Reviews

This show is not bad. I dont think it is should have higher rating than Scarlet Heart which is a masterpiece. Eternal Love is probably the first Wuxia Fantasy I skipped watched all the way to the end. I cried heartily at their separation for over 2 episodes.

Love the costumes!!!! Love the hair styles and the makeup. Sceneries are not perfect but pretty good.

These immortals lived hundred thousand years but some of their antics are a little lame. Wish for a little bit more new interesting ideas in Wuxia world. Oh well, maybe in another decade. But also what can you expect from a "plagiarized" book.

Little disappointed that Yang Mi character who lived over 70,000+ years still wasn't stronger. She cried too too much at the end. I know that this gut wrenching love but still.... she is a queen with magical powers whose family let her get away with everything and yet... her life wasn't very much interesting. Other than those beautiful gowns....

Ye Hua is too hot. Yang Mi is so beautiful, love her acting. I cant get enough of her.

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Fantastic is a lovely slice of life drama that encompasses many genres: there is romance, comedy, melo, bromance and female friendship. Like many I was worried about the cancer story line but this is not Scent of a Woman (solid drama by the way). I noticed a few viewers seemed to see this as a watered down version but this is an entirely different style drama with a totally different vibe though the message is perhaps the same. Kim Hyun Joo plays a very successful writer having to deal with this diagnosis and the return of "foot" actor ex-boyfriend possibly playing the lead in her next drama. If you don't think that sounds like SOAW you'd be right. I consider Fantastic to be one of the overlooked dramas of 2016 so here goes:

Cons: No cancer patient getting treatment ever looks this good and truthfully this is how it is in most tv shows regardless of origin. I know expecting reality in this regard is a bit much but it did bug me a little.

Wow, that's really it.

Pros:

All the actors are solid and a shout out to Joo Sang Wook for playing a bad actor so well. Some of the scenes with the acting coach are so funny. It's not easy to be that bad. Also Kim Tae Hoon as the doc was so good. He is one of those character actors that can do anything: bad guy in Angry Mom, discouraged husband in One More Happy Ending and great as the amazing friend and doc in Fantastic. Really the entire cast is excellent.

Pacing: There are a lot of different stories going on and this drama keeps the pace and flow very well. I especially appreciate this because Ji Soo had a serious surgery situation pop up so, if you watch, that is why he is kind of missing in action as the writers no doubt had to trim down the scope of his story.

Bromance: There's a lot of talk about the bromance in Goblin, but I have to say the story between the two main guys in Fantastic resonated with me so much and was truly amazing. It actually is one of my favorite aspects to this drama.

Story: It went in directions I didn't expect. I can't say too much without spoilers but I thought I'd be watching a bickering couple, k-drama style. Not so much. I thought it will go standard love triangle route...not so much. These characters are adults and they act that way (most of the time); they're not perfect and they make mistakes. I so much appreciated at a certain point when some serious issue happens, they sit down and talk about it. In so many dramas, it's five episodes of angst when a simple discussion could have dealt with it. I also felt this story really shows the power of female friendship, especially with the friend who had kind of fallen away. Who has this not happened to, but it is so true how you can pick those friendships back up again as if no time has passed. One other aspect I liked was the insight into the entertainment industry in regards to management companies and ways they keep their talent in line. I've heard stories out of Korea about this, and the show shines a light on that activity.

Besides the comparisons to Scent of A Woman, the only other issue that I saw some viewers had was with the main male lead....people seemed to think because of the tone of voice JSW uses and the way the character sometimes acts that the guy doesn't have emotional depth. I would just say the longer the drama goes on, the more we see what kind of man he is. I recommend this gem of a drama with one caveat and that is if you or a loved one is dealing with or has dealt with cancer, you might or might not be inclined to watch. This is not a standard melodrama with 16 episodes of angst but still....

Otherwise I'd give it a go.

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The Korean movie industry has been producing good movies all year round and Pandora is not an exception. Quality-wise you can't criticize this movie. They didn't hold back from showing what radiation can do to the human body and the desperation with which people try to escape this fate in a nuclear disaster. Thanks to the actors and actresses, that I am sadly not familiar with, the movie came to life and was believable.

