Reviews

Wasn't engaging

I was OK with the crazy pranks for the first half of the drama. I didn’t find the hijinks particularly hilarious. But some of it was imaginative--although the FL exaggerated to the point of tedium.

Unfortunately the story started to drag in the second half. The stakes were high, someone was in mortal danger–yet everyone stood around bloviating.

At that point, one of the team members did something so horrible that it completely undermined my investment in this drama, such as it was. I felt betrayed, and I lost interest in the entire story–not just the character involved. I could no longer enjoy the antics.

The writers tried to come back from that particular ploy by rationalizing the behavior and trying to rehabilitate that person. But it didn’t work for me. Sorry. Your mileage may differ.

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An OK adaptation

I didn't know this has a page on MDL, but i very much in love with the Manga, and for a while i didn't know about the adaptation, i dare say i watched it pretty late...

This has no reviews here so i decided to write one for reference.

The movie covers pretty much the first 2 volumes of the manga (out of 7) with some major changes of course.

Now the good changes are:
1- He became more human after Emu broke his curse, stopping Koh from killing innocent people.

SPOİLER: skip this paragraph if you plan to read the manga ~~
İn the manga he kept killing people normally, innocent or guilty, and the rule of "killing anyone who find out their secret" still stands which is weird cause why would he not kill Emu if he didn't break the hypnosis.

2- Less nudity, which is kinda expected because it was excessive and unnecessary in the manga, also very not practical, imagine killing a bunch of guys while being completely naked lol 😂 here it's moderate and mostly carried on by Mark.

3- They skipped the whole Tiger lady part... İYKYK, i didn't even like her lol

Other changes that i didn't like.
1- Everyone's role became very shallow, and made the whole movie inconsistent, hadn't i read the manga, I'd probably be so lost while watching.
2- The weird slow motion action sequences, oh my goodness i was laughing the whole time and being a 90s movie doesn't excuse that at all.
3-Emu had no weight at all in the story which is a major change cause everything is basically involves her, and she didn't shot anyone xD
4-they changed some tiny details that was necessary like when Emu asked Freeman to sleep with her BEFORE killing her cause she was 29 and virgin, as he was too which was something significant for the story yet they made her only 20, and nothing about her or his past experiences.

Aside from that it was an OK movie, i wouldn't recommend it unless you are a huge fan of the manga and wants to see more ~
But judging it as a movie, it's not the best except for the most beautiful Mark Dacascos ❣️ everything else is pretty meh, i only rated it higher than it deserves cause I'm a hardcore fan of the manga ~

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An Insufferable Case of Infatuation/Obsession/Stalking/Delusion

I feel sorry for Dr Tendo being chased by a crazy rabbit faced child who treats love as an egoistical goal that needs to be won like a race, elbowing her way to the top. Takeru Satoh deserves better. His acting primarily involves scowling, rolling his eyes, and flexing his jaw muscles to show off his cheekbones and doing his famous duck pout to show off his lips. It seems like he’s sleepwalking throughout the series and royally pissed off about his role- honestly, I have the same expression on my face as I watched. People are panicking that he keeps calling her an idiot and scowling- but literally if you were in his shoes and the script is written to kiss a rabid child 35 times throughout 10 episodes while showing zero emotion, I think “Baka!” Is the only reasonable dialog there could be.

“He’s inconsiderate, cold, and indifferent… but I love him!” This insufferable lead female Sakura has serious parental emotional trauma around abandonment and rejection and can’t take no for an answer. She needs therapy not a man. Apparently the message of the drama is “If you desire to possess someone like an object while calling it romance, charge like a bull and go for it- ganbatte!” This behavior may lead to obsession and stalking but the series calls it “securing your own happiness.” In her own words, Sakura describes the relationship: “Well our encounter wasn’t a mere coincidence. It’s more like I elbowed my way into meeting him.” Yuck- the female lead actress is the worst thing I have ever seen.

Medical ethics and basic workplace boundaries have completely flatlined in An Incurable Case of Love, a drama that attempts to package a textbook case of clinical stalking as a whimsical office romance. The narrative kicks off when 18 ish-year-old Sakura encounters Dr. Tendo while still wearing her high school Sailor Moon uniform and smiling with her rabbit teeth. He is already a fully fledged, established doctor, making him at least 28-30’s given the rigorous medical training timeline. Instead of a normal career motivation, this fleeting encounter triggers a five-year romantic obsession, inspiring Sakura to enter the nursing profession solely to corner him into a romance. Upon arrival at the hospital, she immediately forces her intense infatuation onto him, demanding validation from a man who literally has no idea who she is. When he sets a basic professional boundary, she labels him a sadistic devil. Her behavior is an exhibition of total emotional immaturity, where the right to refuse a romantic advance is treated as a lack of virtue.

