Reviews

It wasn't long into the show before I realized that this was something special. I felt emotions I had never felt watching a drama. This drama perfectly wrapped everything together, leaving virtually no holes in the plot line like other shows.

In regards to the acting, Lee Dong Gun played his role perfectly, allowing viewers to sympathize with both sides of him. He was unlike any other second-lead. As for the two leads, they were perfect in their roles, as Park Min Young really took a step forward in her acting.

Though there were many joyful moments throughout the story, this drama will probably always stay with me as a heavy and sorrowful masterpiece.

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Let me start off by saying that of you want lots of feels, this is the show you could watch just for the fluff and cheesy scenes again and again. As I write this review I remember how fun it was to watch it every time a new episode airs. I could feel curiosity and anticipation while waiting for new episodes.There are some scenes that are kind of a filler only. Overall everything else is great. The actors, the cinematography, the soundtrack; it will give you tingly feelings. Can I also say that Ji Wook is one of my top 5 male kdrama characters? He doesn't force anyone to do something if he/she isn't comfortable with it. (That's probably the best I can give without spoiling too much)

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I normally don't go out of my way to write a review for MDL. I've got more K-Dramas to watch. However, I want to save you from falling into this trap.
Let's start with the good stuff: Yuri acts well. She doesn't only look georgous, she actually plays a vital part in the story and conveys genuine looking emotions. Second good thing about this is the story. It's a quite interesting perspective: former agent runs a local bar and keeps hoodlums out of the neighborhood. It's got action, and... action. And some action. The rest... well, let me get to that.

So now on to the rest: the rest of the actors. Much of this is related to the writing, but the actors themselves failed to lift their mediocre (at best) characters to new levels.
Park Si Hoo looks scary. He's a pretty boy and it seems like he knows how to fight, but for the rest... He's unable to show any emotion apart from his smile, which makes him look pretty creepy. Cho Seong Ha is a veteran, but doesn't transcend the level of failed amateur in this K-Drama. His emotions aren't there, his acting is off the wall and transparant. Lee Soo Hyuk should've complained about his character, or protested and stop performing all together. His character is childish, idiotic and stupid.  Yoon Tae Young is the bad guy, butkeeps going back and forth between being the super villain who gives orders to kill people and being scared of some dudes in a suit, almost bawling his eyes out. It's totally unrealistic and beyond believe.
The bad acting starts in episode one and doesn't end untill episode 11. There's a decent episode there and one more with 12 though that's already going back down to earlier levels. And the final 4 are as bad as the rest.

I wanted to talk about the writing, but that would be spoiling. The writing is inconsistent, flawed and beyond believe. I'm not talking about some minor flaws, but major plotholes that destroy any credibility the story had. And it already had none.

Although the music isn't bad, it just doesn't fit. There's a scene where the main lead tells his old flame that he trusts her. Queue romantic, soft ballad. After which he completely devours her face. I'm not even kidding. It's like watching a hungry lion eating the carcas of an antilope which died of a disease while you're listening to some smooth jazz.

I've been extremely underwhelmed with this K-Drama and thought about dropping it multiple times. The reasons why I didn't were Yuri and because I didn't want this to get the honour of being the first K-Drama I dropped.

If you think I'm wrong, watch the first 5 minutes of episode one. That cringy feeling you get there will last you through the entire drama. Trust me, watch something else

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This is one of the best Chinese dramas I have ever watched. Everything is perfect. It restored my faith in Chinese drama makers. The cast is simply spectacular and the chemistry between Zhao Zanilia and Zhang Han is simply exquisite. The supporting cast just adds to the wonderful acting. The story is nicely paced and although it's 33 episodes long it's just so entertaining and filled with somehow realistic or possible twist, I can forgive the length of the drama. I already watched this drama twice and I can guarantee you I'll watch it at least ten times more. I simply must recommend that everyone watches this drama as it is really good and simply one of my favorites. I realize that some don't like Chinese dramas but this one is worth a try. The dubbing is not noticeable at all if it is dubbed at all. Truly a beautiful story, finely acted.

