Reviews

Gems hidden in a pile of rocks

I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Steam was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.

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Still Waiting for Answers, Immortally Disappointed with the Writers

I never watch dramas as they air because I'm just so impatient, but this drama had so much potential. I waited until episode 13 or so came out before I started watching, and that's one of the only reasons I finished it. The writing just went downhill as the series progressed.

The story started so strong and witty. It was so enjoyable and refreshing to watch just a silly supernatural rom-com with all the funny cliches. The leads had perfect chemistry and all the vampire sidekicks were hilarious. I enjoyed the vampire guest house plotline too, but then the villains came into the story and sucked the fun right out of the drama. They were all bratty, spoiled, and the only one with a reasonable motivation, i.e. his potential death, still turned out stale. The villains were too cartoonish and just poorly written, I skipped over their monotonous dialogue that just got too repetitive.

Everything was rushed at the end. Vampire villain is suddenly powerless to a human's surprise attack. Rich girl gives up and runs to the U.S. ML decides to sacrifice himself to save the dying SML. Suddenly, FL is in fact the reincarnated first love. They spent so much time talking in circles in the middle episodes that they could have been setting something up for a plot twist finale or *anything* to happen. If they would have somehow resolved the turning human thing, even if it was in the most cliched way, I would have been so much happier. I'm just so disappointed because they could've done so much better. I would have loved a happy ending for them, but the writers opted for an ambiguous one. I guess they're hopeful for a second season (like I've been seeing many K-dramas do lately).

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It could have been better...

The first 2 episodes were amazing and I only hoped for more, but the plot confused me over and over again.
It was generally marketed as a love story of her finding her special one in her 19th life, then it turned into a story about grief and how her loved ones were hurting even long after their loved one was gone, then it turned into a murder mystery, then an inheritance war, then another mystery of her trying to remember her past life.

All I'm saying is as good as the plot was they tried to do too much and gave so little back. I wished they fleshed out the story and actually put in little details for it to make sense.

Another problem I had with this drama was that, the dialogue in this drama lacked a lot of chemistry for what it was supposed to be, I couldn't help but but feel bored and zoning out when ever a conversation was happening, the characters seemed so bland when ever they spoke, if they used only facial expressions to act it would have been better than the dialogue I was hearing, the only chemistry I was fond of was between the FL and her sister.

From someone who hasn't read the webtoon, I can understand the Studio Dragon had to make due with what they had but overall I only liked the production (nothing less from this studio), a really beautiful drama but not up to par for what it was supposed to be.

I'll probably give it another chance and rewatch it in the future.
I'll give it a 6 because of the actors

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Can You Sink Your Teeth Into This Vampiric Romance?

There seems to be an odd resurgence in fantasy dramas with the vampire trope. I am not one to complain. Vampire shows and narratives can be really interesting for writing if approached well, and Heartbeat certainly had an interesting premise from the offset.


Heartbeat was written by Kim Ha-na and Jung Seung-joo, and directed by Lee Hyun-seok and Lee Min-soo. The narrative focuses on Seon Woo-hyul ( Ok Taek-Yeon),
an ancient vampire who is desperate to become human and end his immortality . Having waited centuries to fulfil the wish of his beloved, Yoon Hae-seon ( Yoon So-Hee) to finally become human, Woo-Hyul enlists the help of his vampire friends Lee Sang-hae ( Yoon Byung-hee ) and Park Dong-seop ( Ko Kyu-Pil) to seal him in a coffin in order for him to finally become human.


In the present day, part-time school nurse Joo In-hae ( Won Ji-An) ends up accidentally awakening Woo-Hyul a day short from the ritual being complete. Now a half- human, In-hae and Woo-Hyul awkwardly end up living together, while beginning to slowly develop feelings for one another. However, nothing is ever simple in this relationship, and soon trouble looms on the horizon for them.


