While this drama delt with serious issues such as the corruption of high ranking officials, a master puppeteer behind it all and a mystery/tragedy regarding Jung Ho and Young Shin's parents, it never felt like a heavy watch. This really worked for me, even if I am a fan of heavier melodramas. The fight scenes reminded me a bit of the Bourne series but they were graceful and acrobatic as opposed to brutal/gritty. The romance is what I'd call squeal inducing and the chemistry between the actor and actress playing Jung Ho and Young Shin is one of the best I 've seen. I really enjoyed watching him slowly fall for her. Initially, he'd thought her strange and annoying but once he got to know her it all changes and fans of the romance genre will enjoy the sweetness of their moments together.
Side characters such as master hacker Jo Mina and Young Shin's (adoptive) lawyer father Chae Chi Soo were also a delight to watch- their interactions with the main leads added a lot to the lightness of the series. Another thing I liked about Healer is that the main characters aren't always overwhelmed by the villains' actions. I've watched a handful of kdramas now and I've noticed that in the heavier ones I've seen they often write it in such a way that the villains seem to always be one step ahead of the heroes. I guess they do that to make the story more suspensful and aggravating for the viewers but this has always been a hit or miss for me. I'm glad they took a different approach with Healer. I wouldn't say that the villains didn't give the leads substantial difficulties to overcome- they certainly did. But the leads always came back fighting and then we'd get another round of challenges. This didn't make it any less exciting.
Overall, this was a fun, fast paced (romantic! action filled! hilarious!) watch and I can easily see myself rewatching this, even over many of my other favorites :)
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Drama Special Series Season 1: White Christmas
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Overall, I'm glad I did but it really wasn't as exciting or suspenseful as some of the reviews made it out to be. The first half of the series dragged and was quite boring. The second half picked up and got better. I wouldn't say it wasn't worth the watch and there were things I liked about it. But I can't give it a much higher score due to the 1) slow, dragging pace of practically half the show and 2) there is a glaring plot hole that stretches my suspension of disbelief a little too much. Let's say that in these type of shows, the police/authorities are usually portrayed as somewhat inept in order for the leads shine in the detective/issue solving. In this case, the error was over the top- I couldn't even imagine a rookie cop making such a mistake. I know they wrote it this way so that the leads could have a needed showdown with the antagonist but I had to take away major points since the flaw is inexcusable.
There are good things about White Christmas. All of the teen leads did a good job with the acting and were able to potray the differences in their characters, as well as represent their character issues well. I also liked how each of them (with the exception of Cho Chi Hoon/Cho Ji Hoon) got some character arc focus at some point in the drama. Park Mo Yul was clearly the MVP, but each of them had their moment to 'shine' or something like that. Their interactions with each other, and with the adult characters, were the highlights of the show for me.
I think White Christmas was trying to achieve something unique with the crime/mystery genre but I'm not sure if it succeeded. I will say that it had significant differences compared to the run of the mill whodunnit murder mystery, police procedural or even Battle Royal/Hunger Games type of show where the leads are pit against each other...but did those differences amount to a cohesive plot where all loose ends are tied up in a way that is credible? I'm not so sure. The drama goes on and on about whether or not 'monsters are made or born?' but it doesn't really resolve it (or even leave an open ended question) in a way that made sense.
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It's hilarious, the heroine is adorable and loveable.
I enjoyed every element of this drama. The cast had great chemistry and some of the moments had me laughing so hard I cried. The scenes were written beautifully. The crime element of the story was intriguing, and I felt like it left something for everyone who wasn't just interesting in the love story to enjoy about the drama.
The music in this drama is amazing as well, and whenever I hear it, it puts a smile on my face.
Strong Women Do Bong Soon is a pretty fantastic drama, there's not much I would change about it.
Initially I was worried based off the cover that the 'love triangle' aspect would be overwhelming (as it tends to be), but I was happily surprised that it was well done, and I didn't feel annoyed by it as I usually do when they spend 14 episodes dragging the main girl back and forth between two guys.
There are tons of memorable scenes in this drama, and all of her action scenes showing off her powers were hilarious and empowering.
Overall, I gave this a 10 because after finishing this drama I felt like a 10. I will definitely be watching more stuff from these actors, they are absolutely amazing.
I'm sure you've already read other reviews, but I do 100% recommend this drama to everyone, not just people looking for romance, It truly has it all.
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There were just fragments of interesting scenes..
I think what went wrong here is that the production tried real hard to merge various genres equally. I mean, they tried putting in the comedy part which I think doesn't went accordingly to the story. Yes, it would be much better with the comedy but it shouldn't be overdone.
Nonetheless, the actors are really commendable. Park Bo Young gave a really awesome acting here. She could pass into melo. The scene in somewhere about episode 14, WOAH. Park Hyun Sik also did a good job. I'm just kind of distracted when he acts kind of gayish (maybe because he's friends with KwangHee, lol). Lastly, I think Ji Soo could also pass as An Min Hyuk! He's really good and got great bod, hotter than Clara LOL.
