The star of this drama is definitely Kim Young Kwang, who portrayed his doctor character so fantastically well I daydreamed him for weeks. Jung So Min was a little less impressive, but still a decent leading lady. The couple definitely had lots of chemistry that's why I was so very much disappointed that the producer or screenwriters did not decide to explore or elaborate their relationship any further. I watched this drama twice now and I will watch it at least once more. I love it and I know you will love it too, so watch it.

Saruman approved!

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Oh what am I suppose to say for this drama it has a great cast everyone's acting is amazing. Literally all of the characters were written and acted so well that all of my emotions were brought out. Loved how Qing Chen was a feisty but reasonable character she wasn't obnoxious or anything she's just a girl who wants the best for everyone that she cares for. Oh god now onto Yuan Ling the amazing 4th prince that's so loving n great at fighting too lol loved how he was so devoted to Qing Chen there's no weird love triangle, overly cheesy moments, or bad cgi. Everything in of this drama was amazing definitely  recommend to watch this if you want something that not too crazy or has stupid characters then yes this is definitely it! Oh btw the side characters were played well too this is now one of my top dramas Cecilia n William has so much chemistry that I honestly want a season 2 or for them to collab again.

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One of the best things about Lookout is the thrill that gives, with the whole finding the culprit and making the bad guys pay theme blending well with the strong female protagonist and the high tech team. The cases are okay, though the main case with that criminal mastermind high school boy. Actually, that boy's performance was really good, playing the manipulating murderer who's still a minor. But, the other actors' performances were great as well, bringing a freshness to the whole drama. However, even though I did tried to really like this drama, something about it made me tired of watching it. Though the actions scenes were a handful, the actual plot was a bit of a series of bad people not getting the punishment they deserved and as a result people suffered. So, maybe the concept wasn't that well executed. Nevertheless, a good action drama, so 5 out of 10.

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This drama was not a random watch for me. I love the role of Lee Min Jung in Boys over flowers and I wanted to see more of here, so I ended up watching this lovely drama. The acting was great. Min Jung is capable of playing any role she is given and this was a fine role for her. Her character went through a roller coaster of emotions and she made it believable. Joo Sang Wook, although not my favorite actor, was a decent leading man and also put a spot on performance of a heartbroken, but now extremely successful man. They had an excellent chemistry and made the coupling believable.  The supporting cast is also wonderful. The story is interesting and follows a nice pace, which makes this drama a pleasant watching material. I definitely recommend this drama to all romance lovers, especially those who love a great romance story with a strong, independent leading lady which Min Jung in the role of Na Ae Ra most certainly is.

Saruman approves!

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OK let me start the review by saying that you should, by all means, try not to compare this to any other show *ahem* when you start watching because I know many are trying to get over a particular drama slump but don't because you might be disappointed. Don't get me wrong though, I enjoyed Lost Love in Times but in some parts not quite so.

STORY:
My favorite combination ever is fantasy+romance+historical so I was very hyped for this, as were many others. The fantasy aspect of the sorceresses was really cool (possibly the most unique factor of the show for me); their costumes were pretty and all their powers and all that were just really pretty and well edited. Really loved Qing Chen's golden butterflies. But I'd wished that there was just a liiiiil more fantasy scenes which brings me to the next point; politics. There's loads of it in Lost Love in Times as expected in historical dramas.

Throughout the 56 episodes, you see how most of the brothers come together and it's especially nice to see them looking out for the Mages and Qing Chen. Then there's the romance which I thought was a bit of a letdown. I didn't really see it being the main focus which I thought it would be considering the whole title and all but after the first half of the series, it kinda felt that the romance died out a bit.

Also, another thing that bugged me was the lack of extras in the show. During scenes when both parties went to battle with one another, their armies looked small and not thousands. Of course, its not possible to bring thousands to the set but it wasn't well manipulated to look it. So in regards of the setting of the people, it wasn't that convincing. But other than that, the set looked alright and also super gorgeous at the valley.


ACTING/CAST:
I thought Qing Chen & Yuan Ling's love story was a beautiful one but how it was portrayed made it look a tad lackluster. It really is a shame because I absolutely adore Cecilia and William. Overall, their chemistry was believable but barely, in my honest opinion.  They had a good amount of kiss scenes though, some of which made me squeal a lil.

The entire cast is great and their acting is decent, nothing shabby. I loved Yuan Li's most out of all the brothers because his character was the most interesting. It's not explicit but their bromance was a nice watch. Side couples were OK, nothing that cute. I didn't find myself hating any particular character wholeheartedly so the acting isnt a wow for the evil characters.

