Reviews

A slow enticing mystery that ends on a disappointing note

If you love slow-moving mystery stories with cinematic visuals, this drama would probably catch your attention. If there is anything that could distinguish this drama from others, it would definitely be the directing style and camera work. The unusual camera angles, the entry to each scene, the dark and sometimes black and white perspective to indoor settings but the colorful charming perspective to outdoors, especially "the garden where secrets lie" were thoughtful and do serve the scenes and the story well. I won't call it beautiful but it is satisfying to watch. It also helps in sending eerie signals here and there, along with the soundtracks, although that mightn't last because of the exceedingly slow build up of events that needed more escalation at times to spice up the mystery (having only 8 episodes could make up for this though).

The performance of the three leads counts as well. The silent beauty of Joo Ran (Kim Tae Hee) who sounds like a docile housewife but still gives off a mysterious feeling that keeps her persona in question. The character of Jae Ho (Kim Sung Oh) who keeps you thinking back and forth of whether he is a faithful good or a controlling bad husband. and the sly portrayal of Sang Eun's character who sounds too pitiful but at the same time too spiteful to sympathize with, honestly, Im Ji Yeon was my favorite here although I'm not necessarily a fan. So, characters were quite well-written however not always well-developed (like her neighbor's)

The story itself is not new, it kicks off with a weird stench coming from the garden of a wealthy family's house then it digs into a possible dead body, murders and extortion but it does offer interesting themes like physical and emotional abuse and the hostility between the rich and the poor; some people even mentioned parasite and it really gives off a similar feeling at times.
All those elements kept me invested in the story and waiting for the final reveal which was rather dissatisfying.

*This part contains spoilers*
And here we go to babble about the downside of this drama, so many whys and a seriously questionable behavior of Joo ran in the finale that just wastes the potential of whatever her character was supposed to be!! why did she do what she did??? what were her true intentions? to kill her husband? to get rid of both him and sang eun? did she just change her opinion midway? no plausible answer can get to my mind and no answer comply with the final message or with how she was actually trying to save Sang Eun cause both of them could have easily got killed. I believe the writer could have conveyed the same message with a smarter and cleaner ending. That's all? no. There were some real stupid police moments all along and how come the husband was charged for Yun Boem's murder at the end when there's absolutely no evidence against him? Why is Ju ran even blamed for her sister's murder? I don't get it. I'd have also loved if there was more elaboration on the tension between Jae ho and his father and the context of him getting closer to and marrying Ju ran which would have gave us better understanding to the nature of the relation between them and how they came to that state, and guess what? there was more than enough time to reveal that.

All in all. The drama could be enjoyable for those who don't get easily frustrated by slow-burns. I would recommend it if you want to watch something a bit different in mood than most dramas, but I still can warn you of a bit underwhelming resolve.

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Ill-defined and unfunny

I could stare at Lee Jun Ho all day long cos that man is both gorgeous and a talented actor which is why I hope he fires whoever told him to choose King the Land as a follow-up to the enrapturing drama that was The Red Sleeve. I tried so hard to care but I was bored of the excessive and sometimes vulgar display of wealth, likewise the ingrained classism that continues to permeate most K dramas. In addition, there was something so uncomfortably trite about yet another subservient female lead and her equally poor female friends. Like, aren't these showrunners tired of this formula? I certainly am.

This is deserving of a 1.5-star rating, however, the site moderators are a bit overwhelmed with the Arab Prince controversy and have been deleting anything below 3.5 stars, so that's what I'll have to rate it.

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Great Start; Ok Ending

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

The series was enjoyable in the beginning even though the boss/employee office romance concept is nothing new. Unfortunately, this fades away as the series continues. The script started off strong, but gradually gets weaker towards the end. The last episode was ok, but a little bizarre and has my most hated story element. The script also had some very weak points. There are times it introduced things without any context to it. I also find the timeline a little confusing because there were no indications on the time progression. On a positive note, the script at least sticks with all of the storylines that were introduced. Well, sort of. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. Overall, the acting was ok. The new actors were not horrible, they just need to improve their skills. The more seasoned actors are the ones that shined. The co-workers’ actions seem overly dramatic, but I think this was done on purpose to emphasize how toxic some work environments can be. The cinematography was good most of the time, but there was some shaky camera work.