Oh, and I can't help but notice Bong Soon's mom's pretty face. OH OH OH, and Jang Mi Kwan!! I looked into him and it's said that this is really his first project. WOW, he could go real far with his acting. I wasn't scared much as the drama has a weak storyline but his acting is really commendable.
Finally, what's really good about this drama is their OST! SUPER POWER GIRL!!
A piece of advice (well, it goes differently to different people), don't expect much from this drama. It's good but not as much as it is getting attention.
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ACTING/CAST/MUSIC/REWATCH VALUE: Meh.
OVERALL: At 8 minutes, meh. Still, that poster. :O)
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ACTING/CAST: They did a fine job. The last scene, the actor was very good and made me tear up a little.
MUSIC: Decent music.
REWATCH VALUE: I probably will because the cinematography for this is odd and can be hard to follow.
OVERALL: I don't know how these people ever stayed friends; their relationships are so toxic. Also scenes jump from one to the next without a good idea of how much time has passed nor any real explanation of what's going on. Probably need to watch it twice to make sense of it all.
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Story (9.0):
I found that the setting for this story was really intriguing, despite some, in my opinion, overly weirdly portrayed elements, and this is coming from someone who neither saw the anime or read any form of the books, so I'm crediting this merely from its own merits.
For a four episode season, it would be hard to get bogged down and there is no way you'll find this season even slightly boring.
All the action scenes with Balsa and her spear were very rewarding, and the last episode especially made her look very awesome! :D
Throughout the show, you were able to see as characters progressed and grew and saw the rewards of their labors and the results of hard work. I felt some of the characters were barely fleshed out at all, but I'm sure we'll see more of them in the second season, since this was just 4 episodes anyway. Keep in mind though, our main characters are by no means 2-dimensional.
Acting/Cast (9.0):
Most of the acting was good.
I'd only ever seen Ayase (Balsa) in a feature film where she had a much different character and I wasn't very impressed with the movie, but she really pulls this off and I found her acting to be mostly very impeccable.
Music (10.0):
An incredible soundtrack! From the moment that opening piece played, I was in love with the music. I would call it orchestral with Asian elements throw in, which is definitely right up my alley. I have this soundtrack on my phone and it is my most listened to Asian drama OST, with many of the tracks being in my all time favorites. I'd rank some of the tracks equal with pieces by John Williams, Ennio Morricone and Hans Zimmer. In fact, track 8 (of the top of my head) transports me right into Zimmer's score for Interstellar. I'd watch this whole thing again just for the music.
Rewatch Value (8.0):
I really am not a rewatcher, as I've stated in some of my other review. I only watch productions more than once if I really, really, enjoyed them or if plenty of time has passed. I really enjoyed this, but it wasn't per se an all time favorite; that being said, I can definitely see myself rewatching this in a few months.
Overall (9.0):
Highly Recommended! Be prepared for some awesome fighting scenes, some weird looking creatures, a vibrant world, real characters, unrealistic Kings, more awesome fighting, an amaaazing soundtrack... Oh and there might be a minor cliffhanger, but it's okay because it's not the main story of this season... However, it will still have you rushing to season 2!
P.S. I found some of the cinematography a bit... questionable, but it doesn't detract and certainly has it's own place I guess...
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Pro - I liked that it was a clean romance, great chemistry, and the visuals, especially graphics were impressive - unlike the drama version!. The story is kind of unique to me. It just left you with a really great feeling! I'd watch it again with friends, and I don't say that lightly. Not cheesy at all. The girl is strikingly gorgeous (even tho im a girl). Wonder why i haven't seen her in other dramas, but then I'm not big on chinese dramas.
Con - It doesn't have the same depth as a 20 ep drama, but it's impossible to squeeze that much into a movie. The guy's looks are just so-so (white hair isn't flattering on him), but he grew more attractive as I watched it with his prince-like personality and cute smile.
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I will admit that sometimes it felt like it took way to long for the plot to get somewhere, but I didn't mind to be honest. Unless you're really picky, I don't think you would notice this flaw.
The acting was top-notch and spot on. I don't think Park Bo Young could've done a better job as the protagonist than she already did. I was so satisfied with everyone's performance and their acting capabilities. Sometimes it went so bizarre and crazy but they played it off with their characters really well. I do wish, however, that certain characters would have more development or back story to them, particularly the brother and Gook Du's girlfriend.
The music I CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW CATCHY ALL THE SONGS ARE and the enhanced the scenes so well. I've been listening to the OST on repeat for days and haven't gotten sick of the songs yet, surprisingly.
I'm not one for rematching dramas, but I'll definitely be binge-watching FMVs on YouTube for the next few months or until my withdrawal goes away!
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So, if you've read the book and watched a movie adaptation, as I have, you could originally be very excited.
I'm not saying this was a let down in any way, because I watched the whole thing and I have never finished a show I didn't like in most ways. Then again...
