Reviews

What led me to see this drama was that it involved art and school because I did not know anyone here *no I didn't se Love o2o lol*
I can say that I loved the first part, and it really made me miss the times when I was in high art school myself. I did not think that the story was going slowly, quite the opposite, showing us the day-to-day and how love and hate are developing, just like the values of friendship.
However in a second part I felt that the story itself ceased to exist, becoming a game of popularity, which made me really sad, "Oh i miss the old days"

Act: I do not have much to compare with other dramas, but I really enjoyed Zheng Shuang and all the faces she made. I really thought everyone did a good job.
One point that I enjoyed immensely was the music, always perfect and in the right moments.

I maybe see this again, probably the first part.

Read More

This is certainly a drama that I will never ever forget for my entire life.

It was aired in 2005 on a local TV channel in the Philippines, I watched every single day without missing a part of it. I re-watched the series when I had my very first computer. And this drama never cease to amazed me especially Erika Sawajiri's role of Ikeuchi, Aya. She's really good on bring the emotions to life and you will really feel her words deep in your bones. The struggle is real in here, and you will truly struggle not to cry in every scene.

This drama really inspires me, I won't give you spoilers but what I can say is that, before you watch this one, be sure that you will have acartons/boxes of tissues ready. I love the OST & I love the song Ryo Nishikido as Asou Haruto sang with the class in front of the hospital, I even memorized it and still know the lyrics to this day.

I wish you're true Asou. I really wished you for Aya.

OST: Only Human by K ft. Kim Dong Wan
Special Songs: 3 gatsu 9 ka (Sangatsu Kokonoka) & Konayuki by Remioromen
DRAMA BASED ON A TRUE STORY OF A GIRL WITH AN INCURABLE DISEASE.

Read More

I think this drama started off strong, but lost steam as it went along. The ending episode was meandering and pointless, honestly. It had a happy ending, but was lackluster and bland. I think that if they had cut this show to 16/32 episodes instead of 20/40, they could have written a tighter story. There were some things that got lost in the story, some things that were never explained, and some things that dragged on way too long. The romance sizzled in the beginning and then flickered and died, and then when it rekindled, it was barely an ember. One thing that some people liked, but kind of annoyed me was the lighting in the show. Every time the main characters were about to have a real kiss - there was always this bright light shining between them. I guess it was supposed to be artistic? Once would have been plenty for that and it might have been ok, but it happened at least 3 or 4 times.

Most of the actors did a good job. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors and I love to watch the play of emotions on JCW's face. NJH is so earnest and sincere in her acting. Choi Tae Joon as Eun Hyuk was such a cutie pie and his awkwardness and his boyish charm and enthusiasm were fun to watch (this was my first show with him.) I wasn't really impressed with Nara or her character. She was bland and we didn't learn much about her. I thought Kim Ye Won was a scene stealer though! KYW as Ji Hye started off as an unlikable bully and a cheater, but she quickly became one of my favorite supporting actors in this show, and I kind of wished she had been the second female lead instead. I loved her snarky comebacks to Yoo Jung - she made me laugh a lot. And Dong Ha, as the villain Hyun Soo, did an amazing job. It's the first time I've seen him in anything that I recall, but he nailed his role.

The music was decent, nothing stand out, but appropriate.

I won't re-watch this. It was ok, but not one of the best I've seen. I think the longer run time severely hurt the pacing.

Read More

I don't quite know where to begin with my review. Should I list all the good things or should I list all the bad things first? This is also the reason why my rating is probably not yet final. It might change one or two times, though it will definitely not go up any further.

So, to summon it up, this drama is flashy, cheesy, overly dramatic and sometimes seriously ridiculous. The synopsis for this show is quite scarce, so I'll try to describe some additional facts first.

The king rules over his country. That's how it should be. But in fact, he is only a puppet who is led by Pyunsoo Group, a large hidden organization that has its own trick to control the royal family quite well. The Crown Prince meanwhile has to wear a mask in order to hide his face because of an illness he got when he was born - at least that's what the people and the ministers believe. And because of Pyunsoo Group he is also forced to live outside the palace someday. There he meets Ga Eun who he will fall in love with.

The basic plot is actually quite interesting. That's why it's so sad that it doesn't live up to its potential in the end. It had a steady atmosphere what I liked about this drama, but every now and then it managed to drop one or two ridiculous bombs that were either created by some nonsensical decisions or resulted in some foolish actions.

