Reviews

Untapped Potential in 'A Good Day to Be a Dog'

A Good Day to Be a Dog" offers an engaging story, yet there's a lingering sense that something crucial was missing, potentially in its direction. The narrative catches interest but doesn't fully satisfy, as if some key elements in the storytelling or progression were overlooked. This feeling of incompleteness leaves one wondering what could have been if these aspects were better addressed or given more attention.

Despite this, the main characters stand out remarkably, imbuing the series with charm and relatability. Their likable nature and dynamic interactions are the heart of the show, making it special and memorable. However, a desire for more depth and detail persists. Expanding on the characters' backgrounds, motivations, or the world they inhabit could have significantly enhanced the viewing experience, making it not just enjoyable but truly captivating.

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The poster child for a cliche rom-com, but in a good way

As a K-drama, Business Proposal isn’t exactly anything profound, the fake dating plot, love triangle, and poor chicken shop girl with rich CEO romance are all plots we’ve seen a million times before. But I swear we still eat it up every time, and with Business Proposal, I absolutely did.

This was actually my first K-Drama ever, but I’m going back after watching over twenty others, and my opinions still remain the same. Business Proposal took a tried and true formula and executed it well.

The casting is probably one of the biggest highlights of the show, good acting and a good cast can make almost any basic plot enjoyable, and Business Proposal is undeniably a pretty basic plot. I’m not complaining though because I loved every second of it.

Both the lead couple and the second lead couple were perfectly cast, and the chemistry with both pairs was on point. I usually only care about one couple in a show, but in this one I loved them both. Plus, they’re all hot so that’s always a bonus.

It's pretty cheesy, but not too cringey, and the show is mildly unhinged, but I think it’s exactly what a good brain rot Rom-Com should be. I actually found myself laughing out loud several times while watching it, and not many shows get that out of me.

While not one of my favorites ever I did really like the OST and it added to the show in all the right ways, so no complaints for me there.

There isn’t much more to say about the show plot wise, but it’s got great romance, genuinely funny jokes and makes for an enjoyable time.

It's not a masterpiece but it’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.

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High expectations hardly ever pan out

What I liked
- The cameo from Park Bo Young and Park Hyun Sik!!!
- The cast. I was really excited to see Seung woo who I've been a fan of since his time in Wanna One, and I really enjoyed Lee You Mi who played on e of my favourite characters in Squid Game.
- The background story of Nam Soon's parents

What I didn't like
- The drug storyline. It felt very heavy handed and I couldn't stop myself from thinking that this was very politically handled(?). This might sound out of pocket but kind of like propaganda, I can't think of another word for what I'm thinking.
- Because of how heavily they focused on the drug storyline it felt like the romance took a backseat.
- Si O's storyline. Specifically the romance(?) aspect with Nam Soon. I felt like there was so much potential there and it was all thrown away for the sake of the stupid drug storyline. The chemistry was there and I felt like it could've been a good love triangle but it was just used as something to create a couple of jealous moments for Hee Sik.
-It felt like there were too many things happening at once. There were so may side characters and they all had there respective storylines so it made it hard to focus on the romance of the main couple

Ultimately I feel disappointed by this. Partly that is because I had high expectations because of how much I loved "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon", it's one of my favourite dramas. But if I put that aside I think that I would've still been disappointed by this drama. I don't regret watching it, there were quite a few times that I was laughing and having a good time but I don't think that I will be rewatching this or recommending it to anyone.

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Just Beautiful

Our Beloved Summer was one of the first K-Dramas I ever watched, I didn’t know anything about the actors or story at the time, so I didn’t have any set expectations when I started. And it remains one of my favorite comfort K-Dramas, even with the twenty I’ve watched since.

Opinions about this show seem to be quite polarized, and I’m glad I watched it before reading all the negative reviews that might’ve scared me off. People love it or hate it, and I’m certainly one of the former.

The story spans over quite a bit of time and I thoroughly enjoyed both the flashback sections of the show and what's happening in modern day. The structure allowed for some beautiful parallel scenes too.

While I love this show, I do understand why some people don’t, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The story and relationship progression are both slow, so if you hate slow dramas, you’re most likely not going to like this one. But even with the slow progression, I was never bored.

Our main couple, Choi Ung (played by Choi Woo-Shik) and Kook Yeon-Soo (played by Kim Da-mi) were both perfectly cast. They made both hilarious rivals in the beginning and an awkwardly sweet couple later on. I thoroughly enjoyed all of their different dynamics.

