Reviews

Zombies and politics in Joseon Dynasty makes this show really unique

My best friend and I found this show back late 2019 while we were looking for something to watch without knowing a thing about it and with no expectations. Even with no expectations, I can confidently say that this show blew us away. It is such a good blend of a historical drama while battling an unheard of disease bringing the the dead back to life, making it unique and a nail-biter.

A Joseon period zombie show is something I never really anticipated, but Kingdom introduces us to a world of political turmoil, conspiracies, and an unknown plague that brings back the dead as monsters. The incredible storytelling and historical context is was i think sets Kingdom apart easily putting it up there as a top zombie show for me. Plus the cinematography was spectacular.

The pacing of Kingdom was great with each episode ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger that left us anticipating for more with each episode. The writers found a good balance between the intense action and moments of quiet tension with the politics side of the show that keeps ya on the edge of your seats, making it a binge-worthy.

The character development by the end of the 2nd part of the full show, shows how each character's motivations and conflicts are distinct to each character making each one connect with the viewers. The cast delivers great performances, bringing life to characters that could die at any given moment given the greed of the people in power and the uneasiness of the zombies attacking.

This is a show that has a great catch that makes it not just about surviving against the dead but also surviving against the living. This show will take you on a rollercoaster where with each minute of the show you will be amazed. Definitely watch!!

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Worthwhile for Dew fans

As someone who fell in love with Dew from F4, didn't get enough of him in Magic of Zero (too short) or Home School (too little spotlight), this is what I was waiting for: Dew starring in his own romance drama.

Was initially unsure how I'd feel from reviews about weak acting or storyline. But personally, I found it delightful to watch how Dew's skills are expanding. His character retains some Ren-esque moments of gentle reassurance and wisdom, but also exhibits leadership and competence. Some might find the self-absorbed, childish traits annoying, but to me it was cute and entertaining.

As for story, I never watched the original, and didn't have rigorous expectations regarding plot, just for it to not suck. Which it didn't. The premise didn't initially pique my interest, however the series had enough variables and turns to keep it engaging. Kao is also a talented and versatile actress, always captivating to watch. Mostly, I appreciate that the conflicts didn't center on romantic rivals, exes, or love triangles, and that more time was spent on external obstacles (the couple had to confront together), rather than internal strife between the two. Which just amounts to more happy/heartwarming Dew couple moments than sad/angry ones--basically everything I wanted.

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Great show all the way to the finish

Was an incredible watch covering bullying and the horrors it can bring not just during when it happens but for and endless amount of time afterwards. It is definitely a tough topic to cover and watch but the writers did a great job with this one. This was the first k-drama i ever watched with my mom and we were both amazed at how great the drama was. It was her just her second one she has ever watched and ended up being one of her favorite shows she has seen. Revenge type dramas aren't usually my focus on shows i watch because i have found myself sometimes getting bored after a while with revenge plots being poorly written by the conclusion of a show but the story and incredibly acting for this kept me interested the whole way. The cast did a great job with making every character so well portrayed to give us the feeling of begging for a character's downfall or rooting for their revenge.

Part 1 and 2 are definitely a need to watch

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Favourite contemporary dramas for 2023

Really enjoyed the drama, my favorite Chinese drama for 2023.

The cinematography was nicely done in terms of the lighting, the way the scenes are set really adds to the atmosphere. The director really likes call backs and also showing contrasting scenes.

Highlighting two of them, first negotiation between the ML and FL was beautifully done. From the closing and opening of the electronic door highlighting the conflict FL have internally, the music and showing of the time really increases the tension. Another scene would be the time when the FL knew about her dad's death, the camera showing the changes in expression both the ML and FL Then showing passerby talking about hotpot and then the camera pulling out to show the city, feels like it is saying despite this life changing event life goes on.

The main characters were great, they do not follow typical tropes and are more realistic. The ML really demonstrated a very principled investor with a bottom line, who is very charming with a poisonous tongue. Really enjoyed the FL character as she strives her best to preserve and keep the company. However, did not agree with some of her actions particularly in the later episodes, which was likely done to create a more dramatic conflict in the drama but I personally find it very unprofessional.