Well, let's just break it down.
Story (8.0):
If you've heard the A Little Princess story, you probably have a good idea of where the storyline is going. However, you will need to first off reconcile the age difference from the original story.
And then once you've done that, you might think, ah this will lead to some amazing Cinderella like romance, what with the older protagonist.
In a way you might be right; there's a wee bit of romance sprinkled in here. But, you might also be a little disappointed with her Prince Charming.
However! One of the reasons I'm rating this section as high as it is, is kind of because he's no perfect prince, and because of some the realism and other issues this show touches on that I really didn't expect.
For instance, the two you might think will have a budding romance, are at first not very close, but then become friends that will suddenly shout at each other with repressed agony of heart. And I liked it.
Another part I did not expect was when our protagonist made a faulty judgement against someone who's been bullying her and she gets called out on it by her friends.
Overall, I wasn't sure exactly how to rate this because it followed the original story enough that I mostly knew what was coming, but it was fit pretty well into 10 episodes and I don't remember any dragging or the like.
Acting/Cast (7.0):
Nothing amazing, but I didn't really find any of the acting very repulsive beyond maybe that one teacher... However, that was also an aspect of her specific part.
Music (10.0):
Le Gasp! 10? For real?
Maybe you don't think so, but the reason I liked this show from the very get-go was because of the main theme that started hardly a minute into the drama. I'm a person who really enjoys the more traditional, orchestral soundtracks and to really enjoy a piece I need to have a very distinctive and memorable melody. And the main theme really hit the spot! I loved it and I still listen to it now and again. To be honest, it's been long enough I couldn't tell you about the rest of the music, but this theme is still one of my top 5 in all the dramas I've seen.
Rewatch Value (5.0):
I haven't rewatched it, nor do I plan on rewatching it, but I'm also not known for rewatching anything unless I really, really loved it. So perhaps other might find this more rewatchable?
Overall (7.5):
I enjoyed the story, loved the music, and didn't find the actors or acting repulsive, so it's pretty good! :D Another plus, it's pretty short and was a quick and very enjoyable watch. Recommended!
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ACTING/CAST: Well, I love these two guys so to see them for a few more minutes is great.
MUSIC: I like the song, wasn't subbed though.
REWATCH VALUE: I watched it twice but probably won't watch it a third.
OVERALL: A few more minutes with the boys. Don't take the story seriously.
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Story:
I liked the story. It was actually pretty interesting and different in a way. Some would say that the age gap between the 2 main character is hard to overlook but it was okay for me. What I mean is I wasn't really paying attention to that part as the drama is based around something fictional, the age gap is just a part of that. I like the relation between the two main characters but also with the second couple. The bromance was also a very good part of that drama. I just wish Deok Hwa played a bigger part of the drama. Usually, there are some characters that I don't like in a drama, like a big villain but I just liked every characters here. And also, I enjoyed everything regarding the Grim Reapers organization and especially the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook).
Acting/Cast:
They all did a great job and I think they all suited their role. Gong Yu as always is a very good actor. I was also very surprised by Lee Dong Wook, if was just perfect as the Grim Reaper. Also, Kim Go Eun is a good actress (that I saw in Cheese in the Trap before) but rather than feeling sad with her when she cried (near the end) I was just impressed. I usually don't like the cryings in dramas also so seeing Lee Dong Wook always with teary eyes/crying was kind of hard for me but he did a good job! I also often find the main female lead annoying but she was okay.
Music:
I think Goblin wouldn't have been that great without this OST. Seriously, the music in the drama was just perfect. All the songs were just beautiful. If the music wasn't that good, I think I would have rated the drama 7.5 instead of 8.5.
Rewatch value:
I would probably not rewatch it, or I would skip some parts. The episodes are unnecessarily long.
So why do I think Goblin is overrated?
- There are tons of flashbacks and they are ALWAYS the SAME!!! That was SOOOO annoying! I hate when they do that in dramas. Like they would put the same flashback twice in the same episode and in almost episode... And for what? We didn't forget that happened so why? This is why the episodes are long but it is just long of flashback I think... It could have been maybe 10 minutes shorter if it wasn't for that...
- Then, that wouldn't really affect the rating but it kind of annoyed me to some point.. The product placement here it just too strong. So we can see it everywhere and in every drama but usually it's more subtle than that. They were literally saying: eat SUBWAY and your life will be better. (or something like that). I understand that they needed money to have that good quality in the scenes but come on...
- Then I feel like the story/plot could have been better used... It is kind of a waste of the characters I think. And I wanted to know more about the deities.
So yeah, I'm happy I watched it but I wished the realization of the drama and the use of the characters would have been better handled. When I finished the drama I had a bitter feeling. I enjoyed it and really liked it but I felt like the potential was a bit wasted. So I think there are many more stuff to talk about regarding that drama but I'll just stop here :)
Anyways, Goblin is a drama that need to be seen ! :)
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