I’ve seen several people bashing Yeon-Soo as a character, and while I will say initially, I didn’t find her very likeable, as the story progressed and her character developed, she won me over. I did like Ung from the beginning though, but as fellow sleep deprived artist I may be a little biased.

Honestly, I’m not usually a fan of second chance romances but this one got me. Through swapping between the current day and flashbacks of when the characters were previously together, it becomes quite clear why they didn’t initially work. But unlike many second chance romances, this one is able to take the reasons they didn’t work then and through a ton of character development, show why they do now. And they do work beautifully.

While much of the character development is shown through the lenes of a relationship, much of it is deeply individual. Ung and Yeon-Soo go from somewhat miserable individuals, both wallowing in their struggles, to two people who are able to make the best of their lives. And it was done beautifully.

Besides our main couple, there is a side romance with their friends, I found this to be the least interesting part of the show, ultimately though, it didn’t dampen my overall enjoyment.

I don’t fully know how to describe the overall tone, but mellow might be a good word.
Everything that I liked about the show was amplified by the OST. There isn’t a single miss in the soundtrack. The music helped set the mood phenomenally, and I’ve listened to it so many times that four of my top five most listened to songs in 2023 were from this soundtrack. It’s without a doubt my favorite K-Drama OST ever.

There’s so much more I could talk about in this review that I loved, from all the side characters to the family dynamics and beautiful cinematography, but this review is already long enough. So, I’ll leave it here.

Our Beloved Summer is a beautifully thought-provoking show, that made me laugh, cry, and reevaluate my life. Go give it a shot.

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Loved

First review here. The love story here is extraordinary. People keep referring to it as fluffy and cute. I think it is more very sweet at the beginning. I liked the ending too. Tied everything up nicely. The middle, I suppose, is fluffy -- if your definition of fluffy means tear your heart out of your chest, slam it against the wall, put it through a meat grinder and throw the pieces on the street for the wild dogs to eat. I had to fast forward to the ending to reassure myself that it would get less painful as I sobbed into my pillow. But man, it strung me along for a while.

The ML's conveying of a huge range of emotions is extraordinary. The actor is brilliant in this role. The FL plays a robot throughout a lot of the show, so has to remain emotionless. Her human versus robot emotions are beautifully done.

The rest of the cast did a great job. I'm not usually a fan of the silly comic relief characters, but they were cute and funny and I didn't want to fast forward through them like i do in other dramas.

Highly recommend it. Haven't seen any of the ML and FL's other works, but hope they both got roles worthy of their acting after this.

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i give high rewatch value Couse of 1-15 was good

they made problems that cant be solved like the character of Girls mother
she is irredeemable she not only kill her husband but also killed her lover and then married a Old rich fuck
she had affair with her husbands student who then run away to USA and this woman married his brother in law because old handicap dude got erection every time he sees this married woman making out with his brother in law.
she left her two daughters for an affair and she is forgiven at end, how come this woman who herself suffer from a cheating spouse was able to forgive her own mother for same thing if that was possible then she should forgive her husband and go back to him.
its hard to forgive her just because we don't see her doing all that, so it was not big deal as viewers but daughters forgiving that kind of woman is not believable at least they need few years to accept that there mother is a cheating homewrecker
older brother suddenly want to get married it was unbelievable at least let them date for a while
its like they want to suck the fun out of a rom-com,
couple lost there child because of rude sister, couple doesn't look that upset, sister doesn't feel any guilt after killing a unborn child,, how inhuman

SML(older brother) lack acting skill ...

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when i first started watching this drama, i got really addicted to their chemistry and their acting. it was definitely one of my fav dramas of 2023, although i admit that watching one episode per week (some were postponed too) was very tiring. but then, my review absolutely changed after this last episodes.

i know they needed to explain their background story, but it wasn't necessary at all to spend like 4 episodes to explain this whole "past" plot. the episodes were also very short, since they used a lot of flashbacks in it to fill out the episode. but I also laughed a lot with this drama (especially with yul) and giggled a lot because of the main couple, their chemistry is top tier and their kisses are the best i ever seen.

i highly recommend watching this, it might be better since all episodes are aired. i will pretend this last episodes didn't exist and just remember how cute, funny & sweet this drama was.

