Military Soup with XP Points
Becoming a Cooking Soldier Legend tries to mix military comedy, cooking drama, gamer fantasy, romance and supernatural mystery all at once… and never fully commits to any of them.The biggest problem is not the absurdity of the premise.
Absurd comedies can work perfectly.
The problem is that the series relies too much on gimmicks instead of personality.
Floating HUD screens, experience points, unlocked skills, mysterious crows, dramatic soup reactions… everything feels engineered to look quirky rather than naturally funny.
The main character could have worked much better as:
a rebellious but brilliant cook,
constantly breaking military rules while being tolerated because his food keeps morale alive inside the barracks.
That alone already had enough comedic potential.
Instead, the series turns him into a passive “chosen one” with videogame mechanics attached to his personality.
And yes, from episode 1 you can already predict the romantic setup:
the misunderstood outsider and the competent female commander who will slowly become the only person capable of understanding him.
Maybe some viewers will enjoy this type of light fantasy comfort show.
But personally, after two episodes, I could not find a strong enough reason to continue watching ten more.
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so THIS is why they’re called the wonderfools
we almost got robbed because of cha eun woo’s cases, but gladly netflix still chose to drop this fun-awesome-silly-chaotic banger. well done. the WONDERfools was honestly one of the most unexpected dramas on my watchlist this year. i literally only found out about it because it suddenly appeared on netflix and then my tiktok fyp started calling it “korean stranger things” and well… of course i was gonna be curious because stranger things is one of my favorite series ever. then i saw park eun bin in the cast too and let’s be real, that woman rarely misses, so i gave it a try. and wow… why was this actually so fun?what i really enjoyed about this drama is how refreshing and low-stress it feels. like there’s drama, obviously, but not the exhausting kind that makes your brain work overtime. the storyline is pretty neat, not overly complicated, and everything feels well executed. honestly at first i was a little hesitant because the whole “superpower kdrama” thing usually doesn’t work for me. most of them either take themselves too seriously or just end up messy. but the WONDERfools somehow managed to balance everything really well. also this drama is so unserious please. where else are you gonna find superheroes acting this goofy, chaotic, silly, and straight up yolo-coded? these people have powers and still behave like a bunch of random neighborhood losers trying to survive life together, and somehow that’s exactly what makes it so lovable. and can we please talk about cha eun woo because he genuinely shocked me here. maybe people were right when they said his previous roles just didn’t give him much to work with because with good writing and directing… oh he can act act. meanwhile park eun bin once again reminded everyone why she’s one of the most versatile actresses out there. her microexpressions are insane. she just slips into every character so naturally.
also netflix explain that ending right now because what do you mean the villain came back alive at the very last second because the research apparently succeeded? hello? are we getting season 2 or was that just to mess with us emotionally? because lowkey i actually would love another season. i’d come back immediately for more chaos, more unserious superheroes, and more fun character dynamics. to sum it up, the WONDERfools is genuinely such a good pick if you want something funny, refreshing, easy to binge, and not emotionally draining. this is the type of drama you watch to relax and have fun without needing a whole conspiracy board beside you. and thank god it’s a netflix original because dropping all episodes at once was the best decision ever. this drama was literally made for binge watching.