Heartbeat is a fairly lighthearted take on the fantasy vampire story. For the most part, the series is fairly easygoing and comical, playing out mostly as a slice-of-life and rom-com series. The fantasy element submerges from the depths in each episode with a small push to direct the storyline. While there are some more angsty moments in the series ( particularly around Woo-Hyul’s backstory), the series is fairly engaging on this part . However, where this issues lie comes through the second half of the series; especially in the very rushed execution and conclusion.


In many ways, this did offer a fairly good balance of genres. The comical setup highly relied on the polar opposite types of In-Hae as the cynical, cold yet surprisingly empathic individual to Woo-Hyul’s egocentric, , yet, surprisingly kindhearted role in the series. This dynamic did work well for the most part, though admittedly, building on the fantasy element and especially lore, was a little undeveloped at times. ( So many unanswered questions left hanging in the air over the vampires and their existence as well as their state of being.)


The acting of the series is decent. Ok Taek-Yeon really shines through as the main male lead. It could have been easy for Woo-Hyul to have become a somewhat irritating character with his misunderstandings and egocentricity at times, but, Taek-Yeon really adds a charismatic edge to the character through both lighthearted and more serious moments.


As a character, Woo-Hyul definitely grows on viewers. It could have been easy for the show to have fallen into old tropes with the immortal vampire being sullen or brooding for most of the series. While Woo-Hyul definitely has his more morose moments through flashbacks and backstory with Hae-Seon, his charisma definitely comes through with being able to remain fairly allured by the modern world. Woo Hyul is self-absorbed with his appearance and qualities, yet almost maintains a sense of comical naivety, to the point of annoying In-Hae beyond belief ( and leading to his shopping spree incident early on). However, despite often being egocentric, Hyul does show his kindness towards others in small acts even in the first episode .


Perhaps one annoying element of Woo-Hyul’s backstory is that while Hae-Seon is a major part of Woo-Hyul’s life, we do not see a lot else about his backstory and character prior to these events, or even in the short aftermath. Sans the necessary plot points, which could have been used instead to have shown the true impact of Hae-Seon’s influence upon his life and decisions .


Won Ji-An stood out as Joo In-Hae also, offering a fairly strong performance as the downtrodden female lead. Refreshingly, In-Hae is a character, who, similar to Woo-Hyul, is a lot more than meets the eye. She has her own personal demons ( which are touched upon slightly in the series though not to their full potential), and maintains a fairly upfront and straight- laced persona in front of Woo-Hyul. Despite appearances, In-Hae does have a softer side. Viewers see glimpses of this early on ( such as helping one student in the school after being bullied) and throughout the series during key moments. ( For example thanking Woo Hyul for taking care of her after she is bed-ridden from a fever.)


In-Hae does have her own potentially interesting backstory, but like some minor elements of the series, this was often pushed aside slightly in later episodes. This was not bad per say but it did put her backstory on the back burner a fair bit. The majority of In Hae’s development revolves around her potential romances, as well as glimpses into her softer nature.


Both main leads are interesting in their own right, and by far, enact as a major highlight of the drama’s storyline . Ji-An and Taek-Yeon have fairly good chemistry. Their characters have a good balance between being a polar comedic duo, while also learning to rely on one another and help each other out during times of the crisis. It was surprisingly sweet to see their relationship unfold in the drama and gradually develop during the series.


However touching upon the romantic element of the series, it is hard not to bring up the issue of the love triangle trope ( you could even argue love square or even pentagon depending on viewpoint). Having a complex romantic pairing and unrequited is not unusual in Korean dramas, and is a trope which is executed a lot within narratives. They are not inherently bad and can be diverse and well-written, but one problem they can often run into is whether they are truly necessary or well-resolved in the long-run.


In this case ( and for the sake of argument), love triangle/ square comes through Shin Do-sik ( Park Kang Hyun), an old classmate of In Hae and a successful real estate development specialist.


Do-Sik’s role in the series was pretty evident early on; he was to be the potential love interest as the second male lead, and the exact foil of Woo Hyul. Do-Sik is the epitome of the “ nice guy” trope at drift ; he is well-mannered, reserved and constantly looking out for In-Hae while his feelings remain apparent to everyone (except the female lead).


