Reviews

A fantasic drama that is truly one of a kind

Recently in some of my online groups I’ve seen people bashing on It’s Okay to Not be Okay, so here we are, because I will defend this show until my dying breath. It’s been months since I’ve finished it, I’m definitely not over it and it remains one of if not my favorite K-Drama I’ve ever watched.

It’s Okay to Not be Okay is truly a one-of-a-kind show. I only started watching K-Dramas in early 2023 and I’ve watched twenty or so since, and for every other show there’s at least one other that I can compare it to. But there’s not a single piece of media that I have ever consumed that I could compare to this.

The story of It’s Okay to Not be Okay mainly follows three characters, Ko Mun-Yeong, Moon Sang-Tae, and Moon Gang-Tae. And as the title of the show would suggest, none of them are in any sense of the word, okay.

One of the things I’ve seen most people complaining about is Ko Mun-Yeong’s character. Particularly the fact that both herself and her relationship with Gang-Tae are toxic. I won’t refute that. She is, it is. But that’s kind of the point.

Mun-Yeong doesn’t care about anyone else, and Gang-Tae doesn’t care about himself. Throughout the course of the show, they both grow individually and together, allowing them to go from some of the reddest flags I’ve seen in a K-drama, to green flags for each other.

And while I loved the romance portion of the show between Gang-Tae and Mun-Yeong, I may have enjoyed the friendship between Sang-Tae and Mun-Yeong even more. They go through many phases, from Sang-Tae idolizing Mun-Yeong, to being friends with her, to hating her, to developing a relationship reminiscent of siblings. And it was an absolute delight to watch.

The pseudo family formed between Sang-Tae, Gang-Tae and Mun-Yeong was incredibly wholesome and pretty much made the entire drama for me.

None of that would have been possible through without the phenomenal cast. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better cast show. I can’t imagine any other actor or actress taking these roles, it was like they were made for them.

The child actors that play the main trios childhood counterparts for flashbacks were also perfectly cast. I don’t know how they managed to find kids that not only looked like the adult character, but were also able to capture the character.

Some of the flashback scenes and the parallels to modern day were my favorite scenes in the show. And they get bonus points for the stunning cinematography in those scenes, which by the way is a constant throughout the show.

The best episodes though were the ones where one of Mun-Yeong’s books is read over a scene. The books are all well written and are always a beautiful metaphor for whatever is going on at the time.

The OST is also amazing. The songs always fit the tone perfectly, and Janet Suhh who does some of the tracks ended up being my top artist on Spotify because of how often I got back to listen to the soundtrack.

In addition to all that, the set design is amazing, as well as the costuming. Every single one of Mun-Yeong’s outfits were on point.

I could write a ten page essay detailing everything in the show that I love, but I wanted to leave this review mostly spoiler free and not too absurdly long, so I'll end it here.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay is a phenomenal show that covers a wide array of topics, mostly involving mental health. It’s funny, sad, serious, beautiful, wholesome and thought provoking all in the best ways.

If you haven't watched it, I would highly encourage giving it a shot.

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Boring af!

So boring! Man like wtf were the producers thinking? A young Justice Bao is all good but come on, a 10 year old kid as Zhan Zhao running around with a sword and doing dangerous stuff? No! What were they smoking?

The worst part is that it all takes place at an Inn and I could tell it would not deviate from that inn because I am 10 episodes in and they are still there investigating the same single case. I know this is a young Bao Zheng who has yet to become an official, but they make him look incompetent as he is stuck in this inn trying to unravel a murder mystery while being unable to leave due to the outside being too dangerous, all the while being protected by a 10-year-old. Geez.

It started off looking really promising but hot dang the mystery has no pulling power and I got so bored so I am going to drop it. The whole point of Justice Bao is that he solves multiple cases - one after the other - using his wit and intelligence to showcase his abilities, but this drama is clearly focused on one case and one location. This could have worked but only if it wasn’t associated to Justice Bao. Why do this?

But the worst sin of this drama? None of the female actors in it are memorable. They are all just a mush and nobody stands out at all. Wait I take that back, there is one girl Zi Fu Er who played Bai Ruan Ruan who clearly had a main role but was… sadly… ugly. They somehow managed to make a pretty girl look ugly, and that in of itself takes effort.

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Death’s Game has an interesting and thought-provoking premise. There is also fun to be had from spotting famous Korean actors in cameos or supporting roles. The amount of blood is not too surprising since death is the main topic but it gets very very gory several episodes in -- the type that curls your toes and feels gratuitous after awhile. On the plus side Seo In Guk does a great acting job, as do most of the other actors. But I wish that Park So Dam as Death had showed a little more nuance or range towards the end. Her acting seemed monotonous after awhile. There are also some logic gaps in the story that one has to ignore.

