Reviews

Its hard to find a long drama (50+ episodes) that actually manages to keep your attention the entire time. The problem with long dramas is that they usually tend to drag out plot lines, or insert the characters in stupid, unnecessary situations. This show was a nice change of pace from those other shows, and delivered something those shows don't. A great plot, with engaging characters.

Plot~
The plot focuses on a tailor shop and the clothing industry, which to be honest I know nothing about. It still has its cooperate moments, but its a different stroke than the usual office setting. The show mostly focused on how a small family own business could compete with a large,cooperate business. The focus on family and friendship is one the parts that won me over. The story follows about 5 story lines that all interconnect, and it does a great job of going into detail and developing each plot line. The bromance between the main 4 men was also adorable. Every time they got together, a slow motion scene was ensured, followed by chaos and me dying from laughter. I like all the couples but my favorite was Tae Yang and Hyo won. It was a change of pace to actually meet a nice rich girl who wan't scared to go after what she wants. This story-line also allowed us to understand the "villains" of the show and learn more about the "evil" brother.

Characters~
Once again I love them all! The main cast was diverse and filled with great characters. The female lead did have some annoying moments, but there were very little. I loved the Hyo Won and her mother! This family was supposed to the bad guys in the story but they were all so funny and the only one who was semi-evil was the brother. But it was still hard to hate him because the truth is he is just a over protective older brother, and a mama's boy. The story does a great job of developing these characters and adding depth.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and I was sad to see it end. I will definitely re-watch it, but because of the length (51 episodes is a bit too much for me) I will only re-watch certain parts. I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a good family drama, with cute couples, funny bromance, and lovable villains.

If you would like some recommendations check out my blog: http://lovekoreana.blogspot.com/

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After finishing this show I had to take a deep breath and watch something else before I could write this review. I was so upset that I had spent the last few hours watching such a bad show. If you're familiar with C-Drama's then you understand that they commonly recycle the same cliches. This show used every cliche EVER! I don't want to spoil anything, but just understand that I'm not exaggerating. Plot I don't want to be a debbie downer but this show had very few good points. The plot went all over the place, and sometimes I couldn't figure out what story the show was trying to tell. The synopsis mentions that it is about a girl with a great sense of smell who creates perfumes and becomes successful with the help of others. That is a very inaccurate summary. That summarized less than 5 episodes. Every character mentioned in the synopsis was evil starting from episode 1 and betrayed the female lead at least once. Even the male lead hid a few secrets from her. The perfume company was mentioned, but the majority of this show takes place in the hotel industry. Characters They were all bad. The main female lead was stupid, naive, and childish. Later in the story she becomes less childish but she was still easy, and gullible. The male lead was cute and worked hard to get his happy ever after with female lead. Sadly though he was a pushover, and lacked a spine. He let his family control him, and his arranged fiancee manipulate him. A lot. He got stuck in her little traps so often it was annoying. The first half of the series he was constantly in the hospital because he never learned from past experiences. The villains were just terrible. They are your common cliche villains that could be handled quickly in real life, but in dramaworld it take 60 episodes to do. There was not one smart person among the characters. Overall this show was not worth the time. I had watched until episode 12, skipped to episode 32. and trust me the plot hadn't changed much. It was still very stupid. The show definitely didn't need to be 60 episodes and it might've actually been good if it had been maybe 12 episodes. It's just hard to handle these fools for 60 episodes. I recommend this show for people who love cliches, have high patience levels, like stupid leads, and have plenty of time to waste. If you would like some recommendations check out my blog: http://lovekoreana.com/

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After seeing how excited everyone was for this adaptation I hopped on the bandwagon and started watching as well. I wasn't disappointed per say, but this wasn't the best feature either.

Based off the manga of the same name, I can't honestly judge how accurate of an adaptation this was. Overall, the story was completely and utterly rushed during the second half. Originally slated to be a ten to eleven episode drama, unfortunately got cut into 9 episodes resulting in pretty mixed feeling for most. While all the ends are tied up and most everyone gets a happy ending; as a viewer you won't be satisfied in the slightest since everything is so quickly thrown together. The pacing of the first episodes was pleasent and enjoyable, but around episode 7 you can see the marked change in pace.

