Reviews

just lean into it

this was the perfect filler drama in my mind. not a ton of emotional commitment needed but moved and enjoyable pace.

sure you could say more episodes more context more explanations

but what we got STILL felt really good.

sure the ending is open ended but I choose to believe they are together in secret and not for public consumption... as it should be.

they're an electric couple to watch- Suzy is at her mesmerizing best (man that hair and the outfits) and the rest of the cast is perfection.

let's not forget we're here to be entertained, and Doona! it's exactly that.

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it's a Saeguk,Saeguk!. 세국이예요!

Yes, I'm an unapologetic fan of Saeguks and I don't want to repent of it at all, 싫어.

For this reason I'm writing a small token. This drama is undoubtedly one of the most frustrating love story ever told. Jeongjo and Uibin, it shatters my fragile heart. However, the end offered a sort of closure for all the frustration I had endured through out the drama. I absolutely adored the friendship between Duk Im and her friends,it was a breath of fresh air. it turned out this perfect because every one of the actors chewed their roles without spitting, each conveying the needed emotions with undeniable expertise.
it was all too beautiful to witness, I love the part where each of the friends talked about their meeting together later in life(here or afterlife) the story of "going back home after we become old". it was just the kinds of spice that makes my heart sing.

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Slow burn. Amazing chemistry.

This is a well-written drama on relatable struggles at the workplace and in our personal lives. I particularly loved the development around ML and FL without the usual drama tropes, how they both had to learn how trust is fragile and how much you have to work for it.

I dunno why I waited this long to watch this drama. The main couple truly sizzled and were so beautiful together that I didn't mind her annoying sister's storyline anymore lol. The other subplots were good as they showed what other people go through, stupid decisions you make, and maybe find love or what you're looking for if you're lucky.

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NOBODY ASKED BUT-

I am shedding tears right now. I feel as if someone was spying on me and told my story to then world lol. I felt as if I was Won Jun/Doona. I could relate to their story so much that I cried to sleep and I am writing this while crying lmao.


As for the ending, I am not a fan of open endings.

In my mind though they end up together, from the last dialogue of Doona telling him to say sorry and then to tell her that he regrets it. The rest is just montages of them in their lives but the theory is good that they have to keep away from each other as she is an idol.

Obviously the Japan stuff in the beginning of last two episodes shows they at least arrange to meet again in the future multiple times.


Imo, this was Suzy's best performance so far. Sejong did justice to his conflicted, restrained, self conscious, shy character too.

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Doona is a very pretty girl down stairs!

When Doona came on screen, she looked and appear to be like a kpop star,
my eyes were so glued to the tele and absorbed her beauty. What I was expecting
is not what I got but I still enjoyed it. I don't think I have ever watched a kpop Idol
Drama like this as they usually showcase the Idol performing a couple times.
In this case, Doona stopped performing while onstage with the group Dream Sweet
and her manager sent her away to stay low until further noticed as she cause some back
lash with the group and herself. They did not show any deep back story into what
happened but in a nutshell, Doona did not want to sing anymore without explaining
what was wrong with her.

At the house where pretty Doona lives downstairs, Won Joon moved in upstairs.
His friend from high school Yoon Taek also live at the house and that is how Won Joon
ended up living there. First Doona thought Won Joon was her anti fan as he recognized her
the day he moved in and was wearing merch sweater but he got it from his best friend Su Jin,
is a super fan of Dream Sweet and bias is Doona. Every day Won Joon woke up he saw Doona
looking at him, they became friends after a while then Doona started to follow Won Joon around.

Won Joon high school crush started attending the same University and they started hanging out
again. What wasn't clear was that Doona was falling for Won Joon but she was giving him dating advise
how to find out if Jin Joo was into him. But Doona was in fact falling for Won Joon. She made the first
move on him and he felt butterfly from their first kiss but he did not react the way Doona was hoping as
Won Joon doesn't kiss his friend. Their 2nd kiss was the best ( same as on poster when they were outside)
They came clear about their feelings and started dating, but it was long after their romance came to a holt as
Doona's Manager Park In Wook appeared. He advised her to do a comeback just as Doona but she will have
to break up with Won Joon.