However , Do-Sik spends his time fawning over In Hae or practically stalking her from the shadows to the point of being more than a little obsessive. While in some cases, it is evident Do Sik is concerned about In Hae’s circumstances ( such as walking home drunk late at night) and mental well-being , he spends a lot of time watching her from the background or following her around similar to a lost puppy . Do Sik’s character arc only exists around In Hae, to the point of most of his flashbacks being centred around this too. It is a shame as while is not inherently bad, Do-Sik’s more interesting elements are often put aside and he becomes somewhat flat. The series did seem to possess some self-awareness of Do Sik’s character arc by attempting to involve him more in later episodes, but, a mixture of still being centred around In Hae at the end of the day did draw some further questions on this development as well as his antagonistic role in the series .


Another key side character includes Na Hae-won. Without major spoilers, Hae-Won is connected to the characters in more ways than one. She is a wealthy heiress who has returned from a long time of being overseas. She is an old friend of Do Sik and has an active interest in the old house. Naturally when she hears that Woo-Hyul and In-Hae want to turn it into a guest house, she helps to invest. Hae-won acts as a major driving force ( both negative and positive) within the relationship between the two main leads. It was sad to see the initial hints of Hae Won’s calm persona being driven out the window in the second half of the series, as well as her growing obsession over Woo Hyul. While I understand the series wanted development, it was cliche and sadly undermined her character in the long run.


Additional key side characters include Lee Sang-hae and Park Dong-seop, the goofy vampires and friends of Woo Hyul. Both characters enact as comedic relief in the series and while they are fairly entertaining, it would have been equally interesting to have touched upon how long they have truly known Woo Hyul, and why their friendship does run so deep. Despite this, both characters do show genuine care for Woo Hyul and do come to his aid in key moments.


Ko Yang-Nam ( Kim In Kwon), a catman being, is another key character and ally of Woo Hyul. Yang-Nam very much plays the role of the wise sage in the series. He is concerned over Woo Hyul’s predicament and begins to realise ( for conclusions he has come to even unknown even in the series), that Woo Hyul is in serious danger.



Rose ( Seung Yoo), a vampire and close friend of Woo Hyul and his friends, helps them out a fair bit on minor plot events, and Ri Man- Hwi ( Baek Seo Hoo), an antagonistic side character, who proves to be a thorn in Woo-Hyul’s side. Other side characters include the tailor Kim-Ok ( as well Young-ki) and his son ( Kim Do Geon), and the butcher Ko Ki-Sook ( Baek Hyun-Joo). There is a running comical subplot about Ki-Sook being determined to run out Woo Hyul and In Hae from the house. In all honesty while I understand this was meant to generate some laughs, it was a little irksome to see Ki-Sook constantly trying to annoy them. The fact that In Hae and Woo Hyul’s guest house could generate serious business and revenue into the area ( including for her business) seemed pretty reasonable to anyone, making it even odder than she was often condescending or rude to the duo with little reason aside from being petty . ( Despite Woo Hyul becoming one of her regular customers.)


The execution of the series was okay with a brisk sense of pacing and action and conflict development in early episodes . Perhaps my one complaint came through the romantic development. Don’t get me wrong. I like a drama to be well-paced, but it seemed the series often tried a little too hard on the trope of “ will they? Won’t they?” without giving us the time or opportunity to see these breadcrumbs in place. The ending seemed to push this romance full force before attempting to throw in a major “ plot twist” in the ending, with major questions arising over this arc development. This resulted in this second half feeling just rushed and anticlimactic and this in the long run, half-baked.


The cinematography was fairly good. It was fairly sleek for the most part and the CGI was okay too. My one complaint is that the palette schemes were a little uninspiring in some scenes and could have easily been used more carefully or frequently to match the emotional effects of scenes or key moments. The OST was fairly decent with some songs such as Hang Seung Yoon’s “ I Revive” being particularly catchy .


Overall, “ Heartbeat” is a decent romantic fantasy drama. The series has a decent plot premise and good cast, but struggled to develop and characterise beyond the limits of cliches and rushed execution. Overall, a decent watch for a binge session.