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bts support for member
Hii am from India
i love bts member
Rm speak language for country
Jin funny and laugh
Suga rapper amazing
J hope stage presence dance leader
Jimin height cute and dance stage presence
V so handsome and drama
Jungkook golden maknae and dance leader
i love you bts
i love Korea
BTS
stage presence
Leader
award winner 🏆🏆
my favourite song 2.0, hooligan and fire
my favourite in the soop
my favourite funny jin and jhope
my favourite handsome V and Jungkook
my favourite run bts cooking
my favourite dance leader jhope and jimin
my favourite rapper suga and jhope , rm
my favourite mv video dynamite, mic drop ,hooligan and idol
my favourite high note Jungkook, jimin and jin
my favourite clumsy rm
my favourite comedy Jungkook and jin
my favourite vocal Jungkook and v,jin, jimin
my favourite stage presence Jungkook and jimin
my favourite award show performance mama 2016,2019,2018
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"You were like a bright ember in the dark, I only wanted to chase after you"
Wow this drama was phenomenal. I waited for this drama for about a month once the airing date dropped, and also watched every episode when it aired because I was so hooked (every single episode a major cliffhanger). First, the acting is so good, literally my dream pairing, IU and Byeon Woo Seok so I knew it would already be a banger, and after finishing they did so much better than I expected. I came here mainly for the plot because 21st century prince with girl boss like it was already bound to be a masterpiece, but stayed for EVERYTHING. I love this couple so much I don't think people understand like their literally my parents. Also, after watching so many sad endings recently, it feels so good to finally have an ending thats satisfying and beautiful. This drama is perfect in all aspects, even though im mainly a cdrama girly I definitely will be watching more kdramas after this!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Royal Disappointment
I must admit, I was REALLY excited for this show. The storyline sounded really unique, and IU has never disappointed me thus far. In the beginning, I was hooked, but the story wasn't as good throughout.Story: 6/10
A big part of the reason I was excited for the show was a unique storyline. A commoner woman and a prince is overdone, but a contract marriage between them, politics, and business seemed interesting. Although this show was good, I had two big issues with the storyline: character depth and pacing.
The characters in this show are honestly rather shallow. In particular, the 2nd male lead is very flat, and his scenes throughout honestly just portray him as a sort-of servant to the crown, never truly showing him in his own power (nor his own greed) as a Prime Minister. He wants the FL from the beginning (despite her never having any interest) and never changes his mind despite knowing the odds are against him. The Queen Mother is also relatively shallow, something that disappointed me as she is meant to be one of the main villains. Her character was set up to be evil but she's really just someone that argues with the leads and doesn't make very many decisions. She's not as ruthless as you would expect her character to be. Even the leads' backgrounds are poorly written. For the FL, we know her mother was a mistress. But WHO was her mother? Why did her father hate the royals so much --- was her mother possibly a noblewoman/someone with ties to the royal family? For the ML, it's implied both of his parents were killed. But by who specifically --- nobility, or fights within the royal family itself?
The show seems to hint at many things in the first half, making you think there will be a big twist and the pieces will all fall into place. But then, the show seems to forget about all of the things I discussed above, and then sort of...moves on like those points weren't important. Then why tell us?
The pacing is another key issue. About 75% of the show is almost too leisurely, and the last quarter feels very rushed. There are many scenes that feel repetitive (conflict between people where they just imply things rather than actually do anything). In my opinion, the royal wedding should've happened by ep 6 and then they should've build the tension of unwinding secrets from then. Either that, or the show should've been extended to 16 episodes.
Acting: 10/10
I LOVE IU and all of her dramas, and this one is no exception. She's sassy, she's cute, she's comedic. But she's also angry, heartbroken, and betrayed. Her acting is lighthearted to match the genre, but still fun to watch. I do agree with others that her and the ML's chemistry was a little lacking in some scenes, but it didn't bother me as I still felt they looked good together in their roles. For the ML, I haven't watched any of his dramas before, but I enjoyed his acting as well, particularly in his blushing, cutesy scenes with the FL. The other couples are also very cute in this show and I enjoyed their acting as well. In particular, though, I LOVED the acting of the Queen Mother. It was subtle but really catches your attention, and her elegance really brings the character to life. I'll definitely be watching more of her works as well.
Music: 8/10
As I always say, I'm not a big OST person but it was okay.
Rewatch Value: 6/10
I don't usually rewatch dramas, but I'd rate this as a 6/10 rewatch value because it's lighthearted and cute, as long as you ignore all the glaring plot points. But if I'd be rewatching it in the future, chances are I probably wouldn't care about those points the second time around.
As always, no hate to any of the actors or the writer. It was a great drama otherwise :)
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WORSE REPRESENTATION OF AUTISM EVER.
