Reviews

It was underwhelming. I am a sucker for happy endings, but here I wouldn't mind if they stayed broken up in the end.
Having said that, the chemistry between the two actors is undeniable, their acting is top notch, the story just feels too rushed towards the end. Maybe 2 more eps would have helped? There needed to be a growth shown for the FL's character. We accept that she is flawed, we want her to succeed, we root for her. The ML too, he is right in his ways, he is strong and goes for his goals, and achieves them, but he is a doormat when it comes to his feelings for the FL. He can't think straight and is completely blind in love.
They both have flaws, it makes sense that they come together and stay together.. We just need a little more justification as to why they choose to do this in the end.

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oh. my. gosh.

I felt the pain and adrenaline throughout the whole show and all I can say was that was crazy and I can’t wait for the next episodes to come out. It feels like I’ve been rating all the shows a 10 recently because everything is so good but this is on another level. I feel this show so deeply and it truly is a masterpiece. Not only is the acting unbeatable but the story, the songs, the CAST everything is amazing. I went into this show expecting it to only be good because of the vast cast, but the story is executed so well it’s crazy. I thought having only 8 eps would be too short but even within these 4 episodes I think it is a very smart move and would 100% recommend this to everyone. Go watch it now!!!

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Dived right in

After watching the 1st two episodes:

This is something that triggers all the most intriguing feelings in me. After watching these episodes I am all mushy in a billion different ways. But I will try to sum it up as short as possible:

Length - so we will probably have a bit more time for character development which is not so often in Korean BLs

Plot - I just find military comeback stories very interesting. Characters are mostly full of melancholy, or if I put it plainly, they are mostly depressed. So, starting all over again with a changed mindset sounds promising…

Characters - Full of insecurities and yet so brave…

After finishing it:

I loved the pace of the story, the music, the chemistry...

I did not adore the extreme mood change of the main lead because it seemed a bit rushed. However, I really love the way it ended. If it were me, I would make this into at least 12 – 50-minute episodes (like Koreans do with they romances) so nothing would seem sudden and rushed, and I would be able to enjoy it to the fullest.

Overall:
I am all ⭐️10/10⭐️ because my heart was in the right place, and the anticipation for every Wednesday was just fine by me. It made me excited and I am all about emotions that raise the heart rate!

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Many things bothered me about this drama, not the least of which was the Jang Se Mi character, who came across as predatory and creepy. I’ve never liked the drama trope that indicates that it’s a sign of true love when someone ignores a person’s NO and instead aggressively pursues that person (e.g., Secret Garden). Jang Se Mi was particularly problematic because she got too close when the object of her affection was sleeping or impaired or physically weak. I did wonder at one point whether the writer was tryng to play to homophobic fears. In addition, all of the other love lines came off as more crude and tawdry and less romance and roses to me.

The writing seemed so off that I looked up the screenwriter Im Sung Han.

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I had high hopes for this drama after the first couple of episodes but I became less enthusiastic as I kept watching. First, Jung Geum Ju’s antics and tactics started bothering me as she stepped up the lying and coercion and criminal activity. i know that the drama is a satire but it also seemed to be touting her prowess and skill and showing that the ends justify the means. Plus she never developed as a character. Second, I didn’t like the way that Yoon Hee Jae kept pursuing her after she rejected him. If someone says no, the other person needs to back off; it doesn’t matter how sexy or attractive he is, he needed to respect Jung Geum Ju’s wishes. I do think, however, that Ju Ji Hoon’s acting was amazing. Kim Hye Soo not so much, especially her cringe-worthy overacting at the hotel suite towards the end. There’s a way to do that over-exaggerated acting and make it funny (I’m thinking of Han Ji Eun in Be Melodramatic) but Kim Hye Soo’s was too much.

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ugh. First, I think that the women should have concentrated on setting up their businesses and dumping their respective boyfriends who regressed to middle school with each other. All sorts of sniping and glaring and hurt feelings. I kept expecting the boys to start pulling each other’s hair and slapping each other.

As for, Yoon Ha, she comes across as inept (everything she accomplished at Tae Jin was a result of work Joon Gi, Chang Soo or Yi Ji did for her) and somewhat hypocritical (e.g., criticizing the privileged for abusing their power then using her brother’s power to take revenge on those who offended her). And when the first male lead declared that he fell in love with Yoon Ha the first time they met, I wondered what the prior 15 episodes had been all about.

Finally, after all of the fuss about the brother’s disappearance, the “resolution” seemed to be almost an afterthought.

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This deserves a PREQUEL!!

It's about the Journey and it was worth my time! I cried and laughed with them which i haven't experienced much with cdramas.
I loved the cast. LYN and LSS are very well matched and their chemistry is amazing. Their portrayals of the characters are on point and it looked like they are born for the roles. I will forever remember LYN as chief ning, ever supreme and honorable while LSS always will be my favorite cdrama assassin, exuding elegance and grace. Ying is a character to watch. Her development is my favorite part of the series and the actress portrayed it perfectly. LTG is a pain but a needed one. The actor also did a fabulous job.
My FOREVER SQUAD is worth the watch. The brotherhood relationship did not look forced and the actors blended well with each other.
The OST is amazing. I don't understand chinese language but the emotions from the songs are felt in the heart. LYN has 2 songs here and i hope he wins awards for them.
The production did not disappoint. The explosions, the setting, especially the war scenes did not look easy to film and i hope no one got injured.
I am an international fan and I truly enjoyed the series. I have been rewatching it and i still get teary eyed. I expected the ending because they are warriors. Their individual endings are glorious for me. The writer made it a point that the characters will choose their own endings and i really appreciated that.
Kudos to everyone. It was a great series and what way to end 2023 ?????

