Reviews

Action thriller? Heck no, this drama is pure comedy. I enjoyed it

So, the Bureau of Ninja Management excludes but is not limited to the following, because it actually has many a sour faced members:

The Tawara Family, a bonus red phone of doom, and Karen the reporter, exciting stuff fr.

A ninja suffering from survivors guilt and can't 'kill'.
The other is a kleptomaniac who develops remorse only three days after a steal and takes it back, which she appears to have inherited from her mother, except her mother doesn't take her supermarket booty back, the daughter is into museum artifacts though (and she has an Instragram account where she posts her spoils, imagine that), and all this is for the excitement because they miss being ninjas, because of their lost one, and because the father put his foot down, hmmm.
Did an American scriptwriter write this story? Because the more I watched, the more I thought this show was mislabeled.

Now, the father and head of the Tawara family, brewery owner who hires people based on days and colours and a ninja in denial by night and when he's at home, the man is so conflicted he can't even swing a drink, while the last Tawara kid is just cute and eagle eyed, you know how kids know you've done something and they weren't even looking, except this one is looking, lol. And he gets upset when he discovered his parents have been keeping the secret about the family secrets, ends up shutting the door in their faces until they explained themselves, hmmm, not convincing behaviour for an Asian kid istg or are the new gen kids built differently? Because the parents aren't ?.

A grandma ninja who still got it and always laughing at the breakfast table every other episode and she can talk with her shoulders and face y'all, without a sound escaping her mouth (it looked like flirting to me, why that scene didn't have sub, I will never know (I liked her a lot more).

Oh and there's a cult full of clapping-in-perfect-sync and very enthusiastic members who laugh, scream and cry when the voice tells them to, including holding hands while standing around a shrub without even singing kumbaya because why not?

Basically a family traumatised by the eldest son's death.
That scene where Haru saves Karen from the train racks, that's a new PPL style for shoes, it worked fr. I even looked them up online.

Boy the way Omi-san was framed for stealing those artefacts was genius, the naked with the box over his thingy was over the top, who does that? Is it a coming out? Ha!

I think Haru has been watching the dirty when he's not having nightmares, cause the way he was working Karen's mouth didn't look very virgin-like to me, huhu.

And who knew swordplay and a little blood spilling was all it took for Haru's parents to start banging again, it's a happy ending y'all.

Because what do you mean the guy is shocked his arm didn't grow back or sew itself back on, omo the way I couldn't stop laughing at that scene, heheheh!
I wanted Haru to finish wannabe Thanos off but of course Gaku the glory seeking guy waltz in to kill the man as unceremoniously as it could get, why didn't he try to kill him before until one of his arms came off? Hmmm!
I really can't take anything in this drama seriously LMAO!

I have mixed feelings about this drama and couldn't take anything in it seriously because it was ridiculous (including the OSTs because it looks like they've run out of jpop songs or did those simply not exist in Demon Gate Era Japan?)
I'm happy it had me laughing out loud the whole time, but I won't be rewatching it again. I'm out.

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A pleasant series to watch but with some imperfections

What's striking about this series is that, although it's tempting to compare it to KinnPorsh, it's the exact opposite. Here, the writers focus more on the police and fantasy plot than on the love affair between the two heroes. The references to Buddhist mythology are appreciable, and the storyline is well-crafted.

The story is followed with interest, without excessive length. It works. But this series has one big problem: the acting, which really isn't up to scratch. And the further we get into the episodes, the worse it gets. The ending, though interesting and less Manichean than might have been expected, is spoiled by it. Too bad!

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This show easily became my No.1 Drama

First of all: I am deeply in love with this show
it's funny, cute, mysterious, interessting and heartwarming.
I feel comfort warching this. It cheers me up.

Plot: The plot may seem easy at first but is very interessting and surprising as time goes on. The characters spend a lot of time discussing and theorizing so it is easy to follow and I felt like i was investigating right along side them, theorizing. The cases are interesting and memorable. I was never bored or skiped any scenes.
Cast: All of the actors portray their character amazingly. The chemestry between them all feels very close and they do act like a group of close friends or family. I am having a great time watching them interact and care for each other. The looks they give each other are hilarious.
Musik: The musik is not outstanding but they underline the scenes perfectly and set the tone. Be it funny, mysterious or emotional.
Rewatch Value: As previously stated, I love this drama. It is my comfort show and I will regulary rewatch it. A big part is the focus on the friendship here.

Overall: This drama is perfect.

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Messed-up doesn't even begin to cover it.