This is an almost copy/paste of a rant I posted on the drama's page... Before that, I'd say, I would have given this probably a 6.5/7 if wasn't for the misrepresentation of autism._________________________
THE SHORT REVIEW
The good stuff:
1. Very interesting premise
2. Unlike most GMMTV shows, literally no product placement
3. Good Acting overall
4. The Resolution was great... until it wasn't
The bad stuff
1. Story relies too much on Gun's acting ability to generate pathos... it's an important part of the drama... except that it's based on a complete misrepresentation of what autism is in the first place ( see RANT below)
2. Need to put one's brain on off-mode on several plot points: Dream's family literally absent, Night is a medical student... Exactly WHEN does this guy study? He's the most relaxed medical student I've ever seen in my life, also he's got err one single teacher, WTF? Day supposed to work to support his cousin financially, yet we only see him working at the beginning of the story, after that, dude's got as much free time as Night. I guess he started living off the money of his very wealthy and loaded friend. Sometimes some actions are just... there to fill the minutes but don't make sense plotwise. There's too many scenes like that to count and I guess after a while I just didn't bother thinking too much.
3. Too much nonsensical behavior from Ozone especially at the end for dramatic effect. Just fudging annoying for no reason.
4. Extra scenes or scenes dragged on purpose for the minute or episode count. BORING and ANNOYING
5. Emotional impact of the end completely ruined by a forced happy ending because these writers had NO BALLS to commit to the end. And so plotwise, were does that leave us? Isn't it back to the same problem we spent 12 episodes on?
Conclusion
One of the best GMMTV show I've seen... Except that since I've stayed away from GMMTV for a while ( we're talking at least 1 year and a half), the mediocrity, plot holes, and overall laziness of the writing is just jarring. Funny what staying away from mid-shows does to your brain... My tolerance level for nonsense which was running thin after years of GMMTV mediocrity wasn't recharged by staying away... It actually got even thinner.
Does it deserve the 8.6 overall ratings it got? Well NO, BUT in comparison to most GMMTV shows, this is among the top quality ones featuring popular actors ( there's lots of straight shows on GMM that get completely ignored so I don't know how it fairs next to those)... Given how generous people are rating BLs on MDL especially on GMMTV... I'd say, even though this is not a BL, it deserves its rating IN COMPARISON to other GMMTV shows.
But in comparison to other dramas? NAH. CERTAINLY NOT. Go watch a couple of One 31's shows. They're overly long but at least they're not lazy in the writing department even if sometimes it's a bit too much.
Suggested Rating: 4
Personal Rating: 3 (See RANT below)
_________________________
THE LONG RANT
AUTISTIC PEOPLE AREN'T OVERGROWN BABIES!
No they don't spend their time doodling with colored pencil, NO they don't need somebody to help them get changed, NO they're not gonna clap their hands for some stupid stickers.
ADULT AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE ADULTS. THEY'RE MOSTLY INDEPENDANT, in fact given the proper environment, they earn their keep just fine which given Ozone's case should have been the case in this drama.
This is the WORSE representation of autism that I've ever seen. Nothing against the actor, that's how he was directed to act but NOPE, this isn't autism.
There are different degrees in autism and supposedly Ozone is on the severe side.
WELL then dear writers, there's an old movie made in 1988 which features two brothers, one with one of the most severe case of autism. It's called "RAIN MAN" featuring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman...
It's almost fudging 40 YEARS OLD and it did WAY BETTER than you at a time when autism wasn't as spread as it is now ( because yes sadly, this condition is on the rise) and people didn't know better.
GO WATCH IT NEXT TIME instead of perpetuating wrong ideas about it. F*** LAZY. DO YOUR RESEARCH!
Could have been enjoyable I guess if I wasn't familiar with autism on a personal level in the first place . All the emotional BS, Ozone hugging and all of that. Ha! What a joke. Doesn't happen in real life. You know... with people who are REALLY autistic.