However, even though I am not an expert on nuclear power plants, I couldn't help but be sceptical in some scenes. For example if the radiation is that high and the people were clearly on site where the power plant is, then shouldn't they immediately die from the exposure? In these scenes they could have pushed the image of "horror" involving this disaster more. What irresponsible people worked there when they just ignore leakage and other important stuff? It kinda seemed unrealistic to me that they handled the issue of a power plant exploding this lightly.

On another note, I liked how they focused on the different point of views from governmental authorities and residents to workers and Jaehyeok instead of solely settling on a heroic position and telling a story through just one perspective. Even though "Pandora" didn't keep me on my toes for approximately the first half of the movie or more (due to slow progress) they managed to get me afterwards as slowly everything went downhill. I know they intentionally wanted to make the viewers emotional with sacrificing someone but I gladly accepted this emotional rollercoaster at the end since the acting convinced me that much.

Last but not least can! I! get! an! amen! Their critical approach towards Korea's current political situation and the usage of power plants definitely receives some plus points. When directors use their platform right to bring a message across to the audience it's always admirable.

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I wrote a review/comparison of the live action and the manga on my blog
I do go more into detail there: http://wp.me/p87mzW-5Z6

Story (10/10)
I really enjoyed the premise of dating for seven days and finding out if you do or don't like the person you're with. Personally, I do think 7 days is enough to know if you do or don't want to continue a relationship, especially if you're hanging out so often, which is how Yuzuru and Seryou were. I loved their interaction. This is the second half of Seven Days and it gives enough information at the beginning to refresh our memories if we didn't watch this in one sitting.

Casting (10/10)
I originally read the manga first and casting is one of those big issues I have when stuff gets live action adaptations. I honestly didn't have an issue here as the actors fit Yuzuru's pretty features and Seryou's handsome/playboy look

Acting (5/10)
I decided to drop the acting score on this one because Fri -> Sun is the more emotional part of the movie. It's where the characters will break up at the end of the week and where they need to decide how they feel about the other. I don't feel we had the right emotions all the time plus the whole issue with little expressions I mentioned in my review for Mon -> Thu

Music (7/5)
I have no complaints but nothing stood out either

Rewatch Value (8/10)
I do think I could rewatch this, however, not immediately. It is short enough where it doesn't feel like you're stuck to a TV for too long and it ends at a place where watching this in 2 sittings isn't awkward

Overall (8.5/10)
I'm a huge fan of this story and the manga, and to see it faithfully following the manga really made my day! I do seriously think the acting could have been better and it does give off the feeling of being low budget, but still I recommend checking it out. Especially if you like Boy's Love

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I wrote a review/comparison of the live action and the manga on my blog
I do go more into detail there: http://wp.me/p87mzW-5Z6

Story (10/10)
I really enjoyed the premise of dating for seven days and finding out if you do or don't like the person you're with. Personally, I do think 7 days is enough to know if you do or don't want to continue a relationship, especially if you're hanging out so often, which is how Yuzuru and Seryou were. I loved their interaction

Casting (10/10)
I originally read the manga first and casting is one of those big issues I have when stuff gets live action adaptations. I honestly didn't have an issue here as the actors fit Yuzuru's pretty features and Seryou's handsome/playboy look

Acting (6/10)
I did have some issues with the acting. One of Yuzuru's biggest features, aside from having a pretty face, is his expressiveness. I didn't feel Yamada James Takeshi captured that in his acting. In fact, his expressions didn't really vary to me. Hirose Tomoki did a better job, only because he had more unique expressions (the smirk, the swagger), but I also think he could have done better. Unlike other dramas I watched, the acting here was more realistic and more in line with what you would see an everyday person doing

Music (7/5)
I have no complaints but nothing stood out either

Rewatch Value (8/10)
I do think I could rewatch this, however, not immediately. It is short enough where it doesn't feel like you're stuck to a TV for too long and it ends at a place where watching this in 2 sittings isn't awkward