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Now THAT'S an original idea!!

I happened upon this movie quite by accident and it was fun. I loved how the ML was changed by the people he met and the experiences they had together. I laughed quite a lot during this movie and teared up at the end. The movie has a good message without beating you over the head with it. I have seen most of the actors in other works, so it was kind of like "old home week". And can I just say, I'm so glad to see Park Hyung Soo in a role where he isn't a complete jerk? Ever since Crash Landing on You, he always plays a bad guy. He does it well, mind you, but this was a nice change of pace for him.

My absolute favorite scenes were the scenes with the sloth, especially when she was practicing while she was at work at the market.

Cute and entertaining movie when you want something short to watch.

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A onetime fun watch alone but could potentially be a 2nd or 3rd depending on your reason ?

Heartbeat is like any common Korean romance drama with the fantasy genre included, if your looking for an entirely captivating vampire drama like vampires diaries then this isn’t it but a drama that has the same theme but with a lighter plot and less intended then you are at the right place.
The plot totally sums up the entire storyline of what you should expect but some people voiced their opinions about some minor loopholes in the drama which I thought I should make a quick review on, here goes nothing ?
Some of the story were briefly explained like the evil vampire, cat man. The SML blood linage thingy was more like them being vampire slayers kinda but I guess they didn’t want to call it that then as for the reincarnation, nobody in real life knows if it’s real or not just like vampires fantasy story were there are basic characteristics but additional characteristics can be added (eg the object controlling whatnot, colorful eyes etc.) so I guess they added to the basic reincarnation being a complete generic copy of the person without the memories but they added a new attribute like same generic copy but with a new soul, if you noticed at the beginning that’s why the bite thingy happened. If you are wondering, Male lead is dead but only his memories live on.
I am not saying it wasn’t disappointing but it did answer almost all questions, the episodes were even too much because the whole story could have been enough for 10/12 episodes tbh.

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A Fantastic Story filled with all Sorts of Chaos

I had come along this drama just scrolling through the library for my next drama and was instantly curious about the alien concept for its story. Instantly the drama sets the tone with a wild first episode which really does lure the viewer in with the mystery surrounding the main character, Jihyo. Then it really does totally capture the viewer with the second episode in introducing everyone else including the second main character, Jihyo's former childhood friend Bora. The dynamic between the two leads is so natural and they do really feel like they do have some real history between each other.

The story itself is so unique from all of the other dramas I have watched and the entire style the way the drama's director goes about telling the story is picture perfect. From the cinematography, the lighting, and the OST. The original soundtrack for the drama was perfect, it had an almost Stranger Things like feel to it but with a more modern sound to it.

The drama is one of those short and to the point dramas which doesn't waste the viewers time with nonsensical plots that draw away from the actual plot of the story. Each episode is about 45-50 minutes with only 10 episodes so it is an easy watch and perfect for binging, especially because this drama really makes you want to watch more. The ending without spoiling anything, leaves an open door for a second season which I really do hope they do another season, the cast and the story were just great all around.

Only negative things I feel about the drama is that at points the drama sometimes feels a bit more western like which is always a bit more of a turn off.

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Disappointing ending

I am so disappointed with this ending. I mean she could have at least given him some blood and Surprise!!! he becomes human after a couple of years and comes back. There was very little character development, which left holes in the story line. What was the relationship between Woohyeol and ManWhi? If the FL is the reincarnation of his past love then, why didn't she have some memories through out her lifetime? What was their connection, that allowed FL to open coffin? Did Doshik take his heart and end the curse? The Gold that could have saved them from many predicaments appeared at the last minute. UGGGHHH!! Just frustrating and then the mediocre ending of seeing ML image as if he was alive. Waste of time .

