Reviews

There's something very refreshing and beautiful about this drama. I actually watched this drama after having been stuck in a kdrama slump for a while but this drama immediately tugged me out of it.

One of the things I loved most about this drama was the realness of the characters. Oh Hae Young (Seo Hyun Jin) was a very vulnerable and raw character. She was not perfect and her struggles of having to compete with someone with the same name throughout her whole life were very touching. Some might say her actions and emotions make her seem childish but I disagree. She chooses to embrace her feelings and emotions without concerning herself with the opinions and judgments of others. I admired that despite her brokenness she continued to thrive with her fearlessly bold personality. Seo Hyun Jin's charcter is inspiring to me on so many levels as she doesn't hold back and learns to pursue what makes her happy.  

I was also really captivated with Eric's character, Do Kyung. Do Kyung is one of those characters who would be terribly hard to play as his character is very closed off and reserved. His character's emotions in so many scenes were portrayed solely in his face and eyes. Often times, it was a quiet stare or couple words which carried behind it the most powerful meaning. When a person is scarred it is a very natural reaction to close themselves off and to hide their emotions and feelings from others and I was very moved and impressed with Eric's acting and portrayal of such a difficult character. He portrayed Do Kyung's healing journey very beautifully.  Also supporting cast was phenomenal!   

 I could honestly go on and on about how great this drama is as I do with all my favorite dramas, but rather than that I would just really encourage you to watch it. It is beautifully done and the chemistry between the main couple is extremely moving. The uniquely hilarious comedic moments are balanced perfectly with the heavier areas of melodrama and the hint of supernatural in this drama adds just the extra element that it needed. The work aspect of this drama is also very intriguing and interesting and I especially love when dramas intertwine occupations in with the story. One last thing, the music was amazing. Definitely worth the watch. I'm honestly not opposed to watching it for a 5th time.

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Wow. What a cute a cute story.

Pros:
Acting: I enjoyed all the actors, and thought both lee min ki and son ye jin did a great job. son ye jin especially did a great job of portraying the loneliness of her character, and gave you someone worth rooting for. lee min ki was cute, and great boyfriend material. He did comedy really well.

Jo Go: I really liked him, and how he refused to leave her side. Poor girl, even her sister requested for her to leave. Not Jo Go though, he'll stay by her side :)

Ju Ri: Besides the fact that she sees ghosts, Ju Ri was pretty relatable. She did a pretty good job of making you feel for her character. I really loved her and her story :)

Ju Ri friends: They were great comedic relief, and I loved them so much, haha. I loved the bond they share with Ju Ri.

Moral: I just like the moral, that no one should be alone, and you should have someone by your side :) It was really cute to see that through Ju Ri and Jo Go's relationship

Chemistry: I thought that Jo Go and Juri had a lot of chemistry, and were super cute together :) They always made me feel so happy when they were together :)

Comedy: this movie did comedy really well, and was super hilarious at times. Actually laughed out loud!

Cons:
Music: nothing special, it was there but not memorable.

Dramas vs Movies: I mainly watch dramas. So some things that I feel would be dragged out in dramas, weren't here. Which is good and bad. Sometimes I think they needed a little more time to sort things out....but it's better to have a quicker resolution then endlessly dragging. So sort of a pro and con.

Overall, it was a good watch. Nothing overly special, but I wouldn't mind watching it again. It was cute, and I enjoyed it! Would recommend :)

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Goong is one of my favourite Asian dramas and that is why I watched this one. In Goong you feel the love between Ju Ji Hoon & Yoon Eun-Hye. They had a fantastic chemistry and I have re-watched it many times. But, in this Thai remake you get to see a fake country called Bhutin. All actors were having flower bows. It made them look funny.(That is what I felt). There is no chemistry between the lead pair and you get to see fake kisses - Even though the lead guy and the second lead girl had real kisses - Now, I don't know why it was like that. To summarize I felt this is really a pathetic remake of Goong.