Random Note:

It was cute how they incorporated several nods to Lovely Writer. It was also great to see many of the actors from that series in this one. It was like a mini reunion.

I usually can keep track with how all of the characters are connected to each other, but I’m still confused on how everyone actually knows each other.

The English subtitles were good with the exception that it didn’t show English subtitles when printed content appears on screen a few times.

Although I was not bothered by the pacing, there was a lot of wasted screen time. Many of the episodes had a lot of filler scenes that were not needed. This should have been an 8- to 10- episode series because it really didn’t have enough content for 12-episodes.




********Spoiler Alert********

It was bizarre how the sexual harassment case was handled, but this is probably a cultural thing.

The storyline between Jaab and Jane was ok in the beginning, but became tedious and annoying by the end. I was not a fan of how Jane flirted with Jaab in the beginning when he knew Jaab obviously liked him.

I don’t understand Pat’s actions in episode 9. He acted like he was the one that confessed to Jeng and that Jeng turned him down.

As for the ending, it was a little weak. We get a 2-year time jump that serves no purpose. I hate series with time jumps because it’s just very lazy writing. It has a happy ending for Pat and Jeng, but Jaab and Jane’s storyline is left to the sideline. We see Jaab packing to see Jane, but we have to assume things are good with them with the little information we get in that scene. Once again, I’m confused at the time progression during the end.

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The eerie journey of two women striving to live as their true selves.

Moon Jooran's seemingly perfect life started crumbling down because of a stench coming from the backyard. This suspenseful thriller will then revolve around the reason of that smell. Moon Jooran ends up discovering throughout the show that she has been too weak of a person and has turned a blind eye on many details that could've saved the victim, her son, and herself.
Chu Sangeun's life has been hell on earth. She's beaten by her husband, she's poor and her family can't be deemed as one.

Although both of these women come from contrasting backgrounds, they have a similar marital pattern. Both of them have an awful husband: one's husband is openly a jerk, and one's husband is a sly jerk. We'll see how these women will handle them and bring them to their demise.

What I liked in this show:

- Casting -

Let's be honest, I think most of us started watching this drama because of the insane cast. Kim Taehee's first work after many years, Lim Jiyeon's "TaeHyeJi" collection, Kim Sungoh and Choi Jaerim who are outstanding actors. The casting was perfect, they embodied their role with brio.

- Cinematography -

There has been a very few dramas where the cinematography got me dazzled. It felt like I was watching a very long movie. I got Parasite vibes. The shots were all so well-made and suit the vibe of the drama.

- OSTs & BGMs -

Listening to the opening alone captivated me and got me invested. Music plays an important role and can itself stop me from focusing on the show. Kudos to the composer and everybody who contributed to the soundtracks, they did great.

- The last episode -

The last episode, especially the ending, was satisfying to me. Jaeho's only way to atone for his sin was to perish six feet under. What he did is unforgivable, regardless of the reason. He is a very selfish person and hides behind that perfect fatherly image to get away with his horrendous acts. We FINALLY managed to see in the last episode both ladies helping each other out to both be freed from that suffocating life of theirs. At the end, both ladies manage to live as their true selves. Sangeun is finally smiling and living, I'm happy for her, she lived a hard life. Jooran on the other hand lives with her son and stopped being cooped up in her house. She is no longer a weak mom, and I am proud of her for trying so hard to become stronger for her son's sake but especially for her sake.

What I didn't like in this show:

- The pace -

It was slow, incredibly slow. Not a captivating type of slow, a boring type of slow. I had to put a 2.0x speed during some scenes, which is something I never do. The long pauses between lines are good since it's a thriller, but doing it in every single scene becomes boring. Things are then not moving, it felt like we were going back to square one countless of times and it felt like everything that we watched until now was a waste of time.