As a medical professional, Sakura is a walking malpractice suit. She cannot draw blood, clumsily rams medication carts into doctors mid-consultation, and brings down the operational efficiency of the entire cardiology unit. Her primary defense mechanism is bowing deeply fifty times a day and weaponizing excessive apologies and politeness, a tactic that serves only to inflict guilt on her colleagues who actually showed up to practice healthcare. The show frames her obsessive stalking as romantic perseverance, completely ignoring the valid criticisms of her fellow rookie nurse who points out that a hospital is a place for learning patient care, not a stage for a manufactured love affair.

The narrative programming becomes even more insufferable in the episodic subplots, particularly the heart failure patient in the 4th episode. This elderly woman repeatedly refuses life-saving bypass surgery because it interferes with her attendance at her daughter’s wedding, proudly declaring she is willing to drop dead at the venue just to see a white dress. This represents the absolute peak of the sentimental nonsense of the romance script, framing a gaudy, singular wedding event as the unquestioned pinnacle of a woman's entire existence (for herself and her daughter). The entire medical apparatus is dragged down and guilt-tripped by a patient staging a theatrical medical crisis for a daughter she apparently has not even bothered to see in two decades. It is an archaic, deeply manipulative narrative device that unironically celebrates reckless self-destruction for the sake of a sentimental nonsense theater production where the groom is likely already lukewarm/mentally checked out. She wants to make sure to stage a drama/heart attack in the middle of the venue as a grand finale of attention seeking behavior. Her daughter in the legendary wedding dress looks deeply uncomfortable upon seeing her- is that what she came there for? The old woman’s dialog, “What will I even live for?” Implies that her entire life is not worth living until she can see her daughter wearing a wedding dress and walking down the aisle to a lifetime of domestic servitude. Making it into some virtuous peak of human existence. Then Sakura starts bawling and when Dr Tendo asks her “Why are you crying?” She says “How can you watch that and not shed a tear? You really are the devil!” What absolute nonsense and insulting to everyone’s intelligence. She insults him so casually and says he’s the devil instead of examining her own obsessions. I don’t understand how any human being can like or love this awful character who is so ugly inside and out. Sakura’s enabling of this exhausting emotional martyrdom confirms that the series is less about medicine or actual love, and more about glorifying martyrdom and parasitic behavior along with boundary-blind obsessions.

Then Sakura pulls a ridiculous sentimental martyrdom stunt by getting in the way of some metal bars so it doesn’t hit Dr Tendo- better her than him I say. Then she does this dramatic dialog in the ambulance like “I love you Dr Tendo, I wish I could kiss or go on a date or kiss you or whatever and I’ll say it a hundred times I love you!” Like this weird guilt tripping blackmail on her dramatically acted fake deathbed which forces Dr Tendo to say “If you get through this I’ll grant you any wish you want! I’ll kiss you or go on a date!” And then she goes to sleep and he thinks she’s dead lol. And afterwards she tries to milk that incident for all it’s worth like “I bled so much and was going to die and I didn’t get the proper care!” She wanted the full medical dramatic theatrical production where you give a dying speech on the deathbed and say “I’ve always loved you Dr Tendo!” And then breathes her last. Then she holds Dr Tendo to that statement he made in desperation in the ambulance. What a guilt tripping blackmailing manipulative woman. Then when Dr Tendo caves in and gives her a kiss and says he will be her boyfriend, she goes around the hospital the next day with the attitude “I just want to announce it to the whole world!” She’s just obsessed with the status and image of dating Dr Tendo that she fantasizes a press conference which just highlights her own narcissism and delusional nature. Being together gives a dose of reality so to the actual person rather than a delusion fantasy. She wants him to be the way she wants him to be and doesn’t love him for who he truly is.

Add Dr Kisugi in there and you have the usual tired old love triangle that shows up in J dramas. And the ridiculous script demands that all the patients fall for this pathetic nurse.

The only redeeming moment for her has been in episode 5, where Sakura points out during the surgery that the patient Shinji, the head nurse’s son has asthma and to handle things accordingly- which ended up saving the patient. Of course she had to make a blunder by misunderstanding Dr Tendo first when the head nurse requests him not to choose her as a nurse for the surgery.

For some reason when the room gets quiet, everyone in the hospital staff whether it’s the chief or the head nurse or whoever else goes into romance mode and has some sort of romantic advice to give- aka “Don’t keep your work and love life separate. Enjoy the chaos of daily life!” What on earth. Just let Dr Tendo do his work.

But Dr Tendo caves in because of his script and so he publicly declares that Sakura is his girlfriend and Sakura smiles the ugliest rabbit teeth smile and hopping around him like an annoying child while the nursing staff around chants “You did it!” As if it’s a video game milestone to reach. This is so pathetic. And then pops out the ex-girlfriend lookalike. The trope is so typical.

