Reviews

Cute but bland story

Usually I like Thaiwanees Bl:s, but unfortunately this one left me quite unaffected. The story is cute, but for me not very engaging. I usually like stories that involves food, but I did not become hungry even once.

The acting is good, and the chemestry sweet, if not passionate. They do the best they can with a skript that is so, so.

I feel that nothing really happens. The writer try to get some tension in to the story, but for me it doesen't feel real.

Bing it if you have nothing else you want to watch, but if your short of time you can skipp it.

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Following your fate blindly or having a bit of courage to challenge your fate, which do you prefer!?

What is it that you actually want to happen in life if you had the choice to choose from:
1. Allow your life to unfold naturally; fall in love with the person who is entwined with you by a crimson thread of fate; and accept the outcome that fate has planned, happy or tragic.
Or,
2. Even if you are aware of your fate and the one that awaits you, muster some bravery and fight against it in order to have a happy ending and spend time with your loved one—not the one that is predestined.


Now, if I talk about this drama, what I actually enjoyed is:
1. The best female character written in kdrama history.
FL, Oh Baek Ryun knew from the get-go whom she liked, what she wanted from him,who was interested in her at the same time,how to make someone fall for you, how to handle third-party interest without playing with their emotions,how to sacrifice for your soulmate,how to fight against your destiny, and lastly, how to wait, praying for your one and only loved one.
I know it's super rare to find someone like her as your partner, but if you find one, you should thank your luck for meeting her.
2. ML, Chun Sang Hyuk. When I first started watching, it seemed like he was constantly falling for different ladies in different decades, all of which ended horribly. He was even warned against falling for any woman, but if he does, it'll end in tragedy. So I was actually worried about how the current timeline would end up. But after knowing that he had unknowingly fallen for the same soul in different decades,I had no choice but to admire his character wholeheartedly.
Although he was reluctant to openly date anyone after his first tragedy occurred, when he came to know that FL was actually the girl from back then, he let go of all other warnings, etc., and finally started to follow his heart to pursue his hidden feelings.
He also fought against his destiny, remained heartbroken for decades with a huge guilt in his heart, fought again against his destiny after learning the truth behind all of the tragedies,died as a fairy, and got reincarnated as a human to live the life he wanted with his loved one.
3. Chun Dong Chil, aka A Bad Day to Be a Dog. He practically carried most of the story as a major supporting character.
I'm not going to say much about him here; you should watch to find out more.

Now let's talk about what I actually hated:
1. Chun Dong Koo, aka the dumbest irritating fairy amongst the four. A man with a personality like his is a menace to society. His story is only here as a filler. If we can cut his subplot, I guess it'll easily be a super exciting 12-episode drama.
I just find it a shame that after spending so much time on him, the script writer wrote that horrendous ending for him, which makes no sense to me, like, WTF! Why spend so much screen time on him if you already have that shitty ending for him?
3. Seo Jae Hee, the most self-narcissistic delusional freak I've ever seen. He's the second-most pathetic SML I've seen in recent times! A man thinking of him makes my blood boil.
I never liked his character for my own specific reasons, which I shouldn't put here in words.
This feeling only cooled down almost at the end of the drama when he slowly started to let go of his obsession over FL after learning the truth from his past life, which can't completely wash away the fact that I was frustrated with him in the past episode, so kindly bear with me.
3. Chun Dong Pal, Lmao, he's a filler. That's it.
There are also other little but point-worthy things that I liked and disliked in this drama, but I can't include them in this list as it is most likely already very long.
Overall, I believe I will remember this story for a very long time, which makes it well worth my time. If I consider the re-watchability of this drama, I believe once a year is sufficient to reminisce about the leads' fascinating chemistry.