Forced myself to finish this mess. The final "twist" is supposed to be all emotional but since all I could focus on was the fact that Ozone was behaving like an adult mentally challenged - which is again NOT the case with autism, they think different but they don't behave like children - it just pissed me off the whole time.
Do you realize that even autistic people who are Asperger for instance, so one of the mildest form - very difficult to detect, often only diagnosed when reaching adulthood - aren't comfortable with physical touch? Yet Ozone is clinging to literally everyone including people he barely knows.
Interesting story, but the whole autism thing is an eyesore. I'm not giving this a passing grade.
Next time, do better.
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Epic & Hilarious with a Great Plot. KDrama Gold!!
I knew I wanted to see it and would probably like it, but I turned it on and couldnt look away until my whole day was spent bingeing the entire series. It is hilarious!! I loved everything about this drama, no notes! I had so much fun with the plot twists, each character grew on me, so much so that I am genuinely going to miss them each. We saw huge leaps in Cha Eun-woo's acting in this drama and as always I absolutely adored Park Eun-bin's acting. She NEVER dissapoints! The redemption arc actually redeemed who needed it. I also heard this whole storyline took place in a span of 2wks - that put things way more in perspective for me! I loved it so much. It is going to become one of my favorite comfort kdramas to rewatch again and again.Was this review helpful to you?
"You have my full support. Do as you please."
The Man Standing Next told the story of the KCIA director who assassinated RoK President Park in 1979. Forty days of intrigue, murder, and betrayals led to the fateful event. This particular snapshot in time is always hard for me because there were no good guys, just men willing to do what was necessary to maintain or gain power.President Park is furious that the ex-director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Park Yong Gak, has been called before the American Congress to testify regarding bribes and gifts given to lawmakers to win their support for his government. To make matters worse, PYG has written a memoir titled Traitor of the Revolution. Current KCIA director Kim Kyu Pyung is tasked with convincing his old friend to turn the manuscript over. PYG tells Kim to watch himself as the president has been siphoning money off into Swiss bank accounts and unknown to the KCIA developed his own secret spy agency. The president’s bodyguard, Kwak Sang Cheon, has been currying favor with the president angling to become his successor. Between PYG airing Park’s dirty laundry and riots breaking out in Busan, Kim finds himself in a precarious position.
The film attempted to show Kim in a sympathetic manner. This angle didn’t work for me. For 18 years Kim had unwaveringly supported the dictator and done his dirty work. The KCIA was hardly a Boy Scout troop and known for torturing people. He seemed to have no qualms about ordering a hit on a friend. Suddenly he’s willing to sacrifice all for democracy? What was his rationale? Did he want to be president? If his plan had been a coup, he did a terrible job of securing support and planning. Was it to save his own life? Or did Kwak telling the president that murdering 2-3 million people was justifiable in order to maintain power the final straw? How did he come to make his decision and how did he convince his few agents to go along with him? Kim Kyu Pyung’s motivation and loyalty bounced all over the place. Park Yong Gak admitted to being a bad guy so I was not vested in his outcome. President Park was a heartless dictator and Kwak was utterly ruthless. Kim’s actions allowed another villain to take over who was waiting in the wings for his shot (the man standing next). A usurper who was much better at consolidating support. Power loves a vacuum and it’s usually the most vicious who rise to the top.
Lee Byung Hun and Lee Sung Min gave strong performances. Lee’s Kim Kyu Pyung required a great deal of nuance as the KCIA director dealt with humiliations, betrayals, and loss. Kim slowly unraveled before our eyes. The rest of the large cast gave adequate performances, some better than others. Kwak was an integral character yet very thinly drawn to the point of being a caricature. Aside from the issues I had with Kim, the film spent too much time on Park Yong Gak. His story could have been expedited. Kim Young Sam’s expulsion was the stimulus for political unrest and violent riots and the characters mentioned him often but the film never gave him so much as a cameo. It also felt like they looked at the cast and realized they didn’t have even one female in the story and added Kim So Jin as the broker for PYG. She did what she could with it, but there wasn’t much to work with. Hers was another role that could have been far more compelling with better writing.