TLDR; An overall good drama about the complexity of mother-daughter relationships that suffers tremendously from disturbing and harmful messages.

Whump meter: △△△△△ (none).

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【spoiler-free】

LIKES:
► Quite nice cinematography.
► Cool and unique architecture.
► Amazing styling and outfits (especially for FL).
► Quick and good pacing.
► Interesting premise about messed up family dynamics and the trauma surfacing because of it.
► Female centered plot.

DISLIKES:
► The messages and overall theme. (Which basically is: forgive everyone who wronged you, and it’s your fault that you’re unhappy.).
► The fact that the true villain of the story isn't reprimanded but rather praised.
► The abrupt plot twist in the end which leaves you thoroughly confused about the entire story.

It seems like I disliked little, but the messages and themes are the most important parts of this drama ?

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【!SPOILERS below!】

►CHARACTERS:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Characters were alright for the most part. FL is a strict and cold helicopter parent stuck in an unhappy marriage. SFL is in a similar predicament, but she’s more volatile and emotional than FL. The story focuses on the two of them as they navigate their similar lives together and try to heal from the trauma brought upon them by their hatred of their mother.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The supporting cast consists primarily of FL's husband, mother, and daughter. FL's husband appears to be a distant yet caring man who's trying but always falls short of his wife's expectations, but in truth, he's the villain of the story (I'll elaborate more in the STORY section since it's related to their backstory). I have no complaints about either the mother or the daughter; both served the plot well, were interesting, and had complete arcs. Unfortunately (but also understandably), we get less development and focus on SFL's character and family, so there's not much to say there.

►ACTING:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Overall, not bad. The leads were, for the most part, quite good, though there were some meh moments. Supporting characters were kinda hit-or-miss. Some did fine, others were painful to watch.

►STORY:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ FL is forced to confront the reality of her own life when another woman in a similar situation approaches them. Together, they try to navigate their lives and heal from the trauma brought upon them by their hatred of their mother, which is presently affecting FL’s relationship with her own daughter. It had all the potential to be an interesting story about the complicated relationship between mothers and their daughters and how that affects both parties even decades later. But what started as an in-depth story about a severely messed-up family dynamic and the trauma that surfaces because of it turned into a very disturbing tale of forgiving everyone who wronged you.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ At first, FL’s mother is the villain of the story since we’re experiencing it from FL’s perspective. As the story progresses, FL starts blaming different people, including her husband, only to eventually settle that everything was her own fault for not forgiving those who had ruined her life. The final message of the story is that you must always forgive your family because, no matter what, you can never escape them. ? Though FL’s mother is framed as the villain in the beginning, they do a good job of showing her growth since FL was a child and how things aren’t as black and white as FL had seen them. That was good. However, the true villain isn’t the mother OR FL, but rather FL’s husband, who, for some ungodly reason, is portrayed as just a distant but loving husband when he literally got FL pregnant when she was 16 (and he was dating her mother, so definitely not a teen/young adult).

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ This plot twist just ruined the entire story. Not just because it’s a messed-up thing; you can definitely tackle messed-up stories, but that’s the whole problem. He’s not framed as a villain. Him hooking up with the daughter of his girlfriend when the girl was underage, getting her pregnant, and then marrying her is framed as okay?? If anything, he’s PRAISED for sticking around and not leaving the girl pregnant and alone. How is everyone so calm about this? How is the story trying to blame FL when she was taken advantage of by someone who should’ve protected her? I just can’t get over this. Never does this get mentioned again, either. The couple just made up and called it a day... I wanted to rate the drama higher, but such a terrible message excusing such vile behaviour cannot get a higher rating from me.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other than that, the story was fine. If it wasn't for the above trashshow, the story is definitely more of a 7 than a 2. The pacing was good; it had a pretty solid beginning and middle, the ending could’ve been better and far less confusing, but whatever.

►PRODUCTION:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Very solid. Visual effects were very good, same with the cinematography, locations, sets, and clothing. I honestly have no complaints in this regard. It looked like a very legit drama.

►MUSIC:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Good enough—nothing memorable but also nothing painful to the ears.

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◇ Was it what I was expecting? No
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Meh
◇ Would I watch it again? No
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Unlikely

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A Captivating King…

As other viewers I felt ending was short. Waited for so much more. Although they gave us a happy ending (at least) it needed more substance. The kiss was awful! At least if it was as their first kiss it was good but that kiss? Why after all the trouble they can’t give a better ending, at least I would have been thrilled with a good kiss.