Overall, the acting was really well done. No one is over the top dramatic, but you'll still get your juicer moments you crave. For Yamamura Ryuta (Nanaryu)'s first role, he's surpirsingly charming and well rounded. He's a bit of a rock; he doesn't get too emotional, but the rather smooth delivery and consistancy for this drama is key. Nishiuchi Mariya (Asuka) is pleasent and not overwelming, dispite who her character is set up and devotion to her beliefs is very convincing. The side characters, from friends to family to implied romantic partners are all belivable and likeable as a whole. There's no real 'villian' character, much to my surprise but the plot still plays out well. All the characters are fairly well developed, aside from their rushed ending. I'm curious to see where Shono Hayama (Kanade), and Kishii Yukino (Momoko) end up in their next roles.

Nishiuchi Mariya lends her voice for the ending theme, and it suits the series well. The music is nothing special, but happily lends itself where it needs to be. My rewatches are always low so no worries.

Overall, this story had the potential to be a really good adaptation. What killed the series was having the content cut from 10/11 episodes down to 9. Not a favorite series of mine, but one I didn't mind passing the time with.

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54 and a half hours, 3 days, countless of emotions and I am finally done with the phenomenon that is Empress Ki. I am not one to generally make sweeping statements but if I were, I'd adamantly insist that this is one of the best dramas I have ever seen as of yet.

I am sure that if someone with a critical eye was to peruse through this review, they'd "Tsk Tsk" just like El Temur did to show his condescension for things he thought beneath him but I am past the point of caring. For I am hopelessly and utterly in love with everything about this drama, blissfully ignorant to all of its flaws and honored to have witnessed characters that made me feel all there was to feel and more.
After I was done with it, I felt so emotionally spent that it was almost physical. Every waking moment of my existence had been consumed by this production and the withdrawal symptoms were kicking in with a vengeance. Now, there is so much to say, but not enough words. I want to shout its praises from the rooftops but I'll settle for writing this review that can't possibly ever truly deliver the amount of feeling I had for this drama.

This is a story about vengeance, lust for power, loyalty, sacrifice, the blurry line between good and evil, the ugly side of human nature and lastly one woman's quest for justice. You cannot go into this if you don't want to get invested because trust me you will. It will possess you and maneuver you around like a puppet until its characters' emotions are your own, their pain your pain, their heartbreak your heartbreak and it will make you want to burst from all the sensory overload.

If I am to be honest, I admit that I have never seen a more brilliant piece of acting before. From the minute roles to the colossal one's every single act is done with perfection.
This was my first time watching Ha- Ji Won and six episodes in, I had already added her to my favorite actress list and vowed that I will not stop until I had followed her into every show she ever starred in. Simply put, she is my Queen. Her acting is so real and raw that it breaks you every time and leaves you in awe. It's really no surprise that she won a Daesang for her role.

I don't think I have ever felt more strongly for any female heroine before Niang. The intensity of love that I felt for her was crazy. She's a woman of power, deadly beyond measure, a master mind and the definition of strength. In Asian Dramas, there is always more talk than walk about how intellectual the heroine is. Producers use the classic element of make believe and create so much hype that people really start to see the MC as smart and witty even when there are no visible actions to back it up. In the synopsis it would be stated repeatedly how much of a genius she is, the characters in the show would boast about her relentlessly but in reality she usually turns out to be a hollow personality-less beauty vessel constructed on baseless compliments.

Niang doesn't roll that way. She is the real deal from the start; a highly intelligent woman, a schemer, a warrior, a meticulous planner and a ruthless executioner. She doesn't need other people to gass her up, because everything she does speaks for itself. She doesn't require saving because she is the savior. She is a Queen in every sense of the word and honestly, I would rather kill everyone -love interest or not- if they dared hurt her. My heart clenched whenever she faced a setback, my fists pumped and I screamed joyfully every time she was victorious, I cried with her, I smiled with her and I rooted for her every single time. I can honestly sing odes in way of her perfection and it would still not be enough.

Before I started with the drama, I had heard a lot of praise for Ji Chang Wook and when I saw his face and got a glimpse of the character he played I had instantly stuck my nose up, jutted my foot out and turned the other way. I thought that there was no way that I'd ever root for such a privileged, weak and spoiled wimp of a Prince. It didn't help that I had hated characters like him in the past (See: Goo Joon Piyo from Boys over flower, Mike He from Full house, Yune from MiSa) but as I watched, piece by piece the ice around my heart fell off until I was effectively boarded and happily sailing on his ship.

