Reviews

When the mains deliver, but the setup is underwhelming…

I’m not gonna pretend like I started this drama with hopes of getting a high quality inspirational tale of overcoming your struggles, finding support in people around you, dealing with your trauma and fears, but I am glad the drama delivered in that area. Why did I start it though? For Lee Yang Seob’s face, and his face only. And here I also got what I asked for - damn he looks fine.

Here’s the thing, My Lovely Boxer is just a drama that completely lacks balance. It switches between a heartwarming slice of life focused on the character development and makjang mafia and I’m just confused why. The whole rigged bets set up was so underdeveloped, overdramatic and distracting, I’m here asking - was there really no better way to force Tae Young and Gwon Sook into working together? Every time the focus shifted towards Kim Oh Bok I wanted to scream “NO ONE CARES!”.

If only we’ve got more information about him, if they actually tried to develop the main villain into a complex and interesting character. But no, he was there as the most cliche and empty plot device and I’m not happy. And he is not the only bad character that sucked writing wise - same goes for Gwon Sook’s father. I am sorry, but his crimes were too severe for an off-screen character development. I’m not buying it. You cannot give a character off screen development and then act as if it’s all good, it’s not.

That said, I did enjoy most of the plots not related to the bets and the father in any meaningful way. The development of trust and support between Tae Young and Gwon Sook was amazing. Her dealing with her past and being strong enough to face it - great. Every friendship she makes - loved it. Wish we'd seen more Han Ah Reum, since for me she was one of the more relatable and interesting characters.

Acting truly varied depending on the actor. Both Lee Sang Yeob and Kim So Hye did an amazing job portraying the main characters. On the other hand, Kim Jin Woo did not impress me with his delivery. Random observation, but there were also two extra actors in the last episode playing members of the rigged bets ring, and let me tell you, that was some high level of wooden acting and robot delivery.

Production value was fine. There were some editing issues - hands positions not matching between cuts, but nothing too in your face. Pretty much a standard Korean drama quality.

Overall, it was a fine watch I don’t regret finishing, but you would also not catch me recommending it to others.

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Great Chemistry Between Leads

The main couple of this drama is one of the most natural and having great chemistry between them. They have a clear vision of their feeling and matured in their actions. All their interactions here are sweet and amazing to watch. You will fall in love with them.

As for the story plot. It is melodrama close to soup opera of rich family saga. Complicated older generation relationships and all the backstabbing, jealousy and selfishness. The ML and FL are entagle in the web of drama while being true to themselves.

I really recommend you all to watch this if you are okay with melodrama genre. Personally, I'm not into melodrama much but the main leads are enough to make me stay. And eventually leads me to liking the story as well. There are so much we can discuss, debate or comments.

I personally love all of the OST of this drama. They are beautiful.

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Not as bad as people make it out to be

Before i say anything about this I should make it clear that i didnt watch the first and second seasons. Actually i dropped the first season, found out about the drama and skipped straight to the season 3.
Its not as terrible as everyone makes it seem. The story is very typical however the enemies to lovers troupe is seemingly well done.
Theres no abuse between the ML even though their "enemies". They both always respect each other and even their bickering sometimes made me smile. The relationship between the ML is very realistic even if the NC are a bit wooden.
Honestly Ive seen worse and this story if watched as a stand alone isnt all that bad. I watched all 12 eps in a single day without getting bored.

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The messy continue

Ok... All the hope for better plot better be thrown out of the window. Cause this drama not getting any better, it's even get messier.... Consider stop until here, but at the same time still curious about how our FL get back to her world...

I gonna spill spoiler again. If you don't want get spoiled just don't read my review then...

The messy start from the beginning this time. Instead continue about the Bamboo Rooster, they seem forget about it totally. Nothing mention about Bamboo Rooster at all in this part. And one more they seem forgetting about is the consort of our ML, she's seem missing in the big chunk of our plot...

And also in this part the plot seem like jumping from place to place with no connection between episode. Few time I must check did I watch the wrong episode or what, why the story looked not connected with previous episode...

Like the case with queen mother, ML can suddenly burst that FL's dad is the one that kill his mother. Oh and we got no more explanation after that. After queen mother case finished everything back to normal again, our couple lovey dovey again with each other... Hello don't FL curious about the death of ML's mother...??? No clue... Ugh....

More over the relationship between our ML & the emperor looked messier than what we thought at first. But we still don't know what the intention of emperor with our ML... The emperor looked like ready to sacrifice everything just to take down our ML, even his own mother. I don't know what the emperor affraid of our ML about, he has no support no military power have nothing to support him usurp the throne. Yet with all that the emperor still looked terrified that ML can overthrow him...