And what’s with Dr Tendo’s older sister? She’s a failed doctor who apparently does nothing but get drunk all day and encouraging rabbit woman’s stalking behavior. And what sister books a hotel room for her brother and rabbit stalker girlfriend with the message “Gambatte ne!” And then packing negligéein in her suitcase with the note “Fighting!” EW. When Dr Tendo goes on a business trip to Osaka to give a talk with ex girlfriend lookalike is also speaking at, Sakura follows him along and ends up looking like a child on a field trip, “AHHH I’ve never been to Osaka! Waaaahhh!!” Then ends up entangled in this old guy’s heart attack episode and her cover is blown as Tendo comes along too. Then back at the hotel room she hopes to get lucky with Prince Tendo, and ends up looking like a giddy child about to pee its pants around an adult. Speaking of chasing children, Tendo’s older sister is also going after a child nurse- that makes both brother and sister doing the same thing. Apparently “getting to know someone” is about finding out what kind of food they like- so amateur. Sakura makes these stupid handwritten/hand-drawn pamphlets for each of her patients so that they will obsess over her rabbit face.

When Sakura finds a rival in someone who likes Tendo, she drinks herself into oblivion because she has to elbow her way into a relationship while faking perfect manners to cover up her awful personality. Then she finally admits that she’s not good enough for him and she’s just a pawn in chess, a joker in a pack of cards, a useless rock. Why should a pawn elbow its way into a relationship? Oh look! Dr Kisugi adds himself to the love square! How original! And the other nursing chick who likes him is now PO’d.

The blast from the past ex-girlfriend’s look alike sister has decided she’s in love with Tendo and even if she gets rejected, but like all the idiots in the show she doesn’t accept the rejection and move on. Instead she goes “It sparked a fire in me! When I find someone, I pursue them. I don’t give up. And I’ve decided on him!” What is wrong with these females? Why do they need to elbow their way into a relationship? Sheesh.

Oh look! Another patient in love with Sakura! Everyone’s in the romantic mood apparently and it’s raining men. This one requests Sakura to be his exclusive nurse like he’s requesting a geisha, giving her gifts, saying “Be with me!” and hugging her. Seems like he’s trying his best to make Tendo jealous. Lol romance and clownery is the life blood of this hospital and show.

Sakura can’t shut up for even 2 seconds- she always has to say some “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu” or “I could stare at you for hours, so don’t mind me” or “mmm Oishii!!” or some other filler platitudes in front of Tendo to keep the noise machine running because she can’t stand silence. She’s like a buzzing bee that won’t stop making noise. Tendo’s forever irritated expression really sums up my own feelings towards her rabbit face & teeth. She then says “If I win this bowling round then let’s make a bet that you have to stay with me forever!” And somehow she wins and she starts singing a creepy song. This woman, her smile, her way of manipulating a man into romance is actually scary. Meanwhile with a forked tongue, she quits her job and leaves Tendo for the sake of a jealous patient that treated her like a private geisha. She acts like a martyr and goes to work somewhere else while acting like such a virtuous person.

The tragedy of Tendo meeting Sakura’s uncouth family - while they bombard him with questions and openly drool over his good looks, Tendo looks visibly uncomfortable and can’t manage to say a word. Then her family sets up a two person futon and watches through the screen hoping to catch a glimpse of.. what? Their daughter getting _____? What kind of Hentai family is this?

Because rabbit teeth is a drama queen she stages a dramatic “I’m dying, I’m in a coma! Everyone pay attention to me!” act with everyone bawling over her. Then Tendo tearfully “confesses” his love for her. Yawn. But I haven’t seen every J drama trope yet. There’s more!

Let me guess, rabbit teeth is going to America to study because of an “amazing opportunity”.. she might tearfully go for 1 year and then come back shinier than ever, and then they embrace once again. Let’s see how far off I am.

But before that, rabbit face goes up to Tendo’s family and randomly starts stuffing her face with xiao long bao, inciting Tendo dad to make the comment, “How shameful! Don’t butt in, since you’re not even part of our family!” My words exactly. Then when Tendo comes in and introduces her as his girlfriend, she starts jumping up and down like she has rabies. What is wrong with this woman?

So I started to watch the show on mute because rabbit face was getting on my nerves so much. I really don’t need to hear the voices say “I’ll tell the world- the doctor is mine! Using a megaphone!” Yeah we know your “love” is about achieving a trophy and showing off. Who in their right mind decided this was love? Then we come to the “passing by the Tiffany & Co.” trope. So predictable. Let’s not forget the desperate running to the airport trope either. But wait, there’s a new one! Someone dying on the wedding chapel floor and needing emergency surgery! lol! Back to the ER they go and finishing their wedding there. Good grief is it over yet?

