Reviews

Despite shortcomings, still an enjoyable watch

STORY 8.0/10
Season 2 falls short of the narrative strength seen in season 1, with both old and new storylines feeling drawn out. I wish the overall series had a shorter episode count in order to enhance pacing and storytelling. Introducing a new villain with different motives could have injected fresh energy into season 2, because I got tired of the same politicking and drama that carried over from season 1.

Romance took a bit more screen time this season, but it still felt somewhat rushed. It still falls victim to some tropes as well as cheesy and contrived moments. Despite these shortcomings, however, the chemistry between the leads kept me watching.

After the incidents of season 1, I welcomed the change in the male lead's character. I loved his tortured angst compared to his hot-headed naivete in season 1. He also became so bad-ass after the 3 year time jump.

Some viewers griped about the female lead's shift in personality, but I think the writers did it intentionally by reversing the dynamic between the male lead and female lead. It's showcasing their complementary yin-yang natures between seasons. In season 1, the female lead was more calculating and clever while the male lead was more naive and carefree. In season 2, the male lead became the clever one while the female lead became more playful and carefree. The female lead also took initiative in pursuing the male lead romantically in season 2, while he was the one who pursued her in season 1. Although the female lead lost her mage powers, she gained divine powers instead which complemented the male lead's powers. Ultimately, I think the changes to the female lead worked out fine and they support the duality theme of the show.

ACTING/CAST 9/10
The supporting cast is notably neglected. This was a shame, because they were so enjoyable to watch in season 1.

The romantic chemistry between the leads significantly improved and I enjoyed every moment they were on-screen together. I believe Go Youn Jung is just more compatible with Lee Jae Wook on-screen.

MUSIC 10/10
Great soundtrack and I liked the pop ballads in this season more than in season 1.

REWATCH VALUE 8.5/10
While the overarching storyline is not as engaging as season 1 and a lot of side characters were neglected, I absolutely loved seeing the two leads together in this season. I would rewatch this season just to see them together again.

OVERALL 9/10
Issues from season 1 are still present in season 2, such as pacing and storytelling issues as well as contrived tropes. Conclusions to some plot lines and the final confrontation at the end of the series also felt underwhelming despite all the build up over 2 seasons. But overall, the series was still an enjoyable watch. I especially enjoyed watching the two leads together on-screen. I would love to see Lee Jae Wook and Go Youn Jung leading another series together because they looked amazing together and their chemistry was phenomenal. I binge watched both seasons consecutively and will dearly miss the world of Daeho and this cast.

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I don't know that is actually consider this a BL

So... It's not as bad as everyone else says but it takes a minute to get use to the bad dubbing that was done on purpose and it does an extra comical aspect to the whole show. It was a pretty good show and honestly I showed up for Lee & Frank (Kokliang was an added bonus). I did expect it to be a BL but it's call it more of a bromance which is fine I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it just after Love Syndrome I was hoping for some sweet moments between these to since they have an odd chemistry I just love. I wouldn't watch it again but it was decent and very fun in parts.

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Loved this series.

So well put together. You really get to hate him at the beginning and as the first episodes unfold - you'll find yourself getting anxious about if she will start to like him too early. He is so good at being bad that you fear anything good will be taken away the next time he is angry. That is good writing and great acting.

I don't want to dive into any of the details since so many other reviewers do that well so, I will just stick with that it is something to put and leave in your watch list. You will have favorite moments and go back to them often.

A little side note. In some dramas you can tell the actors/actresses aren't in to each other in the kissing scenes. They are just going through the motions. Not these two - the little details in how they kiss are perfect. Think Korean Odyssey when they kiss each other in the library or, when they finally spend a night together - those kisses/moments are perfect. Same with this series. They are trying so hard not to fall in love but, just can't help it.

You will enjoy this one.

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Looking for a Comfort Show? You've Found It

Welcome to Samdal-ri is a show that I couldn't help to look forward to every week. The story didn't have grappling cliff hangers or an intense conflict, but it was a drama that I could sit down, watch, and feel healed.

Story:
Welcome to Samdal-ri's storyline was nothing I haven't seen before. City girl goes back to small town and reunites with first love. Family conflict provides tension and drama. Side character storylines are short, but relevant. Did I think that all the conflict was necessary? No. However, I understand the need to drag things out to fit the 16 episode time frame. Overall, everything felt natural and concluded nicely.

