Reviews

A fun take on historical fantasy romance

Watch it if you like historical fantasy with a twist - this is a story that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Brief synopsis:
The female protagonist is a screenwriter who gets transported into her story as a side character who gets killed early on. Since she knows how the story is supposed to unfold, she does her best to change the events to stay alive so she can get back to her reality. It turns out it isn't that easy to control events, and when real feelings start to develop, how will that affect her actions?

This is a fun take on the historical fantasy genre where modern day persons travel to historical times. The FL is a refreshing character, and the ML does a good job of switching between devious and "puppy-eyed loveable".

All in all, this was an enjoyable viewing experience.

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Could have been 4 episodes shorter

As my headline says: I kind of thought this was coming to an end in episode 16, but then it kept going for another 4 episodes.

Brief synopsis:
The male protagonist, Moon Soo Ho, was as adopted into Jung Hae Ra's family when he was in his adolescence after his father died in a mysterious fire. He later disappeared abroad, where he became very successful. Jung Hae Ra on the other hand met misfortune, her family loosing their fortune, and both her parents dying.
She now works as a travel agent, working hard to advance her life. By chance she gets a job trip abroad, where she happens to meet Moon Soo Ho, without recognizing him from her youth. He on the other hand finds out who she is, as he has been searching for her for many years. He pursues her. Back in South Korea their paths cross with his wife from a past life, who was cursed to live forever after her evil deeds back then. She is still obsessively in love with MSH, so how will this love story unfold?

I have a bit mixed feelings for this. I kind of liked it, but then it did go a bit heavy on the scheming and the plots. I thought it was a little confusing in the beginning with the jump between times.

The cast was good. The main couple played by Kim Rae Won and Shin Sae Kyeong had some sweet scenes - they showed intimacy in an affectionate, sweet way.
Seo Ji Hye as Sharon really plays her villainous role well, as do Kim Byung Ok in the supporting role as director Park.

The music was a bit different, but I wish they could have used it a bit more subtle, maybe; I felt it got a bit too much in length.

All in all, when the story threads fall into place it works for a while, until it gets a bit too heavy on the plots. I think it could have been simplified a bit, and I didn't quite see the point of the aunt; her character felt a bit redundant, to be honest.

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The never-ending drama

I enjoyed many things about this drama. ..but it should have ended at 26 or 28 episodes. By the end, I was so over watching the same things happening again and again. A good story does not usually need to have it's characters coming back to life one after another. In the last few episodes, I was actually happy if a character actually died, and then stayed dead. And honestly, I only finished the drama because of the actors. They were great in my opinion. That being said, I personally didn't see any chemistry between any of the couples, which was disappointing. The FL had better chemistry with her keeper than with her ML. But that's nothing against the acting. And the story isn't even complete, but I don't see there being a second season since the timelines for story completion and actors ages won't match up. Which, of course, is fine, I wouldn't come back to this story. I will follow up with the actors though.

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Seems Deep in the end its just hollow

I have major problems with this show. It is wishy washy in the execution. Kidnapping is all cool. The female lead just changes sides like it's no major issue man, you gotta feel for the second male lead. What was even the male lead planning to do...he just roams around for the 10 ep and just dies. The second male lead runs away from home and can't stop thinking about the female lead but then the second when the FL and he meets they are all good. Bro was just used and thrown as required. Overall not happy with how they dealt with many of topics in the show, they just scrape the surface and move one. I don't seem to understand why the show is rated 8.7. Genuine disappointment.

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C-drama another attempt into futuristic/ scientific genre

It had potential of being a good drama.

Its either limited time or the writer and producer couldnt figure a proper ending in tying the loose ends.
The production to the series seems like there wasnt enough effort in differentiating a bionic person and a real person. what was the reason for hatred between the two. Also is this euphemism between foreigners vs residents intermingling with each other. (maybe cause they make it in a way that real people were the superiors and the bionic people were the inferior...)

We see a bionic person raising a child better than a biological parent. Two bionic people falling in love and and out of love, and one ending the life of their counterpart. The man-hunt of illegal biotic peoples. (this part did not make any sense, as where did that come from???).
Where did these bionic people come from, at first the story makes it sound like they were made in a lab. They are then sold into the market as nannies, lovers, workers, etc.
The next they just happen to be there , and you can alter a bionic person's memory into thinking that they are a real person from the beginning.
Another issue was that, telling the difference between a real person vs. bionic person. As side from a little programing "magic" and their eyes turned white. Otherwise you really cant tell them apart. Really disappointing that they didnt put any effort in that part to make it obvious.
The whole series was just a incomplete and had too many stories with many plot holes and not alot of time to properly answer them.