There were alot of characters who had the potential to something big, but they never rose from their grounds. Same applies for the acting. Though I can't blame half of them because they got some crappy scripts for their roles, the other half of the cast was only average or worse.

As interesting as the beginning was, I never saw an actual improvement of the Crown Prince. He might have become a little smarter, that's all. Same goes for the female lead. At a certain point in the drama, she started to annoy me because so many bad things happened only because of her. It irritated me so much, that almost every decision centered around her. She was either bait or needed protection or whatever. I don't know where it went wrong but her role felt more like a burden than a blessing/support. I admit that I enjoyed some of her scenes with the Crown Prince though. But that's as far as it goes.

At some point I started to favor the second female lead more than the actual one. There was definitely growth in her character while she was one of the most conflicted persons in the story. And although I was skeptical regarding the actress at first, I'm glad that she pulled off her character so well that I even felt sad about her efforts being in vain - though on the other hand she did accomplish some of her wishes in the end.

There are only a few performances I truly enjoyed. The Queen Dowager, the second female lead's father, the female lead's father, Woo Bo (Lee Sun's teacher) and Dae Mok, the head of Pyunsoo Group. Their acting was shining compared to the rest. Yoo Seung Ho had his moments, too, and I enjoyed most of his scenes, but damn, he's one teary guy. His hair is beautiful though...

There is indeed an unhealthy amount of crying. Alot of it. And everyone seems to be a real crybaby, it spreads like a disease. Shedding tears during almost every serious moment.

Did I like something? The clothes, the cinematography, the MUSIC (that score was good~), impressive entrances (esp from Yoo Seung Ho, his royal demeanor was intriguing) and some really good fighting scenes.

Recommendation is debatable and this is definitely not a sageuk for everyone. It's quite predictable, with alot of stereotype characters and some questionable turn of events. Despite that I still felt entertained to a certain degree. There were many moments that kept my interest throughout the whole drama and I wanted to see the finale, even though I already knew how it would probably end~

And Yoo Seung Ho's hair was so beautiful... Did I already mentioned that? Damn, that dude is gorgeous.

Read More

This drama focuses on four friends who grew up together and are now in their mid-20s, struggling to recapture the dreams of their youth. Ko Dong Man (played by Park Seo Joon, of the very pinchable cheeks) is a former Taekwondo athlete who suffered a defeat at the top of his game and is now a 20-something guy getting by on his somewhat soul-crushing, mediocre part time job. His best friend is Choi Ae Ra (played by Kim Ji Won), the undeniable boss of this quartet, who dreams of being a new anchor but has to live with her job as a greeter in a department store/mall. Her roommate and other best friend is Baek Seol Hee (played by the adorable Song Ha Yoon), whose dream in life is to be a wife and mother, and who has been dating and half living with her boyfriend of six years, Kim Joo Man (played by Ahn Jae Hong - what a teddy bear), while she works as a customer support rep for a home shopping network. Joo Man works for the same company, but as a producer/buyer for the food segments on the home shopping network. While the story line follows Dong Man and Ae Ra's movement from friends to romantic partners, Seol Hee and Joo Man face the break down of their six year relationship.Throw in a surprise birth secret in the last third of the series for a bit of added flavor. This show was a lot of fun to watch - though I often find Park Seo Joon utterly delightful, so I'm not surprised. When hilarity ensues, it is very well done. The pacing is a bit off, as the ending felt a little rushed in comparison to the slow set up at the beginning of the series. There's also an early on plot line that felt almost entirely pointless, though thankfully it's wrapped up pretty quickly and never mentioned again once it's done.

Read More

Ji Chang Wook, who continues to practically ooze charisma from his damn pores, plays straight laced and uptight Prosecuter Noh Ji Wook opposite Nam Ji Hyun's chipper and plucky Lawyer Eun Bong Hee. Bong Hee works for Ji Wook, but when she's framed for murder, he ends up being the one prosecuting her (apparently conflict of interest is not a thing, at least in kdramaland court rooms). This all happens in the first handful of episodes, but the real story follows after the resolution of her prosecution for murder. The drama really follows them, Ji Wook's mostly estranged best friend (played charmingly by Choi Tae Joon, who manages to hold his own against Chang Wook's own effortless charm - not an easy thing to do), his ex-girlfriend/fiance (played by Nara), and his extended family/friends. Throw into the mix a serial murderer. The resulting recipe is a lot of fun to watch. The notes in this show are mostly up beat. They do trot out some dramatic family secrets, but even the sad and down moments are balanced out by bright and cheerful ones so you never come away from this feeling like you've had to slog through anything.