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casting director & stylists saved the day

the story was compelling in the beginning, and i was OBSESSED initially. but then....oh well.

the leads being a stunning couple was the e
best part of the show. (I'm sorry, but my bro song kang still can NAWT act very well? he's better in non romance dramas imo.) regardless, him and KYJ had amazing chemistry imo, aside from some of the v cringy lines the writer included for whatever reason, the two's chemistry carried the whole show. i started watching the drama for kim yoojung, and she did NOT disappoint. she somehow looked even prettier thanks to the amazing stylists. same to song kang, who i actually never realized was so handsome but damn the stylists really went tf off in this drama.

unfortunately, this and the great osts+visual effects are the only good parts. the story went downhill every episode tbh. gah damn the writing was so ass, and clearly with a LOT of borrowed elements from other dramas like Goblin?

they did not have to do sm to hide who the villain was at first to just grand reveal it to be the most obvious villainy dude? no seokmin was the big bad guy? really? people literally overlooked him and thought it would be someone else as hr was such an obvious choice that no one would've ever been surprised...but damn. like um, yay for the lack of creativity?

what was the point of the first creepy assassin dude hired to
go after dohee? could've just shown no do-gyeong in disguise
(masked like the SGBS villain maybe?) carrying out no seok-min's tasks. it would have made do-gyeong's character more impactful. or hell, even seokhoon being evil like everyone else was guessing would've been better than the introduction of a completely new character who dies out randomly and has no other part.

wish the side characters like perilla leaf gang and the secretaries had more useful roles. tho the gang stuff was actually pretty funny at first, it could be better. the secretary romance could've been MUCH more as ms shin had past trauma about relationships, so it could have been very emotionally impactful if her relationship with bokgyu actually developed in a better way. But naw. it was just cringy.

i liked what they did with star jin at the end, the angel arc, but kinda wish that was dohee ngl. if star jin's character was completely removed from the show, it actually wouldn't change anything storywise. i think the whole "dohee's dad signing a contract w guwon and saving her life" plot was actually extremely unnecessary. it was interesting af when introduced, but they didn't make good use of it. poor dohee was yet again tortured mentally and emotionally, and then the inevitable breakup(ah, the return of the noble idiocy trope) which lasts like less than half an episode until they're back again(and then guwon leaves AGAIN goblin style and then comes back again in less than half the ep like girl??? ). wtf was the point?

then the repetition of the past lives stuff from wolshim's pov. it added the "he saved me" part sure, but was mostly just recycled from guwon's flashbacks so stuff we had already seen. like, was all of this really necessary? we get that yall have a save each other trope going on, but damn they alr saved eo like a thousand times even without all these, like WE UNDERSTAND?

they should've just chosen either the past lives stuff or dad's contract stuff tbh. or imo just made dohee that little girl instead of star jin, which would've been smmmm better as the dad would sign a contract anyway and she could've been able to be adopted by madam ju anyway if just a few tweaks were made to the story yk? but naw they aint doing that.

let's get to episode 15. oh god, the worst episode.


i think a better way to go about this would've been if seokmin, after reading the demon manual, realised that he just needed to kill people and then commit suicide for him to turn into a demon.

then it would've explained his invincibility because how tf did this ordinary ass guy get thrown against a wall with enough force to crack all his bones, get crushed by part of the cement ceiling, yet still somehow get up fine, run that far, grab his gun and shoot all within a few seconds of dohee and guwon hugging???and why didn't guwon just.....stop the bullet? if dohee had enough time to react and turn around to protect him, im sure guwon did too?

not to mention HOW THE HELL DID SEOKMIN SURVIVE THE
FALL FROM THAT TALL ASS TOWER? even if it was a river, there's barely any chances of survival as hitting still water from that height is like hitting concrete. plus he just set his damn face on fire and didn't even react???????? be so fr is the immortal powerful demon guwon or seokmin??

the writers really lost the plot after guwon got his powers back. i wish they'd just have wrapped it up there and not drag it on for 16 episodes and ruin the show like...


anyway, i LOVE yoojung in general (loved her in 20th century
girl!) + her w song kang is cuteee, so I stuck with the drama and enjoyed it a lot initially. this is sad, because i was lowkey emotionally attached to this and looked forward to every friday and saturday because of it. even tho i had a lot of negatives to say, i still liked it enough and i feel bad leaving a negative review. but i think i only liked it because of yoojung. if the leads were different, tho.... would've never finished it

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If you are expecting a Prince Charming and a Cinderella-story from this drama, don’t count on it. I get it that not all heroes wear capes, because this one just flicks a lighter but doesn’t smoke. Yes, Li Xun is a genius in his own right, but he could be less cocky and I would have been fine with it. Right at his heels, Zhu Yun attempts to tame this golden retriever by chasing after him, like she’s herself a dog that won’t let go of a bone.