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A fate that renews their faith and a love that reunites them—again

A deadly fight induces the defeat of an already lie-ridden and lust-driven chaebol family in a suspenseful feud over the nomination of the mystery heir that would come to inherit the role of CEO for Mirae Group following a suspiciously timed death. Regardless of the classic business magnate trope of which deems itself recurrent in modern day Korean dramas, ‘My Demon’ uses its commonality in a transformative way; bringing structure to the complicated fantasy themes brought to scene. The series excels with its stellar performance that depicts the jubilation, hardships and fear that accompanies the role of being the country’s top influencer.

Its entirety—from outfitting and cinematography to script-writing and character complexities—exudes a sense of superiority that reigns it above all other releases. This is applicable to not only its genre, but taking into account its high viewership rating and audience response; indisputably succeeding it as one of the top dramas of 2023. Though the esteemed actors visibly play a pivotal role in its popularity and emerging fanbase, the series’ comedious usage of the notorious role of demons is unique and attractive to devotees of diverse genres, notably romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and thrillers.

The summoning of love rather than your typical demon serves a lesson that what is stronger than fear is weaker than the human complexion. This underlying declaration implies that the essentialness of being human and thus experiencing love can transcend even the strongest of emotions like being fearful. “What’s best for you is what’s best for me…” All that is needed in the face of challenges is each other and when Dodohee and Jeong Guwon open their eyes to this truth amidst all else, it’ll represent the true testimony of love which promises the show with its build-up of tension, rivalry and romance.

Their existences throughout the timelines presented intertwine in a fateful clash of ethics and principles in forthcoming to the eventual turn of events that leads the series into its mysticality. Their connection grows stronger through the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves, unveiling a healthy face to their relationship as they put in favor trust, responsibility and understanding. With Kim Yoojung personating a rich celebrity through Dodohee and Song Kang a handsome immortal as Jeong Guwon, together, the main leads journey to find meaning in their successful lives—but not without being at high stakes of losing the traditional values that hold together their respective mindsets.

They attempt to grapple onto their old selves and struggle to accept any change from the past, something that causes them both to get farther away from their reason to live; getting them farther away from what makes the insignificance of being human hold value....something of which viewers will get to piece together with the answers hidden throughout the sixteen episodes of the series.

Unpredictable but precise, impulsive and yet thoughtful, pressing, but nevertheless fatuous…The demonic antagonist has diverse contradicting personality traits that make for the quirky authenticity his character brings to ‘My Demon’ and Song Kang’s maybe-not-so-flawless portrayal of Jeong Guwon contributes a decent portion of the show’s overall wittiness. Rather it be unintentional or not, his serious attire, inexpressive face and monotone line-delivery was a laughable derailment to the certain scenes that can especially make one wonder whether those particular moments were even acted out in synchronization to the script, or completely out of character. Taking in consideration the actor’s mediocre embodiment of Jae-eon from one of his most recent previous lead roles in ‘Nevertheless’, it could either be lackluster performance from his part or a mere penchant towards taking on cold-hearted and stoic roles. Nonetheless, this characteristic aspect of Jeong Guwon itself took on a new face to the character, striking to viewers as yet another comedic appeal to the romcom.

As for Kim Yoojung, her role as Dodohee provides a strong consistency to the show’s romantic appeal amidst its outwordly ambience. The renowned actress has proven to have the remarkable talent of turning lines on a script to a whirlwind of emotions.

Overall, in the emotional aspect of the series, Dodohee’s rather structured and consistent persona paired with the male lead’s random and impulsive tendencies highlighted the polarity of styles between both actors; enabling a complementary duality to their connection.

The seamless harmonization between the fun storytelling of emerging secrets and the enigmatic anticipation of who would come to take on the country’s most reputed company amidst a gripping murder-spree was remarkably conducted into the exuberant romcom drama ‘My Demon’ deems itself to be. Its perfect execution of mystery and romance furthermore made for the extravagant dance of passion it ignited within viewers with its additionally enthralling take on the forbidden love between a fate-intertwined demonic power and a reputed influencer.

As expected, the couple’s fans are left in awe once more as their passionate characters grapple a hold on international k-drama viewers, bringing rise to the success of both acting careers.