I'm pretty sure Ji Chang Wook's inherent charm is what keeps the Earth rotating on its axis.

Read More

This drama is in my top 3 and I've seen more than 400 of them (of course some I dnf) I watched this more than 8 years ago for the first time and I'm still absolutely in love with Satoshi Tsumabuki's character. He's the kindest and realest drama hero I've seen. This drama made me a fan for a lifetime. The love story is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen and the struggles the characters face, still hit home to anyone in their twenties. I was in my early twenties when I watched this and I seeked comfort from this drama. It also made me envious. I wished for such an amazing group of friends and such a love story.

Read More

I WATCHED IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO
 If you have to prioritize, watch the first episode and judge for yourself, because some tricks and stretches are telling for the overall quality and worldbuilding. Are you OK with random commoners using Lee last name (and it somehow being an important factor for maliciously choosing a crown prince's substitute)? How about a poison that has to be re-taken every 15 days otherwise the afflicted person will die? Or a poison that makes the survivor immune to all the other poisons in the world? Do you buy the reasoning for hiding crown prince's face behind a mask? Unless you really can't stand prolonged misunderstandings and great love built on lack of communication (or even shared screentime), you'll be OK with the rest.
(And speaking of the setup, I have no idea what were they thinking using prince Sado's name, since it can't even be considered an alternative, rice box-free version of that story. Maybe the writer had something planned but she forgot about it in a meantime? Or wanted to troll us with a prospect of a tragic ending?)
Despite all the plotting, accumulating power and changing teams going on, there's not enough plot to last for 20 hours (and a 5 years long time skip during which 1st female lead regressed and everything interesting apparently just happened to the other three). Some matters, like finding a poppy field, could have been resolved around 1/3 of the show and don't even start me on that jar that no-one bothered to come and get until the very end. Really. There were two quests in total and they were both lying sidelined waiting for a person in charge to get to his or hers grand moment, because everyone else was too busy creating misunderstandings, being a noble idiot or passively looking from behind. Right, they needed to make an antidote too, but that just happened last minute.
To make matters worse, due to the episode getting split in half it wasn't 20 eps but 40 shorter ones. So double the cliffhanger / wet blanket combo and add general lack of fluidity here and there. With that being said, it's not a show to watch for the plot and the overall pacing fits what little character development we see. Except most of it is thrust upon the second leads.
Storytelling is mediocre at best and very predictable in a short term (still engaging on a longer run). You can have a drinking game for everything that happens on cue and every seam that shows through. Expect lots of convenient timing used for the sake of the dramatic effect and main characters doing nothing and getting away with it, because events resolve themselves without them. I'm not even talking about overused hijinks like the main girl coming back from her task all down and changing her mood midsentence, saying to the crowd's relief she suceeded, or that scene when the crown prince was being mourned only to show above someone's shoulder and ask who's dead. And let's ignore that General who fought Jurchens, because he's such a stock character I physically cringed every time he spoke. His lines were like something a kindergartner with a wooden sword would improvise, that kid that gets some episodic part because someone has to do it, and maybe doubles as a tree. Someone on kissasian commented it's like the writer was using a textbook on how to write a segeuk and I fully agree. It's a second rate fanfic writing in a high budget decorations. Easy on eyes and ears, engaging, but only until you take your eyes of it and start looking at the whole picture. With a different cast and lower production value, it'd be unwatchable.
The romance is bland and angsty. They meet, they instantly fall in love, some misunderstandings happen to them [enters 'came from the dead, pretends to be his own lookalike' trope sprawling over the better part of the middle], they separate, they're back and everything is all dandy. The end. The second leads meddle into it, but they never had a chance and weren't even looking for a different options, so there's no thrill. Fill the empty spaces with speeches on the common people suffering under Evil Corp, the legitimacy of power, qualities of a good leader and apologies towards villain who was clearly forced by a circumstances and badly run country to turn evil, poor thing. The show takes itself very seriously, but comes off silly and pompous despite some original concepts thrown at the beginning. I wish writers had a better idea of showing Ga Eun's independence than making her going blindly her way, without consulting people around her and making informative choices. I'm not saying asking for permission, but communicating with a person she supposedly loves that much. I suspect reasons for that are not exposing her trait as much as having her in one place with the second male lead and under his power, and giving the first male lead an opportunity for a dramatic run through a city stopped on crossed halberds. She could be much more than that -- and she was, but it derailed.