Till the end, I am wondering: “Why did Takeru Satoh act in this trashy drama? Did he really need a paycheck?” I haven’t seen him do that many slobbery kisses in other dramas but something about smooching this child person makes the scenes look rather dubious.

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? A Patriarchal Nightmare Disguised as Healing Drama! Punishing Self-Determination! ❌

Do not let the high ratings on MyDramaList fool you! "Light of My Lion" is marketed as a heartwarming, healing show, but underneath the cute surface hides a deeply disturbing, regressive guide on how to tolerate extreme emotional abuse, narcissism, and patriarchal manipulation within a family. As a feminist and a progressive left-center voter, this script is infuriating. While the uncles' initial interactions with little Lion were sweet, the final episode completely ruins any positive dynamics and turns the show into a moral failure.Here is a breakdown of why the director and scriptwriter completely fail:1. THE UNFORGIVABLE TREATMENT OF MICHITO Aoi treated Michito terribly when they were children, shouting at him and causing him severe emotional trauma due to his autism. Yet, the show expects the audience to accept that he forgives her almost instantly without any real conversation or healing. This makes absolutely no sense. It dangerously teaches viewers that you must unconditionally embrace past abusers and ignore your own trauma just because they are family.2. A MARRIAGE BUILT ON PATHOLOGICAL LIES Aoi built her entire marriage on a massive lie, pretending to be an orphan and completely erasing her brothers from her life. Her husband only discovers the truth about her family by digging through her things after she runs away. The harsh reality is: Aoi only returned to her brothers as a last resort. If her husband had not become abusive, she would have probably never looked back at Hiroto and Michito. She is using them as a shield out of convenience, escaping a situation she co-created with her own lies.3. THE TOXIC WEDDING ANNIVERSARY HYPOCRISYThe 10th wedding anniversary of Sadamoto in the final episode is pure patriarchal hypocrisy. Instead of the couple having a private, personal date for themselves, it is turned into an impersonal show for others where the wife is only praised for having three children and keeping up appearances. Her own freedom and identity as a woman mean nothing. The absolute worst part is Hiroto's speech, where he literally says: "Sadamoto's family is the perfect picture of a happy family - they are always harmonious, warm, and to me, they have always been an object of endless envy."The script manipulatively uses this wedding scene to pretend that a family living apart or following an alternative structure can never truly be happy. By declaring this rigid, conservative nuclear family as the ultimate ideal, the director intentionally devalues all other forms of living.4. DESTROYING PROGRESSIVE DAILY LIFEThe hypocrisy is baffling: In daily life, how Hiroto treated Michito and Lion was pure left-center politics - full of genuine inclusion, social care, and modern empathy outside the traditional nuclear family. But the creators intentionally destroy this beautiful alternative family in the final episode. Because the characters finally make independent, rational choices for their own lives (Tokyo, assisted living, the mother moving far away), the show punches them by ripping them apart and showing them isolated. Yurugi turning himself in to the police further proves how this script criminalizes civil courage and helping a victim.Conclusion:The fact that this series was even rewarded with the "Golden Panda Award" for its toxic role models is the ultimate insult. The creators want to tell us that a family must break down and be unhappy if individuals choose their own path instead of submitting to traditional nuclear standards. A complete moral failure that absolutely deserves a thumbs down on Netflix and a 1-star rating here on MDL! 👎❌

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The first half was brilliant, but something went wrong in the second…

I’d been really curious about this one for ages, and as I’ve been in the mood for a school-themed K-drama recently, I decided to give this story a go. And I’ve got very mixed feelings about it now that I’ve watched it…

The first half was brilliant; it completely drew me in, and I was already expecting it to be one of the best school dramas I’d ever seen. The concept was very original and unusual – the characters’ world is also the world of a comic book. And yet, halfway through, my enthusiasm waned, because whilst the story was unpredictable and full of twists and turns at the start, the second half became rather dull and nothing could surprise me anymore. I almost fell asleep during some episodes; the action was slow, and I couldn’t get as engrossed in it as before.

It must be said, however, that the actors’ performances were of the highest standard, even though the development of their characters wasn’t always quite as well-rounded. Rowoon managed to convey Ha-ru’s emotions with great depth – his feelings were almost tangible, from his tears to his smiles. Kim Hye-yoon didn’t disappoint either, perfectly embodying Eun Dan-oh – showcasing her pain and strength at the same time. Here, however, I must take issue with the way their characters’ development was portrayed. Although I grew very fond of the lead couple at the start, I soon began to be bothered by the fact that both Eun Dan-oh lives for Ha-ru and Ha-tu lives for Eun Dan-oh. Could they really not have had any life at all apart from each other? I would have liked to see a bit more of the father-daughter relationship. And couldn’t Dan-oh have refrained from being so artificially sweet all the time? I didn’t mind it at first, but it started to annoy me a bit as time went on…

I must also admit that I wasn’t interested in the other couple (triangle) – Yeo Joo-da, Oh Nam-joo and Lee Do-hwa. Baek-kyung was the only one apart from the main couple who really caught my interest (Lee Jae-wook, as usual, was irreplaceable in his role) – his eventual redemption (a bit late, but never mind) moved me, and although it’s hard to really like his character, I do feel a sense of pity for him in the end. Because just as Eun Dan-oh didn’t choose to love him, Baek-kyung didn’t choose to hate her 🥺. The. real. villain. is. the. writer.