The pacing is choppy, but manageable to watch. Cinematography and choice of music are good. The cast is diverse, so are the secondary characters, but all these good points do not negate the fact that I struggled to finish the show due to various factors. For instance, the inconsistent re-introduction of some characters who show up at odd times in the drama. I feel some characters are even under utilized (ahem, Tian Xiu Zhu) and just serve as props to the main leads, which is a sad fact because other stories could have been more developed.

For example, I would have been interested in how Ren Di’s band went from obscurity to popularity, or how her relationship with Xiao Liu evolved. Or even how Shu Miao took a legal path in her career, when she was a major part of Zhu Yun’s college days. Instead, we see such as useless POS like Zhi Jing be part of L&P board of directors and living prosperously, as if he weren’t the one tormenting Li Xun and Zhu Yun in their early days. Instead, Li Xun and his group were prohibited from joining competitions for years, while Zhi Jing could still pull strings despite being exposed in public.

Another case in point is that both male and female protagonists are unfailingly stubborn, sometimes to the point of infuriating, hardly giving leeway to anybody except to each other. They do this awkward dance where they are hot/cold towards each other, but with other people, they are self-righteous, if not selfish. I get it that Li Xun had a tough childhood, and Zhu Yun an over-protected one, but I wasn’t buying the cool-aid that because of their backstory, they expect the world to owe them something.

Yes, tenacity is good, ambitions are even better, but there’s a limit to which these things are met where it doesn’t adversely affect other people. Good news is, both Li Xun and Zhu Yun learned their lessons, over the course of their journey, to be more forgiving of others. Whereas Jian Hong failed, and in a karmic joke, life serves him an eff you, but Li Na, to her credit, stood by his side despite being given a reason to run for the hills.

Another case that baffled me is the fact that, Zhu Yun’s helicoptering mother, for all her scrutiny and apparently above-exceptional monitoring skills, failed to learn how her daughter ditched to study/work abroad to be with Li Xun, not once but twice is beyond me. I am not saying that I agree that the mother should control a full-grown adult who has her own right to choose, but I find this comically inconsistent. And how Zhu Yun, who is normally pushy when it comes to her boyfriend’s welfare, is suddenly timid at the sight of her mother. Also, the way Zhu Yun manipulates Tian Xiu Zhu to cover her whereabouts, without the latter getting anything in return but a “thank you”, wasn’t really supposed to be how “an innocent young lady” behaves.

The ending for me was anti-climactic, especially in the case of Zhi Jing. Are we supposed to forget how his behavior drove his ex-girlfriend to suicide? How his deplorable actions indirectly caused the death of Li Xun’s sister? Though granted, he did not inflict the final blow, and her death was more a result of a string of coincidental events. Still, he had malicious intent and his lack of remorse didn’t justify the punishment he got, but fully deserved.

For all its flaws, the drama isn’t bad, but not that great either. I only finished this show because of the rave reviews, but I didn’t love it as much as I probably should have.

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Better than reviews led me to believe.

Apparently, if you watch the trailer then you will be disappointed because it hints at a more serious storyline than what the series actually ended up being. I, personally did not watch the trailer therefore I had zero expectations going into the series which I would personally recommend is the way to go. Because from a lot of the reviews, it makes it sound like this series was horrible which it certainly wasn't. I found it to be an interesting and engaging watch overall, if not a little juvenile in places (but that's to be expected in a high school setting.)

I think initially, they were aiming for a similar vibe to Never Let Me Go with the danger element and such since Perth and Chimon's role in that series was very popular. But when you put the setting in a high school with really only a debt collector as the main threat, that's not exactly a thrilling plot. I found more "danger" in regards to Kang's heart where Sailom was concerned. Their relationship was worth sticking around for while the side couples were a bit hit and miss sometimes.