If you enjoy historical films, especially during this tumultuous time in Korea, The Man Standing Next had some positive things going for it. The film was beautifully shot. The two mains gave engaging performances and the history lesson was interesting. However, it wasn’t always absorbing. I found myself checking my watch numerous times because the film failed to reel me in emotionally. Despite limiting the time frame to 40 days, there was no sense of urgency, no tension. I don’t need someone to root for in a political “thriller,” but it really helps if I understand why the main character makes a dramatic life altering decision instead of it coming across as, “This guy is really pissing me off.” It works in kung fu flicks, but with the fate of a nation hanging in the balance, it came across as impulsive which didn’t seem to be what the writers were going for.
18 May 2026
"Sequel" Note: If you haven't watched 12:12 The Day and might be interested in it, this would be a good film to watch beforehand as the other film begins where this film ends. I don't believe they are related otherwise.
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A WONDERful show
I like to keep my reviews pretty short, you know straight to the point of what I liked and disliked. That being said I really enjoyed this show, in-fact I can't recall the last time I had fun watching a tv show...It felt refreshing, like it healed something I've been craving for months. The WONDERfools really stands out because, despite all the superpowers and chaos, the characters still feel incredibly human. I especially loved Lee Un Jeong (Cha Eun Woo), because he has that classic Superman/Clark Kent personality — a clumsy and awkward co-worker that nobody would ever expect to secretly have powers. Instead of making him feel untouchable, the show keeps him grounded and relatable, which makes his heroic moments even better.
The same applies to Eun Chae Ni (Park Eun Bin), Son Gyeong Un (Choi Dae Hoon) and Kang Ro Bin (Kang Ro Bin). They all genuinely feel like ordinary people who just happened to gain extraordinary abilities. Their reactions to having powers feel realistic too — some characters see them as a blessing or even a cure, while others treat them more like a curse. What makes the show so satisfying is watching each of them slowly learn to understand and appreciate their abilities as they grow as people. Their character development feels natural, rewarding, and ultimately leads to a conclusion that feels complete while still leaving the door open for more. More than anything, though, the cast is what made the show so memorable for me because every character felt distinct, lovable, and easy to become invested in.
The WONDERfools also does an incredible job balancing its plot, humor, and emotional moments without any of them overpowering the others. The comedy feels effortless and genuinely funny, often catching you off guard in the best way possible, while the romance stays subtle and heartfelt instead of becoming overly dramatic or forced. What really makes the story stand out, though, is the decision to center everything around the fear and uncertainty of the world ending when the year 2000 arrives. It is such a perfect setup for the plot because it not only fits the era perfectly, but also gives the entire series this nostalgic atmosphere through its fashion, technology, and overall vibe. That Y2K setting adds so much personality to the show and perfectly matches its mix of chaos, emotion, humor, and hope.
The only downfall the show had for me was it being only 8 episodes. Heres hoping we will get a season 2!
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I WONDER HOW THIS TITLE EVEN GET GOOD REVIEWS
I was going to stop myself from reviewing but then i'm like no i need to give this title a review since I myself started this drama due to the high rating reviews haha those who review clearly don't even know what they are even watching like how did they come up with such high rating for this title~ definitely misleading~First and foremost the acting of the leads is just awful like seriously. I thought I could manage it as the supporting cast are much better at acting than the leads~ but the leads get too much screen time that even when I fast forward it's like equivalent to a whole episode so might as well just skipped the whole series hahaha
And oh god i dun even know how are they even trying to portray the FL like why so ridiculous for someone who is smart as a character but at the same time seems so bimbotic like how can they even incorporate totally different personas together and the ML forever looking angry without any reason and even when he's not angry his whole expression is just unnatural.
And the storyline i dun even know what i'm watching it's just utterly ridiculous~ anw hope no one gets mislead by the high rating reviews.