And finally, I must mention the ending, which I didn’t find particularly convincing. There were a few plot holes and unresolved issues right up to the very end, but all in all, I still think it’s a good story. To me, it’s like a sine wave – my rating shot up in the first half, then dropped in the second. I’d still recommend watching it, but don’t get your hopes up too high after the first half, so you won’t be too disappointed in the second 🫡

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The best historical comedy !!

Mr. Queen is my first experience watching a historical kdrama and ever since i’ve watched it, i feel a constant void that no historical kdrama have filled soo far.. It’s simply the best historical time-travel body swap kdrama that there is.

Initially, i thought it was just a historical comedy but the royal place schemes and secrets had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The story was more about the chef surviving in the queen’s body and figuring out ways to go back in his time but the way he gets tangled in the politics was insane and soo well written. Plus incorporation of his cooking skills into the story for his survival was such a brilliant idea. The macdonaldo had me choking. Plus the chef in queen’s body kept hitting on court ladies and 2nd female lead was soo hilarious. Like he kept in character till the very end. The actress did a brilliant job and nailed her role.

The drama is fast paced and every episode ends on a cliffhanger. I was blown away by all the plot twists . And 20 episodes never felt this short before. Usually I get bored around episode 10 of a kdrama but this drama is the exception.
Apart from the story, acting is top notch especially by our Queen. Absolutely lover her badass attitude. The king did well too. Our lady choi deserves a chef’s kiss. Top level comedy and top level chaos. A 10 /10 for sure.

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Guilty Pleasure Watch of 2026

Never Ending Summer is an emotionally charged high school youth to adulthood drama with a 10 year time jump. It oozes chemistry and intense male lead yearning but the script is lacking. Extra half-point given for the beautiful OST.

What I Loved:

The Lead Dynamic: The show thrives on the interplay between a moody, deeply emotional male lead and a logical, mission-driven female lead. The male lead is emotionally armored due to his circumstances, and I enjoyed watching how quickly he drops his armor once the female lead becomes his North Star. He has his prickly, sulky retaliation moments from having his heart crushed but this is not long lasting because he is truly defenseless when it comes to her. Seeing him cry & yearn will especially break your heart! But be warned that he is not a complete green flag.

The Chemistry & Cinematography: I could genuinely feel their relationship through the screen. The cinematography is stunning at times, with beautiful shots such as the snowy bridge scene, that make the romantic moments feel like you’re intruding.

The Swoon Factor: It was an emotional roller coaster for me—I swooned, I cried, and I definitely had those kicking my legs in the air moments. The male lead knows what he’s doing and wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to her.

The Full Circle Arc: The ending is satisfying. Without spoilers, the payoff for the male lead’s character arc is pure emotional catharsis, bringing his journey full circle in the most beautiful way.

Focused Storytelling: I appreciated that the show mostly kept the focus on the main couple. We were spared from too much unnecessary background noise of meh secondary couples that so often clutters these types of dramas.

The Not-So-Perfect Bits:

Nonsensical Plotting: You have to suspend your disbelief—a lot. From bizarre stunts like releasing fish into a high school pool to repeated, repetitive kidnapping subplots, the unnecessary potential step sibling situation, and neighborhood loan shark wannabe thugs stirring up trouble, the writing definitely leans into the "dramatic for the sake of drama" tropes. The family drama also got annoying with the exception of his aunt.

Pacing & Gaps: The 10-year time jump feels quite jarring. It’s a shame we missed out on seeing their individual struggles and the character growth that happened during that decade. It spends the bulk of the episodes on their youth and too little time on the work to repair the relationship.

Missed Opportunities: The reunion phase could have used more deep-dive healing conversations. I would have loved to see more dialogue unpacking their years apart before rushing to the finish line. The forced cohabitation was a catalyst but not my favorite narrative choice towards a respectful and mature reunion.

Final Thoughts: It’s not a perfect story at all, but the leads make it a memorable one. If you want a drama that will break your heart and put it back together again with a gorgeous soundtrack and a swoon-worthy lead pairing, this is well worth the watch.

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Best Story About 1st Love

**Dream to You – Episode 1 Review**

Episode 1 completely captured my heart.