The OST fits the drama very well, this was particularly obvious in scenes where the lyrics were displayed.

Would also recommend re-watching it, as I found there were many hints dropped in the beginning which makes sense only at the end.

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I’m speechless…

This drama was so addictive! I’m definitely going to start watching more thriller/action dramas cause I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!! I was pissed off 90% of the time, but the end was pretty satisfying! I wish Apostle Kang got punished too tho!! She literally drugged people, killed her husband, and was an absolute NIGHTMARE!!! I don’t get why nothing happened to her! Also they gave Han Sang Hwan all the praise in this drama, but Deok Cheol did ALL the important heavy work, by staying in harms way 24/7 living in that awful place WILLINGLY to save Sang Mi!! He should have gotten thanked at LEAST!! I don’t even think Sang Mi thanked him, she said it to Sang Hwan tho. If anything Sang Hwan messed up the most! He couldn’t control his temper and would hastily do things that caused MORE issues for EVERYONE like taking Sang Mi to the police station! I just feel that Deok Cheol deserved more credit than he really got!! Also I was hoping Colonial Sanders would suffer more than he did! Anyway I will definitely not be watching this again only because I feel like my blood pressure skyrocketed while watching this and it’s just not good for my health LMFAOOO!!! ???

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Would Rewatch Any Day!!

A unique and captivating storyline centered surrounding two childhood friends filled with many comical moments. I found the story to be void of common cliches and filler scenes which I completely enjoyed. I found myself laughing in almost every episode as comical scenes were sure to appear often which created a lighthearted experience.

I loved seeing the character developments of both the female and male leads. Although each character beings with flaws their journey helps them to become better individuals and come to understand themselves. I especially enjoyed watching Choi Si-won's funny character and his friendship with the female lead. The friendship between the female lead and the second female lead was remarkably strong.

In terms of the OST I would say that it is pretty alright but not anything too grand. Definitely not the worst I have seen.

Some things I didn't like was the attitude of the male lead at the beginning but glad it changed as the story progressed. I also disliked the female leads tendency to allow herself to be belittled at the beginning but I later understood why she allowed such things to happen. There were moments where I questioned the second female lead's choices and her commitment to her friendship with the female lead, but I later understood her reasons.

Overall, it is an entertaining Korean drama. I definitely would recommend it if you haven't watched it yet!

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Interesting premise of matchmaking but lacking in Leads chemistry

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

The main reason that I wanted to watch “The Matchmakers” is because of Rowoon. The premise of the drama is also pretty interesting, especially when the story revolves mainly around the matchmaking of the three sisters and not a bunch of minor supporting characters in an episodic format.

Rowoon has such a pretty face that it is really hard for me not to like him in any role. “The Matchmakers” is trying to challenge me and test my patience. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked Rowoon so much. The introduction of the Prince Consort makes it really hard to like him. He’s such an irritating and know-it-all, I-am-better-than-all-of-you asshole. It took me a while to warm up to his character. On the other hand, FL aka the goddess of matchmaking, is a lot easier to like and to root for. She’s smart and kind. I love her deducing ability and perceptive eye in matchmaking. It was quite fun to watch. But, I need to put away my brain for a little and believe that her makeup can transform her into a totally different person, who even her own brother can’t recognize her.

When we put a book smart ML together with a street smart FL, we should see fireworks. Unfortunately, the chemistry is lacking. I’ve never questioned Rowoon’s ability to act totally in love. I think I am not getting that from the female lead. They are great partners, but not great lovers. Their romance is weak and disappointing, and I didn’t care for their forbidden love.. FL’s wishy-washy indecision also drags down the pacing of the show. The secret of FL’s identity drags on for too long. When they finally kissed, we got a dead fish kiss. What a waste of Rowoon’s lips and talents! The ending is somewhat predictable because that's probably the only way they could have given it a somewhat happy ending.