I was hoping that they were able to answer as to why, where, what cause the rift between the two species. With soo few episodes to this drama. It doesnt make it a proper drama. They just jumble some stories together and left it like that.

Dont get me wrong, the acting between the two leads were fantastic. Them stepping out of their comfort zone, I give them props. I just felt unfortunate that they were given a half-written script and had to act and guess/ab-lib the rest to present this so-called "drama"

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"DARE I SAY THIS IS THE BEST KDRAMA OF 2024....''

WOW! JUST WOW!! I've got no words for this kdrama, honestly. I am just flabbergausted such a drama had to wait till the end of the year to be released, like why?? But, let's start first with the cast, GOD DAMN! The casts is so unexpectedly amazing, i didn't expect the chemistry between Yoon Yeon Seok & Chae Soo Bin to blow up this big, like the chemistry is TOP-TIER, the tension between them is ONE WORD- INSANE, despite the 10 year gap, they proved all haters wrong with this acting. Just them too looking at each other already bring so much passion and butterflies in the stomach as a viewer. Who knew their chemistry will really explode like this? I'm so really happy for them....
Also, the plot, damn, the plot...is INSANE...

PLOT DEVELOPMENT
The story begins with Baek Sa-eon and Hong Hee-joo, who have been married for three years but live in silence, largely due to their mutual disdain for each other. Their relationship is strained further when Hee-joo is kidnapped by a masked man who uses malware to hijack her car. This kidnapper demands Sa-eon’s attention and threatens Hee-joo’s life.

As tensions rise during the hostage situation, Sa-eon faces immense pressure as he navigates his responsibilities as a government spokesperson while dealing with his wife’s kidnapping. In a critical moment during a phone call with the kidnapper, Sa-eon coldly tells him to kill Hee-joo if he wishes—words that deeply hurt Hee-joo when she hears them.

After managing to escape temporarily from her captor, Hee-joo’s anger towards Sa-eon intensifies. The couple must confront their feelings and decide whether they can overcome their past grievances and work together to resolve the crisis. The narrative delves into their emotional struggles as they grapple with issues of trust, love, and redemption amidst external pressures from politics and personal trauma.

Ultimately, “When the Phone Rings” is not just about the kidnapping but also about how this traumatic event forces both characters to reevaluate their lives and relationship. It raises questions about what it takes for them to acknowledge each other publicly and privately while dealing with the demands of their respective roles in society.
Thanks for taking ur wonderful time in reading my review. Hope you have a nice day and stay safe.

*Also the ending of ep 6 is so ICONIC*(WATCH IT TO KNOW)

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Don't need to have the romance

Every young entrepreneur should watch this drama. It's excellent "teaching" for all young start-ups
There's also lots of life lessons from the second and third couples which is realistic,well written and mature
I actually prefer the second and third couples more. The main leads seems a bit mismatched, both acted very well but just mismatched with zero chemistry.

The stylist/dresser is extremely poor especially for the FL. Shorts and short skirt don't suit her, just have the skirt 2 inches longer and adding black lycra tights will totally transform her from ugly short legs to posh classy elongated legs (don't understand why Chinese and Korean like this look, no European designers go bare legs and up to the groin, it's fit for evening not work) and that Zeng Di wearing evening dress with huge pearl earrings for breakfast in Germany? Hello? Having said that,the menswear are all very good including the flamboyant Mr.Lu

Anyway I enjoyed the drama thoroughly but I needed to edit out the romance or lack of for the main couple. Other than that it's a good drama and I learned a lot about start up and investment

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10/10!

First of all, i’m watching this because i really like Oh Yeju, so i don’t really have high expectation towards the drama itself. But after finished, i cried really hard 😭
The drama had really good approach about the plot and the story, they also makes really good decision to pick all of the cast especially the Yoo’s sisters, Oh Yeju as Yoo Ha Neul and Yang Uijin as Yoo No Eul.
I’m glad that Yeju potrayed Haneul because she expressing the emotion as Yoo Haneul towards us (the audience) really well. I wish after this Yeju can do another hit acting project to showcase her talent and hardwork as an actress. I hope she could be bigger artist in the future🧡

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Mind-bending, gripping thriller.

