Reviews

My Favorite KDrama of All Time

This was one of the first KDramas I ever watched that wasn't a romcom and while is started slowly for me, I stuck it out and I'm SO glad I did.

This is where my obsession with Lee Dong Wook began. lol The female lead was nice, I have no complaints, she just didn't really stand out for me at all. Lee Rang (Kim Bum) however.... very different story. I had already seen him in Boys Over Flowers as that was my first drama ever, but I was super psyched to see him in this as well. And I only got even more excited when they mended broken bridges as family.

I also really loved Lee Tae Ri as Imugi and Hwang Hee as Goo Shin Joo. I haven't yet watched the prequel to the show as I want to binge it all at once!

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One of My First Dramas

I watched this drama shortly after I watched Boys Over Flowers as it was recommended as a similar show. I absolutely love this show. This show was my introduction to all of the main cast.

Not that the female lead isn't pretty with short hair but when I saw the actress's photo on Viki with long hair I was like, "OMG she's stunning!". I will say that something endearing about this show that's almost nostalgic for me is that the female leads reminds me of Julia Stiles' character from 10 Things I Hate About You. Snarky and smart. No nonsense. I love it.

This is another show where I really struggled with who she should be with. And I may be alone in this but I did not like Park Hye Ji (Son Na Eun). Not even after we're supposed to feel sorry for her and like her. I did NOT want her back with Kang Hyun Min (Ahn Jae Hyun). Just no. But otherwise I love this show!

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Will Be a Cult Classic

What do I even say about True Beauty? It's amazing. Everything about it. The lead actress is beautiful and so, so funny. She makes the character so loveable, both by the 1st and 2nd male leads, and by the rest of the cast and audience.

There is a little bit of that trope where when she's the "ugly duckling" it's almost like the early 2000s romcoms where she just has her hair up and some glasses on. lol But it's still amazing.

My only complaint is how unbelievably difficult they made it for us to choose which guy she should be with. This is hands down the worst case of 2nd male syndrome I've ever had. And I'm not the only one. To this day I see half the people #TeamSuHo and half #TeamSeoJun. I don't even know if I know where I stand. lol

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Classic Korean RomCom

What do I say about this other than it's amazing? The lead actors are phenomenal and their chemistry is NEXT LEVEL. This show is also hilarious. Both characters are funny in their own unique ways, and the comedy that comes about between them is even better.

I hate that there is a character minimum on this website because sometimes all you really need to say is that a show is amazing. Everyone I've seen agrees. This is one of those rare dramas where I've not seen anyone dislike it. Except people who aren't really big KDrama fans or those who insist on applying modern day western values to Korean shows. Ugh.

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Second Favorite Drama EVER

I started this show and got about an episode or so in and then I stopped to watch something else and I can't remember why. Then I sort of never went back. I jumped from drama to drama. Then suddenly I kept remembering this drama I had watched previously with an athlete who's family is murdered and he's blamed and I tried searching EVERWHERE for MONTHS and found nothing.

One day, after I'd given up my search, I saw W sitting in my unfinished list so I restarted it and instantly was like, "OMG it's been under my nose the whole time!!!" So I restarted it and it was just amazing.

Once you get a few episodes in it goes from good to great. I also love anything Lee Jong Suk is in (because I saw him in this and fell in love). lol Definitely a re-watch.

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Watched For Him, Struggled to Finish Because of Her

I watched this show shortly after I saw Boys Over Flowers because I was crushing on Kim Hyun Joong and I had no idea who she was so I was optimistic.

It sort of started off okay but once Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) really started crushing on Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyung Joong) she came off super, super creepy. Not to mention I had the same issue with her that I would later have with the female lead in Goblin, which is that she behaved so weirdly child-like that it grossed me out.

She was really working my nerves for most of the show, almost even more so than Yoon He Ra (Lee Si Young), and we're supposed to like one of them and dislike the other.

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'Hilarious' is Not What I Would Call This Family.

I doubt whether I would have given this one a look had it not been for the reviews I read. Unfortunately, only one was accurate, and the reviewer watched 3 episodes and dropped the series. I struggled through 4 episodes then followed suit and dropped it like a hot rock. I couldn't take another minute of this show.

Whatever the writer was thinking was nothing close to hilarious, and this family was neither warm nor endearing. If this is a portrayal of family life, then no thanks! The characters were dreadful, the interactions were stiff and overdone. I didn't even get to a point where any of the couples were together yet, but they had very little hope given the characters that were introduced up to episode 4.

I couldn't find one redeeming factor to keep me interested or invested in this one. I got out while the going was good. OST was awful. Absolutely NO rewatch value.

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Eternally Mine

My Beautiful Man: Eternal serves as a solid continuation and conclusion to the story of Hira and Kiyoi. It gave a more introspective view into Kiyoi as a character and also allowed Hira to bloom and grow. By the end, though there is still that master/servant undertone to their relationship, it feels like they understand each other better and are on more even footing. The cinematography mixes grounding tones with more ethereal ones that suit the characters and story. It's nothing groundbreaking, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable and sweet.