Ji Chang Wook is a gem and I truly believe he deserved a Daesang too. Ta Hwan is a highly flawed character and an anti-hero at best. He's selfish, cowardly, naive and obsessive. For one good deed is followed by a hundred missteps on his part and there were multiple times where I wanted to just slap him senseless. But despite all this, JCW made me fall in love with him. A lesser actor or any other actor for that matter, couldn't have even dreamed to do the same.

He's the type of character that you'd love to hate and hate to love but soon enough you see the deep scars he harbors, the purity of his heart and you understand him. In a palace full of people under his command, he's utterly lonely, horribly abused by everyone he trusts, constantly forced into his insecurities and you cannot help but weep for him and the pain he has had to suffer. Once you understand him, every horrible action he commits doesn't make you hate him, rather it breaks your heart. I had so much affection for him that I bawled every time he was either volatile, helpless or bordering on insanity. I honestly prayed for his relief.

As for the other male lead, I had my doubts about Joo Jin Mo at times but soon, I realized that he held his own too. Even though I felt like Wang Yu was way too likable I did come to adore him. The loyalty his men showed to him, his persistence in fighting for his country and his devotion to Niang warmed my heart. Plus, the guy has really beautiful and expressive eyes.

As far as the couple ships are concerned, Ta Hwan and Niang was the only one that made sense to me. Sure, Wang Yu and Niang have some heart warming moments and their love for each other is supposed to be strong but the moments between Ta Hwan and Niang are simply emotionally intense. There is so much misery between them but their relationship is powerful. She builds him up when he's nothing, she's his support system and his love for her is obsessive because in the midst of so much cruelty she is his only friend and confidante. The only time he attempts to be selfless is when he's with her and she makes him want to be a better man.
Tbh, they both were my babies and they absolutely dominated the show.

The beauty of this show is that everything bad that could possibly happen; happens. In most shows you don't have to guard your heart because you're sure that when things are their absolute worse, a convenient plot device will somehow come in handy and save the characters from catastrophe but here, there is no such luck. The villains are extremely fleshed out and three dimensional which makes it all the more easy to despise them. This drama truly depicts that 'evil is bad that believes it's good' and that is the most dangerous thing about the awful one's because somehow they all have reasons that are wholly justified in their eyes. People I liked transitioned into horrible power hungry monsters and people I hated with a passion tried to force me to feel pity for them. It was such a mixture of charcoal and pristine that I was constantly in a whirlwind.

I'm not going to lie; I bawled a lot in this drama. However, none of my tears flowed when people died or were killed rather they were for the tiny moments; the moments where the helplessness of the characters was shown, the moments where they are trying their best to hold on but falling apart, when they are striving to fight madness but stumbling and it's so beautifully heartbreaking that it wrenched out sobs from me.
This drama is filled with small immensely impactful scenes that combine to make the whole production powerful.

The side characters are very strong and multiple story-lines make the drama diverse and interesting. I majorly love me some Tal Tal; the smart, loyal and brooding man that you just can't get enough of. Wang Yu's men were always a source of happiness; Jokho and many others too make the list.

One thing I agree with many reviewers was that I too wanted the MC's to take a breather. From start to finish they are battling complication after complication and I desperately wanted the sweet moments to be drawn out and for them to bask a little more in the fleeting happiness they were granted. I mean, I wanted to see the faces I love express joy so badly that after finishing the show, I spent hours watching behind the scenes and blooper videos to lighten my heart and seeing those actors laugh and goof around filled me with inexplicable warmth.

As far as the ending is concerned, I'll dole out the same advice a friend gave to me and that is to not dread the tragedy too much for it's something that's bound to happen and you might actually find it quite acceptable. Who knows?
I have said so much, yet I feel that there is so much more to say. I am positive that I can write a thesis on my love for this drama and still not be satisfied so I'm going to end this here.
Every single second of this is nerve wracking in some way, the violence isn't over-produced, the action scenes are beautiful, the dialogues are excellent and although I never really re-watch seasons even when I say that I will, this is one season that I'm absolutely certain that I will binge re-watch and will most probably once again, be strung like a live wire because of all the feels.

An undeniable must watch.