Doona did not want to break up but she was kept away from Won Joon with no phone contact.
They met and Doona said if he went to MS after graduation and after 2 yrs they could go public with
their relationship. Won Joon was not confident at the time as he saw himself as a nobody so he decided
to break up with Doona. Won Joon focused on his studies went to MS. They met again at the reunion
dinner at the house. Doona really missed Won Joon alot. He did tell her he missed her too.

In the ending it wasn't clear if they got back together but the hugged and you see both of the in Japan
missed each other in going opposite direction on their separate business. Doona looked back to see
Won Joon but he did not see her. So in a way you can say they started dating again but still was not
fully revealed. When you are watching, do not miss any of the flashbacks scenes or preview scenes
as they are also the answer to how the story concluded.

Overall I gave this a firm 9.5 ratings. No one pissed me off lol. Also loved the Cinematography, very
detailed and show exactly what we need to see. I binged watched it in one go!!!

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60% Business to 40% Romance

This was good but it didn't rock my world. Elvis Han can handle being sexy for sure. I had dropped MMC for lack of chemistry and too much propaganda but this seemed like something easier. I lived for the leads interactions; flirting was actually a lot more subtle than what I'm used to or was expecting. And it was really 60% Business to 40% Romance. Will review this a bit differently than usual.

This was short; only 14 episodes but over an hour each. Really showed the lives of Asian cube monkeys working hard and overtime. Though many have said that it's only in Asia or China that this happens, it is often seen here in the states too. A lot of it reminded me of my time in the corporate world. The long hours, little to no positive reinforcement from your superiors, nasty coworkers, etc., one of the many reasons I left that world. I ffw'd a lot in the beginning because I didn't want to remember what that was like, plus there was very little actual interaction of the leads. And I didn't really pay much attention to the sister and her weird way of finding love getting stuck with a possessive stalker. Why didn't they go to the police after the spy camera was found? That's breaking a serious legal boundary. The regular Joe she ended up with was great but because of how little time they actually shared on screen and I think he was only introduced 3 episodes before the end, though they had chemistry, it did feel rushed.

I loved the FL's second supervisor! Now that's the type of manager you want to have; great mentor too. The 3 or 4 people in both of the leads lives that tried to harm them before and then apologized afterwards or thanked them, just seemed unrealistic because rarely if ever would that happen in the real world; those redemption arcs were unnecessary. The leads times together once they became an official couple in episode 8, was a time to treasure but I still felt like they were just not given enough screen time together to really work out their relationship properly. A lot was said or spoken of but not expressed. Could have been the time crunch of episodes and you never knew how much time passed as obviously there were time lapses. I'm glad the FL and ML finally decided to slow down work wise when something serious happened like her multiple health scares and him realizing he wasn't essentially a robot.

Their sexy times were great and so was the marriage proposal; it was different and fit who they both were. The OSTs were cute and fit them.

Would I recommend it? If you are looking for a business drama with romance as the secondary factor, then give it a go.

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Cha Eun Woo, Yes!!!

Based on the Naver Webtoon of the same name by Lee Hey.

To be honest, my first thought was to pass up this one, because the premise sounded boring and stupid. However, I saw that A Good Day to Be a Dog was running a rate of 9.8/10 from the viewing audience, so I took a chance. This drama has a stacked cast and is surprisingly good, bad premise and all. The story is about this teacher who turns into a dog at night if a guy kisses her, but returns to normal in the morning. While this did not sound good on paper, I am likening the series, based one its beginning episodes. It is hilarious.

And it’s a cute dog that steals the show.

Cast

Park Gyu-young (Celebrity, Dali and the Cocky Prince), Cha Eun Woo (Rookie Historian, True Beauty), and Lee Hyun-woo (The Liar and His Lover, Moorim School: Saga of the Brave).