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Temptation. A story of 4 people. We have two women and two men of vastly different states of wealth. Now we see them basically staying within their own groups. The two chaebols stay in each others reach for company related sabotage and the like. The mid tier couple are happy and satisfied being together.

Due to events and choices we get to see things fall apart and begin anew. One female goes from cold hearted to warm hearted whereas the other goes from a normal woman to doubting to grieving to angry to evil. I found the relationships to progress at a very decent pace. Although it was basically about affairs, it was done in a way that I was not upset at watching.
This drama was mainly about how the characters grow and people change.

I found the line distribution and acting to be fantastic, very nice subtle tones of voice to go along perfectly with their musical choices for the OST. I appreciate voices and how they allow their lines to come to life. It was done in a very stable, quiet but emotional way.

I am writing this review as I'm rewatching it so I would say its rewatchable.

This type of plot isn't for everyone, some people will just see it as a homewrecker wrecking a relationship, I don't fully see it that way. I see it as a woman who saw someone in a dire situation and chose to give them a choice. They made things happen by their own choices. Also the karma that this show deals out is pretty crazy as well.

Sara Rojas JULY 1 2017

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So, low key I wasn't really expecting what I got when I actually watched this. I HIGH key wish there kinda was a bit of a warning beforehand (But that could have been me just not looking into it) about the torture aspect of the movie. I'm not sure how much I personally liked the story, but the characters themselves is what made it worth watching, (Ironically my favourite character is still and will forever be Tee). It's kinda got a Death Note-y feel in the sense of how your supposed to feel about certain characters. I would definitely be careful if blood/torture/psychotic tendencies make you uncomfortable, but if not, go for it~

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I hated this drama for the reason I often hate dramas: the male lead was a jerk. He treated the female lead badly (really really badly), but was still forgiven again and again. Actually, pretty much all of the characters treat the female lead badly but are still forgiven. The whole series is a train wreck of mistreatment with occasional romantic breaks. This woman should be in a domestic violence shelter getting help filing a divorce, not living "happily" ever after with the male lead.

Friends, being too forgiving only makes you more attractive to the kinds of men who mistreat women and therefore need to be forgiven a lot.

Content Warning: contains a sexual assault scene while the female lead is unconscious. The assaulter is forgiven instantly and never truly held accountable.

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This is the first time i write a review here in dramalist. and ive seen lot of drama before, especially kingdom drama like fire in nirvana. This drama is so good especially the plot and the way the story is told. for everyone who hasnt watch the show, please be patient if you want to start to watch it. this is the kind of drama that you need to figure out what is the connection between the character, you need to be involved into the story and then you will get the explanation later. this is very hard movie to watch at first (at least until ep 7). i failed to watch it twice and i regret it, that im not watch it sooner. anyway, if you need good drama, good acting, good story, good ending this is drama that you need to watch. i dare to put it on my number one list of good kingdom drama above six flying dragon, jewel in the palace or emperor qi. a very good drama.

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Reasons for 8.5 and not a 9.0?
1. As a drama fiend I find the standard movie length way too short . 2. I don't favor true crime stories.(prefer documentary) I've never re-watched a movie so that doesn't count ....So, an 8.5 is actually super high for me because I really can't see how anyone could go wrong watching this for an hour no matter what genre you like.

This is a great movie all on it's own, but if you like Legal, then you'll love this one. It's based on a true story. Which makes it even more riveting and touching. The cast is tops notch and the acting is stellar. The writing is very straightforward. This movie is not draggy or boring anywhere.
A young man is viciously and falsely accused and loses all hope in life after his sentence until a twist of fate in a lawyers life gives the wrongfully accused an opportunity for a new trial. Sounds simple. The movie is anything but. It shows the harsh reality of police, prosecutor and judicial system corruption. Your heart will bleed and teeth will clench. It takes you high with hope, then tramples you hard. The hero lawyer is not played in a dramatic showy way, he was very human a little jaded and down trodden but with a sense of justice that's still pure. I got a really good reminder toward the end, to be careful who I let my guard down with. People you think you know well will gut you without even a good blink.
It's a good ending in keeping of course with the real story.