Mild spoiler: This is a drama where nothing changes but at the same time everything changes. And it is pretty powerful as an anti-suicide argument. I give it points for that.

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3rd class drama

This is a 3rd class drama ..i watch my entire life ... after divorce marriage another. I can understand.
But the female lead represents basically complete slut . Like public wife . She want both male lead .
Like pron related. For entertainment trisome .
I recommended not to watch this type of drama . Fu_king priority here .
I also love female lead drama .. like legend of fuyo.. legend of white snake .... who rules the world .. last immortal... etc ... but ever drama .. misunderstanding presents. But not they become fu_king slut .. or fu_king with other ..
I don't understand why such talented actor actress play such thpe of nonsense drama ......
2nd marriage ok ... but i want to eat both ... this represents dirty mentally..
I recommend noble writers should think about that ......
Fucker must be killed.. in drama or real life that only accepted......
I think this type of drama .. can uproot a .. well healthy family or society completely..
Watching decision depends on .. the public..
My intention to warn....
Please don't ruin your life

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It's surprisingly easy to bange for the amount of episodes it has.

At first I thought I wouldn't like Vincenzo because it just didn't appeal to me. But after a few episodes, it became very addictive. It has a good plot, the actors play their roles amazingly well and the story behind each character is well thought out.
It has the perfect balance of action, comedy and romance.
The balance between the mafia plot and the lawyer plot was perfectly executed.
I also really liked the character development of the main characters.
The side characters were also very entertaining and were actually found to be important in the story.
I think the cinematography was very nicely done.

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The most satisfying ending EVER for a historical chinese drama!!!!!

I have watched a lot of historical chinese drama. Almost in all of them, they will closure the drama in like 1 min or so leaving us with so many questions. But ladies and gentleman, this drama has the perfect ending. We got all the characters ending and of course our Main Leads happy ending in DETAILS !!! *chef kiss* PERFECT ENDING. I give this drama a solid 9/10 i would have given it a 10/10 if only they gave us more details of the past life, like her affairs with the MLs, her emotions like why she was so pbssessed with having power and the empress position but most importantly i wanted to know badly the outcome of all the characters in the past life.

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Easily the most toxic relationship in all the kdrama I've watched.

Another one to add to the "pretty good early episodes but that's it" pile. Except this time, the 1st episode is actually hot garbage, then the next few episodes become surprisingly great once the script is flipped on its head, and after that, we're back to bad again.

Amazing to me how typical kdrama have had the same format of 16 episodes of 1 hour each for decades at this point…

And yet, most writers continuously can't manage to hit the 16 episodes count without adding pointless bloat. It's really not that complicated, just add side story elements that are relevant to the main narrative instead of boring slapstick that has nothing to do with it.

This one also has the additional problem of wanting to delay the main romance so much (because they hate each other) that eventually it becomes entirely impossible that they'd ever fall for each other. Their mutual dislike has been a central part of their character for too long, which is also an undesirable side effect of my point above on bloat. If they had properly mapped the story, this wouldn't have happened.

But it was doomed to fail anyway because they made the male lead way too toxic, like irreparably so. Somehow even worse than in Secret Garden and that's saying quite something.

It's a bit of a shame because the lead actors Kim Jae-wook and Krystal Jung were great, but their characters sucked. Unless your thing is emotionally and psychologically abusive men (I'm not judging)... don't watch this.

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As good if not better than the original Japanese version

As Ossan’s Love Returns graces our screens five years after its Japanese predecessor, I ventured into the Hong Kong version for a fresh take on the beloved storyline. Binge-watching all 15 episodes, I was pleasantly surprised. Staying true to the original plot, the extended runtime allowed for a more nuanced exploration of the characters, enriching the overall viewing experience.

While the primary narrative mirrored its Japanese counterpart, the standout factor here was the characters. Edan Lui's portrayal of Tin Yat Hyung (Haruta Soichi in Japan) was a masterclass in capturing the character's eccentricity and innocence. His reactions, though over-the-top, avoided cringiness, rendering Tin simultaneously lovable and annoying—an art that Lui executed flawlessly. Anson Lo, in the role of Tin's love interest Ling Siu Muk (Maki Ryota in Japan), delivered an exceptional performance. Siu Muk's confident and caring persona, coupled with Anson's portrayal, conveyed desperation for acknowledgment from Tin and the struggle to sustain their relationship against all odds.