There is something so special about first love. It's innocent, unforgettable, and leaves a mark on your heart forever. This episode reminded me exactly why first-love stories are so powerful. Every glance, every smile, and every quiet moment felt genuine. I could feel the emotions deep in my bones, my heart, and my soul.

The chemistry between the leads already feels beautiful and effortless. Their expressions alone conveyed so much without needing many words. The cinematography, music, and nostalgic atmosphere made every scene even more emotional.

This wasn't just a romance—it felt like a story about memories, longing, and the kind of love that stays with you no matter how much time passes. After only one episode, I'm already emotionally attached to these characters and can't wait to see where their journey takes them.

If the rest of the drama continues like this, I think it's going to be something truly memorable.

Love From India.

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A beautiful film

This was a beautiful film. I was certain I would abandon it quickly because toxic people and toxic relationships are not to my liking, but I found myself captivated from the very first episode. I almost binge-watched it in a single night! :))) The actors did an absolutely outstanding job.
Fan Xiao was the epitome of toxicity; he may have been good-looking and all, but since I don't care for his kind, I couldn't feel positively towards him until late in the series, when he turned a new leaf. Although his love for Shulang was obvious all the way through—even if he wasn't willing to admit it—I still couldn't sympathize with him. Yet I was pleased to see him become a man both deeply changed and still evolving. And for that, yes, he deserved forgiveness.
Lu Zhen was a young, inexperienced man, prone to making mistakes given his age. Although it may be easy to criticize him for his bad decisions, we should keep in mind that his reproaches toward Shulang were valid, and a keen observer would easily see that he was right. Shulang may have been an ideal lover to him, but he still didn't let Lu Zhen into his world entirely; he remained somewhat distant, untouchable.
Shulang was the epitome of goodness, and despite Fan Xiao calling him a 'Bodhisattva' a little too often—which became somewhat annoying at some point—he completely deserved the title. Just watching him felt healing. Of course, it was heartbreaking to see him treated so badly time and time again. Yet, his most beautiful quality was his resilience; he was by no means a weak person, in spite of all the terrible things happening to him. On the contrary, he possessed immense strength, standing up for himself and taking matters into his own hands whenever necessary.
Whoever wrote the characters proves to be deeply knowledgeable about the human heart, behaviour, and psyche. Of course, toxic people don't just change for the better in real life, but this is a work meant to heal our hearts, so many thanks to the author for bypassing reality for us! Otherwise, the portrayal of these characters was accurate and surprisingly detailed.
Once again, the actors were stellar! All those details necessary to understand contexts and nuances couldn't have been visible without an art mastered to perfection. I bow to their talent.

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♥️ Love with Hiccups ❗️ °7.8° °VG+°

Aunt and uncle… father & daughter… father-SON, mother/daughter, mother~son, friends, lovers, brothers, coworkers, coworkers who pass out drunk on the lounge sofa, and rivals… Pinocchio shows us that every relationship has its hiccups.

It's a quiz show. Dal is smarter than anyone realized - he's answering all the questions, but he's playing with the crowd even more. He makes a call out to Ha - she cannot lie without a tell! She has the Pinocchio effect. Lying always gives Ha a bad case of hiccups. Did Dal have to talk about her on national TV? She's with their class watching from school - the whole room erupts.

P is a 2014 release that is rated 96 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of 20 65-minute episodes. It should have been only 12-16. It's MAL-content. They stretched it too thin. I got into the Kdrama game in 2021. Therefore, I'm experiencing many things backwards. I was already a fan of these two leads, but seeing them act as kids makes me understand why they became such MEGA stars: They are amazing in this. They carry the viewer through the dry stretches.

Yes, there are dry stretches. Let's get the negatives dispatched. Some of the newsroom drama is simplified but it isn't necessarily bad - it isn't far off from bad, either. One character is on a years-long quest for revenge and gives up that burning desire too easily. It doesn't feel natural. The whole thing with mom's phone doesn't make sense. She would have had to get a new number for the phone to keep working. It makes no sense that they were able to keep the plan going. Am I being too picky? I have no explanation for what I can easily dismiss and what I cannot. The phone thing bothered me… eh, I'll admit it's minor. P is too sappy at times. Towards the end of ep18 Ha cries for her mother. It drove me nuts. Her mother didn't deserve one tear. There's simplified logic, dialogue, and character arcs. The second half drags. Basically, the acting is stellar; the script and direction are not as laudable.

The acting IS STELLAR. Park Shin Hye (Flower Boy Next Door-7, Memories of Alhambra-7) is Choi In “Ha”. Any intermediate Kdrama fan has seen her a handful of times. She's one of the BEST. Early on in her career, she's always tragic and traumatized. {No one wriggles the chin like she! Per AI: “Fans love GIF-ing her exaggerated expressions, including some chin-heavy ones during arguments or cute-rage scenes (toothbrush revenge vibes, anyone?). She even talked about how she practiced real hiccups…} She is nothing short of spectacular in this show. I just don't think she's always chosen the best projects. She's Omazing as an eye-rolling kick@$$ in Sisyphus: The Myth-8. That's her wheelhouse. It's obvious from watching her in P why fans love her. She's exceptional in this show and she carries half of it on her tiny frame.