MUSIC:
I think the music was the one that really cut it out for me, the OST was very beautiful. William's song was it man; its so good, so heartbreaking. His voice is haunting. The rest of the OST is amazing as well and its out on spotify so yay.

REWATCH:
I don't rewatch dramas so I wouldn't judge base on the rewatch value.

OVERALL:
I really had high hopes for this and I think it had immense potential but it had let me down quite a bit. I was debating between a 7.5 or an 8 but ultimately I chose an 8 because it is a good watch with some intelligent characters, solid OST and a splash of cool sorcery power coupled with romance, but a believable one or not, I'll leave it to you to decide. So if you really like political, historical dramas with a twist of fantasy perhaps this is more for you :""")

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I would not recommend this drama to people. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it but it's not a good drama. I didn't enjoy it because it was good. I enjoyed it because it hit a few guilty pleasure spots for me.

All of the "psychology" in this is utter bullshit. It is, thankfully, better than what It's Okay That's Love considers psychology. It also treats psychological illnesses better than It's Okay That's Love did. But both are equally garbage at actual representation of mental illness. Don't @ me about this. I am mentally ill, have taken several psychology courses, and know what real psychology looks like. Neither of these shows is right about it. This show is just slightly more right than IOTL.

The main male lead was unlikable at best and unethical and sleazy at worst. I never rooted for him. The female doctor (can you tell I couldn't be bothered to remember names) was annoying. Especially the way the actress spoke. I don't know if that was actually the actress's voice or the way she chose to portray the character but it was SO grating. I also don't really care for Sung Joon as an actor at all. I've never finished a show of his besides this one.

So what, you might ask, did I like about this drama? I loved Hye Rim. I found her spunky and unique. I love me a good female character who's in her late 20s to 30s. She felt like the same character the whole way through. I saw some people were mad that she suddenly lost her incredible insight about people when it came to the three men approaching her, but honestly it never felt like she looked at any of them that hard. She was just having fun. The one man who did successfully lie to her knew how to manipulate her senses. Then when he was breaking on that, she wanted to believe the lies. It makes sense.

I also enjoyed most of the side characters and sub plots. They were cute and decently developed. I did find it weird that all three of the experiment subjects ultimately ended up liking Hye Rim. I also found the female doctor and the second male lead's relationship really weird and off putting but in it's own way heart warming, I guess.

Still, this drama hit a few buttons and I found myself unable to stop watching it. But I found myself bored and skipping scenes a lot. I don't recommend this drama. Don't watch it. Save your time and watch something actually good. I would give this lower stars, but because I did have SOME enjoyment I think setting it at a 4/10 is where I'm going to have to leave it.

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On paper, this drama looks like just another contract marriage/dating rom com, which is honestly what I was expecting and in the mood for, but it exceeded all expectations I had of it honestly.

Let's start with how it subverts drama tropes and stereotypes. I won't give any spoilers but there are many aspects--second male and female leads, subplots, secondhand romances--that never played out the way I was expecting. Instead, the show mostly turned these around and twisted them so that even if I predicted what would happen, I could never predict the outcome. It was so refreshing and fun.

Second, I never got bored. I've watched over 80 dramas. I usually get bored with some aspect of a drama I watch. That never happened with 1 Percent of Something. Even in spots where the show could have gotten boring,  I think the biggest factor in helping this show is the 40 minute episodes. This helped keep the show from getting stale or putting in a lot of filler. Each minute had to mean something and helped keep me engaged with the characters.

Which leads me to my third point: the characters! They were so alive and engaging! I loved all of them. Even the second male and female leads which is honestly a hard feat for me. They were all so real. I felt like I could call them up and they would be real people instead of creations of the writers' minds. It was absolutely amazing. The characters were flawed but had so many redeeming qualities. I didn't even think the jerk chaebol was THAT big of a jerk. It was so incredibly nice to watch.

My last point: The most realistic version of hate to love I've ever seen. You get to watch the main characters slowly fall for each other over a series of small moments. It doesn't feel forced. You watch as they interact on the terms of the contract and slowly start caring for one another. It's obvious in their actions and what they say that they're both falling. Nothing feels out of the blue. Jae Inn is able to redeem himself slowly and even learns from his mistakes and doesn't continually treat Da Hyun as garbage like a lot of dramas will do (coughheirscoughcough).