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I'm not a big fan of watching classics or old romances but this drama literally made me believe in "OLD IS GOLD".
This is drama is way too good in every perspective. The storyline has always been best because of the manga but many times the drama or adaptations don't do justice to the main thing. But in this case the drama intesified the beautiful story even more!!!!!
The actors were incredible and did justice to the characters. The emotions they showed were so raw and tear worthy.
The chemistry between the main leads and the swoon worthy kisses made my day.
We can't thank enough the side actors for their exceptional acting cause without them the main leads wouldn't have shined so much!!!!!
All together this drama is awesome. This is a ride full of emotions such as first love, self acceptance, tragic past, friendships and importance of family.
I would definitely recommend you to watch this.

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Honestly,show was quite a disappointment! I am truly a fan of both the main leads and heard the novel was really good...

I do admit however,the first few episodes was really good and was just amazing! However,at the 25th episode,i just completely gave up on the show and just watched the last episode.There were many unnecessary events starting to happen but i honestly cant say much as i did not watch the entire thing.

The acting however was on point and the music was good too although at some parts of the show,the music kinda was too loud and just kinda masked the other main points of the scene.

Basically,from the 26 episodes in total i watch of this show and the general idea i know of this show is basically a mix between Lan Ling Wang and Princess WeiYoung and its own origianal plot from the novel.

The similarities between this and Lan Ling Wang was that both female leads were smart and thought about clever and unique ways to get out of trouble.Both were about being the male leads kinda saving the female lead when they are in trouble and also consuming poison just to save each other,etc...

The similarities between Princess WeiYoung is most obviously the forbidden romance concept. WeiYoung's forbidden romance due to her wanting revenge to the male leads country and for this drama,it was about both countries being in war/not in good terms.

The good thing however,was this show had a good ending with is something im SO THANKFUL FOR!

OVERALL,if you like the quirkiness and unexpected ways of the female lead in Lan Ling Wang,the forbidden romance concept from Princess WeiYoung due to the countries war and also other factors and also considering the fact you are able to trudge thru 62 episodes of this with some unnecessary drama happening than definately watch this show! IF NOT,just watch like the first 20+ episodes than skip to the last few..Im not saying to completely not watch this but just watch at least a quarter of it:))

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This was my first Three Color of Fantasy dramas, I had watched.

Let me just say, I really couldn't handle Byul's character. It was either the fact she was a fan girl acting stalk-ish or it was the actor's acting. Ugh!

Woo Joo's character was okay, pretty bland though. I know he's from EXO, but...nope didn't care for.

The beginning grabbed me just a tiny bit, and I like to finish bite size dramas because they're short. So, I don't know what or how the drama did this, but I got emotional at the end. That's it, not going to explain, I might spoil things. Hehe...

Any way, not one of my favorite bite size dramas, but a simple and quick watch.

I can't really say anything else though, it didn't really make a big impact on me.

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As a BIG fan of OCN dramas - Voice was probably one of my top 5. Wait! - make that top 3.

I always look forward to when another OCN drama comes out, lets just say, I get excited and giddy. As one of my favorite stations in South Korea, OCN always brings out the brutal and scary sides of cop dramas.

The way Voice was shot, was amazing. Dark alleyways, mysterious figures and bloody crime scenes. Typical in an OCN drama, but always needed and wanted from a fan like me.

From other thriller dramas, the choice of weapon from the killer was freaky and strange. If I ever see one in real life, I know to stay far away. I know I'll never see them the same way again.

Of all the acting, Kim Jae Wook's really got me. I saw him in Who Are You (the newer one), and Voice was a complete change over. I don't want to spoil anything, so just watch Voice if you like to see how his acting plays out. Superb!

So yes, big fan of Voice. Really really loved it! My mom isn't a fan of OCN dramas, but this one I recommend.

(Now, waiting for "Tunnel"!!)

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After I saw "Star of the Universe", I was planning to watch this one. I definitely know that the lead actor got me to watch "Vivid Romance".

As a big fan of Yoon Shi Yoon, I just knew this was going to be hilarious and the premise was wacked-out weird and strange. I mean, come on! - medical experiments?? With this actor that can be pretty funny.

The actor who played Kong Moo, besides being pretty hot - I just loved his hopeless romantic character. I shall definitely check out his other dramas!