- Many plot-holes -

The drama left many unanswered questions to us. Who killed Jooran's sister? Why? Was Soomin really pregnant? What happened between Sangeun and her mom? Why would Jooran still live in that house where many atrocities happened?
Many plot-holes and I really hate when this happens. Thankfully, this didn't negatively impact the drama since the main questions have been answered.

Overall, it's a nice watch. Make sure to fasten the pace of the scenes from time to times because you'd feel like you're just looking at pictures. Good job to all the cast and the staff for making a good drama.

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first love and beautiful growth

this drama was simple yet beautiful, sweet, realistic, relatable and swoon worthy. as i near my 30s, it was really lovely getting to watch a drama like this one. that made me think and reminisce about my own youth/school days. a wonderful depiction of what its like to fall in love for the first time. it was just an easy and enjoyable drama all together.

i would recommend anyone to watch this, especially on a hot summer day like i did. no crazy, unnecessary drama/crazy characters. sit back, relax and enjoy something that makes you appreciate your own life/love experiences.

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Sloppy Show

Story was tolerable but it could have been much much better. The directing was terrible, they were too lazy, they did not care how the show turned out. Very disappointed.

The cast were good. I know the ML and FL and other cast members are good, however they can only do so much. The acting team could not show case the full potential due to the laziness of the production team.

There are several instances you could see that there was no effort to make a better show. Let us do the minimum and get by was the goal. If the production team is reading this review, I humbly request you to stop creating these types of shows and switch your career to something you would put some effort.

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My experience

I was Zheyuan's fan. Last year in June I heard rumors about #ChenZheyuan & #ZhaoLusi will be starred together in a drama called Hidden Love. I was so excited because of this.
Finally when they started shooting I couldn’t wait for the drama. I wanted to know the story so I started reading the novel "Secretly Secretly But Unable To Hide It". I found the story interesting. Somehow I had the feeling #HiddenLove would be a hit drama.I like #ChenZheyuan that's why i was eagerly waiting for #HiddenLove. I earlier watched #ZhaoLusi's works so I knew that she was a wonderful actress. She would slay as #SangZhi. My fingers were crossed. Hoping best for the drama. I was waiting for #HiddenLove from last year. I kept all updates so when it was confirmed that it was coming in June. I was like finally I can see #ChenZheyuan & #ZhaoLusi together. After seeing the drama I felt it was worth waiting for a year.Nowadays when I see people’s positive reviews somehow I feel proud. From the very beginning, I knew #HiddenLove would be a hit drama & Finally It's happening. People are loving #ChenZheyuan & #ZhaoLusi chemistry.

This was my story 😉💙

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Annoying

All the character are not likeable at all and even if they are it only some scene. They are spoiled, selfish, and get angry over the dumbest stuff. First of all if they were served bad food they complained. If they were served good food they complained. If they were served nothing they complained. All they do is complained. Complained. Complained. And complained.

Furthermore, the drama centers around building friendships. However, given how much the characters dislike one another and how easily they get on each other's nerves, it's hard to believe that they will ever form any meaningful connections.

Overall, this drama left me feeling frustrated and disappointed. While it may appeal to some viewers, I found it difficult to enjoy due to the unlikable characters and the lack of meaningful relationships.

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Okay...

It started off good until we had the first trial involving the first student. The drama didn't do a good job laying out the information in an effective way, but rather delivered it in monotonous big chunks. I didn't find the cases appealing. The pattern became clear after the second case. Cycling through the students while revealing more of the main case along the way. Somehow they made everything and everyone very conveniently connected to the main case. This resulted in an over-complicated mess for the sake of building something grand and complicated. Despite of their attempt, they also created too many plot conveniences because they had no clue how to progress otherwise. The students' personal stories weren't good to begin with and cliche at best. There were just too many shortcomings in the writing department to count. The cast was okay but there was a lot of overacting going around, exaggerated expressions, motions, phrases and unnecessary edge-lord-like quirkiness. You may think the professor was the main character but shortly after, he became a support one. Some episodes passed while barely saying any lines. The director was trying his damn hardest to patch up this hot mess. If he were to be replaced, the drama would flop so damn hard. Thanks to him we got something kinda watchable.