At the start of the series, I was already close to dropping it because of the juvenile bullying. But the way Sailom stood up and fought back in his own way without involving others was very refreshing. He knew he was superior and wouldn't allow Kang to treat him lower than he deserved. This made for some great bickering and build-up of tension between them that had the victim on the offensive more often than not.

The side couple of Guy and Nawa was entertaining as well though when the main couple is already an enemies to lovers trope, it kind of becomes redundant in the secondary couple. They played it well enough, but it was just lost in the background most of the time. Which is a shame because they had a decent storyline going as well.

I really wish there was more between Saifah and Name, especially since it was more like a reunion of friends. There were hints of a potential romance but nothing concrete the whole series which left me guessing right up until the last scene they have together in the jail. But by then, it's like "I need more!!" and we just don't get it. Not only with their storyline but with the actors Papang and Pepper... these two seriously need a series together where they are the leads because they totally have the chops for it. I hate that they are typecast as the older siblings or school mentors because they are closer to 30yrs old instead of all the actors in their late teens/early 20s. I would love to see a more mature series with these two. (Doesn't have to be mature as in NSFW but just a story that is about adults "adulting" and not about kids being immature.)

Speaking of NSFW, I kind of wish they just left that part out of this series, and that's coming from someone who lives for the smut. While Perth and Chimon had good chemistry with the bickering and even with the flirting, their actual physical chemistry wasn't great. It looked almost uncomfortable. I would rather it be implied than shown at just 40% effectiveness.

With all that said, I did find it to be a good watch overall and I would recommend it. There were quite a few funny moments that had me cackling and there were some heartfelt moments that pulled at the feels.

And, yeah, someone give Papang and Pepper their own series.

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Great Concept, But Lacking in Story and Chemistry

The show had a really interesting concept that initially caught my attention. The idea behind the show is unique and it promised a fresh take on the usual romantic comedy genre. It's always exciting to see shows trying something new and different, and this show definitely had that going for it. The overall storyline had potential, and there were moments in the show that were truly enjoyable and fun to watch.

However, as I continued watching, I felt that the story was a bit lacking in depth and development. It didn't seem to fully explore the potential of its unique concept. Additionally, I noticed that the chemistry between the lead characters wasn't as strong as I had hoped. This lack of chemistry made it harder to get invested in their relationship and believe in their connection. There were also parts of the story that didn't quite make sense or were not well explained, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, while the show had a great concept, it fell short in terms of storytelling and character development.

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Needs improvement

The show might not have the same impact as many K-POP survival shows because there is a paywall for the full version and very disorganized.

You need to pay to watch full version with behind the scenes and pay for voting (in which I think is not fair). The production companies does upload few behind the scenes clips here and there on their YouTube channels, which is nice but there are no subtitles, therefore a lot of international viewers will lose interest. (keep in mind they have 4 different YouTube channels)

The voting is not in real time, everything I watched from ep 1 to ep 10 have been prerecorded.
On episode 10 (after round 2 performance), they announced the top 30 but then on episode 11 & 12, all 63 trainees will be performing for round 3, voting still going on for all 63 in their app, but top 30 have been announced and 33 got eliminated (They mentioned in their voting rule there will be no elimination in round 1 and 2.)

It's very confusing on how they picked the top 30.
The show is very disorganized, the above descriptions proofs that how confusing and disorganized they are.

I would have given higher stars, but unfortunately the show is very confusing and requires you to pay to watch full contents and vote for I don't even know what. If I didn't love watching these type of survival shows, I think I would have given them 5 stars (the 5 stars are only for the hardworking trainees.)

Also I didn't like the fact that an entire debuted group joined the competition, they already have a fanbase of their own and there are 6 of them, tbh, I think they lacked on many things, but they always get to top 15, I think is not fair for other more talented trainees in the program who came in as solo with no fanbase.

Note:
The description above says total of 9 episodes, right now I am on episode 10, and round 3 performance will be on the next 2 episodes, then they will pick top 18, after that the finals will be on March, therefore there will be more than 9 episodes.