With 15 episodes, as opposed to Japan's 7, the Hong Kong adaptation utilized the extended runtime to delve deeper into character backgrounds and intricacies, portraying the gradual evolution of relationships. The series seamlessly blended comedic elements with ample doses of romance and emotional scenes, effectively tugging at the heartstrings.

In conclusion, Ossan's Love (Hong Kong) excels in character development, weaving emotions through stellar performances from the entire cast. Whether or not you've seen the Japanese version, this rendition is a heartfelt homage worth experiencing.

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Gwan Hee being the source of entertainment for all.

This was easily the best season of the show. All the changes made in terms of production were spot on - from how the Inferno works, how many times they were going to Paradise, the casting of contestants, the MCs. Great combination for the entertaining watch.

For the cast, you might hate Gwan Hee, you might love Gwan Hee, but it's undeniable he took the girls, the MCs and all of us on a rollercoaster journey of emotions. His whole arc presents like a kdrama plot with decent character development. This old, yet I truly believe he is a child at heart (and maybe the brain lol). Easily emotionally moved, not knowing himself well, egocentric (at times I truly thought it's not like he deliberately was ignoring what others might feel, he simply could not understand and comprehend any other than his own point of view). And yes... I could not hate him. I was frustrated to the core, but he still won my heart.

Realistically speaking, the only truly good guy and the right choice was Choi Min Woo. The most mature, the most honest and straightforward, but in a pleasant manner. Did not pay that much attention to him at first, but by the end, I just wanted him to be happy.

For the girl, two that I ended up loving were Yun Hajeong and Yu Sieun. Hajeong was just a ball of positive energy and amazing humor. Personally, I enjoyed her interactions and relationships/friendships with all contestants. On the other hand Yu Sieun had this good and pure image that felt natural and peaceful. Could just had to root for her.

There were some contestants I could not vibe with by the end: Hanbin, Jinseok and Gyuri. I just honestly have no idea what Hanbin was doing there (I mean I know, the show is great for self-promotion), Jinseok just confused me a lot closer to the end and Gyuri was legit scary.

Another great aspect of the show was the addition of Dex as one of the MCs. He blended perfectly with the previous ones, creating fun chemistry on screen. He also added a new perspective of someone who himself was part of the previous season and knew how it might affect the participants.

Overall, loved it. First season was fun, because it was something new for me. Second was a complete mess, and this one is juts entertaining blessing.

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Simple but interesting ​

It was a different series. It was more interesting than its counterparts. The mutation was not depicted as disgusting to humans, animals or creatures. It is made simpler and plainer without increasing the level of fear. A different fiction was tried, I liked the series as it was. Of course, I don't know if the development of events has anything to do with reality. However, some of the events such as changing shape, going to another dimension, or poisoning may occur due to radiation or another substance emitted by a meteorite. Some of it may be imaginary. That's how I evaluated it. I found it different and interesting. I liked it too.
The actors were good too. I especially liked the performances of Huang Xiuan and Wu Yue. They suit the series and the characters attributed to them. I liked the child actors. A big Well done to them from me. Sandrina Pinna, on the other hand, was really a stranger to the series. A foreign actor was also a foreigner in the series. She was also a stranger to the series. I also liked the other character actors. It is recommended for those who want to watch a simple and different mutation series without expecting too much.

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I want my time back

The story started off good, with a lot of mystery and confusion which was the main reason I decided to finish the whole show. I saw the good rating and was fooled. What a bad decision it was to finish the entire show...everyone was just being dumb and blaming each other for stupid stuff...Also female lead is just there talking bullsh*t, saying stuff like don't kill! Blah blah like they're mafia and wanna live...they don't have a choice. Both leads also don't do anything throughout the entire show besides watch stuff go down. Also, a lot of things weren't really cleared up and just went with it.

Spoilers ahead**
When they found out the best friend was the mafia, why tf did they start yelling at her, blaming her, and telling her pls don't kill anyone? She wants to live. Nothing wrong with that and she literally protected her friends by not killing them and turning on the other mafia. Also, the ending "plot twist" was garbage. Wtf is that random plot twist. Parents want revenge so they decide to put all of them in a never-ending game, including the daughter's best friend.

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It shows real world or...

It really shows real world outside of our dramas. It not about bl but a person. His emotions, living ways and so on...

But at some points i found this show is really crazy u find any characters hooking up with each other but i kinda expected it.

Everything has come to MIDLE. Nothing compled like a hole drama i think but this also shows that life can change any time and cs of anyone.

It's good to watch but not to rewatch nevertheless u want ur head goes crazy


PC i want to know why did the director end them like that really want.. cs their casting contains really good actors. Maybe this way director thinks they can attract viewers

All of the my opinion..