Saruman absolutely approves.

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Every person I asked found this Japanese movie lovely, sadly my experience with it was rather dull.  The story itself was okay although I didn't find it to be special in any way or more entertaining than other similar stories that we've already seen. It was okay with little splashes of humor or heart tightening moments, but it didn't make me laugh out loud or sob. Maybe it's just me, maybe I am a stonehearted white which - ups I am! The acting was average, nothing stood out where I would say wow, he/she is amazing.  I would rather recommend the anime version since it's much better. But well to each their own.

Saruman is okay with this movie.

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I love did. First and foremost the story was exceptional. The story explored the value and place of women, successful women and single mothers in Korean society. It clearly showed that a man and a woman are still not equal in Korean society and the difficulties a single, pregnant woman faces in Korea. It was beautifully written bit most importantly beautifully acted. The star of this drama is definitely Park Shi Yeon who excelled in the role of tv newscaster Cha Gi Yeong on a path of becoming a single mother.  She had a great chemistry with both males leads Noh Min Woo in the role of her love and father of her unborn child and Bae Soo Bin in the role of her fellow newscaster. The relationship, friendship, and dialog between the three made this story in a fantastic drama to watch. I will definitely rewatch this in the near future and would recommend it to every drama watcher.

Saruman approved!

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Ugh, what can I say about this one? First of all the story or the plot is interesting and could possibly entertain me if the drama wouldn't be so, so, so long. 39 is definitely too much, especially for this drama. I almost gave up. The pace of the drama was soo slow. I like the main couple  Song Victoria and Ho Peter, but I noticed that they had no chemistry what so ever. The other cast members were rather dull and some very much over the top. The acting was rather cheesy, the plot full of very much unrealistic behavior and just weird situations. I know it's a drama but come on at least character behavior could be more realistic. Th music and singing were a nice touch to the drama. But nothing can ever make me again to watch this 39 episode drama when the pace is so slow. I wouldn't recommend.  It could be a nice, fun drama if they'd cut the number of episodes in half. I think for this plot 20 episodes or less would be just enough.

Saruman does not recommend.

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Well, I like this movie. I read the first few chapters of the manga and I wanted to see if they successfully transformed it into a movie. I was not let down. The story, of course, is just fabulous. Finally, I've watched a movie that is not based on romance. The actors, especially the main 2, were great, but I especially adored Sometani Shota in the role of Nizuma Eiji. His acting was spectacular. The only thing I would change about this movie is, that I would change it into a drama. As someone already said, it was 2 hours long, but to many things happened in this two hours. I think the story itself is large enough to make it into a drama series. It would have been better and the could have added more manga details that were excluded from the move (for example the relationship between Mashiro and his uncle and also Mashiro and his parents). Also, I was also very saddened that the character Kaya Miyoshi was excluded from this film. All in all, it's a good movie and I recommend it, especially if you are a manga or anime fan.

Saruman approved!

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This was a decent movie, truly nothing special, nothing new or fresh. The cast was okay. Of course, this movie is for you if you love Jang Geun Suk. His chemistry with the little baby Moon Mason was lovely, but again it was not so good that would make me adore this movie. The story was okay, nothing that we haven't seen yet. It was not particularly thrilling. The movie had its moments. I love Jang Geun Suk, he was one of my first Korean actors that I've watched and he played well but was let down by a dull story. I don't want to say if I recommend it or not. Watch it if you have a free night and are in a need of a light movie or if you really love Jang Geun Suk, but don't expect anything mind-blowing.

Saruman is okay with this movie. 

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Uniquely executed, well-developed characters, fantastic acting.

Jung Kyung Ho made me fall in love with Doctor's Son.  Like many of the reviews already said, what a refined, elegant, brooding, and beautiful character!  