Anyway, I don't really re-watch dramas, but I really recommend this one if you love Yoon Shi Yoon acting crazy. Vivid Romance did bring the laughs and heartfelt moments.

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This is early 2000s makjang, with Rain to look at. That said, I totally enjoyed wallowing in it until the very last episode. The cast did an excellent job together, individual acting was excellent, the story held together pretty well, very little total nonsense (although the beginning felt confused - first 2-3 episodes). HOWEVER - huge big however - that last episode ruined this drama.
The total stupidity of the ending just infuriated me - not whether sad or happy but the complete, total lack of intelligence, logic, character consistency, left me aghast that I had watched this whole thing for this! I just cannot fathom what these writers were thinking. It's taken 12 years of dramas to produce one that had this badly written & conceived an ending (that would be Missing 9).
So if you must watch everything Rain (a worthy goal), you won't be disappointed if you watch all but the last episode then make up your OWN ending!

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Death note has been considered as one of the best live action adaption ever, it has that legendary status that following its story is not a simple feat. It has been 10 years since the last one so the hype for it was unreal that in my opinion didn't help the movie.

The way death note ended gives lot of questions to us viewers just what happen to the world after? Given that death note still exist. This film tries to answer that question as 6 death notes spread around the world; it also clarifies some rules and expands it more which only makes it more interesting for possible sequels in the future. Also, the film did a nice job of portraying the post death note world as how we imagine it, death note used as a tool for terrorism and the idea of death note as the key for world order. Although even with interesting setting, fans of death note would be a bit disappointed here as it lacks the brain power of the original, nothing new as plot twist and tricks were all familiar, the execution was right but sometimes innovation is needed.

Although the movie's substance is a bit of a disappointment what it excels at is its stunning visuals it's so good, it's directed by Shinsuke Sato in the first place, the guy who directed Gantz and I am hero so you know what to expect if you watched those, the camera shots were awesome and the films atmosphere too, and also THE CGI WAS TOP NOTCHED RYUK here is miles better than the original.

Imagining death note without Light and L would be hard but at least their presence was felt from video recordings of them throughout the movie which IMO was a brilliant idea. As for the rivalry, it is now played by Ryuzaki and Shien which was subpar compared to the original but please do yourself a favor "DO NO WATCH THIS FILM WITHOUT WATCHING THE 3 PART MINI SERIES" this will make you connect with them and understand their motivation better. The acting from 3 main actors was excellent even higashide which at first I thought would be subpar compared to ikematsu and suda.


Got the same feeling from watching Crows Explode, just replicates the awesomeness of the original but offers nothing new. Felt a bit of cash grab. Felt a bit disappointed especially that actors played their characters well.

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

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I started this drama because of the writer and Yeon Woo Jin, which I appreciated in his previous works. I've gotta say, I've liked this drama ever since the first episode despite it had a rough backlash because of the main female character. Yes, she is too nosy in the first episodes, but in my opinion the story gets better as it progresses. It mixes your office romance (but in a very subtle way) with a bit of mystery because you want to find out the backstory connected to the beginning of the drama as well. The main point here wasn't even the romance, but the relationships between the characters. You have this one-of-a-kind boss who is an introvert and acts weird in front of others and have a great variety of different people who work in the same environment, and of course the main female character who is exactly his opposite. You see how they grow together and form strong bonds and work to improve themselves. This drama has many comical moments as well as emotional scenes, and they made my heart flutter because I found them deep and also very, very, cute. You should give a change to the MFC because she shows her personality better as the story goes on.

In the acting department, Yeon Woo Jin was very good at playing the shy boss. Besides being super cute, he brought out a character who is relatable to life, with many layers to his personality that always surprised me. He and Park Hye Soo had a nice chemistry, imo. They were adorable together and shared some emotional scenes. She may have been a bit exaggerated at the beginning with her character, but then she finds her way. If you watched her in Age of Youth, here you'll see she is able to play a completely different character. Although I liked her performance, I think she needs to improve more. Well, she's young and has a long career ahead of her, so. The supporting cast was also great. I've seen Yoon Park in other dramas as well and I wish for the future that he'll land a main lead role, I'd like to see how he would do.

The music was cute and tailored perfectly for this drama.

Overall, is surely a drama I would rewatch because it's simple and light but it makes you think. It was such a pleasant story to watch unfold. If you love comedies, then I think you may like this because it is a refreshing story.

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