Jo Jung Suk saved this drama. If it wasn’t for him probably I would have dropped it. As many others comments he CARRIED this drama. Deserves an Oscar! Don’t know if his acting diminished Shin Sae Kyeong or if she acted poorly next to him or the script. I will go with his acting was too much for her. All the emotions that he could convey in seconds were superb and those eyes said so much. Wow! I hope to see him soon in more dramas similar so I can see more of this potential. I have seen other of his dramas but here I felted he was intense.

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A must watch! Don't be intimidated

FL is a badass undercover agent.. She is a widow at day and a hero at night! She has been a widow for 15 yrs until she meets a certain stunning officer and she bickers with him until they both catch feelings for each other in the most swoon worthy way! Aside from the romance the comedy is really a highlight for me.. The way she has to fake being the perfect widow is just hilarious. Honey Lee was really made for this role and gave the drama a lightheartedness even when some sad or challenging things happened it was quickly resolved and not dwelled upon for too long thus not provoking any negative feelings.. Her brother went missing and she has been searching for him and there is a mystery of what happened to him and some minor political intrigue but with all that it was a feel good drama all the way which I liked a lot. Not a lot of angst which I couldn't stomach at the moment. Another thing that I liked even the side characters were not fillers and added to the story!! The only things that i can complain about I just wish there was at least a kiss and a showing of the couple happy ending tho romance was never the focus it sure was highlight for me. They are literally so perfect together aweee

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Such a moving series

This series is such a beautiful and heartfelt story. I cried and cheered for the Qiao family.

Such a powerful portrayal of difficulties and struggles, courage, discovery, success, maturity and growth, devotion, commitment, love, compassion, generosity and freedom, during a time of so much external change between the late 1970s to 2005. Each character goes through such a journey. Bai Yu’s portrayal of Qiao Yicheng and Liu Jun’s portrayal of Qiao Zu Wang are masterful. The entire cast is so talented. This is a series I am sorry to see end. What a wonderfully rich story of family love; it is not always pretty, it is not always what we expect or desire, but the core is an unshakeable bond that is nurturing, empowering and genuine love. It is so relatable on many levels.

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When two hot villains fall in love with each other

This mini drama is about the female lead who is a comic book character with her own consciousness. She always plays the supporting role of the villain however in the new comic story, she is unexpectedly the heroine who ends up falling for the villain.

The best part of this transmigration story was that the story takes place in a comic book which meant the writers had the creative freedom to bend the story’s reality in an engaging way.

POSITIVE:
- Villain/morally grey male lead and female lead.
- Lots of kiss scenes!
- Love story of a morally grey couple (very rare to see).
- Top notch comedy.
- Lots of cool twists and turns.
- Plot that is just as good as the romance.
- Hot second female lead (I always find these obsessive female characters annoying but this one was cunning and looking stunning)
- Binge-worthy (I watched it in one sitting)

NEGATIVE:
None! It’s truly one of those rare dramas where I can’t think of anything I really disliked.

OVERALL:
If you want a mini drama with crazy twists where two hot villains fall in love with each other, watch this.

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Messy, overly ambitious but captivating

Could have been so much better! The visuals, the cinematography, the acting (most of it), The theme, the potential is amazing. The problem is not so much the story but the telling of it and the editing. Some scenes are just there, without any (obvious) connection to any other scene. We are made to guess why decisions are made or how someone ended up where they are. parts of backstory are given, but not the parts we need at that particular moment. its such a MESS.

Everyone has sex for one reason or another, but initially it's never love. I was puzzling the story together rather than the mystery. We hardly get clues as an audience. We are just given facts or speculations. We are not made to feel we are "helping"to solve the crime. I feel one of the problems is the number of more or less important characters. It's just too much to tell a story AND give them all an NC scene in every ep.

The last 3 eps. are the best, with finally some real progress and action and emotion that actually came through the screen. The last ep. even left me wanting more, so let's hope we get a S2 where the makers have learnt to scrap and strike!

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Not for the faint of heart !

This is absolutely a story where the female population is depicted as weak due to her emotional entanglements. The emotional and mental torture is too much to bear while watching the story unfold. I am surprised that aside from PTSD, she did not go insane. Unnecessary scenes such as letting the FL watch her husband being intimate in bed with another woman just horrifies me to the core, I understand that Chinese drama themes most often than not runs along the same lines. Even if she is the most forgiving and kind person, why would she subject herself to such disrespect.FL keeps saying they cannot go back to where they were before but then in the end she did the opposite ( I am rolling my eyes). I cannot imagine these are scenes and personal heartbreaking experience can be easily erased or forgotten just because the ML says he is regretting everything that happened. Anyway, enter this story at your own emotional risk and sanity. After all, each one has their own take of this kind of drama and we all can agree to disagree.

