Reviews

This drama died with plenty of regrets

This drama definitely had potential (my beloved Lee Kyu-hyung plays the sad dad!) which ended up being squandered in its entirety. And the score I gave is reflective of the enormous disappointment I suffered.
I can be petty like that.
Also, I would not recommend this drama to anyone except for Lee Kyu-hyung fans (who will get the chance to see his dimples in every episode).

The story is a quirky one and starts in medias res. I was truly invested because I love discovering things little by little and, above all, I love wacky supernatural plots.
The dead coming back to the living world after time and life went on beyond them is entirely fascinating to explore as a concept (one of my favorite shows is the French drama Les Revenants). I think it is one of those what-ifs we have entertained collectively since the beginning of human experience and a fantasy that confronts us with deep reflections on death, relationships and society. Therefore, I always have great expectations when a story takes up such themes.

Despite this promising start, I feel like the writer never really committed to any of the concepts they introduced.
The trauma, grief and the bereavement we are invited to delve into seem underdeveloped, left unresolved (in my opinion May I Help You does a better job on the subject). One might argue that for most of us the loss of a loved one, in particular a traumatic and sudden loss, stays an unresolved matter for life.
Still, I watch drama to escape the harsh reality and lose myself in impossibility and parallel universes of perfectly finite stories! And I would have loved to see the characters really explore the implications of the absurdity they are facing and grow their relationships beyond the state we find them in. Instead we are constantly bombarded with new arcs, fillers and one too many emotional scenes.
That is why I felt that the pacing was off and I was bored the majority of the episodes.

I am deeply supportive of mixed tones (I am a fan of dramedy and cry laughing all the time), but there were too many failed funny-cute moments in this and, at times, it was a bit awkward.

The ghost characters in the columbarium are funny and Kim Tae-hee is brilliant in her role and gives her character a natural charm that will win everyone over. Lee Kyu-Hyung is equally strong in his portrayal and I especially liked the adorable kid dressed as a girl (genius actor Seo Woo-jin that made me his eternal admirer with Young Lady and Gentleman).
All the characters cry very convincingly throughout, yet the writing was too weak to really amount to anything of depth and value.


Female Empowerment Score 3/5 Oh Min-Jung is a really sad character in the beginning with her tepid marriage and pseudo-motherhood but the last episode implies that it gets better and she won't be striving to fit in someone else's life. Plus points for the comradery between mothers.

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Pathetic romance Depressing story

Didn't know what to make of this. Beginning was interesting. Middle was selfish. End was pathetic.
Definitely not a comedy.
A selfish FL made it very hard to appreciate the sensitive ML who ended up looking like a loser for not being able to love without pity.

As much as I was hoping he would dump her, the open ending was dissatisfactory.
Just hope he never gets back with her the FL - the first time in k drama romance history that I'm wishing this.

For such a feisty female who had extra fine morals, to end up dumping her boyfriend for a rich doctor and then coming back to call the boyfriend whenin need......yikes. And destroying the relationship of that poor cop lady......

I only watch the romance genre and have a lot of tolerance for fluff, but this was not digestable.

Sorry to the full team......your hard work showed through but the story didn't cut it.

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Ditto

Somewhere a screenwriter was watching the movie Ghost for the fifth time and decided it would make a great drama. Just trade out a police officer who can see ghosts for the clairvoyant Whoopi Goldberg and Satoh Takeru for Patrick Swayze. The title I Should Have Told You a Million Times was even reflected in the 1990 movie. If you've seen the movie, nothing in this drama will come as a surprise. Having said that, the characters were all likeable enough to keep my interest throughout the drama.

The story opens with a Sixth Sense beginning, but if you've read the synopsis, the suspense fell flat. Thankfully, they didn't drag it out. Yui and Naoki were childhood friends who reconnected and began dating. On her birthday, he disappears. Along comes Detective Uozumi whose latent spiritual sight evolves just in time to see Naoki. Uozumi works to figure out what happened to Naoki while he's embroiled in another murder investigation. The three become friends as they dig through the past to see how old relationships and old crimes are playing havoc with the present. There were also some Ghost Whisperer moments where they helped a couple of wandering ghosts with their regrets.

Despite some repetitious scenes and obvious borrowing from other sources, I enjoyed the story as it unfolded. The bromance that developed between Naoki and Uozumi helped cover over some of the weaker writing. The suave Satoh Takeru and nerdy Matsuyama Kenichi had a nice chemistry. Inoue Mao showed how hard it is to let go as Yui held on tight to a man she couldn't see. With all the extra time they were given and a translator as well, it was frustrating that Yui and Naoki didn't work through their emotions and regrets. In some ways, their relationship came across as fairly shallow instead of an intimate love---words matter.