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My first two weeks of August 2023

There are soo little Korean dramas that I have had the intention to drop off. Extraordinary you since now occupies the first position. It costed me a kidney and my liver to finish it. I do not understand how it has an 8.4 as qualification. I simply do not understand. It is very repetitive. For all of us it is clear that she, the second FL Dan Oh (because the first FL is not important at all in all of the 32 episodes of the series!!!! Forgive the chakka Ju Da) was in love with a guy but then she has a new love and the new guy is going to help her. Ok, they are coming from a previous experience and it was a bad one, well, writer, give us all the first story and then the second story and I swear to you I understand who killed whom, you do not need to repeat such a scene six times!!!!! And then, at the end, you introduce an interesting character, Soo Hyang, you simply outline and it could have represented a better guide to the whole story. They all come from the previous Trumpet Creeper to this Secret opus but they are not connected at all at any time of the stories. Why???? All the characters are cartoon appearances for an episode not for that many. The chakka of this Kdrama is a cartoonist not a writer. This story could be told in just 4 episodes. 32 are a bunch of nonsense. These first two weeks of this August I will remember them as a wasted time watching this Extraordinary you. Extraordinary me for bearing it and extraordinary them for give such a high evaluation to something that is like a mass where you listen the same things over and over, week after week, year after year and to the infinite and over there...

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We were rooting for you!!!!

Sigh. I really wanted this drama to not fall into the curse of being one of those dramas that should've had 12-13 episodes instead of dragging itself to a lousy 16 that ended up ruining the drama for me. Firstly, I loved the acting and the chemistry of the leads. The supporting cast was very cookie-cutter and replaceable, so I won't say much about them. They were boring to me.

Now, this drama presents itself as a romantic comedy at first that had a fun fast pace right from the bat. Where it falters is the need for it to become a melodrama from episode 12 onward. It is an abrupt change that feels forced and from there on all the characters basically repeat their actions over and over until the end, losing any pace it had before as a result.

The forceful need to have it be that one of the leads "needed" to die, instead of just ending with ML transforming into a human due to drinking a *bit* of FL's blood (would have been a perfectly good ending IMO, but no, let's force one of those ambiguous open endings on our viewers from what was meant to be a silly little rom-com about vampires.)

These scriptwriters and the director just couldn't pick a lane I guess. Wasted!

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THRASH OF 2023

Writer: Producer-nim we have an interesting concept to make the drama on .

Producer : Okay Ms. Writer, let's proceed .

Writer after 2 months: Sir , I forgot to write the ending or any explanation regarding vampires plus the ML dies in the last episode.

Producer: Somebody bring me my shotgun.

Writer :Sir , before you shoot me , how about adding some thrash side characters , they would keep the gag in check ?

Producer: Good idea, now someone bring me a katana . ?

WHAT A JOKE This drama was .
I skipped it post-episode 10 .
The worst drama of 2023 so far.
Zero chemistry b/w the leads.
Zero character development.

Wasting the talent of great actors like Ok Tec Yeon, Amazon should be ashamed of producing such dramas.

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Only for the airplane's lovers and for Wang Kaï's hands fans :) :)

Journey of a FL (Seven) cargo pilot, transferred to passenger transport, despite the sexism / mysoginism of a flight director. Wang Kai, a seasoned pilot obsessed with safety, will take her under his wing and help her.
+ Interesting plot on paper and a very good casting.
+ the OSTs are good
+ lots and lots of plane blueprints : you learn a lot of details even if every is not accurate.
+ close-up on Wang Kai's hands in each episode (why this obsession with his hands????)
BUT :
- the story is poorly written: the 1st half of the drama is quite engaging: interactions Seven / Wang Kaï tense and intense, but the 2nd part is ENDLESS!
- super super slow romance (they got together only in the 38th episode /39) and very little skinship. Traumas, obstacles, hesitations, I don't mind, but this is really too much!!
- character of the excessive mother (with a strange and very fast treatment of her PTSD :) :) One wonders how traumas are treated in China...