Overall (8.5/10)
I'm a huge fan of this story and the manga, and to see it faithfully following the manga really made my day! I do seriously think the acting could have been better and it does give off the feeling of being low budget, but still I recommend checking it out. Especially if you like Boy's Love

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I highly recommend everyone watch this if you haven't seen it. This is by far my favorite out of all the U-Prince series so far. I loved that the male lead roles were flipped in this. Instead of the male lead being a jerk in the beginning and becoming nice, the male lead in "The Lovely Geologist" is a sweet and doesn't get mad easily. The 2nd male lead on the other hand is the jerk.
I fell in love with T-Rex when I first saw him. He looks too sweet and innocent. He's too cute, that you can't help but love him and his sweet smile. The female lead was kind of dumb and forgave too easily but realized her feelings before it was too late.
It had it's moments that will make you go "awe poor baby" then go "HAHAHAHA" because something funny will happen. It was really enjoyable.
The acting wasn't AMAZING but it wasn't bad either. It was good. The male lead did a great job and he hasn't had much acting experience. Same with the female lead but she's done a couple dramas. I loved the different facial expressions T-Rex had.
Overall, it was a cute and funny drama that I really loved and would probably watch again just to see T-Rex!

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This was a very nice family drama. I enjoyed all the stories, even if it started to drag a little long toward the end. I heard it got an extension, so that may be the reason why some of the stories seemed to drag on a bit too long. Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot, though. Even though it wasn't perfect, I didn't feel the need to ff or skip any scenes or episodes. My main complaints were some things that were left unexplained or dropped from the beginning of the show, and also that the chemistry between the actors that were supposed to be in relationships could have been better. (I feel that was more of a direction thing and not the fault of the actors.)

For acting, Yoon Park (as Kang Jae) and Son Dam Bi (as Hyo Jin) in particular could have been better. Yoon Park was a bit stiff. Kim Sang Kyung (as Tae Joo) was good, but sometimes a little overacted - mostly when he was supposed to be funny. He nailed the more serious parts. Kang Shim was probably my favorite character, and Kim Hyun Joo did a good job acting her role. I also enjoyed Park Hyung Shik as Dal Bong as another favorite - it was really cute when you could see how similar he was to his father. I enjoyed all the characters, though - even the ones that could be annoying sometimes.

There was a nice balance between the comedy and the drama, and I laughed a lot and shed a few tears. There were definitely some emotional scenes. This drama really makes you want to show your family appreciation and love while they are still here with you.

I rated low on the re-watch just because I doubt I will ever re-watch a 53 episode drama.
The music was nice, especially the Father's Youth song - very touching.

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If you can handle watching a very long drama of 134 episodes (1hour long each) then I'd highly recommend this drama. It's a long drama but it never drags or prolongs things. It moves from one situation to another and the flow is very good and well paced. It took me over 2 weeks of straight marathoning it to complete it.

The drama is about the life of Dae Jo Yeong and his quest to recapture the old Goguryeo and create an empire that embraces all people from all origins (Baekjae, Goguryeo, Khitan, Silla, Mohe, Turks ectra...). It's about the founding of the Kingdom of Balhae. And all the heroes that were involved in its rising: Dae Jungsang, Dae Jo Yeong, Gulsabiwu and countless others. This drama does not lay heavily on facts (just take a look at Wikipedia and you'll know lol) - many of the characters life, death and even existence is quite fictional - but it made for a great story. One, the two main females don't even exist in reality :P Some sites say that the two rivals in this drama, Jo Yeong & Kaigu (Hae Gu) vie for the love of the two leading women - but that's simply not true. There will be two romances for Jo Yeong (one that never should have been and one that was always right) but as for the other guy, he only looked at one woman.