The supernatural murder mystery came to its natural ending in episode 9, but then they decided to tack on a wish fulfillment ending for the last episode that almost completely ruined this drama for me. With one little tweak they had the opportunity to showcase the perfect ending for a tearjerker drama but by dragging it out, took all of the emotional punch from the previous episode. In time, I will block out the last episode, grind through the five stages of grief and remember the other episodes and engaging characters fondly.

7/5/23

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Gripping

This drama is definitely a must watch, it's close to as if the glory meets the fabulous! I was intrigued with Seo a-ri and Han Jun-Kyung's chemistry and needed more scenes with them together ?
Overall each episode left me at the edge of my seat, definitely has a lot of twist and turns and there was never a dull moment !!! I really liked how they portrayed how certain celebs/influences can be, unfortunately not everything online is truly how it is, and this drama speaks volumes on that topic, and how hard and how far people will go to become known to the world and the selfishness of those who are already there. The acting in this drama was phenomenal and the plot twists had me binging this series! Han Jun Kyung and Seo a-ri was a unlikely pair, but I loved it, I hope there is a season 2 to see what all these characters are up to

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A 20 hour long commercial with beautiful horses

First of all: so much advertising! I mean, at times it felt like watching an elaborate commercial.
It was really distracting and my main reason for the low score.

Normally, I'm super into space-time paradoxes (among my absolute favorites within the sci-fi genre), but this is messy and, most of all, terribly boring (I'm so very disappointed in Kim Eun-sook).
I fell asleep multiple times.
By episode 5 one can easily guess the masked savior's identity and still fail to understand the mechanics of the parallel worlds created by the writer. For instance, how is it possible for universes that diverged for hundreds of years to have the same people, born on the same year and day from the same doppelgangers?! And how does it make sense to base everything on this premise and still assert that a different choice or being a second late can cause chaos in the space-time continuum?!!!

Despite their individual talent, the main couple was tepid throughout. The characters were dull and their love just came to be so suddenly that it was as nonsensical as the plot.

At one point I rooted for the prime minister, she looked like an interesting one with her political schemes and feminine outfits, but even that fell to nothing.

Honorable mention for Woo Do-hwan that tried his very best here and kept me watching to the end.

Female Empowerment Score 3/5: the three points go to the cool building owner and, in a smaller percentage, to the prime minister lady.

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One of the best Kdramas out there!

I can't even put it in words how much I adorne this show! Watching it felt like a wonderful journey. Its about finding happiness though small things in life as well as a journey of self healing. it has great humor, such wonderful story telling, deep wonderful massages, such prestige acting and visuals. The show is sweet, Romantic, exiting, lively and just wholesome. The chemistry between FL and ML is to die for! Such a beautiful love story of two very different personalitys colliding with eachother and turning eachothers worlds upside down in all the good ways. This show will often remind you to love and appreciate the small things in your life and to always keep going even though it can be Tuff sometimes. This show is a absolute most watch for anyone who likes Romcoms. No matter if your a Kdrama veteran or just started with such dramas this show will devenetly be for you!

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I started watching this drama just because I had heard a lot of positive comments about it, but I have got to say that this show is really overrated and some of reviews are really exaggerated. I tried hard to persuade myself that there was a chemistry between Tine and Sarawat, and sometimes I found it. I am not going to talk about plot holes and I just want to cut to the chase and ask ''WHERE THE FUCK IS CONVERSATION????". Have they ever heard of it? The thing that they broke up and made up for one episode was a travesty. Why Tine did not even give Sarawat a chance to talk and explain himself? And the thing that got me hollering at the screen was that Tine was pertinaciously trying to dissuade Pam that Sawarat did not love her. Pal, what is wrong with you? The chick said that herself.
I am not as pissed off because of this as I was while watching TharnType, who could not learn to trust each other after 7 years.
Ok, If you watch this for the plot, then you may get really exhausted sometimes, but If the only thing you care about is Sarawat with his captivating eyes and incredible smile (they got me too), then go on.

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A Mood Lightener

The drama is fun and fluffy, a very surface level kind of intimacy. Most of the drama focuses on the couple and barely anything on themselves individually, making it hard (personally) to connect with any of the characters. Though there is a bit of conflict, the story doesn't go into it and doesn't put much thought into it. I believe a good drama or relationship should have some conflict to allow the viewer to easily get into the story and immerse themselves.

