Reviews

Eight Episodes of Pure Entertainment

I really enjoyed East Palace. It was highly entertaining, direct, and incredibly easy to watch. With only eight episodes, the story never drags or loses focus, and there is genuinely never a dull moment. It is the kind of drama that is very easy to binge because every episode keeps the plot moving.

The show is also surprisingly scary at times. You can immediately tell that it had a high budget, especially from the cinematography, costumes, visual effects, and overall production quality. A lot of effort clearly went into creating the atmosphere, and the horror elements were very well executed.

What surprised me most was how many twists the story had. The plot twists were genuinely good and often unexpected, because every time I thought I understood what was happening, the drama introduced something new. The ending also felt very open, so I am definitely expecting a second season.

It was also so nice to see Nam Joo-hyuk with long hair, and I really enjoyed the chemistry between the leads. Romance is not the main focus of the drama, but their dynamic still added something enjoyable to the story. Acting was also amazing.

Overall, I would definitely recommend East Palace. However, it may not be suitable for the faint-hearted because it is heavily based around horror and includes some disturbing and graphic scenes. Still, the story is well written, visually impressive, fast-paced, and extremely entertaining. It is the perfect drama to binge when you want something exciting, easy to follow, and full of surprises.

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Like a catastrophe, in my universe I was everything until another universe burst into mine.

If you don't have time to read the whole thing, skip to the end where the conclusions are :)

Our Universe introduces us to two young in-laws who, after the death of their respective brothers, must raise their twenty-month-old nephew together. Woo Hyun Jin, a young woman always focused on duty, and Sun Tae Hyung, a rebellious young man, would never cross paths under normal circumstances. However, much to their dismay, their older brothers' decision to marry intertwines their destinies. Three years later, their relationship takes a dramatic turn when their brothers die in a car accident, leaving Hyun Jin and Tae Hyung to care for Woo-joo, their young nephew. At first, the two in-laws don't get along, but what begins as a relationship marked by tension and differences gradually transforms into a bond that opens the door to affection and romance, thanks also to the presence of their nephew.

This drama brings us a premise that no other K-drama has offered: two uncles taking care of a baby, and a baby as the protagonist. As soon as I read the synopsis, I decided to watch it and eagerly awaited its premiere since I identified with being an uncle to a baby, and honestly, I loved it. Although many didn't like the love triangle, which is why I didn't give it a 10, I still enjoyed it. I just feel that the obnoxious boss should have had less screen time. The series is so light and adorable, and the romantic scenes between our protagonists are the best of the best. Woo-joo is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I've seen comments about her decision; it was clear she wanted to be friends with him. She never said she liked him, so I don't understand the hate. People are so toxic that even Jeong-eui was being criticized. I enjoyed it, and I did feel that essence of family and the connection between uncles. The ending is one of the sweetest, but I wanted... I would have liked to see more kisses between our leads, but that one was enough to get me excited. Overall, I give the story a 9.0/10; excellent work.

The drama doesn't use a ton of characters, but the ones it had were enough. I loved them all, except for the boss who was always meddling in everything. Woo-joo is simply gorgeous, and the chemistry between the leads was amazing!

Here's my analysis of the main characters:

Sun Tae-hyung (Bae In-hyuk): A 28-year-old photography assistant, so skilled that he even makes the head photographer envious. He has exquisite taste and is happy with the life of a photographer, although the real reason Tae-hyung is dedicated to photography lies in his past: on his ninth birthday, his older brother, Woo-jin, gave him a camera and left him at an orphanage, promising to come back for him. Tae-hyung always wanted to show Woo-jin that he had succeeded as a photographer, to boast about it when he came looking for him again. But Woo-jin wasn't what he had hoped for: he only heard from him again sixteen years later, when he learned he was getting married. That was a bitter discovery that led him to cut ties with him once more, and even abandon photography. One day, suddenly, he loses his brother and becomes the guardian of his twenty-month-old nephew, Woo-joo, whom he had never met before. Little by little, he takes on the care of the child along with his sister-in-law, Hyun-jin, with whom he clashed from the first moment he saw her.

At first, his character annoyed me; the way he treated her and the baby simply didn't sit well with me, and as an uncle, I didn't feel comfortable or connected to him. But getting to know him and seeing what he suffered, I came to understand him, and how he came to care for Woo-joo was incredibly touching. In-hyuk did an incredible job; I'll watch all his projects that catch my eye. He's definitely one of my favorites.