Cast/Characters: My all time favorite character was played by Choi Chul Ho as Gulsabiwu (one of Jo Yeong's sworn brothers). I adored him so much, out of all the characters in this drama I would marry him ^_^ His character was very loyal and faithful - a true friend/brother. He had an unending passion and determination to not let the enemy defeat him and when teamed up with Jo Yeong and Sudol he was unstoppable ^^ (I'm also a fan of this actor and I love it when I get to see him as a good guy so my heart can freely go "gaga" over him lol).
Dae Jo Yeong played by Choi Soo Jong - he is the reason I decided to watch this drama, I've been a fan of CSJ since I first watched him in 'Into the Flames' (his latest drama and I started backtracking all his dramas since then). I always like him in leader type roles as he plays them exceptionally well (Dae Jo Yeong, The Great Kings Dream, Into the Flames, Comrades, President, and more...). I always admire his characters and would follow his leadership without a doubt. His character in this drama was exactly like that: one you can trust and depend upon. His character is full of love and passion for his people. He pursued his dream of recapturing the old Goguryeo not for his own selfish desires but b/c it was not only his dream but his peoples dream. He once quoted: "One man's dream may end a dream, but a dream that we dream together always comes true." He was a man full of love, honor, and selflessness.
Kaigu played by Jeong Bo Seok was a man full of envy, hatred, greed and a thirst for revenge. His "dream" was out of selfish motivation. He only loved one woman but b/c of that also spurred him to hate Jo Yeong even more, as he felt what was his was taken. I kind of got tired of his "I'm angry" face as it felt extremely forced and uncomfortable.
Suk Yeong played by Hong Soo Hyun was the girl I liked in this drama and the one who I believed was always right for our lead character. She had a selfless heart, full of love and compassion just like our lead. They were very well matched. And I wish our lead had only had eyes for her for the entire drama but whatever... lol. She reminded me of Seo Ji Hye's character from 'Kim Soo Ro' b/c of her love that went unnoticed for awhile b/c his eyes were directed elsewhere - but eventually they look to the right one.
Chulin played by Park Ye Jin, I did not like her at all. I wish she would have stayed where she belonged b/c it was a love that I personally believed was very wrong - you cannot be lovers with someone that you are helping to destroy. Opposite sides cannot be together, it can only end badly and you could even make things worse. I couldn't believe that our lead guy didn't realize that. She would have been a decent character on her own but b/c the writers made her this way made me unable to ever like her.
Geom played by Jung Tae Woo (an actor I've started to really like since I first saw him in 'Comrades') comes on in the latter part of the drama (I think around the 80ish episodes) was a great addition to the casting, I really liked his character, even though you end up feeling so bad for him b/c of how torn he is and you can literally see it eating him up. But your heart will surly move for him. A great actor who really deserves lead roles! He always seems to be stuck doing "Supporting or guest roles" and I think that is just not fair to this actor who is so talented (I mean unless it's his choice but I don't think that's so).
And there were tons of other characters that shined but I obviously can't describe them all lol but I'll list there names: Mimosa, Geumlan, Dae Jungsang, Keum Mo Jang, Dae Dan, Yang Man Chun, & King Bojang. Heuk Sudol was a great friend but I wasn't too keen on him b/c outside of his friendship he was kind of a numbskull and drank too much and when he bickered or raised his voice I got annoyed. But I enjoyed the bromance between him and Gulsabiwu & Jo Yeong.

Music: Throughout the entire drama it's just instrumental music. The lyric songs came on during the credits (but who sits and watches those unless it's airing?) so the first time an actual song played was in episode 128 (the ending) by Park Hyo Shin (and you'll cry). And then a little later another song is played a couple of times but more as background music. Songs: Park Hyo Shin 'Ae Sang/Sorrow' (it was played in a very appropriate scene). L. Woo & Sung Ho 'Before the Break Up' (I actually don't remember where this was played in the drama) and Joo Byung Sun 'Mothers Land'.

Also you may have to bear with the first 7 episodes as it's all about the older cast - I was quite bored during those episodes b/c they didn't have anyone I wanted to look at lol - the main cast doesn't appear until episode 8. Also if your like me you might hate the first romance. I almost dropped this drama during the span of episodes 40-50. After that I had no desire to drop it though - so if you reach that point just press through (skip watch if you must) and it will get much better ^_^ I personally skipped most scenes about the Empress of Tang and Xui Rengui (since it was things I pretty much already knew about anyways).

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