The movie is a pretty direct continuation of Season 2. Very little if any time has passed between the two. Kiyoi is still working on his drama and Hira is working as an assistant to Noguchi. There's a decent amount of focus on the two of them, on where their relationship is going and how it's changed over time and also how, despite those changes, some things never change. We're also allowed a glimpse into Kiyoi's thoughts, giving a better understanding of him as a person and his feelings for Hira. Hira continues to battle with his self-confidence and giving voice to what he wants, to be the only one who photographs Kiyoi. There's also the sweet friendship between Kiyoi and Anna which, while not explored too deeply, was still an aspect that I appreciated. Kiyoi being kidnapped by Shitara was something that I think most were anticipating, if not quite to that degree, then certainly expecting something to happen. It, combined with Anna's scandal, allowed the movie to explore a little more the dangers of social media and the frenzy and damage it can cause as well as the dangers of idolizing those in the entertainment industry to an unhealthy degree. Hira explains it very succinctly when he states, "Once you start imposing your will on her, you are no longer her fan."

I appreciated the growing equality between Kiyoi and Hira. As I stated previously, there is still very much that master/servant bond between them, but it grows to feel less of an obstacle to their love and more just a part of who they are and they accept that. Hira's subservience does lead to a few more understandings with Kiyoi, but it seems that overall Kiyoi has become accustomed to it and finds it less objectionable. Through Noguchi he comes to understand Hira a bit better as well as misunderstanding him again, but that scene does show that he wants to know and understand Hira. Kiyoi's kidnapping allowed Hira to show that he was still the Hira who had defended Kiyoi in high school. He was willing to kill or be killed protecting him. But what that scene also highlighted was that Hira's need is not one sided, Kiyoi needs him just as much, even if he doesn't express it as much. I liked that Anna was brought back. I appreciated her strength of character and the friendship that she had developed with Kiyoi. The way they could talk to each other easily was very sweet and wholesome. I also appreciated that she knew what she wanted. She wanted both to be with Kiriya and be an actress. The fact that she didn't shrink away from stating such and that she wasn't willing to give up either was refreshing.

Hagiwara has been fantastic as Hira from Season 1. His eyes are deeply expressive and he brought so much to the character of Hira. The scene where Anna calls him to tell him about Kiyoi is a testament to his acting skills. The change wrought in him is simultaneously subtle and dramatic, because no one messes with his Kiyoi. Yagi has steadily improved over both seasons and again in the movie. His acting style feels more nuanced and natural and he was more expressive with both his face and eyes. That growth really helped to give more depth to the character of Kiyoi.

The cinematography was gorgeous. There are some truly stunning scenes. Again, that scene where Hira gets the call, I loved the lighting change. It gave a whole other dimension to the scene. I also generally liked the music choices. Particularly the song used when Shitara and Hira were fighting, it was unconventional, but also worked very well. The ending with them at the school was really lovely. The way they incorporated the flash backs with the present was well done and simultaneously sweet and entertaining.

My Beautiful Man: Eternal is not perfect. It sometimes feels a bit cluttered with plot lines and there are a few holes, but ultimately I found that none of that really affected my enjoyment of it. It wrapped up Hira and Kioyi's story fairly neatly with the promise that, despite the uncertainty of the future, they will remain together. If you've watched Season 1 and 2 of My Beautiful Man, I think you'll enjoy this conclusion. And if you haven't, there's enough background given that you don't strictly need to have seen the first two seasons. You'll just have missed out on the a lot of the character growth and more details on how the two came together. This will certainly be a movie that I'll come back to in the future.

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Much Better Than Predicted

It's been awhile since I've watched this as I just found this website and am currently trying to bang out all these reviews while I'm in between shows so I can start making fresh reviews with the next one. lol

But as far as I remember, this show was great. Another thriller romcom that really did a great job at balancing both and keeping both interesting the entire series.

Another drama where the entire cast is phenomenal. Both in their own roles, and their relationships with each other. It also gives you a little dose of that jealous "bf". The one scene that sticks out in my mind is the male lead about to hose down the female lead and the male she's sitting with. lol

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A small rest ahead of the long TBW list.

There is not much to say about this movie. It is a typical revenge story with no plot twists, no sudden events here and there.

To sum it up, a ballerina befriends a badass girl (JJS) which is the main character in this movie. Some things happened to the ballerina and JJS needs to avenge her. She will try, did she succeed? Watch the movie, i'm not going to spoil you lol. The bad guy is KJH, i like him so no comment on his wonderful sexy acting lol.

The only phrase that got stuck with me from the whole movie is "My face and My Lamborghini", like the vibes were weird and funny at the same time.