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Overall very good but…

Overall it was a very good fantasy romcom, one of the better ones. The chemistry, the comedy, the visuals and the actors were the most outstanding part of this drama. It was a fun watch, BUT the writing was lazy in the final few episodes. There was no good explanation to Gu Won’s return, it was also rushed and I missed the character development on his part. I do not undertstand why the series spent so much time exploring on how he is getting back his human self if in the end he stayed a demon??!! I think it would have been a much better arc if the ending is him making peace with his humanity and comes back as one. Maybe he could have given up on his powers in exchange for a human life with Do Do Hee.
Keeping everything as it was is very lazy writing in my opinion.
I think Destined with you was superior in this sense even with all of its flaws.

Anyway, it is a fun watch (especially the gang), but do not expect anything out of the ordinary.

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déception pour le dernier épisode

l'histoire était originale, les personnages méchants bien construits, mais le dernier épisode ne sert quasiment à rien. Il y aurait pu y avoir plus de suspens, plus de drama. L'histoire laisse plusieurs sujets effleurés sans réponse. Comment est il réellement revenu, où était il, que va-t-il se passer lorsqu'elle va vieillir et mourir. C'est vraiment dommage de ne pas avoir exploité plus en profondeur les arrangements de conscience des uns et des autres, la création même du démon et son rôle. Grosse déception vraiment sur le dernier voir les deux derniers épisodes qui sont plats et sans saveur

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Why

What the actual f**k did I just watch? It was amazing and the casting was as expected which is good but they just cut things off to quickly. The whole plot of the drama was fuzzy but the main couple was carrying with their chemistry and their kiss scenes . Now that the side couple barely brings anything to the table because their relationship was never explained or got looked in to so now the drama is now a redemption arc and dry . The start was good because it was slow and steady so it had time to expand on the characters but at the end it was to quick because of the episode limit and the rush to get information out that couldve been explained if the drama was longer or they focused on the information at the beginning because they had the time . Not mad just disappointed.

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Frustrating and Unlikeable Characters in a Makjang-like Drama

Subjective Entertainment Rating: 7.25

I would never have watched or known of “Fashion King” had it not been the Chaos Clown Cave Chill Challenge and I was assigned this drama as a MLDer’s least favorite. Because of the low rating, I came in with very low expectations. That should be the mentality if you want to watch this, especially, if you are watching this many years later (2024 for me). But I figured, Yoon Ah In is in it, I can deal with that as he’s always been excellent in everything he’s played.

Plot:
Keeping in mind that this is a 2012 drama, I somewhat excused the physical assault, slapping, throwing things and the not very realistic fist fight. “Fashion King” actually ages pretty well and I don’t think it’s very dated. But it’s more makjang than I anticipated.

1/4 of Drama - Makjang-like introductions to all the main characters. Everything that could go wrong for Kang Yeong Gul (Yoon Ah In aka ML1) and Lee Ga Young (Shin Sae Kyeong aka FL1) went wrong. From broken families to kicking out of the house, to all the adventures getting to and in New York - it’s quite ridiculous.

2/4 of the Drama - I am slowly enjoying how things are developed. Relationships between the four main characters are more defined and the business side of things picked up a little. Feelings are developed and there’s some pining and push-and-pull, along with very muddy former relationships between Jung Jae Hyuk (Lee Je Hoon aka ML2) and Choi Anna (Kwong Yu Ri aka FL2). I probably enjoyed these episodes the most.

3/4 of the Drama - Scheming and getting back at each other continued on. Romance is getting complicated and I am slightly impatient as I realized I don’t want to root for anyone. Everyone should remain single as none of them deserves each other. Even though the drama is about the fashion industry, they don’t really dive right in. It’s a very superficial/peripheral attempt. If you don’t like business dramas, then this is a positive thing.

4/4 of the Drama - Thought I would be rewarded with a little happy romance, but no, happy times don’t even add up to 30 mins. The angst and annoyance I put up with throughout the drama, especially when it comes to romance, was not rewarded at all. And that ending, so many plot holes and everything could be resolved with a few honest conversations.