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This is a masterpiece. The story in itself beautifully written. The characters are well rounded, even the supporting characters' story-line are well developed. Coupled with perfect casting, you couldn't help but love the characters. Even for the villains, you could get their motivation and you'd get why they would act in a certain way (not in the sense that their actions were justified but because it's in their personality, "that's who they are"). The acting was solid. I loved how the director used subtle gestures and actions to convey the emotion of the characters like how he would zoom in on trembling hands to show anxiousness. The score was also great. It's not in your face like others in which you'd know that something is about to happen because of the music. It helped elevate the scene. My personal favorite is the humming version of Aging of Beauty.

I could talk about this all day but there is no better judge than yourself so go watch it. The pilot was good, you might be overwhelmed with the number of charters introduced in the first episode but you'll eventually get a hang of it. By the second episode, I was already hooked with the story and invested on the characters. If you are still not convinced, at least give this a shot till episode 12. By then if your still not invested then i don't know what to say anymore. :))

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I woke up in a rather negative mood. Just had a lot on my mind and have been unhappy a lot of negativity has been plaguing me for 6 months. The dream I woke up from just was another reminder of an incident. I wanted to be happy. I woke up and scanned youtube and found a clip for this film. Since I'm a sucker for romantic films. I thought, hey why not. I was going to watch a Korean action film...but it was depressing as hell and Korean films and shows are known for that and I was not for that.

This hit the spot. It was just a casual film. If you are looking for that lazy Sunday or Saturday film on a rainy day when you have nothing to do and you just want to veg out and just chill this is it. I was in a funk on a sunny day and had nothing to do and was vegging out and just wanted something to make me happy. This hit the spot. It did it so well---my sister came home and was like, "You look great." I was shocked by the statement. That's how good this movie is.

It's not a movie I'd rewatch though. It's like one of those great surprising meals you had in a hole in the wall restaurant on a side street in a crowded downtown area on a random day. It's not something I'd come back too.

However, the acting was fantastic. There is nothing to beat the acting. Ko Chen Tung steals the screen. He knows his stuff. He can play with his emotions well and he holds it. The girls were fine, but he's the lead for a reason. I could watch him over and over and over again. He's attractive, but it was his expressions and the subtlety and nuance in delivery. It was just smooth and natural.

Everything was natural. I think the second best character and who I would have chosen as the lead girl would have been Guo Shu Yao---she was cute and funny and she was scene stealer for the scenes she had. I would have liked to see more of her. Her in the lead would have been great and her optimistic and aggressive personality would have engaged me more.

However, it's a great film.

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This drama focused on their characters, which was pleasing as a viewer and really kept me engaged and interested in the drama throughout.

My main gripe were with the two main characters. Jung Seok the male lead was played well by Ha Suk Jin. But he was pompous and quite a jerk throughout the show, and I wasn't sure by the end of the drama whether there was real evolution and development of his character for the better.

The lead female character, Hana, frustrated me a majority of the drama. She was the polar opposite of the lead male character, Jung Seok, but not in a good way. She is sweet, sincere, earnest, but too much of a doormat, allowing Jung Seok to tread all over her in the workplace and all over her ego. I got pretty frustrated with her throughout the drama.

What I enjoyed most about the show were the trio of students, Dongyoung, Kibum, and Gong Myung. They are the real heart of the show and it seemed that most of the plot centered on their highs and lows of student life. Their storylines were equally amusing and moving and seemed very relatable for the youth of today.

While this is show is supposedly in the same vein as the Let's Eat series, which centered on single working adults living alone, I appreciated the decision to take a slightly different direction for this show, to focus on the civil service exam study-cram community, which hasn't had its time in the K-drama spotlight yet.

Overall it is worth a watch for some light and fairly breezy entertainment.