There were some not so great things. The small plot lines about Da Hyun being the president of Ji Su's fan club wasn't my favorite thing. But it was cute and added to her character. The music was just okay. It was nothing that got stuck in my head or that I'll ever listen to again later but it worked well in the drama.

Overall, this is definitely going to get added to my favorite dramas list. I am a little worried about rewatch value since a lot of my enjoyment came from being surprised. That's why I've marked it a 7. When I eventually feel like watching it again, I might update this number/review. We'll see.

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It's over, and the feels are still here.. That's what my ranks are based on!
Well , this drama was the most I was waiting for this year - except of Criminal Minds of course ( because of LJG), and I can say I liked it from the first episode.. The acting was a little raw then, but the cinematography, the mood and the music made it for me! I wasn't really familiar with the actors before ( except Jong Hyun from ML), and I want to say  three of them really impressed me!
Im  Siwan - it was really my first time seeing him, and he was great, from the first moment till the last! I wasn't always agree with Won's character, but he gained my love and respect in the end!
Yoona - I've seen her in couple of episodes of Love Rain, and I've heard some bad rewies about her, but I loved her and her character so much in this drama! There's always something annoying for me in the female lead in all dramas, but I haven't felt it here! She was always adorable, cheerful and brave through all the story! And she could convince me when she started to love the one she loved..
Jong Hyun - If the 4th prince wasn't played by Lee  Joon Gi in  Scarlet Heart, I'd definitly have crush on this sexy villian :) I hated him there, but sometimes I also felt bad for him - that means he could deliver his character! In King in Love he was the total opposite of Wang Yo.. Maybe he was a little frozen at start, but slowly he opened up, and brought one of my favorite characters ever! Yes, I was team Rin, and I'm proud of it :)
There were very different opinions about drama's love line - some loved it, some hated it at the same line, and I want to say - that's what one of the best parts of this drama, but it's also what lowed it's rating (I think), because most people like predictable....  
First of all- imho - there's no first or second lead in this drama - the three of them are main leads -and they totally deserved to be called it! Because this story is about  friendship - deep and genuine, between three young people! And  the actors did amazing job, showing how much these three deeply loved each other! Sometimes love story came in the middle of their frienship (of course!), but none of them didn't want to hurt another, and that what made this story such painful for them! But at the end they have learned how to understand and sacrifice for each other!  The open ending was satisfing and not at the same time for both teams, but it left a little for imagination of all of us! Thank you, writers for making this story so unique!
There were a lot of scenes that I laughed and enjoyed with the characters, and closer to the end a lot that made me cry! It was lighthearted and bittersweet at the same time! One of my favorite scenes were of course Rin and San goodbye scene and the scene on the cliff... Both broke my heart! Also the last friends'  jorney together - we can see how three of them have changed  and grown up there..
I also want to compliment cinematography and the music - both were spectacular ( total joy for video maker :), and I wish there was this cinematography and music in Scarlet Heart - but it still the most perfect drama for me!! :)
I know, I will rewatch it! Maybe not from the first episodes, but I totally will!
I think that's it.. I guess  I made it clear that I totally loved this drama, and would recommend it to everyone.. But I know, not everyone would love it...:)

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This drama still holds up after 10 years!  Writing this review in 2017.

Obviously don't expect the same levels of cinematography and production value since this is a drama from 2007.  Technology is also dated.

Plot is well-paced.  Nowadays the plot is usually very fast moving.  In a way, it's nice to watch a story that develops at a reasonable pace.   Enjoy this like an aged wine.

Lee Jun Ki's acting is on point.  I thought his acting was ok, until halfway through, when something happens and he takes on new personas.  And then, I was pleasantly surprised!

The relationship between Mao and Kay is interesting in this.  Father-son relationships  (even the adoptive, pseudo kind) are always more intriguing than brotherly relationships.  

The female lead's storyline is a bit annoying, especially in the last few episodes.  The bromances in this drama could have been further explored, but wasn't, probably at the expense of poor writing.

All in all, an enjoyable watch!

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This is the first time I'm writing a review here because I feel that this drama deserves more credit, and I'm shocked that it seems so underrated.

It's been a while since I've come across a show that has left me re-evaluating my own life after watching it, and it's one of the rare few dramas that actually has a heroine that was going through things in her life that I could really identity with.

The cast is amazing and the plot moves along at a good pace. Thankfully the angst and conflicts don't drag on for too long, and lastly, the message of the story itself is simply inspiring and moving. And I do encourage everyone to give this a chance.