Acting/Cast:
This drama has two of my favorite actors in it, so I am a little biased. Firstly, Ji Changwook did a great job. He's an especially emotive actor and really draws me into the story and world that he creates. Shin Hyesun continuously does a terrific job at making any character relatable and charismatic. Her performance is no less than what I thought it would be. I was not a fan of Yoo Ohsung's acting, but that could be blamed on his role.

Music:
My opinions for a soundtrack is that if you notice it, it's either terrible or terrific. Welcome to Samdal-ri's sountrack was for the most part unnoticeable, so I would consider it pretty good. The intro was so cute and cheerful, and the music in the last episode especially was a fantastic choice. If I ever rewatch this show, the music would be the number one thing to bring nostalgia.

Rewatch Value:
As a light and fluffy show, Welcome to Samdal-ri has a very high rewatch value for me. Nothing about this show stressed me out, if anything it did the opposite. It's the perfect drama to watch when you're feeling down. I'll definitely come back and watch this again.

Overall, I would suggest this drama to anyone who needs a little bit of happiness and bliss.

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TIan Xi Wei CRUSHES this

Watched this as one of my first forays into Chinese rom coms. I was at first annoyed because I thought they were making another actress look like a little adorable Yue Shen. Then I quickly forgot about the similarities and enjoyed the show. After having watched a crap load of Asian rom coms since, I've realized that the actress playing the female lead is brilliant! She's HILARIOUS. Her comedic timing and physical comedy is beautiful. If she's ad libbing some of these scenes, she's a natural genius. If she was directed, she nailed it. Watching the standoffish ML melt into a puddle pretty quickly without her being aware of it is pretty cute. A couple scenes are cringeworthy cute. The reviewer who said the ML could have been replaced by a Japanese robot is fairly accurate. But he does have some cute moments, playing off the FL. Not having watched the actor in anything else, I can't tell if it's his acting or the direction. Edit: now that I think about it, some of the best lines are when he realizes he likes her but is feeling insecure. He had me busting out laughing in some parts (esp swimming pool scenes) and it's hard to make me laugh. So, maybe he's just being directed to be stiff.

Yes, it has all the places you can fast forward if you don't enjoy the silly background filler plots. Watch it for the FL.

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I started this series with high hopes because the opening scene with Qi Yan and his eunuch adopted father choosing his new emperor's robes was very fascinating, their outwardly smiley expressions and the weird tension in the air was honestly very well done.

But the FL made me drop it. Her characterization makes no sense - grew up in the palace but doesn't know the bare minimum of palace etiquette. She is literally RUDE but somehow the king just lets her get away with it because ??reason?? even very early on and when they're barely acquainted. She's supposed to be the best candidate for king's bodyguard position but has no brains for it at all and also physically doesn't carry herself like one. They could've just cut her role and have the FL be the 2nd FL who is clever and cunning and have her go head to head with the king.

Acting wise I think they were all pretty good, but no matter how good Zhang Yuxi is her acting cannot change characterization. Cheng Yi, as usual shows emotions very well, but he cannot make his character's interaction with the FL make sense.

Overall I still gave the show a 5/10 because I can see a lot of potential in there, but sacrificing logic to make romance happen in a drama is one of my top peeves and I cannot continue watching.

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I have forgotten who i am waiting for... I am your energy charger

I had high hopes for this drama , such a big let down!.
First thing i noticed is the male lead is extremely tall and the female lead very short so they have a really big gap between their height. They have no chemistry whatsoever ! Its like watching a kid and an adult .

This drama has potential with the background of the story, that intrigued me but beside that they didnt further or explain more of the story. It was just really bland and boring, like nothing exciting really comes out. The male lead has been stuck for 1000 s of year in the same house and cant leave waiting for someone to return ( which he forgot) who. The female lead moves into the house and she somehow possess the energy to recharge the male lead. He is like a ghost but not a ghost, He can move freely through the walls and become invisible but cant leave too far from home. The male lead also would sometimes get cold if he used up too much of his energy, resulting in the need of the female lead's touch to recharge. He needs more physical contact with each charge> first just a hand hold, then a kiss on the head even to the point of a kiss, but like afterwards the effect of the kiss is slow... dont really understand....

I ve watch to ep 16 and still the background is a mystery as to why the female lead is the one , who the male lead is waiting for? who is trying to destroy the tree. (the tree is linked to the male lead)

Its like both ends the male and female persona isn't developed well... female lead is a designer but she realizes that she is actually plagiarizing someone else' work. This was due to the male lead having this pouch that can help recall the memory of what the female lead saw.... We know the male lead is waiting for someone.... but who ?