Woo Hyun-jin (Roh Jeong-eui): A high-achieving college graduate, raised by her older sister, Hyun-ju, after the death of their parents. Her life has been divided between part-time jobs, study sessions, clubs, and job hunting. She wanted to repay her sister for all the care she received as a child and, first and foremost, stop being a burden. After the sudden deaths of Hyun-ju and her brother-in-law, Woo-jin becomes the primary guardian of her nephew, Woo-joo. But she can't do it alone: ​​when she has a job interview at BS Food, she needs someone to take care of the child and ends up asking Tae-hyung for help. They reach a cohabitation agreement to care for their nephew together and share living expenses.


Roh Jeong-eui is so beautiful! She's definitely one of my favorite actresses, and she did a great job portraying Hyun-jin. The dedication with which she welcomed Woo-joo was wonderful. The only downside is that I feel she should have dedicated more time to her nephew at the beginning, but it was clear she was a hard worker. From the start, many criticize her, but they don't see everything she went through. Obviously, she was going to feel conflicted about her feelings since she barely had her sister. And even though she chose Tae-hyung, they still criticize her as if she couldn't choose who to date. For me, her decision was excellent, and the way she kissed him was a work of art.

Park Yoon-seong, the youngest and most popular guy at BS Foods, is in charge of several successful projects. He's not only very hardworking, but also a talented cook and an attractive man who earns the trust and support of the board of directors.

His character is awful, the reason I didn't give it a 10. He's always interfering, making her uncomfortable, and wanting everything Tae-hyung has. The good thing is they didn't choose him, and poor guy, he had to leave the country.

Overall, I give the acting a 9.5/10.

I loved the OST. I'd never heard anything like "Shine On Me" before; it's a work of art, definitely one of my favorite songs. Other songs I liked included "Give U The Universe" and "Luv U." Overall, I give it a 9/10.

I would watch it again. I would watch it again with everyone, even if they didn't like it. I loved it, so I'll watch it with my cousin when she visits, and definitely with my nephew when he grows up. So, I'll give it a 9/10.

I would watch it again with everyone, even if they didn't. In short, Our Universe is a K-drama with a never-before-seen story: a baby as the protagonist! It touches on family themes such as sibling relationships and uncle-nephew dynamics, explores the protagonists' past traumas, and features a romance with incredible chemistry that I absolutely loved. Without a doubt, it's one of the best dramas of the year overall; I give it a 9/10—a fantastic piece of work.


THANKS FOR READING

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What A Mess!

The writing is so bad. Allen Ren is the same cardboard actor / character in every drama he does. He is kind of boring and stiff. They can copy and paste him into each drama. He talks (I know that there are voice actors) monotone way too much. Peng Xiao Ran can really act. Watch her in dramas such as Romance of a Twin Flower, Jun Jiu Ling and Go Princess Go. She does need the writers to make a better effort for her.

About this drama, Love and Crown, it should have never been made with the bad writing. It could have been great. The writers had the emperor coming close to death too much and they had him pining away for his empress too much. The emperor could not / would not tell her the truth about hardly anything, to protect her (yeah, right!). She always put everyone else ahead of the emperor, unless he was dying. She should have cleaved to her husband and not everyone else. He almost died in episodes 19 / 20. As soon as he started healing, she left again and did not tell him (like other times).

At this point, I do not care if it has a happy or sad ending. There are better costume dramas available and I will go watch one to them. I am tapping out of watching this drama; my time is too precious!

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One of the female characters becomes pregnant unintentionally, but abortion isn't mentioned or even considered. How odd. I was actually wondering if this was an American series. And then I realized that abortion wasn't decriminalized in Korea until 2021, and since then, there hasn't really been any way to actually get one. That explains it all.
It's a bit of a shame to see this kind of reactionary plot device in a series entirely centered on three women in their thirties and their professional struggles. It could have served to make a point about this particularly important issue, but it seems that's not part of the Hallyu agenda.

They all come across as endearing and funny, surrounded by very ordinary jerks. They have to put up with all these hurtful remarks on a daily basis. It's the same everywhere... the working world, really.

We also have to put up with scenes where a character talks to someone as if they were there, when they're not. It stresses me out. He's dead. You know it. We know it. Everyone knows it. Stop writing sick stuff like that ; and always for women, too. Always. It drives me crazy ! It drags the show down ; it's not interesting. Please. Stop.