Set in a classic haunted house, one might expect this series to give you countless jump scares and glimpses of ghosts. But with a unique blend of Thai horror formula, a mystery solving and unexpected plot twist, this series diverges from scary dramas I’ve seen before. Although the plots can feel occasionally dark, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how easy it was for me to follow through the mind-bending journey. I'm hooked from start to finish.

Another highlight of this series is the exceptional performances delivered by the cast. From the main actors to the supporting roles, each member of the ensemble brings their A-game to the table. While certain characters have relatively weak backstories, their nuanced portrayals add depth and complexity to the story, creating a sense of authenticity that resonates with viewers.

Like any drama series, Don't Come Home is not without flaws. There are a few minor plot holes, and it drags out a bit in the middle, but the appropriate pace helps the story unfold nicely. And it's worth mentioning that behind the suspense showcased, there's an important message at its core. Overall, ‘Don't Come Home’ may not be a perfect thriller drama series, but it certainly delivers on the promise of excitement and suspense.

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Started off great, ended up disappointed

Initially, I thought this kdrama would be a refreshing story about depression, disability, and fate. But of course, it ended up being just another kdrama with a meaningless serial killer driving the plot. Honestly, the serial killer is my biggest gripe about this series. He's a nobody antagonist who came out of nowhere with a grudge against the leads for no reason. They spent zero time fleshing him out, with no mention of his motivations, backstory, challenges, nothing. He's simply a plot device driving the couple apart and back together. Not to mention how they quickly killed him off at the end and then boom happy ending everyone's happy. However, Im Sol and Seon Jae were delightful to watch, and their chemistry was amazing. The comedic moments were well executed, and their story was touching. But I can't help but feel the story could have been so much more. If they had followed through with their setup: a story about a disabled woman and a depressed idol, where she goes back in time to save him from himself, the story would have been so much more impactful. I really don't like how they just discarded those plots. All of Im Sol's struggles with her disability and Seon jae's struggles with burnout and fame are just thrown out the window in favor of a generic serial killing taxi driver. If I rewatch this, it will be for the couple and the comedy aspect, because the plot really disappointed me.

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Disappointed af. How are you guys even watching this garbage?

My god. And then they are saying 2024 is another good year like 2016.
NO.

Cliches after cliches. Honestly I can still tolerate them as long as the story is good with well written characters.

Queen of Tears was just not it. Far from being great.

They tried to be a lot of things and ended up being nothing. All the characters were surface written and lacked any depth. I found Hae in's character to be the most unrelatable. You do not need to be a rich bossy CEO to show you are strong.

Well Hae in was far from being powerful. She was just plain rude to the people around her and unbearably difficult to understand in the initial episodes.

The show had so much power and just so much potential to do better. They absolutely failed in everything.

They tried to deal with a number of delicate themes such as saving a dying marriage, the pain of losing a child (tho barely mentioned and dealt with thereafter), family conflicts and politics, rude ass uncaring family members who suddenly became THE happily ever after family upon knowing Hae in's illness etc etc.

It seemed like Hae in's illness was solely given to her in order to convince her family, and us, the audience, of the fact that she was only human and that she deserved to be loved. So I'm guessing the directors knew how unreasonable they had made her character.

The villain wasn't proper yet again. This is especially disappointing when you have watched The Glory. Sunghoon was amazing in that role and it kept me at the edge of my seat throught the series.
Queen of Tears fails to portray a PLOT. CHARACTERS.

Hyun woo is confused about everything in the initial episodes and even becomes happy when he learns about the news of his wife's illness and that she might die. I could personally never fall in love with a character like that. No matter how bad it is, you are a man of a good social standing. Whereas the plot only tells us about the lack of communication, there were a lot more underlying problems that weren't addressed. Hyun woo had an absolutely uncaring and trash friend who pretty much directed his life for the first 6 to 7 episodes. PITIFUL AF.

I could go on and vent but that wouldn't really help.

Man. I think someone already mentioned this but 2024 has already seen major trash dumps of hot shot actors. Like you know, My demon, Dr Slump and now Queen of tears.