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LOVE IT!!

This is my first time doing something like this, so I'll keep it simple (or try to ;))

10/10 story:
I love the plot, and the small details hidden within it, for ex. Ji-Hyuk as a heart tattoo just like that Ji-wons dad would draw hearts on money. When the series is based on a webtoon I always expect something really good and this is delivered ( I'm even reading the webtoon lmao). I like how the webtoon resembles the K-drama a lot and that they didn't skip any part (not that I know of at least, so correct me if I'm wrong). I still have at least 6 episodes to go and I'm still interested in the plot (which is a miracle) so I think this drama deserves all the attention it gets. Also, I love Ji-Hyuk's and Ji-won's cute reveal (watch to know otherwise)

10/10 acting:
Of course, a rom-com isn't a rom-com without the rom-com queen Min Young!! I personally love her. The acting is also a 10/10 bcs of the way I raged in the first ep with Min-Hwan and Soo-Min (and throughout the whole series because of these two I swear...). They (the two actors that acted Min Hwan and Soo-Min) portrayed their hateable characters well and that's a talent.

10/10 OST:
I don't find anything bad or good in osts, I don't think it matters but in short, I don't listen or pay attention to the posts.

Rewatch Value 10/10:
I think this is rewatchable but I don't like rewatching series myself.

overall:
funny, has great acting, and gets you hooked.

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Lack of reason overshadows credibility.

It's a good series to watch overall. I congratulate the production team and director, except for the scriptwriter. Particular attention was paid to the clothes, I congratulate this team twice. Other than that, the script had too much nonsense. First of all, it was not believable that our Badukçu Girl went to take revenge on the king with the same face and the same clothes. Even though the king said he would kill you, he did not. Afterwards, I had to punish you, and after a certain period of time, he sent his guards and asked them to save him. However, for some reason, this happened right at the time he was going to be killed. Badukçu fell off the cliff. The baduk maker's own servants find him and save him. This is also very interesting, you are there at this exact moment and are rescued. Then this girl of ours comes for revenge, wearing the same clothes and the same face, and appears before the king. He's making plans to kill her. Do you think it's believable? I think no. Nobody understood why this screenwriter did this. In addition, those who betrayed were rewarded instead of being killed. It was ridiculous. Our lead girl could neither be a man nor a woman. Caught between two games. His acting was next to nothing. So it wasn't there. It was just an empty image. However, Jo Jung Suk performed phenomenally. He may have been crushed under it. I don't know, but I didn't like the actress. Apart from the male lead, Choi Dae Hoon who plays the King, Park Ye Young who plays Lady Gong, Queen Mother Jang Young Nam, Hyun Bo. Yang Kyung Won, Lee Kyu Hoe who played the Prime Minister, Guard Kang Hong Suk, and Child Prince Choi Ye Chan were good actors that caught my eye. Apart from the script, it was a successful production. The scriptwriter has done a shame on the series. I couldn't feel the love in the series, I couldn't get the emotion. It's actually a love story, but it doesn't seem to have happened. Looks like it had a happy ending...

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Fasten your seat belt!

March 2024
Wow. The brilliant Lee Dong Wook has made many action dramas and films over the years, and this is a stonkingly good addition.

From the moment he turns up at his family's home after a long absence, one just feels things might not be quite right.

Another where there is a lot of story, incorporated into a relatively few number of episodes. However, with this drama I didn't feel like there were any gaping holes. There was sufficient depth and character backgrounds (connections, experiences etc), relevant to the plot, to make it feel very solid.

It's an adrenaline, nerve fuelled blast, with totally OTT fight scenes that are off the scale exciting, but very easily bought into. I never found myself thinking 'that's ridiculous'.... far-fetched? Definitely. But totally fitting for a fictional roller coaster that's bang-on entertaining for every single second of exciting, nail-biting, viewing.

Brilliant cast, some very tough and clinically ruthless characters, and some harrowing scenes. Balanced, as I so like it, by laughs and buckets of dark humour, which never detracted from the feelings of threat.

I will definitely watch this again. FAB-U-LOUS. I stayed up all night because I couldn't stop watching and didn'teven feel tired... until after
;~D
That doesn't happen often.

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