Oh almost forget the biggest eyebrows raiser this part have...
1. FL do surgery for queen mother & save her. And after that, supposedly big surgery that FL did herself, queen mother can miraculously stand up and walking. Wow right... Haha....
2. ML save FL from public punishment effortless again. With no soilder chase them at that time or after that. How miraculously right...

This part really give me headache.... Really want to stop watching and yet at the same time still curious about how our FL get back to her world... Hope the story not get any messier than this...

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A story about daring to see yourself for who you really are

This was mostly Kwonsuk's story.
A young adult who got robbed of her childhood and potentially happy teenage life when she was basically forced into the ruthless boxing "training" by her own father. Here is where I agree with most other watchers when i say that the redemption arc for the abusive father was at the least uncomfortable to witness. I cannot fathom how within three years someone could change so drastically and this is the one part that doesn't make complete sense to me.
But other than that, I find myself in complete disagreement with other unsatisfied commenters and reviewers.
First of all, I believe that the characters and the choices they made throughout the series were very well written. I could understand all of them because this series portrayed various types of people, all completely different ot one another and all very human. We were shown their weak, embarassing, humble, beautiful, youthful, selfish and loving sides in these 12 episodes. To me they were simply very realistic. A person isn't just good or bad in real life, nor is anyone in the series. Specifically, at the beginning, Taeyoung seemed to think he was pretty self aware, calling himself scum multiple times and seemingly owning up to his fuck-ups. But only after the situation with his friend did he realize how heavy the responsibilities he carries are. Every choice he made after that realization made it a tiny bit easier for him to live with himself, because the guilt won't ever leave him completely, but he knew for sure how to tell right from wrong after experiencing all that pain along with all the beautiful and enlightening moments with Suk.
KwonSuk too had only ever glanced towards the true consequences that her running awat had brought onto her. It was too scary to look at directly. The offer made by Taeyoung at the start of the seires was only accepted by her because she thought it was her only way to stop feeling so scared all the time. After a while she thankfully realised the offer was a one in a lifetime opportunity to right the wrongs of the past. To be brave and do her very best, in order not to regret anything anymore.
(Honestly it was a relief to hear her say multiple times that she hated boxing and putting some blame on her father. If she had blamed herself for the way she turned out I would be really disappointed ngl.)
As for the romance I really don't get other commenters. As we all know, girly had no time or opportunities to ever date and all that when she was young. Which only makes it that much more obvious why she seemed so starstruck by that other idiot. She fell fast and hard, since it was her first time. She simply wanted to enjoy everything that came with that experience and luckily recovered quickly after it was over. But man, to me it OBVIOUS she would come to develop real, strong and uncontrolable feelings for Taeyoung. It was bound to happen. He was the asshole that gave her the solution that she thought she needed to her neverending problem. But he was also the one that fought for her to make sure the situation got turnt completely around and stayed by her side, in any way he could, in order to watch her fulfill her dream and start feeling happy again. He didn't care if she hated him or if something happened to him. He was everything she needed at all those times. (Plus, Sangyeob in this role is so damn charming, I was holding my breath at every scene with him.)
Taeyoung too found something so bright and pure in Kwonsuk's strength and resilience that he was determined to distance himself from her. He didn't want to tarnish her in any way. And only after he had somewhat redeemed himself and stopped the self-punishing, he decided to approach her again. So my point here would be that I could never think the romance was "forced" in this drama. It was slow paced and a bit painful, just as it often is in real life.
Lastly, some people said it undermined the sport. I knew nothing much about boxing before this drama and to me it seemed that it was something sacred basically. From how hard Kwonsuk worked on it even though she wholeheartedly hated it to how other boxers considered her a traitor after her running away causing damage to the sport's prestige, it was clear how seriously everyone took the sport. I'm considering starting classes as we speak.
All in all, between the light, humorous scenes, the romantic first-times, the heartbreaking moments of being forced to face yourself and the violent and hateful sides of that industry, I really enjoyed this drama. (I think I could write so much more about other important points but this is too much already, I apologize)

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Good Manager (2017) - Corporated greed and corruption

The Korean society must have quite a big number of issues ... especially with hirarchy, based in the old feudal structure of the Korean society which seem ro be manifested till today and despite a functional democracy.

The story evolves around the TQ Group and its corrupt and power and money greedy CEO.

Namkoong Min as Kim Sung Ryong paired with Nam Sang Mi as female counterpart Yoon Ha Kyung and Lee Jun Ho as capitalistic sociaphat Seo Yool and Jung Hye Sung as enthusiastic undercover agent Hong Ga Eun give a wonderful set of characters which develop quite well in the story line and acring their alias.