Rather than saying the story was well constructed, the pacing of the drama is what stands out.  Each episode built upon the last.  There are stakes, for sure.   There are villains that needed to be taken down.   There are plot twists and lots of secrets.  Instead, there might have been too many plot twists that the twists themselves no longer become surprising at the end.  

But it is the characters that really draw you in.  You love the bromance between Jung Kyung Ho's "Doctor's Son" and Yoon Hyun Min's "Soo."  You are enamored with the love that can only be built with time between Doctor's Son and Kim Yoo Mi's "Lee Jin Sook."  Kim Yoo Mi's acting also added elevated tones to what could have been a very shallow and contrived female character who just looks pretty and sits around on beautiful furniture.  Even the romance, which came out of nowhere as a result of poor writing, became convincing between Jung Kyung Ho and Nam Gyu Ri, due to the tortured, brooding looks by JKH.

Excellent action scenes.  Beautifully shot with fantastic color schemes across the set.  The outfits worn by the characters also highlight their roles.  

The ending made me mad.  Other than that, expect a great ride along with the characters in the drama.  It is truly worth the time to watch!

I watched this in 2017 and I'm still blown away.  So far, have not found any role in dramaland that can replace such a charismatic and complex character.  It'll be awhile until I find the next best drama.

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The good:
The acting is superb! Great acting by everyone, including the extras!
The music score is just epic! Another well done OST!

The epic:
Credit must be given to  Tor who portrays an autistic person in an amazing way! Not condescending or patronising in any way you actually feel lie you are observing someone with the affliction!
The story is just epic! Sport and autism! Wow! There is no good and bad, just situations and repercussions. This has to be the Thai drama that is the most realistic to 
The chemistry between the leads, the 2nd leads and the interaction with the other characters in the Side by Side world is remarkable!

Conclusion
SxS is an amazing story, well paced, well acted, well crafted! Well worth the watch!

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“Save Me” aired August 05, 2017 to September 24, 2017, and had a cast that consisted of some rather new actors and actresses alongside seasoned well-known actors and actresses. The drama deals with religion and cults, which from the beginning caught my eye. I had never seen a drama that dealt with that topic, so I was intrigued by it and really wanted to give this drama the full go. Sadly the drama wasn’t as amazing I was hoping, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been either. This drama has me in the middle. I am on the fence of if I actually enjoyed it or not.
The pacing in this drama really threw me for a loop. I felt as though nothing really happened for a very long time. I understand that there are things like character development and setting the plot, but I felt that the drama was being a little more dramatic and dragging things out more than it really needed to be. I am one for a slow-paced drama, but for me, this one just seemed way too long, and I felt that I would find myself skipping through the drama or just putting it on, on the background and doing other things while it played. Now I usually stop watching dramas that do not catch my interest after about the fourth episode but I kept seeing people who liked it and I wanted to know what eh fuss was all about, and I have to say I don’t think I truly ever figured it out. Some people were right though, after the ninth episode of this sixteen episode long drama, I felt like the pacing and the plot truly started to move along. (Yes it took nine whole episodes for it to actually start running at a decent speed in my opinion.) Once the ball gets rolling things do get rather interesting, and I wish the drama pulled me in like that from episode one, but nine hours had to pass for this to happen and that isn’t a good thing in my book. Now I know some people really liked it, but that pacing just wasn’t for me.
Apparently, there is an Original Soundtrack for this drama, which is news to me since there really wasn’t any music playing through the drama but perhaps the songs played when the credits rolled, so I really don’t know about it. Which to me is a rather disappointing thing, since I am one to truly love an original soundtrack. I love the music in Asian dramas and the lack of it really bummed me out, however, I cant knock it down too much for not having one since I don’t think it most likely would have fit in with the drama in the first place. So once again I am on the fence about aspects of this drama.
I know I am going on and on about how I don’t like this drama or how I was disappointed, but I do want to point out some good things about the drama as well. The cinematography and the color correction on this drama were fantastic. The eery feeling the camera angles and pans gave the drama worked like a charm. The cold blue effect on the drama that you can see throughout most of it is really beautiful and does give it a more mysterious and chilling look to the whole drama. The acting was also done rather well in this drama.
The actors and actresses that starred in this drama where mostly the saving grace for this drama for me personally. I found them to be charming and portraying their characters well, so I wanted to see how they developed through the show. Ok Taecyeon of the K-pop group 2PM did a rather good job with his role. I have not seen him in a drama since he starred in “Who Are You” in 2013. He is a pretty decent actor and I think he did well for his role, I don’t know if I was really into his accent but I will let it slide since I’m not an accent expert or anything, I just thought his faded in and out more than the rest of the actors. Seo Ye Ji as our female lead really did a wonderful job. I have not seen her in any other dramas but I am wanting to go back through her filmography and check her out. She has a unique look and voice with skill so, I am actually interested in her as an actress. Jo Sung Ha did a wonderful job as our cult leader, he had a way with words and way of presenting himself in the drama that made me believe that what his character believed was true, if that makes sense. I thought he did a great job and he truly had my side eyeing him the entire drama.
Overall the drama was pretty good I suppose. I liked the last half of the drama more than the first half. I felt it was too slow but I am happy they picked up the pace later on. The acting was good and that really kept my interest. I think that perhaps the drama could have been a bit shorter, but that is just my opinion on the matter. I wouldn’t say that its an amazing drama that you must see this year but it truly does have a unique plot which I hope I can see another drama with similar themes in the future. So I guess, overall it was an okay drama to me, not great but not bad either. Just so-so.