Well. The production assistant is so nice. Her relationship with her coworker makes me a little sad. They're making a big deal out of nothing when they could just be friends, and that would be nice. But a man and a woman are bound to see each other through a romantic lens or something more. Exhausting.
Still, it's great that she dumped her son's father. He's a loser from start to finish, no redemption. And the whole "pretending to be sick" thing to get back into her life : well played. We dodged a bullet. I was so scared.

Finally. That screenwriter. She cracks me up. Her calm but snarky responses. And when she magically pulls out her guitar... so funny. Best character. She's the reason I was watching, after all. She waits until the guy finishes cooking his dish to say she doesn't like it and won't eat it. Nice move.

All three are adorable, with their flaws and their strengths, they are authentic. Everyone's character development is satisfying, more or less. But as is so often the case, 16 episodes is at least four too many. I skipped quite a few scenes because they dragged on for no reason, but seriously, you could see the filler coming a mile away. I often find 16-episode K-dramas too long for what they offer, while 30-episode C-dramas just aren't enough.

Humor works really well. The series deals with sad topics (from the perspective of privileged women, don't forget that), but it remains genuinely funny. The romance doesn't work as well. The tragedy works even less, just a miss. The "social" commentary, which is very superficial, works mainly through the humor and never goes very deep.

It smells like an autofiction screenplay. A screenwriter told us about her life and that of her friends.

"The tears in your heart will turn into an illness. But once you cry them out, they evaporate and disappear."

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Brainless parody based on manhwa. Don't expect anything like Punisher.

I didn't enjoy it. I feel cheated and disappointed because the ending of episode 1 made me think that I will see something merсiless - like Punisher. When MC crashes and kills all the bad guys. Instead I was given some PG-13 level action parody.
MC doesn't kill the worst scumbags who deserve to die.
Characters in the show absolutely lack logic and are braindead. Probably it is not as noticeable in the original manhwa, but in series it becomes very annoying. Everyone is 99lvl stupid in this show.

It feels like this would have been so much better show if it was filmed as a serious action, instead of some kind of a kids parody.

I will continue watching this trash, because I hope that at least in the end MC will kill the main antagonist. If not - I will lose all hope for the humanity.

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feelings

dù là phim ngắn nhưng mình thấy phim khá đầu tư á, đầu tư đồ với view này kia nữa

nội dung thì dù mô tuýp cũ rùi nhưng khá đúng gu mình, do cách khai thác phim khá uci nữa, coi xong bị cuốn vào luôn=))), kiểu thấy thú vị á. Dù còn một số chỗ mình thấy hơi lấn cấn như : lúc mà ở phòng chụp ảnh cưới, ông kia bước vào hoảng hốt gọi tổng giám đốc, nhưng thấy chẳng ai khó hiểu hay nghi ngờ gì luôn nên hơi cấn khúc này

diễn xuất thì khá đạt nhen, visual 2 người đẹp điên luôn á, đúng nghĩa bừng sáng luôn, từ top tới bot t phải thốt lên ồ wow lun á

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I'm not a big fan of shows with spirits and possessed people ; VFX are often embarrassing to watch. That's invariably the case here. Stranger Things has done a lot of damage to the "otherworldly". I hope that one day we'll move beyond this blurry and unoriginal digital aesthetic.

Apart from that, the real-world production is quite beautiful, in the snow and all in shades of grey mixed with a deep blue.
They chase away the spirits, but the real monster is the king. It makes you think. The monarchy surrounded by death and decay. I like the direction the story is taking. Let's hope for a more direct and less repetitive sequel.

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A good one, the main leads are locked in.

Really enjoyable series with mature storyline and characters. The acting is great from everyone and they all fit well into their roles.
Story is constantly moving and even though its a ‘hit a minute’ for the FL at times, its different hit’s and then the ML gets punched down too, it was satisfying to see them both over come the pitfalls successfully.
The chemistry between the main leads is electric bringing fun, meaningful and impactful depth to the story. You believe everything, their eyes meet and its just them two in the room.
The story did drag a bit during the ending episodes and i agree with some of the previous reviews saying the second F/ML story dominated the narrative at the end. It did make it frustrating when they were both placting 2ML mum, she was an awful person. She was only trying to protect her son but from what, her low opinion on the 2FL?, and it got nasty and then using physical violence, not good.
Overall 8.5 as it could have done with tighter story at the end, and post production could have been better(yes that ringtone was unnecessarily over used) but its rewatch value and chemistry between the characters made it for me. Recommended 💗

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