The drama also spends a lot of screen time on politics and family/female roles, instead of diving deeper into the three sisters’ romance. Their marriages are central to the plot and could have delivered even more comedy. I do find Sisters #2 and #3 romances quite cute and adorable. Sister #1 isn’t my cup of tea.

On a positive note, the overall acting is good. The King is fun and the 2 young child actors are adorable. The crown prince looks a little young and might be better to cast someone older. The veteran cast definitely outshines the younger cast. The production quality is decent and I like the use of natural lighting (candles and lamps). Seeing FL’s annex is like seeing an old Korean friend. You see that set in so many saeguks. Music is ok, and mainly musical scores rather than songs with lyrics overplayed.

I will only recommend this drama if you are a fan of the actors, or if you really like matchmaking. There are better rom-com saeguks out there. “The Matchmakers” should have been 12 episodes long instead of 16.


Completed: 1/7/2024 - Review #391

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Han So Hee killed it in this drama

Han So Hee blew me away! She showed a wide variety of emotions and she nailed each one every time. She finally got rid of her blank expressions which were noticeable in her earlier works but I didn't see one blank expression at all in this series. She has grown so much as an actress in such a short amount of time. She's no longer just a pretty face and her acting skills has definitely surpassed her visuals. I truly believe she deserves an award for the way she portrayed this role. Outstanding to the point she outshone PSJ on several scenes, eventhough PSJ was excellent as well. Love love love this drama. although it's fiction , I really felt like the dialogue had more meaning as if giving a tribute to what happened in the past in real life. You can feel the injustice and pain of war's victims while watching this drama. Excellent cast, very good script, outstanding acting.

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So high review but it wasn't 10/10

Story was great and there relationship from start to end was Great too

They wasted lot of time on her BOSS. 20 episodes, trying to make her cindrella and then got denied..

Real flirting started from 21
Relationship started at 27 episode out of 35
Other then her childhood divorced sweetheart there was no villian

she did not let him even kiss her,
She did not introduced him to her friends herself he went there and she has to....
She was smart enough to understand YUTAO was a scambeg but she keep in touch with him and let him manipulate there relationship.
FL Asked him to kept that from her mother but he went on to tell her
He look down on FL and insulted her
But she just accepted all that because he is her childhood sweetheart ? Ugly look sweetheart.
She don't ask her mother who told her about how is her boyfriend ?
At least a SLAP he deserves from FL.
In e 34
I did not get it why she even accepted yutao call and even going to meet that lowlife, if she have that much free time then she should spend that with her boyfriend then a lowlife...

GU YU TAO DESERVES A HARD SLAP

Boring for 20 Episodes

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"Marriage is war without guns"

Angsty domestic drama doesn't get any better than this. I loved how this was able to deliver jaw dropping twists and capital D drama while also providing the audience nuanced characters and enthrallingly thorny, complex relationships. You also get excellent SKY Castle-esque social commentary about how soul destroying it can be to have to constantly maintain the facade of perfection, the "show window" life.

I would feel shock and excitement but at the same time each character's behavior was always understandable given their psychological make up and background. Since the characters remain in constant forced proximity at home and work and can't just switch off their emotional and logistical ties to each other no matter how badly things go awry, so many scenes crackle with tension. The dialogue is sophisticated and clever but what remains unsaid as the leads try to retain some element of public decorum is also powerful. Even the corporate maneuvering is riveting.

I loved everything about this and can't recommend it highly enough.

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Fun Time Travel Romance

This was a very fun drama! I enjoy time travel romances such as Live Up to Your Name and Mr. Queen, so this was a nice new drama in the same vein. The main couple's relationship development was really well done, moving from initial dislike to eventually being head over heels for each other. The secondary couple was adorable and hilarious as well! I loved Sa Wol's character. I also really liked Tae Min - I appreciated the development of his relationships with his brother and SIL.

I also liked how Tae Min's mom wasn't pigeonholed into being a complete villain and was portrayed as a three dimensional, believable character. I'm happy that things worked out for her in the end. I wasn't super happy about what happened to the grandpa since it didn't feel completely believable - it was very makjang imo.