DROP. aint worth your time. really wanted to like it, but no! just no!

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Good plotline, catastrophic execution.

Night has come despite its captivating narrative, ultimately falls short due to subpar execution and lackluster acting, leaving me as watcher with mixed feelings.
The show kicks off with a promising start, weaving a very different concept full of suspens and mystery which kept me at the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, the downfall lies in the execution of this kdrama.
One glaring issue is the TERRIBLE ACTING of the female lead, the most glaring flaw is the repetitive and wooden acting displayed by the actress. While the character is diverse and have the potential for depth, the actress seems trapped in a cycle of limited expressions and monotony. It's disheartening to witness pivotal scenes undermined by a lack of emotional range, as character struggles . Furthermore, as the show came to it's end the anticipation surrounding the ending transforms into disappointement, as the series concludes with a unnecessery plot-twist which left me confused and with too many questions. As for the unresolved plotholes formed through the execution that's another thing to discuss!
Despite these critical flaws, Night has come manages to maintain a curious hold on me. The allure of the overarching mystery keeps me invested, despite the show's evident shortcomings.

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Good Acting but Lacking in Depth

This was well-acted but the story itself was only 6 episodes, and I feel like it lacked some depth and suffered some bc of that. It was not very scary or thrilling, but I was intrigued at where the story was going and it was enough to keep me entertained on a Sunday afternoon. Overall, it was alright but definitely not as good as his other media (Train to Busan, Hellbound, etc.). I just couldn't help but feel that the FL was rather selfish, and it made me hard to sympathize with her. Also, I wish that we had more time & follow up with the two detectives bc their story itself was interesting. Overall giving this an 8/10 bc the cast truly was very good. Would have been much better with more time spent on thrilling twists & character development.

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I can only continue walking forward

Yes it was Great watching it specially the story building and and character building was so good accurate and every single thing in this drama was super good. It make me more sure that one should never think about committing crimes such as killing or suicide. Both can be very dangerous. But the fact they all somehow resolved there 1000 year old beef and tried to be together is so cute. They didn't only focus on main lead but also support lead. I also wanted to see dok hwa getting married or having rebirth with them too. I didn't expected to have such a plot like i was thinking dok hwa is going to be someone bad but it turns out he was not. It was so cute and lovely to have them see together again.

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Good start, wobbly ending without explanation

So basically its a good show if u are not a too much fan of k dramas. Like u haven't watched alot of k dramas before. I have only watched 3,4 kdramas but i was still bored and i realized that it has alot of same old stories and they even copy goblins scenes. Even a child can tell.

So basically fl and ml was hella beautiful. Super classy and cute. Only good thing about drama.

I have alot of questions like why the hell the grannys childs become so evil for no reason and adopted daughter wasn't? Why the hell granny prefers and loves her adopted child more then her 1 and only grandson. I totally agree that she has beef with his son but why with her grandson? His grandson didn't even done anything wrong. And nah don't tell me she hated him for wrong doings but wait she was cold and oblivious to her even in the 1 episode. Her adopted daughter and her grandson was of same age but she keep on acting like he doesn't even exist and fancy fl like what. Granny, aunt and even dohee which were all super powerful, rich, educated, clever and CEOs yet everyone was unable to see all the abuse noh do gyoun go through. That is so unnecessary. I feel so wrong about that kid. He was the youngest of all and yet he has to have such tragic life as well as death too.

So the main villain said he was a sinner even before he committed any crime. We didn't get to explore that part. In the end V get visions of his mother but not his own son which he brutally assaulted and mutilated for no reason. It should have been included.

Now coming to plot like it was same as goblin. He dies to save her then she wished to see him and he appears.

The god was way too comfortable living in human world. Come on god, don't u have anything to do? The sister was way to useless and didn't even contributed to the plots was only there to bring comedy. The assistants was there to give 2nd hand embarrassment with cringe romance. I like how jin star give up being a villain after 1 attempt. The overly protective ju soek hyuen also gives up after 1 attempt. Not even a single crazy plot twist. Even the past lives were unnecessary only bring the issue about Catholic beliefs. like what. They literally showed the villains in the very first episode. And in a well developed, well educated, work orientated country like korea, there is a demon living happily and telling every other person about his identity so easily and everyone is believing him like its very common.

Overall I watched all the drama (skipped some useless romantic scenes) and i was impressed at firt some episodes but then it went ?. But i completed anyway cause leads were way too handsome and pretty to skip.

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