Pros:
- Couple chemistry
- quick episodes
- calming/ light atmosphere

Cons:
- very little story development (not much conflict to move the story on)
- Little view of the characters' lives
- not long enough to connect with the characters

My thoughts:
I would recommend this drama to those in the mood for no angst and a short series that requires very little thinking to watch. It contains many fluffy moments that many viewers , good for lightening up one's mood. Though it is supposed to be a rom-com, there's not much comedy, but the overall atmosphere the drama creates is very calming.

A nice concept for a kbl, though not new, it is well made. Compared to another kbl ,Semantic Error ,which has a similar concept, the immersion is just not as strong. But the showcase of the couple is definitely better in this drama. More fluffy moments together.

The drama is very short and doesn't take much of your time, if you are looking for a short and easy drama, this is definitely for you. However, it might be because of this short episodes that the story is not fully developed.

As said before, it is, personally, very hard to connect with any of the characters in the story without good conflict or showcase of their personalities.

It is a bit overrated as the "best Korean bl in 2023" but it is up there so far (personally believe that Eighth Sense is better) due to little development in the story and nothing that is special or out-of-this-world. Overall, fun, fluffy, and cute, but too simple.

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Nuna love and the road to freedom

This is the first work for the duo Kim Eun, as a screenwriter, and Ahn Pan-seok, as director (they collaborate again in the production of One Spring Night). It is my final (and perfectly negligible) opinion that they work really well together and should continue to do so (in fact, they should involve Jung Hea-in next time as well).
The deeply feminine and insightful writing is capably rendered through soft tones and careful pacing and an overall aura of independent art film. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend this drama to watchers that don't like artsy vibes or slice-of-life plots.

The female protagonist, Jin-ah, is portrayed with such brutal honesty and is so very lifelike that it's almost depressing (Son Ye Jin is the best at playing these kind of characters and she is truly formidable in this role).
Here is a woman held hostage by her family and society's expectations: she is told to compromise and keep the peace. Basically, she is forced to partake in her own abuse only to end up being judged for trying to meet expectations.
Her unconventional love (older woman loves younger, orphan!, man...so shocking!) is the cue to realize the true nature of the cage she is trapped in and to finally have the courage to imagine herself outside of it.
Therefore, a bluntly realistic premise mellows out in an optimistic ending that, to me, feels like advice: Jin-ah frees herself, at last, when she stops trying to make people around her happy and tries to be happy herself (by physically escaping both her job and her family).
The superwoman concept of constant self-sacrifice is, in this drama (and in my personal view), less like a virtue and more like a heavy chain keeping women down. We encounter a number of female characters, each one distinguishable and multifaceted (all the actresses are fabulous), who are trying to find their own solutions to living with this metaphorical chain made of expectations. Sometimes they help each other and sometimes they become the jailor (internalization of mysogyny is strong in all genders).
Male characters, instead, are on the sidelines: fragile and cartoonish. When they are not actively harmful, they are, however, incapable of truly being of support in a struggle they don't fully understand.

I was once again weak and fell in love with Jung Hae-in (his sweet smile and abs keep confusing my feminism and I forget the bitter reality). His character's genuine sentiment and devotion are so innocent, fresh, so naive that it makes you want to simultaneously join him in his artsy illusion and smack him for being so cruel to make you think one can be forgetfully in love. Joon-hee and Jin-ah's romance works well, at first, when it is in its own bubble but can it survive outside, in the harsh world of social costraints?

OST by Yamagata and Carla Bruni. You either love it or come to hate it. I liked it.


Female Empowerement Score 5/5: Jin-ah suffers a lot, but in the end she wins her battle and is able to regain her self despite her molesters, her family's wishes and society's judgment.

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Let me review this title after 4 years

This was my first ever drama back in 2019, I rewatched it recently for the second time. Of all dramas I’ve watched, this is the most realistic. Actors play their roles perfectly, the plot is creative, the storyline is simple, yet with a lot of conflicts that are realistic and really tugs at your heart. Everything is flowing at a perfect pace. This drama deserves an endless amount of awards. This drama really holds a unique charm like no other. In terms of cinematography I can confidently say I have never, in my years of watching k- dramas, seen anything quite like it. Every shot has an amazing authenticity to it and the palette for each frame is stunning, it feels just like a movie. It’s good at focusing on the details that create a view of life seen through the eyes of those living it. It strays from the widespread use of commercial lighting and taking one shot from 20+ angles and instead focuses on the brilliant visual storytelling and the raw emotion between characters.