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Of course, a must watch for Super Junior cast. To say that the cast was bad would be wrong. This was a cast of beautiful, sexy guys with little to decent talent. But the point of this movie was nothing else but to give us more of the lovely members of Korean idols of Super Junior, which I love very much. The story was funny but lame. The SuJu's rather clumsy acting was so funny I laughed my way through the movie. It was a nice Sunday night watch but nothing more. I missed Kyuhyun and Leeteuk, although the letter appeared or was rather credited at the end as a mascot.  The music was okay as expected for this guys. Sadly I would not watch this movie again.

Saruman is a fan of Super Junior, especially Kyuhyun, therefore.. approved-ish!

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Another drama I avoided for some time. The reason for that that I did not particularly like the main actress Kim Hee Sun after watching the drama titled Faith with Lee Min Ho as the male lead. But well it was a good thing a put that initial dislike aside. I loved the drama. I loved the story, the plot, which was amazing and thrilling enough, with a good pace and just enough twist to make it entertaining.  It was funny and charming and made me like Kim Hee Sun much better. This drama shows that a woman can carry a drama alone without the support of a man lead and be just as good. The whole cast was amazing. As said Kim Hee Sun was engaging. The younger cast was sensational as well, particularly Ji Soo and Kim Yoo Jung. The music was fitting and the directing and scenery applaudable.  I could definitely watch this drama again after a while. I recommend it to any drama lovers, especially those who love dramas with serious topics with moral questions, with just enough humor and comedy to uplift it into a lovely watching material.

Saruman approved!

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Ahh, yeah this one is complicated. Always was a movie recommended to me by another member of MDL. I was enthusiastic about it since So Ji Sub is one of my favorite actors and also I very much like Han Hyo Joo. But I was sort of let down. Although the cast was admirable and the acting by both lead and most supporting cast impressive, they were all let down by the story, screenplay, and direction. It was cheesy, painfully slow paced and full of unnecessary twists and complicated which made the story unrealistic and sadly unbelievable. It made me rather gloomy. I'd say watch it if you are a fan of the main actor and/or actress and if you like a melodramatic story full of complications and obstacles on the couples way to happily ever after. I would not watch it again, once was enough.

Saruman was somberly not pleased.  

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