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"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" - Sir Walter Scott

Playing catch up can be really fun (at times). I've had "Sky Castle" in my queue for a while. Mood played a part in the delay. I moved on to other themes after I finished a similar genre with "Crash Course in Romance." I'd had enough of bratty kids. Though "Crash Course" was good, "Sky Castle" had a much deeper experience. It wasn't long after episode 10 that I was already thinking about how I was going to review this show. Just so much going on and many roller coaster of emotions.

A father of 6 myself, I originally had so much to say. Even though it's from 2018, I'm sure the new Kdrama watchers will love it. So, I tried to keep it short:

An upper class group of families lives in Sky Castle, which is an exclusive and prestigious residential complex. There are a lot of academically driven residents and their kids go to a prestigious school. Family dynamics are explored in the series, showing the pressure parents put on their kids to do well in school.

The show highlights the fierce competition within Korea's education system. The acting was fantastic. Actors Yeom Jung Ah (Seo Jin), Kim Seo Hyung (Kim Joo Young), and Lee Tae Ran (Lee Soo Im). These were my standouts, but credit is definitely due to everyone else. Everyone did a great job. Characters are well-written and complex. A major theme of the film is the ambitious and driven parents, who often sacrifice their own needs and desires to help their children succeed. It's outright ridiculous in some cases. My blood was boiling in some episodes, while others just intrigued me.

The cinematography is also impressive, with the use of camera angles and lighting techniques to enhance the storytelling and create a visually stunning viewing experience.

Sorry I just have to explain my rating for rewatching of 6.0, which isn't terrible. Let's be honest. This show is a well-written "one and done"type of series. This type of story is structured like that. I like how the story unfolds with each episode showing you critical points, character revelations, character motives, and answering most of your questions. The second time around won't be the same. Those emotions you felt during your second 20 episode watch may be diluted, because you already know all the secrets. I feel of 50 folks that rate the rewatch at 10, only about 15 or less will actually rewatch.

Over all, "Sky Castle" turned out to be a very enjoyable watch and earned a high mark.

Wow, and this is my short review.

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Mothers in c-dramas have an extraordinary superpower - they always get away with "murder"

The only good thing about this drama is acting. Main couple has some really sweet moments together and if you are a fan of these actors you can enjoy their scenes.
Moral of this drama: do no evil, be kindhearted and you will get hurt, and if you survive, be happy with that. Do evil, be cruel and everything will be forgiven!

So:
- IF you love ML's mother to be evil, cruel, scheming, stepping over death bodies, mommy knows the best character - you will love this drama.
- IF you like when ML's mother is toxic and hates FL for no reason - this drama is for you.
- IF you like when ML is mommy's boy and has no problem when his mommy hurts FL, just because FL is with her son - you will enjoy this drama.
- IF you like when evil ML's mother isn't punished for her wrongdoings at all - this is drama for you.
- IF you like non of the evil characters to be punished - this is drama for you.
- IF you like when evil people who hurt others and do some really nasty staff get away with it and get happy ending - you will love love love this drama.
- IF you like to watch husband using and treating his wife like door mat and she stays with him - there you go, this is drama for you, you have second couple to enjoy this toxic trope.
- IF you are ok with death of nice characters - you will like this drama.
- IF you like when FL loses everything that she worked for her entire life and does not get really happy ending - you have this drama to put last episode on replay and enjoy her misery in settling with second best.
- IF you like a story that dragged out way more than it was needed - watch this drama.
- IF you like annoying loud music hurting your ears that gets so loud and takes over romantic or heartbreaking scenes - this drama is for you.
IF...

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A Cotton Candy Disaster

Im gonna start off by saying that i absolutely loved the main couples chemistry and also the side couple (qin feng and ho chi worshiper). I loved how innocent the male lead was and how he kept thinking kissing is 'eating cotton candy' cuz its soft and sweet. I felt very bad for the 2nd ML despite everything because I understood where he was coming from. The immortal Aunt's split personality is what really got me on edge. I felt bad for her nice side (bai li). Overall the plot was a total MESS. so many things were going on and things were all over the place. The female leads brother was also low key irritating. The jokes he played and how often he lied really got me annoyed at him. I cant really blame him tho, all brothers are like that. The ending left me feeling very dissatisfied since it didnt reinforce the closure it gave. It seemed rushed, nothing truly made sense of it. Like the plot itself, it was screwed. Overall my favorite part was the cute romance and flirting.


-major spoiler- its ironic how the FL was a tree hugger and knew how to care for plants AND she fell in love with a tree lmaooo

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