Accounting is the key to uncover even most creative strategies and placing numbers in imaginairy companies/accounts. Slush founds/black money and labour rights and abuse of employees is the theme in this white colar crime story.

Sung Ryong and Sang Mi seemed to be the love affair of this story ... with Seo Yool as the rival? ... but arn´t. But sparks flew. Even with their counterpart Seo Yool ... incl. homoerotic flashes acted against a bit homophobic, taking in accounting the ridiculous anti LGBTQIA+ attitude and lack of womensrights in ultraconservative Korean society. Jokes made on the back of LGBTQIA+ is still not to accept and won´t!
Sang Mi distrusted Sung Ryong but got convinced by his fight for what is right, as she herself cna´t stand injustice, especially done by her company she is working for.
The back and forth bewtween Sung Ryong and Seo Yool is one of the highlights in this show for sure

Some bosses for real think they are the masters of desasters, or better a godlike given entity to whom everybody has to obey and bow.

Decisions are made ... with an good end the revenue is privatized and if its going wrong ... the result is socialized and empolyees are "set free", succed out and spewed out like waste. the Financial Crisis of 2007/08, in which we still are, has shown this drastically and paved the way for the far right poppolists (populists) which fish/ed among the vast numbers of losers. Which by far did not drink too much latte ...

The show shows us protesting employees for beeing succed out and lousy paid for and other employees even not paid. And the reaction of the boss? Angry and still sitting on its slush fonds, which ruined not only one of the subsidiaries.
The reations Sang Mi gets from the rivaling department and the ladies fight in the canteen but pictures too the disrespect of women as equal to men ... and the sispite 2017 when staged.

The film is a loud cry against corporations behavior and missing respect for their employees who create the lavish lifestyle of the chaebols and their family.
Here the son (Dong Ha Park Myung Seok) and heir is going a similar way as the main male heros Sung Ryong and Seo Yool from prick and sociophat to getting a social concience. His arrogance is based as usual on missing education and here accounting in special. Tzhe brat got his lecturwer in Sung Ryong. He ends as the key figure for saving his mother´s corporation.

When the guys in the cellar and Seo Yool unite their forces the team of not so white knights start to walk the winners lane ... and its a fun to see them acting one step ahead of the bosses blended by their greed in incompetence.

Only one couple does found itself as a sideline during the fierce battles ... but okay. GOOD MANAGER is not a love show.

The original CEO is ending with his croonies in front of the bar and is sentenced and even then can´t see and accept his guilt ... like so many CEOs and company owners when going down the gurgler because of fraud, shitty decisions. We can use their cases as tapestry for our homes.

Therefore we need more and stricter control mechanisms to prevent cases like pictured in GOOD MANAGER and strong and effective unions for employees.

The show staged 10 years after the ww Financial Crisis, starting 2006 with the Subprime Crisis and collapse of LEHMAN BROS. in 2007 calls for regulations of corporations. Not only for their employees, but for the nations economy and with that the ww economy.

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Messy plot

Intrique by summary and pitching from YouTube make me click this drama. Unfortunately good story with bad writing make messy plot

For you who don't want get spoiled don't read my review. Cause i think I'm gonna curse/rampage a little bit about the holes in the plot...

Ok let's start....

At first the story really good everything quite good, the story, the time line quite make sense. Unfortunately the more story rolling the messier it gets...

They did a good job with the explanation of our FL & her maid side. What she must do to get out of this world & back to her world. And the game system to make all the health tool appear really interesting. But as usual & FL seems not too confuse with how her suddenly in the ancient world & just focus to get back to her world soon.

The messy part however when they need to explain the ML side, or you can said the world that they live right now...

1st off all we kinda missing the introduction in the beginning, we know that our ML is the former crown prince, but how come when the emperor died he's not ascendant into emperor & what his relationship with the current emperor....? And the missing introductions not only that, but also every body connections with each other. Get me headaches....

After that the story role about how ML fall in love with our FL and vice versa. Quite normal... When suddenly we get introduced with new characters Su Qi Shao, that we don't know who the h*ll is he until later, that turn out he is the lover of our ML's sister. & suddenly they're friends (yeah suddenly, a few ep back ML still stealing from him, if he turn out be friend why don't you just aks nicely...?) & try to rescue the sister from the place... Ugh.... And of course they succeeded to take the princess away and returned her later... And they did all of that without much effort or struggle to begin with, everything went so smooth like they own the palace. You rescue a princess from inside a palace without any struggles yet you're not suspected anything or anyone behind that controll it, and let's not forget our ML is former general. Ugh... How stupid can you write the story!!!!

The plot get messier again when they add about Bamboo Rooster. What the h*ck is that???? They never bother to explained it. Yet I calm myself this only part/season 1, hope they explain it later in the part/season 2.