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A drama full of contradictions

I couldn't stand it anymore and I left the series until the last episode. I got cramps in my stomach. Such a disgraceful scenario cannot happen. It shouldn't be. The story is well thought out. One of the royal princes whose fathers passed away, who was named as the new emperor with the word of their fathers, could not get the throne he deserved, and on top of that, the same person used his royal position to get the daughter he loved, and therefore the lovers could not be together, the pains, heartbreaks, resentments, anger, betrayals, revenges, etc. Becoming a heroic soldier and general to show yourself beyond. Dreams of establishing a throne in the eyes of the nation, ultimately leading to the regency, but again conflicts, traps, betrayals, desires for revenge. Pain, not being able to meet, being in the shadow of this. It's a great idea, millions of scenes could be shot on this. But unfortunately our scriptwriter ruined the series. If a person does not have any ideas, dhikr, decisions, thoughts or logic, what is the use of saying he is writing a script? Logical errors throughout. Shaky transitions, show-offs, crazy logic. For example, I can't say that I love him. As a result, the disgrace of enduring this never ended. Someone's snitching, talking behind their back, back and forth statements, traps. Even though these are known, they do not speak out. Don't say it to your face. Don't use each other. Give the same boring things over and over again. It didn't happen. In the end, the queen mother, who was supposedly unable to reunite with her beloved, finds a thousand excuses not to reunite her son with his beloved. He says it's in the interest of the country. While she was getting married, the emperor said, "You can't say no to her, it won't end well, you'll both be beheaded, even seven of your dynasties will be killed." Now they want the girl the Emperor loves for someone else, or rather for his brother, the prince, for whom everything they eat and drink does not go well. But they cannot tell each other. They love the same girl. My brother Emperor, he was brought to the palace for me. He can't say how you can hit on that girl. On top of that, the emperor's very good friend, the prince, wants the girl through his mother. She's making herself a fiancée. The Emperor cannot do anything. He's watching. Because his mother made a promise to another imperial princess. He promised again for that brother to marry, too. He gives his word knowingly. The prince's mother says they love each other, but if they don't, why should I tell you this? However, that girl is unaware of these events. The girl is never asked. The Emperor is tearing himself apart. He says, "I will marry this girl." His mother says No. Well, you encountered the same situation, you could not reunite with your loved one. When I asked if this could be done, yes, I was very upset. I experienced pain. He says imperial interests come first. It makes you want to tear your hair out. Also, why can't the emperor tell his dear friend, brother, I love this girl, we even love each other? You saw it here, if it was your acquaintance, wouldn't it be possible if he said "no, but no, we love each other". Why does such a scenario occur? And the man is the emperor. How can one say that the girl he wants won't happen? It is also served to a prince. It's not something that makes sense. It is not appropriate for the time. It is not appropriate for the command and domination of an emperor. What the emperor says requires absolute obedience. If you don't obey, you die. In this situation, that prince brother infuriates the emperor by telling events about the girl as if he were kidding. It's not going to happen. What a pity. In other words, the writer, the screenwriter, or rather, has a contradiction within himself. There are hundreds of other incidents in the same way, where people are wrong, have contradictory ideas, and do not keep what they say. There are at least a hundred in 50 episodes. It's a shame for the series, the idea is good but the scripting is terrible. I got angry while watching it. It's a shame for the players. I had ideas about them. I don't even have the words to say them. The director did his part, I guess they told him to shoot it like this, so he shot it that way. It was very good. A series of nine became series of six. I say disgrace. I don't recommend it to anyone. I was disturbed while watching, I don't want anyone to be disturbed. Do not even think about it!

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Half Good, Half Annoying

I will admit that while I liked this drama overall, I almost quit very early on because the female lead's character was really getting on my nerves. You threw up on guest of honor at this event you're supposed to be reporting on, and your boss, who was already awful to you finally snapped and fired you and you think the celebrity orchestrated it?

Like, she kind of took no accountability like maybe her own attitude and behavior may have been her demise. Also, what is the protest meant to do? Only in a romcom could that turn into a TV show. lol

Once both main characters started to chill tf out, it actually got kind of cute at times.

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Solid, Cute KDrama

So now that I've seen Doom At Your Service I realize that show reminds me of this show in that they both have a fantasy element, an innocent girl who gets wrapped up with said fantasy element and that both men are very cold and stoic... until they're not.

The only difference for me is that by episode seven of Doom I desperately wanted to quit watching as I felt no chemistry between them despite my love for the actress. And there wasn't enough charisma or charm coming from the male lead alone to really keep my interest.

I'm not sure I'd re-watch this, but it was a solid little love story for me.

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BEST NAIL BITING SHOW IN A WHILE, think MONOPOLY MEETS AMAZING RACE ASIA

I started watching because of Joshua and Hoshi from Seventeen; that's how I found this show, but I ended up rooting for all the players. The games are nerve-wracking and have you at the edge of your seat screaming with every dice throw, and the race in the last episode was something else.

The scale is huge; it's intricately woven in such a way with each game and property that it's almost like a travel show in Dubai. The amount of respect given to the city, the landmarks, culture, food, and language in Dubai has to be appreciated. The Burj Khalifa at 7 p.m. moment actually had me in tears.

And another aspect that I actually appreciated was the fact that they mentioned the bill amount at restaurants.

I can't wait to see if this gets on any other streaming services like Netflix because this is a hit for sure, and now I still want to visit Dubai, but I found have found more places to visit.

WATCH THIS even if you have no idea who any of the players are; all of them are amazing , great game play, strategic thinking, if Monopoly is your thing, you'd love this the most and might actually try some of the games on your next Monopoly night.

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