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Wow. What can I say about this show? I finished it a while ago and have been sitting on writing a review because I loved it so very, very much. It has a great cast, wonderful atmosphere, and a really interesting story line. It's interwoven lives - past and present - and is set in both modern day and in 1930s Korea during the Japanese occupation. Yo Ah In plays Han Se Joo, a Stephen King-esque level writer in the modern day who finds himself struck with writer's block after a stalker almost kills him. He meets Im Soo Jung's Jeon Seol in the present life, a veterinarian and former Olympic level athlete in shooting, who is also his number one fan. Introduced to this is a ghostwriter Yoo Jin Oh (played by Go Kyung Pyo) who has a secret. The three (and most of the important people around them) are all linked by their past lives in the 1930s as resistance fighters during the Japanese occupation. The story kept me guessing quite a bit of the time, which is not always the case in k-dramas, and the atmosphere was spectacularly done. All the modern day characters have abodes that overflow with books, which was a visual touch that I found very appealing, while the historical segments brought that past era to life. There is love, intrigue, scheming, conflict, struggle, loss, and triumph. The music in this drama was also wonderful and engaging. I really can't recommend this drama highly enough.

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Gosh, no one has ventured to write a review on this show? Well, this comes a little bit late but better late than never, right? So here goes.

STORY (No spoilers)
It was only after I had completed watching this show that I later discovered that this was a re-make of an older and, at that time popular, Taiwanese show titled "Prince Turns Into A Frog". Having never seen that older show but afterwards read about its content, it would appear that the overall storyline for both shows essentially remains the same. So, for those of you who have seen "Prince Turns Into A Frog" and loved it, you might want to consider giving this re-make a try.

I think it is also worth mentioning that the overall vibe of this show is that of a cheesy, light-hearted, funny and rather silly show. This show does not take itself seriously at all and has a lot of cartoonish, slapstick funny moments liberally sprinkled with your over-the-top dramatic scenes which, in another show, would probably make you roll your eyes. Since this show doesn't take itself seriously, viewers intending to watch this should also leave your brain at the door and just sit back and enjoy this crazy ride.
If you enjoy a bit of fun and silliness, as well as willing to suspend belief and swallow the cheese as well as the salt as this show turns on the drama, this show is a great one to watch.

ACTING/ CHARACTERS
LIU XIAO BEI - Tiffany Tang plays the loud, cheeky and bubbly Liu Xiao Bei really well here. While the vibe of the show promotes cartoonish actions and caricature personalities, Tiffany gives Liu Xiao Bei enough of a personality to make her a bit more than just a one-dimensional character. I found her character to be actually cute and likeable in this show, despite its inherent silliness, and that speaks of Tiffany's ability to breathe more life into her. She also enjoys good chemistry with her co-actors, especially with the main male lead (no surprise as they were actually dating in real life at time of filming).

XIANG TIAN QI - Roy Qiu plays this cold, rich, genius CEO as well as can be, given the craziness of the show and what the character himself has to go through. The first round of memory loss brought an almost complete change of character personality to Xiang Tian Qi, and Roy did a good job in making that difference palpable, believable and utterly charming to boot. I thought he portrayed the various personalities and emotions of his character pretty well, especially considering the playful nature of this show.

The second leads, as well as the supporting characters in this show, were played by actors who didn't mind looking a little silly or participating in scenes that were extremely cheesy and almost cringe-worthy. Not all characters were one-dimensional or one-note all the time in this show. There were moments of poignancy and feeling which added depth to certain key scenes and moments in the show, but on the flip side, there were also moments where suspension of belief was required and you'd need to roll with the punches.

It is difficult to therefore rate the quality of acting in this show, simply because of its rather quirky and erratic nature.

MUSIC
In line with its let's-not-take-ourselves-seriously vibe, the music in this show varies from hip-hop and rap, to pop and rock, to love ballads. A truly eclectic mix of genres rolled into a show, but you know what, it works. I actually enjoyed the music a lot (if you are a fan of JJ Lin, a lot of his tracks are played on this show), and thought it added life and beat to the series.

RE-WATCH VALUE
I guess this is a love-it or hate-it kind of show so if you liked it, you probably would not mind re-watching some of the scenes over and over again, even if it was just for kicks, giggles and laughs.

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