In short, I only went to the end with skipping and because I like the 2 leads. Too bad the potential is wasted by a poorly written story.
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Parcours d'une FL (Seven) pilote de frêt, transférée au transport de passagers, malgré le sexisme / mysoginisme d'un directeur des vols. Wang Kaï, pilote chevronné obsédé par la sécurité, va la prendre sous son aile et l'aider.
+ Plot intéressant a priori et très bon casting.
+ les OST sont bons
+ beaucoup, beaucoup de plans d'avions
+ gros plan sur les mains de Wang Kaï dans chaque épisode (pourquoi cette obsession sur ses mains ????)
MAIS :
- la story est mal écrite : la 1ere moitié du drama assez engageante : interactions Seven / Wang Kaï tendues et intenses, mais la 2eme partie est INTERMINABLE !
- romance super super lente (38e épisode /39) et très peu de skinship. Des traumas, des obstacles, des hésitations, je veux bien, mais là, c'est vraiment too much !!
- personnage de la mère excessif aussi (avec un traitement de son PTSD étrange et très rapide :) :) On se demande comment sont traités les traumas en Chine...

Bref, je ne suis allée au bout qu'avec du zapping et parce que j'aime bien les 2 leads. Dommage que le potentiel soit gâché par une story mal écrite.

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Emotional Rollercoaster

My thoughts after immediately finishing the drama. Just word vomit.

With all the suffering the ML goes through, his heart is still pure and true (even his master and Susu's Dad said so!!!), and yet in the end, he has to die and pay for sins he did not commit. I was hoping karma would do its magic and have him become a God after dying as the Devil T_T since the dragon in Bore's life indicated there's a fine line between him becoming a God vs Devil, meaning he could have become a God! I also got really upset that the evil do-ers didn't get what they deserved, while the good suffered. Also, it was so odd go the female lead kept going back and forth with her hate and love towards the ML. I'm like, if you believed in him, maybe he didn't have to become to Devil, but at the end you understand, this is his so-called destiny. Ugh, my heart.

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It will make your Heart BREAK and not BEAT!

Warning: For those thinking to watch Heartbeat now - Do it At Your Own Risk.

This is me as the drama was announced: ❤️_❤️
This is me as the drama progressed and now ended: ?????

For the first time in my K-Drama watching history, I have not been so disappointed as today. Cause I honestly had high hopes for this drama, given the cast and premise. Even recommended to few friends and MDL-ers as I completed the initial 2-3 episodes (please forgive me). But the magnitude of disappointment is making me rant here so please bear with me ?

I chose to watch an airing drama (big feat in itself) that continued to dip low as the series progressed. But I still thought - No, I have dropped too many dramas and I judge dramas too early - so let's keep watching and hope that it will get better. But it doesn't, week on week it got worse and I was watching this on 2x speed and then just fast-forwarding all together.

But man, that ending - worse than Bella Swan's character and acting in Twilight (and that's saying something).

> Story: 0 (wish I could mark the same in MDL)
> Acting: 7 - cannot blame the actors, they all did a good job - just that the script was terrible, hence the result was terrible.
But no fault of the skills of actor, I would still look forward to their other projects so that I can erase this terrible memory.
> Music/OST: didn't make any difference, cause with such bad writing even when it was good, it all lost meaning.

> Overall: 4/10 - and this 4 is just for the sake of actors.
> Verdict for Heartbeat: Skip it or you'll be filled with regrets like me.

The premise was so good which made me have great expectations as they could have done so much with the romance, comedy, fantasy and mystery elements. They had a decent cast and music as well - but nothing could save it because the writing/script is one of the worst ones I have come across. Like what were the writers eating/drinking that made them act like this??

I feel bad for Taec Yeon as I like him as an idol from 2PM days, and this was my first proper drama of his that I wanted to see. Also, Kim In Kwon - cause he is an exemplary actor! He is one of my favorite support actors, I means see that guy in Mr Queen (what a fine senior actor).

Personally, this drama is making me rethink that I need to continue staying away from airing dramas, and watch them only when it finishes. Binge-watching is better for my sanity and drama viewing. I am just so angry/sad/disappointed. Dramas are after all supposed to bring joy and not make me pull-my hair. Hence, anyone reading this - hope you have a fair idea what could be expected, please tread carefully in case you are planning to watch this drama. Better, don't and watch something else.

Life is too short and our schedules too busy otherwise - to waste time on bad dramas! Read More