Characters aside, I thought that the past and present life's parallel storylines were quite well done. The reveal that the grandpa was the real villain was decently built up. I also liked seeing the differences between the first and last episodes. The lady with mystical powers was a good plot device to tie things together. Finally, Yeon Woo's arrival to New Joseon was absolutely hilarious and really made the first few episodes for me! Dol Se the vacuum deserves an honorable mention for his sacrifice.

Overall, despite the large amount of chaebol infighting, I thought that this was a fantastic drama. The acting was excellent, the romance was sweet, funny, and believable, and the storyline was fun and exciting. The balance between humor and seriousness was also really well done throughout. 9 stars.

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Love it or Hate it

I feel like this is one of those dramas you either love or hate. On one hand, I found it entertaining. On the other hand, the plot was full of holes. It's a fish out of water story that involves a Joseon girl time traveling to modern day Korea. Unlike most leads in a fish out of water plot, FL is a quick study and adapts to modern life very quickly to the point that it's kind of unrealistic (but so is time travel so who am I to say anything). I found this drama to be mediocre, especially with the business succession part of the drama. However, I loved the cast, especially the lead actress (Lee Se Young). The main couple was also very cute together, but how they meet and fall in love is a bit cliché. The outfits were one of my favorite things about this drama. FL's outfits were simply gorgeous. I also loved the dorky secondary couple who acted as comedic relief. The last few episodes were a bit draggy which lowered my rating a bit. It's not a bad watch and even entertaining if you shut your brain off and enjoy the show. They even throw in a few good twists. Don't ask me how or if they make sense. I personally was satisfied with the ending, although I know a lot of people were disappointed. They certainly leave a lot of loose ends.

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Good chemistry, plot holes, unsatisfying ending

Chemistry : 10/10
Kiss : 10/10
Breakup :
Annoying second leads ? : kinda
Any secondary couples ? : Yes
Happy ending? : Yes, 2 min HE
Ending : 5/10
Wedding? : Yes, 2 weddings
Any kids ? : No



Positives points :
- What I love the most about this drama is the chemistry, dynamic and relationship of the leads. I continued mostly for that.
- I love the comedy and the friendship
- the cinematography is beautiful
- the second couple, they are fun to watch

Negatives points :
- the plot was promising, but in the end not that good for me and boring for some eps or moments. I actually wasn’t that hooked after the first 2 eps. But some thing still surprised me, I actually didn’t see it coming that his grandpa was a bad guy.
- Could stand ML’s brother for most of the drama. For me, he was a creep, weird guy for many eps. His comments or reactions regarding FL and mostly his liking for her made me uncomfortable and that was weird.
- the plot holes, feel like things weren’t explained or didn’t make sense
- how the time travel plot is written
- the ending is surely the part that made my rating go down a little. Didn’t like it. Waste of time, why made her stay in the past for the entire ep. It was just sad moments and uninteresting for me since she didn’t want to have a relationship with past him, she loves present ML. I found it weird people wanting her to stay in the past, have a relationship with past him. I just wanted more moments and a good ending in the present. She could have gone back sooner, like 20-30 min before than end so we can have a good and satisfying ending. We also didn’t see her reuniting with her best friend. But no, they went with the 1-2 min reunion. I’ve seen that annoying ending enough in Cdramas. First time I see an ending like this for a kdrama, expect my Dearest ending maybe. For me an ending like this seems like just wanting to dump a « HE » for the viewers. Also, the whole thing with the 2 Tae Ha and the kinda love triangle was weird. Plus, I agree with some comments that they could have made her appear in the pool and recreate the first ep.
Yeah, they added like 2 more minutes at the very end with the wedding. Cute, but still not satisfying. I would have like better to see more of them living happily for like 20 min or with kids or what happens with her career than seeing a wedding again.

Overall for the romance, it’s a good watch, so I would recommend even if I didn’t like it that much. I was expecting something better before starting.

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