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Of love and tragedy: Till the end of the moon

I don't even know how to start this to be honest...

If you want a drama that will give you a heart wrenching story with beautifully complex characters, a drama that will consume you to the point of no return then THIS is the one for you. The intensity that this drama made me feel is unparalleled with anything I have ever felt and did not even expect to feel when I started it. It simultaneously made me love and hate the drama sometimes! (coincidentally a theme for the drama as well lol)

Yes there were plot holes, inconsistencies, rushed parts, glaring editing issues that made the viewing experience a tad uncomfortable but due to an experienced cast and crew it was not detrimental. The STRONGEST points for the drama is the acting, the OST, the costumes, the script, and the visual effects + action scenes in that exact particular order i my opinion. The chemistry and the intensity between the main leads at certain scenes were so powerful you just can't help but be overwhelmed and just sit in a daze after an episode ends.

Now, for the very controversial ending that people has a love/hate relationship with. Yes, it was unsatisfying. 100%. Did it match the character arc? Yes. But it also created an oversight in the plot that the writers overlooked which I think could not be helped because of the chinese censorship of 40 ep regulations. This story needed at least 5 more episodes to tie up loose ends and give the main characters THEIR PROPER ENDING. The events that they labeled as ending was needed and valid but that should NOT have been the ending. That is my ONLY gripe with this show. I know and understand why they did it but I still can't accept it unfortunately.

However, to be very honest, the saddest part for me was not the ending but the fact that there will never be another Till the end of the moon. This is a very unconventional and ambitious story. There might be ones with more budget, maybe hopefully more episodes but it will not be this one.

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Another show rated highly because the actors are pretty?

I watched about 5 episodes and dropped it.

It's a decent show with decent acting, but I found it borderline unbearable for the following reasons:

1. It's PAINFULLY slow and uneventful. If you're looking for a fun, nice pacing, eventful show that will stir your emotions to really get hooked on, to me, this definitely isn't it. I can definitely see this show being compressed into a 10-15 episode show.

2. The demeanor, especially the main girl, is almost annoyingly reserved, quiet and shy. Basically, the poster girl that they want to portray in China. This is their ideal girlfriend / wife material, very different IMO from how it actually is.

3. I follow the news of how China actually is now, just makes it harder to stomach. They basically want to pretend to the rest of the world that their lives are filled with beautiful houses, an extremely peaceful and secure existence, with beautiful people. It's made to be visually pleasing for the rest of the world to view, but there's not much going on. A big facade to the chaos and mayhem that's actually over there, especially for regular people. If you watch the news, it's anything but that. I know a lot of these Asian dramas kinda do the same, but I think it's ESPECIALLY true due to how horribly they're actually treated over there now and in the last few years.

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Low budget but surprisingly cohesive.

Unexpectedly solid for a mini drama. As always, I loved Fan Zhixin's acting, and the FL and 2 supporting actors did amazingly for such a small production.

I expected a lighthearted watch and was not disappointed, but I also didnt expect to cry at the heart-wrenching scenes as Meng Yufan/Xiaofan struggled with some important decisions once she had fallen in love with Xie Xun. Her internal struggles were well portrayed, especially in her subtle emotions and gestures. There were overacting scenes as is expected of a mini drama, but the acting quality was actually quite good.

I will definitely be rewatching this again sometime soon. I loved Xie Xun, Meng Yufan, Murong Shang, Xiaotang, and even Feng Da Ge. I would also probably be looking out for any dramas theyre starring in.

Since the SFL (Xiaotang) isn't in the cast here, I'd really appreciate it if someone could let me know her name so i can look for her other dramas.

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