Hope the part/season 2 make the story clearer....

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Light hearted fun

The first thing to have in your mind while watching this drama is that well, it's a drama where you should expect nothing to be realistic and once you have that in your head this show becomes fab. It's got so many funny moments that made me literally lol and you know what, it's not meant to be a romance drama but the little romance bits we got were cute!

Would highly recommend if you're a crime drama fan that's going through a stressful time (like I was) and just wanna watch something that's light hearted and humorous. The crime solving bits were pretty great as well as I didn't see the killer coming (just don't take any of the reasoning so seriously). A great bit of fun!

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frustrating over enjoyable

this is my first review please bear with me + english is my second language

the start seemed fine a bit boring but watchable. at mid point i actually started to like it but now i just need to rant.

what i liked:
i found it really good that they tried to give pat und put a resolution where pat realised for himself that it just doesnt work anymore (tho put didnt quite get the memo)
i did like jaab and jen together a lot more than the main couple as it just felt more realistic with these two friends that fail to communicate about their feelings to each other, not wanting to ruin their friendship and hurting each other in the progress. if i ever pick it up again i will solely do so for them if they get a good resolution with some character develpement with it.

what i disliked:
the main couple
i personally just dont like jeng..
at the beginning i was ok with the two of them becomming a couple but after ep 10 especially not so much any more
jeng is the boss of pat which is nothing to dream about. their relationship now involves the job so if they decide to break up pat would literally risk losing his job. jeng's behaviour can also be seen as sexual assault which...
i dont support workplace bullying what so ever but they cant expect everyone to just keep quiet if the relationship could mean that pat gets favourite by the boss when it comes to opportunities, salary and promototions. (which is literally a thing jeng wants to do)
private life and work life need to be sepperate to some point and flirting at your workplace is just inappropriate

i cant see how their relationship is supposed to last at this point as they are just unable to communicate. when pat says that he is unhappy about the reaction from coworkers to their relationship jeng sees it as an invitation to fuck him. like no shit sherlock he is not in the mood.
their relationship from the beginning is facing some major problems and they are unable to communicate and solve it as a couple. instead pat decides to quit without saying anything as well as he is pushed to a point where he is unable tolerate the gossip anymore.

i really hope with the two episodes left that i dint watch they some kind of resolution even tho it doesnt seem like a satisfiying one as the comment say.

jeng and pat should have met under different circumstances
jaab and jen should just sit together and talk
i wish ae and khanun the best of luck with their child
chot and krit i hope you live happily ever after

(i do wanna say that there is a difference between jaab and jen not being able to communicate and jeng andpat is different. jaab and jen dont wanna ruin the relationship they already have and jeng and pat are already in a relationship at which point they have to work together to make it work which involves playing with fire sometimes)

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I am biased here so heads up

Where to watch: iQIYI

Where to watch: iQIYI

Yang Xu Wen - character is too arrogant that sometimes I think the writer overdid this character (or the director maybe?)
Lu Ling Feng - his character role


Yang Zhi Gang - disciple of Det. Dee, already love the character. He played his character so well that I’m hoping there’s a sequel to this series. (After writing this, i found out sequel is currently in production and filming Yay!)
Su Wu Ming


I enjoyed this series a lot. I am partial to period/costume series that is more mystery, thriller, and/or political than romance.
The ending truly made viewers aware that there is a sequel. Although the ending solved the mystery, it still left me wondering about the emperor.
The production is excellent from wardrobe to props. Everything got arranged and set perfectly.

I highly recommend and since the sequel is already being filmed, best to watch this now and be ready for the sequel.
As to rewatch value, i rewayched this 3 times and still enjoying it.

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Best light romance drama of the year with PERFECT CAST

I don't usually write a review, but this drama is worth to mention!!!
Hidden Love has super great cast with great chemistry, making me blush myself everytime they have romantic moments. And I soooo freaking love their romance scenes - it gives me butterflies. The story itself is pretty light, making it enjoyable to watch every single episode. Chen Zheyuan plays the cool big brother role soooo perfectly (isn't it a crime to be that adorable tho?!! I'm falling head over heels myself, help!!!). Give him a thropy for stealing my heart. They're such a cute couple, seriously. I keeps smiling from ear to ear watching them.
I wish the drama would be longer, I enjoy the journey of Sangzhi - from being a little brat to a mature young lady (as expected from Zhao Lusi acting). It has perfect pace, not dragging too long but not too fast as well. Definitely going to rewatch it again in the near future.
SUPER recommended if you're a fan of light romantic drama. It's overloaded with sweetness to the point that it's diabetic.

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