Characters:
I have a very hard time rooting for our 4 main characters. Yeong Gul appears fun and nice, but is scheming and will use you to advance and make money. Ga Young was spunky and stubborn in the first few episodes, but then she resorted to crying or sleeping all the time. Jae Hyuk is a chaebol man-child who is petty and somewhat naive, but also mean. Anna is a pitiful ex who’s trying to grasp onto something and not sink. If you like flawed characters who make questionable decisions with unclear intentions, then you would love them. For me, I am 70% frustrated and 30% entertained.

Romance:
The only somewhat consistent feelings in this drama are from Ga Young to Yeong Gul. She has liked him from the very beginning. But towards the end, I questioned if she also has some feelings for Jae Hyuk because she’s bad with boundaries. She might say NO (and sometimes says nothing), but her actions might say otherwise. Or maybe deep down she’s enjoying all the affection Jae Hyuk has for her. Jae Hyuk is like a high school boy who shows affection for his classmate by being mean to her. He would make sarcastic remarks all the time, then give you a smile and then run towards you to apologize and make nice. He does not know how to love properly. I couldn’t tell if he still had feelings for Anna in the earlier episodes. Was he unable to show or he’s just using her? I would have liked to believe that Anna did indeed love Jae Hyuk in the beginning. But how she was discarded like trash broke her and drove her towards Yeong Gul. But her affections for Yeong Gul are probably not 100% sincere. She needed a life jacket, and she found one in Yeong Gul. Yeong Gul, once recognizes his feelings, is the easiest to spot and the more cliche lover. He wants to give Ga Young everything he has, wants payback for those who mistreat her and wants to give her all the best. Yet, of course, he doesn’t use words. If he and Ga Young actually talk to each other, I would not be so frustrated.

Acting:
Yoo Ah In really keeps me in this drama. He’s just so charismatic and I can’t help but draw to him. He’s not the typical handsome type, but no matter what drama he’s in, he’s the center of the attention. I love his acting here. Amazingly, I found Lee Je Hoon paled in comparison to Yoo Ah In a little. Probably because his character is a little more pitiful. But his character also allows him to show much more range than the other 3 main leads. Visually, he does not have the swagger for a rich Director and he walks funny. Shin Sae Kyeong is so pretty and young. But she always has the same crying face. I am not sure if it’s the writing of the character or her acting, I get annoyed when she just stands there and not says anything, and acts all shy. Kwong Yu Ri is so beautiful. She really does give off the high class designer vibe, and the subtle bitchiness in the way she walks and talks.

Fashion:
When the drama is about fashion, they better have some good fashion. And I am having a grand type admiring Yeong Gul’s eclectic and loud style, and also nice tailored suits. As I said, Yoo Ah In looks sexy and dashing in this drama. The ladies also have beautiful outfits. I like Ga Young’s casual style and work outfits, and Anna’s more high-end fashion. But Jae Hyuk in the earlier episodes looks like he’s wearing a suit a size too big for him. I have to say, Lee Je Hoon ages well. He looks more handsome in his 30s than in his 20s.


Ending:
I was going to talk about the ending, but decided to keep this spoiler-free as there are many other reviews about this disappointment. Let’s just say it’s not that hard to locate someone, or give someone a call and not rely on regular postal service completely. Communication can solve a lot of problems.


Overall, this is an interesting watch. I am not sure if I will recommend this drama when there are much better ones out there. Maybe if you are a fan of Yoo Ah In and you miss him now that he’s blacklisted? In a way, the entertainment value to ‘hate-watch’ is quite high for me. I am tempted to rate this much lower just because everyone hates it. But subjectively, it’s a 7.25 and I’m rounding this up to 7.5 to boost the rating a little. Though the characters frustrate me and it’s hard for me as a romance lover to not feel rewarded, this drama is still entertaining in a way and keeps me focused pretty well.


Completed: 1/20/2024 - Review #397

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Worth every second

Very rarely have I a seen a drama that pulls the water works out. Every story within the main story was brought to an expected end. None were rushed or left open ended. Which I loved.