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Strongest Deliveryman focused on the depiction of the struggle of the youths who are hardheaded in building a better future for themselves. Through the four protagonists Choi Kang Soo, Lee Dan Ah, Oh Jin Gyu and Lee Ji Yoon a macro view of the condition of youth has been displayed which was quite endearing and enjoyable. Not always the life of young people are full of rainbows and spring flowers blooming everywhere. Life is full of trials and tribulations and this particular period of youth in one’s life when a person experiences sudden exposure of difficulties in love, work, family and establishing a good future, it can be overwhelming. Being undeterred in one’s resolution with strong confidence of moving forward can only bring positive results in the long run.

In human lifespan, the period of early adulthood considered to be the most crucial time in shaping up a person’s entire future. Either they can destroy it by their own hand or can flourish it with good deeds and extreme diligence. Choi Kang Soo was represented as a young adult who despite of having difficult familial and financial situation remained unfazed throughout. He had been shown as an epitome of magnanimity and a valiant character. No amount of pain or sufferings could reduce his self-respect, determination and devotion towards achieving his dreams. The character portrayed by him is simply a person with tenacity of doing well to others, spreading wellness and reciprocating them. As they say, what goes around comes around. This world always revolves with this simple logic. Kang Soo was a simple guy who firmly believed that if he helps people, if he wants the good in people or bring out the good characteristics from the people one day or the other he would definitely get the result. He neither fed his inner greed nor tried to meet his own selfish needs. Along with all his friends, he unitedly delved into an endeavor which faces turbulences though for a short moment of time he was frazzled of fighting with the imposters but he again rose and shone. He was always thoughtful of his nearer and dearer ones around him which subsequently brought glad tidings for all combined.

Secondly, Lee Dan Ah. Another strong character. A sagacious, salubrious and undaunted character. When she puts her heart and soul to something, she made sure to stick to it till the end. Her devotion towards achieving her dream was laudable.

Oh Jin Gyu and Lee Ji Yoon on the contrary are not the kids from humble background rather born with the silver spoon in their mouth. The former was being excruciatingly tortured and slandered by his own father tried to take his own life but was saved. He understood the worth of life, independence and standing on one’s own feet. He understood contentment lies when a person owns and earns all by himself. The starting can be insignificant but at the end of the day self-worth comes from one’s own hard work and sincerity. Besides Ji Yoon rebelled from being forced or directed her life by her mother. She broke free her comfortable shackle and fled from the castle to become independent and achieving her own dreams.

From another view point the story was also a sort of tribute to the delivery people who were in many ways or the other pretty much neglected by the society.
I like the perspective of the story tellers. They have shown young people from both affluent and destitute social strata. Having being born in a privilege class doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. The affluent young people can also fight for making a life of their own individual choices.
Keeping “delivery service” as a base two factors are highlighted: a) life of youth b) life of deliverymen. The integration or the interconnectedness of both the subject was intelligent. However, the dramatization was a lackluster.

Acting by the ensembles are absolutely remarkable. Go Kyung Pyu and Chae Soon Bin was perfect for their individual role. Nobody could have done better than them. Also Kim Sun Ho, though played his first main role but he did full justice to it. Lastly Go Won Hee was quite natural playing out Ji Yoon’s eccentricity. The group of young lads of the delivery team also gave excellent performance.

Having said so much, the main theme of the story is excellent but there was some problem with the portrayal. The first few episodes were riveting but gradually it was losing its luster and became boring. The story kind of revolved in one business idea, eventually, along the line losing the dynamic essence as the episodes progressed. Definitely this was a huge disappointment for me. With outstanding ensemble cast and such great story, it could have been marvelous. Something was lacking of great deal which I could not pinpoint perfectly.

In deduction a good story with an uninteresting dramatization resulting into my lower ratings.

My recommendation whether to watch it or not would be …..you can try it’s not that bad.

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Part from the title, that is actually kind of odd, the main concept of this drama is interesting and entertaining. The first episodes, however, are a bit of a letdown. The going back in time through an alien manhole wasn't executed well enough and it ended up being a bit idiotic. Plus, the story hadn't developed yet and frankly everything seemed confusing and tiring. The drama picked up after episode five or so. The story tangled up and got messy, but at least there was some progress and the main character had some development, as well as his understanding for his friends and his relationship with them. The side stories took the lead at some point, which wasn't that bad as they were interesting and entertaining. However, in the end they weren't concluded well enough as the main romance did. Now, the love story was good and the chemistry between the actors was there sometimes. In addition, the performances were really good, and they helped a lot with the progress of the story.

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