WHAT'S IT WORTH WATCHING FOR:
 Hm. Let me think. YSH was born to play royals. He's charismatic, commanding and has them dramatic gazes covered. And not forget his deep voice. But we didn't need a 20 episode drama to confirm that. Both he and KSH are wasted in their roles of a sheltered prince taking a responsibility and a trophy girl. A kind, caring, underinformed trophy girl fighting for a justice. With 15 minutes of a heavily reused footage her character had more impact on the story in Goblin than here. Wait, I meant to stay positive. Both leading actors managed to carry their characters thanks to their charisma and breathed some air into subpar writing. Both second leads showed improvement compared to some of their former works. Second female lead comes quite a way from a creep playing with her knife (or was a needle?) and inflicting on herself a wound to match with the one the crown prince got to an independent, succesful woman standing against her family and making great sacrifices. Second male lead shares 1st lead burden and tries to navigate in an unfamiliar environment until he can't take it anymore and breaks apart. Villain is entertaining to watch and not omnipotent (close, but not), but towards the end he's getting out of character (or was he always delusional?). The other villain has a motivation so murky and changable I won't risk a guess what was she actually plotting, but I doubt it was intentional anyway. At some point it looked like we've got a few more secret organisations to stir things up, but keep your hopes low. As soon as they were introduced, they got tossed away. [Looks like that's as far as my positive attitude can get me.]
Rating it anything below 7 is mean towards production team and actors, but the writing really brings it down. You can safely skip that one, but if you feel like watching something light, why not give it a shot and see for yourself. [But don't even a light show need a more convincing romance, if nothing else?]

Read More

This was a story of nostalgia for older viewers, If you have finished high school and gone on to college and beyond you can reflect about all of the missed moments, friendships, hardships, missteps and challenges. Life's lessons as a young inexperienced person dealing withe the reality of a cruel older world of greed and thoughtlessness. The writer/director started out with this amazing story - almost like sweet ice cream - each episode had a moment or moments of life's reflections - almost wanted to re-watch with a diary to write down these life's lessons. However, in the end they fail to keep the sweetness of the drama - it melts onto the ground near the end and you feel sorry you bought the ice cream, Disappointment was all I felt in the last 6 episodes -- but the initial 40 have redeemable value for anyone to watch. I always wonder whether anyone watches these things before they show them to the public -- You have two main characters then what is the purpose of making them just shadows in the story line near the conclusion. Felt ripped off after so much time invested and the anxiousness of running each day to make sure I saw the two episodes released before I watched anything else.

Read More

I'm a huge fan of romantic and suspense thriller type of movies and dramas that involve court cases and the law. When I saw the trailer of this I was utterly hyped up and knew that I was going to love it. And I was a 100% correct.

The story had me drawn in since the very first episode. I had a heart attack from the main characters' chemistry. I mean, Ji Chang Wook is a gorgeous and handsome actor, no doubt. Even though I wasn't familiar with any dramas starring Nam Ji Hyun, she made a very positive first impression, which was more than enough for me to become interested in her, and eventually becoming her fan. The other actors were spectacular as well, especially the lawyer squad and the main suspect, Jung Hyun Soo. I was really surprised at how much I pitied a very dark criminal. The storyline wasn't boring at all and I liked how it progressed right until the end. I was in two minds whether to give this drama a lower review, however, I loved how the creators of this drama didn't run out of ideas and finished this series with a boom.
Another thing I want to point out is the OST. It translated all of the emotions and the songs were very fitting with the situations and the characters. I would highly suggest you not only to watch this drama, but to check out the OST as well!

Overall, a lovely drama that surely became one of my favorites on the list! Very interesting, tragic and romantic storyline with leave you with many different (and of course unforgettable) emotions!

Read More