I think this deserves a PREQUEL!!!!!!!!

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My expectations may have been too high because I was underwhelmed by this drama. I think that the ending focused too much on the charming, but very predictable romance, at the expense of the other story lines. The “surprise” was not a surprise because the happily-ever-after ending was such a foregone conclusion that I assumed immediately that the shooting was a setup. What I liked instead throughout the drama were the flashes of humor, such as when Moon Ho pushed Jung Hoo’s “dying” face down. Or when Min Ja paused during her escape from her lair to stare longingly at all of her knitting projects.

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One of the best dramas I've watched. This drama has a lot of complicated political intrigue and beautiful cinematography, and, importantly, a lot of very smart characters, including plenty of smart women. There was some romance but it paled in comparison to the wonderful heartfelt bromances. And, unlike most Korean dramas, everything wasn’t neatly tied up into one big happy pill, which made Nirvana’s ending much more meaningful and satisfying. I nearly gave up after the first episode because it was confusing with too many characters being introduced too quickly and too briefly (hint: learn their names!) but I’m glad I stuck with it. I would recommend this drama to people who like complex plots and who like to watch smart people behaving intelligently.

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The lead couple has sizzling hot chemistry. You might enjoy this, especially if you like the combination of smirky teasing hero (there are times when I sympathize fully with the villain’s desire to throttle the hero) and fierce and fearless heroine. There are enough political machinations, elaborate fight scenes (oddly bloodless for the nameless hordes, only the main characters seem to bleed), and lavish spectacle to keep things interesting. I especially appreciate the touches of humor, which keep the story from bogging down under its own weight and seriousness. Both lead actors, Yang Mi and Ethan Juan, are killing it.

Sure, there are logical lapses and “wait, what?” moments. There are some fantasy elements that might remind you of Harry Potter. But I don’t recall any shirtless scenes in Harry Potter, particularly anything approaching the Ethan Juan shirtless scenes….

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It’s a bad sign when I’m laughing at the wrong things, like the leading lady running duck-footed in her nightie through the streets of Barcelona demented Wee Willie Winkie-style, past a score of oblivious Spaniards. And WHERE do they find all of those non-Korean actors? Is there a special bad acting school for foreigners that rents actors out for free? Ji Chang Wook’s character is a shade too similar to his role in the Healer to make me think that I’m watching something new and interesting. I might continue to watch if there were a chance that Mr. Healer 2.0 character and Evil Witch might end up falling for each other, which would at least be fun to see. But I assume that he and Wee Willie Winkie are destined for each other. My primary beef with most Korean dramas is that the romance is too conventional and predictable and I’m afraid that this drama will follow the same trajectory. I wonder whether better actors could have redeemed the show. But then I remember inane scenes such as Dancing With Ramen and realize that there is no excuse for this drama.

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I watched the first two episodes of Abyss but I became tired of the almost constant harping about the leads’ physical attractiveness or lack thereof. It makes them, as well as the people around them, seem boringly shallow. Yes, I know that it’s supposed to be funny: They died and got another chance at life and instead of being in awe of their second chance, they dwell on their looks. But that joke gets tiresome and I don’t think it works as a satire of Korea’s obsession with physical attractiveness. Because neither leads’ personality seems particularly winning up to this point (Park Bo Young’s character is smug while Ahn Hyo Seop’s character is just stupid), it makes this a hard watch despite the interesting setup

This doesn’t always bother me; I like watching pretty people as much as everybody else. But I wish the leads in Abyss could just get over themselves and move on. I probably will stop following this and watch the last episode just to see who the killer is. If I can drum up enough interest.

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Liked: The scenes of Shanghai; the music; the acting by Victoria Song, Wang Yaoqing, and Yang Zhiying; the characters Ye Luming and Wu Yei Min; the friendships between He Fanxing and her buddies and between He Fanxing and Ye Luming; and the way the drama handled the issues with the father. Bonus point: Lots of cute dogs.

Did not like: Any of the romances. The age gap in the two primary romances was exacerbated by the immaturity of the younger half of each couple. Relationships between teacher and student always make me uncomfortable but the one here was made worse by how naive and childlike the student was contrasted against a teacher who was depicted as something of a rake. As for the main couple, I found Yuan Song irritating and selfish. It bothered me, for example, when he pursued He Fanxing then “teased” her about sexual harrassment (that's not funny and is pretty passive aggressive); tried to out her without consulting her first (I’d be ticked off if someone had done that to me, too); and most of all, the way he made her grovel at the end. All of the other relationships (including the parents’) were also problematic in one way or another.

I look forward to the inevitable sequel: Find Yourselves Divorce Lawyers.

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