Nut and Plan brought out their best work without relying on nc scenes to make their story believable and complete. Phob and Phat's timely meeting set the tone and pace of the series. Every nuanced expression and emotion was felt. The ending was expected because a love like that just isn't forgotten.

The imagery, costuming and ghostly effects were great without going over the top. The three main shooting locations did become tedious to see but budgets to consider was acceptable. Only peeve, Phat's mother seemed invisible until needed. It seemed days would pass without seeing each other.

I would recommend watching over a period of days to truly enjoy the story and everyone's performance. In a era where fast food is easily accessible this was like a nice meal.

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PERFECT

I don’t really know where to start. This drama just ended having me bawling my eyes out and smiling like crazy.
I’m going to be honest I didn’t think I was going to like it at first. A story line that isn’t really my kinda thing. But when I saw Song Kang it made hope for it being an good series. And oh my it was.
The casting is just chef kiss, is really a cast that I want to see again. They all were so amazing.
The whole series got me laughing and smiling like crazy. I didn’t like think Song Kang would fit this kinda series but with his acting is just a big YES. He played so well and made Guwons character so great. Such a funny and serious character at the same time I loved it. But this series also made my eyes hurt from bawling. Youjung is such an amazing actress and you could really feel all her emotions from the start to the end.
The chemistry between the two were amazing.
Not just the romantic side of this drama we’re amazing but the dark side. Such a dark side of a romantic series. But I really liked it having one, it made it become more interesting.
And like I really thought about SangYi character being evil? But he weren’t.. I really had like a theory that he were but I’m legit happy he wasn’t. Maybe he wasn’t my favourite.

Overall it was a really good series. A lil bit of everything. Such a good drama and 100% worth the watch!

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started out strong, lost all momentum and succumbed to common cliches

I was one of those people who had a high opinion (and rating) of this drama when it first started out. Coming from See You In My 19th Life and Destined With You, where the show's supernatural elements were a mere afterthought to boring, redundant past-life jargon and chemistry-less romance, I was happy to see the fantasy touched upon more often. Or so I thought.

The first 5-6 episodes were great in my opinion. They set up the scene quite well - the protagonist, antagonists, supporting group around each, etc... All of this positive growth dissolved nearly instantly when they lazily concluded subplots and introduced ridiculous new ones. The motives behind NSM trying to get rid of DoHee became more and more ridiculous as the plot went on. His evil streak being cut short and BOOM! them resorting to the tired trope of "well, he's hiding now so watch out!" The plot with former Chairwoman Ju barely being revisited until the very end. DoHee randomly being surprised her demon husband-bodyguard-savior(?) kills people brutally. Guwon's powers being literally useless for the most part until the very end?? Insanity. Its like they were trying to tease some avenues for exploration and then chickened out last minute. Don't even get me started on how the episodes just turned into cheesy romance scenes reminiscent of every kdrama ever. I had to fast-forward at one point because it felt like a 13 year old's Wattpad fanfiction turned TV. It doesn't help that the show kept wasting time flashing back to earlier moments of the show re: romantic moments. Like we really do not care can we get on with it? Don't get me wrong, the leads definitely looked good together at the very least. However, all their chemistry and substance evaporated into thin air the moment they stopped focusing on the plot and shifted towards pandering to lovesick viewers with 0 frame of reference for a decent fantasy romance depiction.

The constant parallels to Goblin, DWY, and SYM19L should've been a red flag from the start. Very rarely fantasy dramas stay consistent with the original tone of the show while balancing decent romance. And if they do, they risk major character assassination somewhere down the line (For example, literally EVERYTHING regarding Alchemy of Souls S2 - the side characters were butchered). The only saving grace for this series, in my opinion, was the OST and some cinematic shots. Its a shame because the cast was really good.

Side note, Jin Gayoung has got to be one of The most annoying side characters I have ever seen on TV. Her background gave 0 clue on why she was /that/ obsessive and its a shame she was only marginally likeable and mature at the very end.

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