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No peace, no quiet ever in L Word-wannabe
Why do I get the feeling that GIRL RULES' mantra is "When I grow up, I wanna be L Word"?GIRL RULES is proving how difficult it is to pull off a good series with an ensemble cast, with many layers of stories among them: Every episode feels like hit-and-miss chaos.... But, wait! This might be deliberate. Perhaps, THIS is the impression/effect that the writing/directing team wants to leave with viewers? Just saying that this topsy-turvy of a seafood boil turmoil still tries to make sense. Even if GIRL RULES feels like one giant acting workshop for the cast that's preparing for each of their own MilkLove-NamtanFilm-ViewMim future couple projects....
I was just about to finish watching GIRL RULES Ep 10 and write, "Finally! A peaceful GR episode where everything's hunky-dory and everyone's😊happy😁" But no! Yikes, Sasha's witch of a mother appears outta nowhere (hey, isn't that the same Mother So Vile of Ranya in SHADOW OF LOVE?) and Bambi's acting krungkrung again! And Prim and Min are actually fighting. Haha haha haha haha haha
No peace and quiet evvvver on the GIRL RULES front?!?
P.S. But I'm happy that SashaGorya is now official😁🥳❤️🥰😍😘
All THE BESTS about GIRL RULES:
Best Episode - Finale ep! Finally, everyone looks happy in ep 12 - Even Sasha's shameless money-grabber of a mother😂😆
Best Song - Emi's FOREVER YOURS and that KrisBaipor moment For The Win🥰
Best Friendship - The sickest, most whacko, yet most sincere Gorya-Bambi frenemies dynamic! Insane!!
Best Wish - Bambi's latest entry in her bucket list, with the most willing participant Prim😏😊
Best Final Pose - THAT. FREAKIN'. LAST. SHOT! A great homage to the classic sapphic reference, L Word.
All in all, after 12 episodes, GIRL RULES still ruled! All credit goes to MilkLove, NamtanFilm, and ViewMim - How these six amazing actresses managed to hold together something so frayed at the edges that the show was about to unravel any time; how they figured out how to keep things going so it would still end as a resounding success - WILL FOREVER REMAIN AS ONE OF THAI GL'S ASTOUNDING MYSTERIES🤔🤯
GIRL RULES will go down in history as the show that gave its audience the worst migraines - AND THE BIGGEST SMILES! 😊😁 Congratulations, GIRL RULES, you are loved (and their final episode aired on the first day of 🏳️🌈 month🥳).🌈❤️💯🇹🇭🌈
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Ehhh... Not too bad
Well, this one was a wee bit cheesy. I saw ForthDonut for the first time in The Boy Next World and liked their chemistry so I decided to give them another try.The plot is ridiculous but also fun. A light Mafia setting with some funny and action scenes.
Not very much on screen Romance but it was sweet at times. I liked how they were constantly protecting each other. The enemies to lovers arc was actually really good. For how short the production was I felt the relationship arc had decent development.
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I blame myself
I watched it all the way to the end hoping for a redeeming quality...nope. The title has nothing to do with the plot, unless the barrenness of a desert is how the protagonist is supposed to feel. Maybe the movie was trying to be too deep, but there's an old adage the says, "people drown in deep water". Either way, the movie was rated highly, and my opinion will fade like my memory of this movie.Was this review helpful to you?
Growing Up Overnight in Baby and I
This is a very lighthearted movie. Baby and I is about a delinquent, Han Jun Su, who literally becomes a father overnight. Throughout the movie, he learns to become more responsible and slowly softens up as a person while trying to raise his child. Kim Byeol is an extremely smart student, but because she wasn't being challenged in school, she stopped attending until she met Han Jun Su, which motivated her to go back.The movie balances its comedy and emotional moments really well. A lot of the humor comes from Han Jun Su suddenly having to take care of a baby despite barely being able to take care of himself. Watching him slowly adjust to the responsibility was both funny and surprisingly heartwarming. Even though the story is pretty simple, the characters made it enjoyable to watch. It made me laugh a lot, but it also had some genuinely sweet moments about growing up, responsibility, and finding purpose through other people.
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