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One of the best Time Travel dramas, Korean or Chinese.

Shining For One Thing (2022) is a Time Travel School Life Romance Drama (contains no spoilers).


Qu Chuxiao (Wandering Earth) and Karlina Zhang (Tang Dynasty Tour)

Short Review

Sometimes you pick up your next drama by following a favorite actor from the previous drama that you watched. I followed actor Qu Chuxiao from ‘Wandering Earth’ to ‘Shining For One Thing’. This Chinese drama is a Time Travel Drama which is very technical and science rich in story construct, but very romantic. The Chinese are often sticklers for technically sound plotlines. The writer was very careful to try to stick to the modern Scientific constructs of time travel/displacement thinking. I have covered the different modes of Time Travel in the past, like the differences between Time Travel, Time Slip, and Time Blend as a writing style for a story. ‘Shining For One Thing’ goes one step deeper, to try to explain Time Placement. It covers which timeline you are breaking, the possibilities of where you end up and the consequence possibilities when you travel into different Time Displacement zones. While this may sound too scientific for some, ‘Shining For One Thing’ really breaks through by making the explanations uncomplicated and informative, producing a very entertaining Time Travel drama. Shinning For One Thing is a “Time Travel” drama, because the mode of traveling through time is a definite object, an outdated phone. Great OST! Great love story. Although many time travel dramas use time travel only like a cab ride to the past, Shining For One Thing uses great writing, great concept, and a great use of time travel itself, to produce a great time travel story.

The female protagonist in this drama uses time travel to go back and forth in time to change her dismal future/present. Through it all, she gets hooked up with a young male student whom she knows (in the opening segments of this drama) dies in the past. She then makes it her mission in time travel to change her future/present, but also try to save this boy too. Along the way, she falls in love with the boy. The story is complicated, but totally intriguing. It progresses very slowly, I suppose this is so that the viewer can keep up with the action and the science. You have to sit with this one. However, there is a grand payoff in the back half of this drama.

Time travel is a modern construct, which is not believed to be naturally occuring. It has been given meaning by humans who believe that time travel is a definite possibility. In Shinning For One Thing (2022), the time travel was caused by the inexplicable use of an old phone and by deleting the messages to cause time travel to that point in time of the deleted message.


Extended Review

The female protagonist traveled to a new past each time she attempted to go back in time. She kept failing to enter an open loop of time where changes could be made to the future. To fix the future she needed to enter the right alternative universe.


Quote

Scientist in the Drama—We can go back to yesterday or even the distant past. But it is unlikely for humans to open the wormhole. Most travelers who claim to go back to the past did not enter the closed structure of the wormhole universe. Instead, they enter the crack of a parallel universe. The crack of a parallel universe takes place in every time and space, without affecting or changing each other.

Female Lead—So I did not travel to the past. I went to a new time and space (parallel universe). No wonder nothing changed (when she traveled through time).

Unquote

At the end of the Korean drama ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’, the male protagonist had to search through many alternative universes to find the right one which held the right circumstances and the woman he loved. This became necessary after his mode of time displacement (That family heirloom) was broken. The Wormhole had to be manipulated manually in The King: Eternal Monarch. In Shining For One Thing, the girl knows the outcome, the death of her schoolmate. We find that out in the opening minutes. She makes several attempts to enter the right time wormhole universe, which would allow her to change the past, but she keeps failing. She needs to enter the time and space where changes are possible. She must find the open time loop, instead of the closed time loop where changes can not be made to what has happened already. Along the way, even with all her course corrections, she finds romance.

This is time travel with a definite mode of travel, the outdated phone. With some travel, you are just an observer and can change nothing (closed time loop). With some time travel, you can change the outcomes (open time loop).

The female protagonist keeps failing, because she is not entering the open time loop section of the time wormhole. She is entering the crack of a parallel universe and is not able to change anything in that future. Same with the Chinese Drama Someday or One Day (2019), you must find the right time wormhole with the right set of circumstances, before change is possible. With the Korean Drama A Time Called You, the right time wormhole was entered on the first try in this time travel Korean drama, using a Song Cassette and Walkman as the means of time travel to the right alternative universe.