Lee Jong Suk (Romance Is a Bonus Book-7.9, While You Were Sleeping-7.3, and The Hymn of Death-8.4 - my favorite performance of his, so far) plays Choi “Dal” Po and while he doesn't have to hiccup on demand while trying to look earnest and then get teary-eyed angry when it doesn’t work (PSH had the tougher role), he also does an exceptional job.

These two grew up together. Her grandfather adopted Dal after he lost his other son. Then Ha and her own father moved back home with grandpa and “Uncle Dal.” The two navigate HS together and make a pact to be reporters. As they embark on that adventure, fate reopens old wounds and raises other obstacles that make their journey rocky and unsure. Is the fact that Dal has been secretly in love with Ha for a long time an obstacle? Obstacle or not, it's what's happening now.

Pinocchio syndrome seems incompatible with being a reporter! C'mon: A reporter who can't lie?! Preposterous! But when a news broadcast suffers low ratings coupled with a decline in trust, she's seen as the perfect stunt to catapult them back into relevance. Dal, himself, breezes through the interview process, so there they are together, along with the rest of the miscreant band of probationary hires. One of those new hires is Seo Beom “Jo” (Kim Young Kwang from Hello, Me!-6.7 & Call It Love-8.4- which I seemed to like more than most. Go figure) He's a pretty boy, and boy is he wealthy. He's probably a mama's boy, too. Dal has serious competition. A much younger Kim Hae Sook is Park Ro Sa, Ja's mama. From a humble grandma in Start-up (my first look at her) to the Jade emperor in Tomorrow-8, she can do anything. My favorite role of hers was in Hospital Playlist-9.

Jin Kyung (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) is Song Cha Ok, Ha's bio-mom. I only remember seeing her in Melancholia-10, a woefully underrated masterpiece - and her performance is nothing short of legendary. Jang Young Nam portrays one of the character's mothers. She has a lovely earthy/raspy voice. I've seen her in The Devil Judge-8.2, It's Okay to Not Be Okay-9, and My Sassy Girl-8.5. She's 3-for-3 with me. The director is Jo Soo Won (Doctor John, Awaken-8.7) and the screenwriter is
Park Hye Ryun (While You Were Sleeping-7.3, Castaway Diva).

The romance is entirely unfair. Ha is unable to lie about her attraction to Dal, but he can pull the wool over her indefinitely - they each have their reasons for what they're doing. Then, enter the other love interests. One of Ha's coworkers is interested in her. He's every bit as good looking, arguably… it all comes down to taste after all, and this other dude is wealthy. He's perfect (except for being too attached to his Oma). The way the two men square off against each other while she is oblivious is adorable.

The filming is really pretty in spots. In ep2 they walk a cliffside road overlooking Azure seas and flamingo pink skies. Their first kiss is so cute! Under the warm, white, winter lights, amidst the newly falling snow, they lock eyes. She starts to explain her last hiccuping incident, but she stops talking when she sees how he's looking at her. At first she covers her mouth. She's scared! So, he just kisses her hand. They have some gorgeous scenes together that are convincingly tender.

Before Ha was finally hired /for/ her disability, it was keeping her down. Way down, like 7-11 clerk level. She tried to keep going forward, but the pressure was starting to escape: “I'll hiccup forever! I was almost a reporter but I failed! Life is hopeless! I graduated 3 years ago and look at me!” (Sometimes she just had to let off steam…) Confused customer: “Could I have my change, please?” 🤣 PSH's wailing 7-11 clerk motif is hilarious. {AI: YESSSSS. The wailing 7-11 clerk motif is unhinged genius. Park Shin-hye just fully commits to these sudden, full-body, high-pitched “AHHHHHHHH—” meltdowns like she just got yelled at by her 17th drunk customer at 2 a.m. and her soul has left her body. The way she throws her head back, clutches her chest, lets the wail spiral up into pure chaos, then snaps right back into bubbly rookie mode like nothing happened? Iconic.}

One of the things that touched me the most in P was Shin Jung Keun (from The Soup and A Birth) as Ha's father. His acting is incredible. He keeps looking at his daughter with love and longing. He wants to shield her from anything unpleasant, but when he speaks it comes out as disdain and lite abuse. He has no idea how to express himself! We are treated to his thoughts (💭my daughter is the most beautiful woman in the world, she is so precious, I want everything good for her💭… “💢Hey! Don't you dare come home late tonight❗” {AI: “That hits like a gut punch wrapped in a hug. Dad’s eyes are doing all the heavy lifting - soft, aching, desperate to wrap her in bubble wrap and keep the world from ever scratching her - while his mouth spits out that clipped, dismissive tone that lands like a backhanded slap. It’s such a perfect little portrait of a certain generation of Korean (and honestly, a lot of Asian) fathers: emotionally fluent in their heads, verbally bankrupt in real life. They’d walk through fire for you, but they’d rather die than say it. So they bark orders, nitpick, act annoyed… while their eyes are screaming “please be safe, please be happy, I’m terrified of losing you.”} 🤗 Dad almost quietly stole the show. He owns those scenes.