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Dominator domineering

The story was very intriguing, engaging and keeps people going from start to finish. First, let me start with the character. It was very well written for both protagonist and antagonist. Xu Fengnian is not your usual aristocrat's son. His character is very convincing and realistic. Usually, the story always beautifies ml, meaning that ml usually considered as a good guy, never does anything wrong, never lies and somehow always gets fooled. But Xu Fengnian is different. He carries the charm domineering aura of Grand Commander while still had that humor of foolishness here and there.

Oh this drama had some serious humor where it was super funny in the place you least expect. Sometimes even makes you confused, do you want to laugh or do you not.

I like that he was in full control of his emotion - we can see the determination, intelligent and affection. Zhang Rou Yun is truly a great actor. I don't even know how much screenshots I take because every scenes that he's in just mesmerized me. Jiang Ni actually surprised me a little. Her character justifies her personality. A little bit necessary proudness in the name of a princess make me understand why (the actually scary) Fengnian keep it cool about all the 'assassinations'. Don't forget that Xu Fengnian take after Xu Xiao's charm and aura, so he is actually scary not in the way that he hurts you, but in the way that he studies you. Enemy who study their enemy is lot more dangerous than you think. I won't say about Jiang Ni's acting, I found a bit lacking from Fengnian but the eyes of affection and determination was still there so it doesn't disturb their chemistry and acting in general. Xu Xiao, Old Huang, Shu Xiu, Ning Emei, Qing Niao and that Lin guy, I can say that they give their all.

Secondly, I was relieved that it doesn't mix romance in there just because they want it to be interesting. The story is not of romance genre, but I can definitely see the affection and longing, which was 100 times better that romance. I'm a sucker for slow burn so this is my tea, and if you're not, I suggest don't watch for romance. I'll always ends up complaining if the strategy and revenge kinda drama always mix up romance as if the main lead doesn't have the strong resolution at all. They suddenly become weaker while I myself believe love is about become stronger (and smarter). Fortunately SSS doesn't have that bullshit. Their story was interesting thorough and thorough, it makes everyone a third wheeler.

For the plot, the story buildup was perfect. The rising action was a bit confusing since you can't see the 'chess board'. But I promise it was super engaging. They played well. Really hope season 2 can came out soon, tho I don't want they rush things and make a ruin out of it. SSS, signing out.

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disappointed with the writing (start at ep 7)

Overall: I was hoping for continued character growth from Minato and Shin but unfortunately the first 6 episodes went back to square one but also circled around and around the very tired poor communication cliche. It pains me to rate this under an 8 but a 29 year old is somehow more immature than a 5 year old. 12 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala except for Japan, South Korea or Taiwan. This is my review of the first season https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/217311/

Watch advice: start at episode 7, end at episode 9 towards the end when Shu is on the stairs, maybe pick it up in episode 11 though Minato frustrates me again in that episode (Shu/Asuka have a cute interaction around 8 minutes), definitely pick it up in episode 12 around 9 minutes with the letter.

Content Warnings: manipulation, 18 year old and 29 year old (they way the story unfolds the age gap does not bother me), Shin is a bit aggressive maybe dub con though they are in an established relationship

What I Liked
- good recap at the beginning
- cute intro/OST
- callbacks to the first season
- some sweet/funny moments
- Shin seeks communication and listed reasons of why he likes Minato
- Asuka and Shu grew on me more and more as the series went on and how they talked with each other and figured out what their partner wanted/needed and tried to meet those needs
- production value

Room For Improvement
- disappointed how Minato constantly refuses verbal or physical affection, was hoping to see that he was working on this/had become more comfortable after 3 months, wish they had made him still nervous in front of other people but affectionate when it was just the two of them and then this season he worked on PDA (public displays of affection), in season 1 I excused Minato's behavior due to internal/external homophobia and societal pressure but in season 2 it really seems that he's not ready to be in a romantic relationship with a man (or really anyone due to his awful communication skills and unwillingness to work on what his partner wants in a relationship), even at the very end they show Minato as being reluctant or joking with Shin related to physical/verbal affection
- the cliche plot points, it felt like a poorly written fanfic story, I did some research and it is almost medically impossible for that to happen to Shin in the way that they portrayed it as happening, totally lazy writing

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