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aesthetic cinematography

Sebenernya rating film ini 8.9/10, tapi karena di mdl gabisa bikin 8.9 dan KEJAUHAN kalo ditaro 8.5, jadinya tak bikin 9/10. Asli rek ini di menit awal - pertengahan full NYENGIRRR, ntar di pertengahan - ending baru cekat cekit dikit hati lu pada ????? aku suka sinematografinya!!!!! Cantik bgt asli. Tonenya kuning tp ga kuning banget gitu(?) Jadi masih bisa enjoy & ga nyilauin mata. Quite aesthetic tho! Aku ga nonton trailernya, but i do hope something more dramatic for the ending ???? kata org2 ini bikin nangis, kalo di aku jujur engga TAPI nyeseknya luar biasa ??????????????? jadi awal nonton itu aku ga expect apapun, except for the dramatic ending! Di awal tuh i udah ready buat nangis kejer but the ending says no to it so :]]]]] but its ok! I think its bc the girl is already an adult jadi ga dibikin terlalu dramatis.. dan sebenernya aku kurang puas gitu sama endingnya, kaya ada yg kurengggg gitu. Pas di 6 menit menuju ending, aku udh berharap smth that makes it more interesting taunya gaada jadi ya... udah end gitu aja. Ok enough for the plot, untuk acting sih KERENNN bjir ini film kim yoojung & byeon wooseok pertamaku!!!! Legit fr ????? tapi jujur liat wooseok kaya liat catheez ancrit ((mirip bgt)) thats why i CANT take him seriously ??????

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XiangPing forever

A bad boy and a good girl? Check
Sports? Check
A tight-knit friend group? Check
So much drama it makes me nervous? CHECK

However, the last 3 episodes made me feel like I was watching an entirely different drama and was to be frank very unsatisfying. I feel like the ending was rushed and they simply had to find a new conflict which did not make sense and irritated me...

Plus, why go on a basketball team retreat and not bring all of your players? Please hire some background actors

Also, Li Xiang and Yang Ping will forever be my OTP, too bad they did not get enough screen time. Li Xiang is a queen.

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Loud Music ruined the whole drama experience

The story is typical of xianxia drama, humanized gods that has all the flaws and emotions of humans. ML (Xu Kai) had a tough role with so many sad scenes to shoot, and did an excellent job carrying the audience through the whole story. FL was also a great actor. CGI were a bit cheap looking but sufficient. Ending took its time in the last 3 episodes to close the major storylines - this saved the story.

Here comes the Cons :
1. Music - horrendous and ruins the whole thing - at least half the show has some kind of loud singing music going on, overpowering actor's voices and ruins the scene. I had to mute through all the loud music to get through the show, and resort to watching the closed caption dialogue because it's honestly torture. I'd rate the music at -10 if I could.
2. Main Villain - was known early on the show and continued to do bad deeds, with the all knowing gods either too dumb to notice, or unable to find out, or did nothing - till the very end.
3. Pacing - the middle 1/3 of the series got slow and boring

Overall, the loud singing music throughout the show ruined my watching experience. Without the music, I'd rate it 8.0. With the music, rate it at 5.0 - and it's for all the good acting and hard work of the actors alone. No rewatch value.

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One of my most favorite series

This series has been such a joy to watch. From the cinematography, casting, and the story itself, so much effort has been put into making this. One of the best BLs ever, that unlike most of the genre, focuses on a healthy relationship. Furthermore, I appreciate how the characters were never pressured into physical intimacy. There is not a lot of kissing scenes but it just further portrays how deep their love is. Kurosawa and Adachi will forever remain in my heart with their fluffy romance. Thank you to the actors Keita Machida and Eiji Akaso for making this series come to life!

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I have a headache from crying so much

Cried so hard that I got a headache, my heart is broken and my chest is heavy. I'm taking this personally; I am in severe pain. This show was… absolutely sickening.

I was immediately in love from the first episode. The cinematography and tones in this show are so beautiful, the production feels rich and completely took me away. Every episode felt like it was only 5 minutes. The quietness of the show and deep affections of the characters is what makes this drama a high-quality show. None of the characters had to explicitly say anything, it was always understood. The longing, the adoration, the respect – it was all in their actions, in their eyes, in their behavior – I’m getting sad again as I’m typing this.

The actors… Bai Lu is absolutely insane in this show, and so was Ren Jia Lun. His eyes said so many things. He knows eye-acting to a T!

Visually, the show was stunning. The music was beautiful too. The acting was the cherry on top. I don’t have any words to describe this heart-shattering show, but despite my pain right now, I love it. Watching “Forever and Ever” is a must though… this heart asks to be mended – and quickly. ❤️‍?

P.S.: don't take my rating for the rewatch value seriously lmao. I'm extremely sad right now, how could I want to go through this pain again❤️‍??

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