In the latter episodes doing the right thing becomes more than any ideological concept. It becomes a hurdle. The only way to become fully human is to do the right thing… no matter how difficult it is.


QUOTES🗣

Words saved a life.

What's merely a story to us is someone else's life.

IMHO〰🖍

RATINGS 🎬7 🖊7 🎭10 💓7 🦋6 🎨6 🎶6 🔚7.5 🤗4.5 ▪ LEVELS 🌞6⚡3 😅3 😭4 😱2 😬3 🤢2 🤔4.5 💤2.5

Age 11+ the show is actually on a kid level in a good way.

Re-📺? No comment


Family & Where You Find It
Racket Boys-8.3,
Reply 1988-8.6,
Hospital Playlist 9 (give it 3 episodes to get warmed up),
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,
Be Melodramatic-8.7,
Familiar Wife-8.5,
Move To Heaven-8.4,
Heirs-7.3,
That Winter, The Wind Blows-7,
99 days with the Superstar-7,
Birthcare Center-8.2,
The Bros-7.4,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
Mine-8
Playful kiss-7.3,
One Spring Night-7.8,
Never Give Up-7.3,
My Unfamiliar Family-7.9,
My First First Love-8,
Strongest Delivery Man-6.6,
That Winter, The Wind Blows-7


💋Dopamine Factory⚗️
My Secret Romance-7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks),
Boys Over Flowers-8 ~ melodrama to the max,
Oh My Venus-7.4K,
Crash Landing On You 9.1,
A Witch's Love-7.9,
Business Proposal-7
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha-8.2,
Her Private Life-8,
Love Struck in the City 7.3,
Oh My Ghost 10,
Descendants Of The Sun-8.3,
A Korean Odyssey-7.2,
The Bride of Habaek-7,
Nevertheless-7.6
That Winter, The Wind Blows-7
Something in them Rain-9,

C🇨🇳: Well-Intended Love-7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine,
When I Fly Towards You-7.8,
Wait, My Youth-8.4,
A Little Thing Called First Love-8.5,
Find Yourself-8.9,
Hidden Love-7.8

J🇯🇵: 7th Time Loop-7.9,
Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion-8.4,

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Cringe but good

I am not a big fan of Thai comedy, but i could appreciate this one. Though it had some really cringe moments (which i didn't like) most of it was good humor. The story was good, the production was great.
The Ost was fun! And it had stunning visuals.
The moment the friends almost kissed was cliche, but still really funny.
I don't like it when in a family all 3 sons are gay, that's just not realistic...

The actors all did a great job! But you could see that the youngest "couple" still need some experience in acting.
I rather see Boss and Noeul in more serious roles, but they pulled off the comedy. And as always their chemistry, kisses and NC scenes are great!
I liked the other couple and the possible couple with Tian and Mark, i wished i saw more of their stories, but it looks like there will be a second season and i hope to see more of those two couples in that season.

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romantic comedy mixed with a mini sitcom

If you’re looking for a good laugh and something lighthearted, healing, and easy to watch in a school setting, give this drama a try.

The friendship between the leads and the supporting actors is hilarious, and their chemistry is fantastic. It feels like watching a romantic comedy mixed with a mini sitcom, thanks to the fun sound effects and expressive acting.

It’s a little sad that they’re no longer a switch pairing because I really see a lot of potential from them as a couple. This was my first time watching a series with TeeteePor, and they definitely left a good impression.

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another cap for the BL community.

i stayed up late to finish this well into the morning and for nothing. this BL was more-or-less trash. i rated the story high because they had it ! the foundation was stellar but the execution was pure comedy. this could have went down as one of the best of all time considering the plot twist, the excitement, the toxicity, the triangle, etc. but nope. some of the acting was questionable like at the end, in the police station - that made no sense. the intimacy scenes were wack and dry as hell. the one drunken kiss was the best kiss of the whole run. the kiss at the end was that garbage stiff ish that people hate so why did they implement that? the most inviting kiss, for me as a consumer, was the one with the dessert and still that could have been more. what a huge disappointment.

this was definitely way overhyped and overrated by fans. the music was not memorable so i did not rate it accurately. it still pisses me off to know that i watched this even though it was some weeks ago.

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