Cast

Qu Chuxiao (Wandering Earth) and Karlina Zhang (Tang Dynasty Tour), and Caesar Wu (Meteor Garden)

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Hidden Pearl

The story is not new, but the execution is great. I've seen a lot of C-dramas. This is not to be missed. ML and FL not only paint wonderfully in ancient costumes, but can also play. This was the first story I saw them in, but it certainly won't be the last. FL is beautiful, smart . ML is persistent, handsome and cunning. The chemistry, the humor, and the visuals are also great. The music with the heartbeat and the insertion into the series is perfect. Even though it's only a miniseries, I would watch the characters for a longer time.
Congratulations for the team.

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Doona! is the very best K-drama I have seen in a long time. It is a refreshing and unique take on the romantic comedy genre, with a complex and relatable female lead.

Bae Suzy delivers a standout performance as Lee Doona, a K-pop idol who is struggling with her mental health and her place in the industry. She is prickly and defensive on the outside, but soft and vulnerable on the inside. When she meets Won-joon (Yang Se-jong), a kind and innocent college student, she begins to let her guard down and rediscover her true self.

The relationship between Doona and Won-joon is heartwarming and believable. They support each other through their respective challenges and help each other to grow. There is no unnecessary melodrama or angst, just two people who are falling in love.

The supporting cast is also excellent, and the side characters are just as interesting and complex as the leads. The drama does a great job of exploring the lives of young people in Korea, and it touches on important topics such as mental health, social media, and the entertainment industry.

Overall, Doona! is a must-watch for fans of K-dramas and romantic comedies alike. It is a well-written, well-acted, and heartwarming drama that will stay with you long after you finish watching it.

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I loved the dynamics between Jeng and Meen

The story did seem a bit rushed, the two only knew each other for a few days, but it was still an enjoyable watch. I think the additional plot relating to the whole restaurant / bar was not necessary, but it didn’t really bother me too much. I do think they could have shifted the focus a bit more on the cooking aspect, especially as it says that Meen gets addicted to Jeng’s cooking. Which is not really explored enough.

I really liked their bickering and the innuendoes they kept throwing at each other. It didn’t appear forced, the two seemed very at ease with one another and made it feel normal. Both Jeng and Meen were aware of their shortcomings and were very forward with them. I liked that; it made them feel genuine. I think Putter and Cheetah had great chemistry with some cutesy vibes. But it really fit the two of them.

I also really liked Porsche and Mek as supporting characters. They were great friends, supportive and caring, but not too pushy with their friend. Noll, the ex, was an asshole. But that was too be expected. He has no redeeming qualities and I really like how Meen delt with him in the end.

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Great skinship, but felt more lusty than affectionate

This BL is a great showcase of intimate scenes as right from the start we see the pair having intimacy. The main characters felt real enough even though the story is somewhat manga-like. While the all the skinship is great to see, the story is somewhat confusing and uninteresting to me compared to some other Japanese BLs we have had. Mizuki, a secretive outwardly friendly guy meets Yoh, who he can be himself around and be intimate with. The two make a pact where Yoh can live together with Mizuki if he listens to whatever he says. Yoh ends up feeling taken advantage of even though he is physically attracted to Mizuki.

Basically, the story is about the tension between them and lack of communication that makes both parties feel frustrated, as Yoh feels Mizuki is not affectionate to him and thinks he is just a sxx slave, while Mizuki feels like Yoh is not interested in him anymore and is being avoidant. My complaint here is that there is not much of a storyline. This is obviously not the actors' fault. The only goal of the story is for the two to be more affectionate and an official couple, but I feel like it is still quite lusty rather than affectionate.

All of this is not to say the drama is bad, just that I was wondering why this BL didn't quite live up to my expectations. Still, I think every fan of BL should watch this as the intimate scenes are abundant and good.

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