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Plastic surgery that isn't skin deep

The individual case arcs were great. From DV to acid attack the main cases featured some heavy topics. The supporting actors gave powerful performances. The regular cosmetic procedures depicted various circumstances, emotions or fit in the arc. Plastic surgery and even reconstructive surgery are often barely described than sketches about botched procedures so its something to see it graphic. Also some psychological states were interesting. Nurse Yang is so lovely😊...

I guess the weak part was dragging out the myth arc through too many last episodes with misdirects and unconvincing explanations. I remember reading news of production issues long time back and something caused the delay in release. Still... It could have been tighter with better suspense and few more variety of cases put in before the finale commenced. I understood the link the main arc tried to create with plastic surgery and the title "Face Me" but felt that message got diluted somewhere. Also the mom was...uhh... There were some holes too. Bit of backstories would have helped better. It was otherwise straightforward and dropped enough of the usual clues(shown playing second fiddle always from the beginning itself gave away the possibility of having a complex and a one-sided obsession gone wrong) making the main arc ending obvious but that same simplicity worked well in how natural some things were. The cooperation between doctor and police felt right even when they went off the books(the mom tho...). More coincidences and circumstances than the usual being forced to work together type thing. Seeing the patients in the finale brought the initial few cases back to mind and everyone getting closure took a turn for the better. I felt for Nam Hyo-ju, was glad to see her get a safe ending to move on. FL's brother reaches a healing phase in his life too.

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CANNOT FINISH WATCHING

Unfortunately had to drop this series because the whole time I was watching, all I could think about was wishing Deng Wei was the main lead🥴
. I mean, Bai Lu is my favorite, but watching her pair up with the ML just wasn't cutting it for me. I tried to give it a chance, but I couldn't bring myself to continue. It's just a personal preference, you know?🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Hopefully, I'll find another series that will capture my attention enough to keep me invested. Until then, I'll just stick to re-watching my all-time favorites Who rule the world and Love like the galaxy💕😍🫶🫶

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sweet, warm, and realistic, just right, but not 10/10

In comparison to all other Chinese dramas I've watched, this drama offered an unmatched sense of realism. I felt like I was watching a natural love story unfold. Like I watched a real relationship develop from an outside friend's perspective: starting as a harmless one-sided crush on an older brother's friend and realizing a genuine affection and support for each other as they got older.

I think the key to this wasn't the acting, I felt like the acting itself was acceptable and good, but nothing jaw dropping. The main player to this real-feel was the story and writing. Having watched many Chinese dramas, I'm no stranger to the crazy schemes, plot holes, dramatic side characters, and unrealistic "has it all" leads. This drama still has a ML with a devastating and traumatic childhood, it still has a sort of crazy ex, still has a ML as a top new-face in the tech field, all of these are cliches, but this drama does it right. It adds just enough cliche to keep the viewers engaged and the story going, but never too much that it becomes unreal. The stories they presented us with, how the characters acted at their respective ages, and how the characters reacted to serious situations, were all very possible in the real world. We see the characters face adversity in their careers, family, finances, balancing the many parts of their lives, and etc. However, when we are shown these struggles, we don't see big schemes, dragged-on arcs, and the introduction of meaningless filler side-character stories. We get scenes about a character's emotions, conversations between the leads, and unspoken thoughts. This drama nailed showing, not telling. I think 95% of Chinese dramas fail at this. Things happen, but everything remains fairly calm. Just like in our real lives. I was able to appreciate how the leads built a relationship from support and trust only because I felt their problems were real. Their relationship, their conversations, their moments were all so entirely heart-warming because I felt touched for them.

The cinematography was also much higher quality than any other contemporary drama I've watched. Every scene felt intentional and just right for the moment.

My only qualm with this drama was the age-gap. True, a five-year age gap is really nothing. However, I will always have a problem with this part of the story because of one reason: the leads had an established brother-sister dynamic since the FL was young, to the point that the FL had the ML saved as older brother 2 on her phone. The drama doesn't emphasize much about the ML's change in perspective on the FL. It starts off as the ML seeing the FL as a naive little "kiddo", his words exactly. This is kinda set for a while, and as an audience we don't really know when he started seeing her as an adult. This distinction was never made clear. And I fear it's because he still partly saw her as a child even while he was pursuing her....this is where I think it's a little weird. Once they get into a relationship, they settle really well into it and I don't see their age gap as a problem anymore. It's the transition that was hazy. How can a grown man go from seeing a girl as a silly naive young kid to seeing her as a potential romantic interest that fast? The drama lacks here.

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