Reviews

Wasted potential

I won't get into the nitty gritty since this is quite an old drama. I was interested because it is coming with a sequel and I am sucker for fantasy.
Plus for this drama:
1. Lee dong wooks acting /portrayal as lee yeon. The character is not well fleshed out well thought out, no complex characterization, no character development that he goes through via trials and tribulations which is supposed to make a character interesting. The character works because of lee dong wook ONLY. He brings all his veteran actor charm skills and good looks to this.
2. Lee rang. One of the best written kdrama character with the worst ending. I liked that lee yeon came back but his death made no sense. In fact nothing after 7-8 episodes did much.
3. Lee rang and lee yeons brotherly dynamics were easily the best thing of this show and helped me get through it.
Negatives in order of intensity:
1. The romance: Dragged out, poorly developed, nonsense, cringy and towards the end utterly totally annoying. Kdrama romances barely get romance right despite kdrama romances being known worldwide. Insta love with razzle dazzle.
2. The female lead: Turned into a helpless.damsel in distress within 5 episodes of the show. Her storyline with her parent was the stupidest arc I've seen which led to nothing for the plot when much time was wasted in finding her parents in the first place. No explanation as to why she was chosen as the sacrifice for the snake. She is bland Mary sue that you feel utterly nothing about and will be happy that she dropped dead.
3. The villain: imugi is the flattest villain I've seen. I'm sorry but the neighborhood cat with a grudge against my cat is a better convincing villain than him. His motives made sense given he hates lee yeon and hates humans. But there is no feeling to it like it was with Darkness.
4. The plot: *sigh* where to start?.This is about a mythological being but hardly any mythology is discussed. We don't know lee yeons parents, his time as a deity even his tails are shown once and then never again when ironically it's named tale of the nine tailed (huh!). Not even with the fight with imugi, the big boss. The parents were conveniently forgotten after being saved. We don't know what exactly happened to her parents, they had no effects and adjusting to modern world like nobody's business with no neighbors relatives friends asking why the hell these people who are supposed to be dead appeared out of nowhere, except for being hostages they offered nothing pretty much like those colleagues she worked with. An all powerful deity supposed to be as powerful as a gumiho was just struck in the head like some common human and fell unconscious. No explanation as to why even the non human characters except for lee yeon can be mind controlled. Lord of samdocheon was an equally potentially complex character and victim of bad writing. Thousands of humans died, no one except her cared. Lee yeon reincarnated but with the same face and likely as a fox. So all that shabang was for nothing. ?? I won't go forward anymore since we will be here all day otherwise.


This could have been the next big thing but yeah it as usual with these dramas is a major clusterfuck because writers can't see beyond their tunnel vision of pursuing a forced genre and trope. I have read fanfiction with better writing.

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Actually I get mixed feelings about this drama

First of all, the story is interesting. I watch a lot of drama and in this drama, I didn't guess the culprit until episode 12. They didn't give a hint. Also, I didn't expect the woman plans everything just to sit in the palace. No one realizes what happens in the place. Sorry, but I think this is a little bit silly. I know the king is scared of politicians but he doesn't do anything in the end. He knows the queen came from his enemy's family, but he never doubts his wife. Everyone is very kind and naive in the king family -_-

I love female characters. They are strong. Their fighting scene is very funny and active. They are smart. They don't wait for a hero and take their own revenge. They always say what they have in their mind and believe their own way. I really like their independent soul. But in the end they accept everything easily. They kill her all family and she just lets them go. I don't like it.
Romance scenes aren't enough. Prince never shows his feeling very well. We see that the second couple express their feeling more. Ga Ram and Myung Jin show their feelings better.

This drama has humorous. You can laugh a lot. Especially when four people (Crown Prince, Mİn Jae, Ga Ram and Myung Jin ) gather together, they are very funny.

Also Crown Prince's guardian Tae Gang, I see an actor for the first time and he is playing two roles at the same time. I think he has the potential to be a good actor. The first time he played in a very big project and two roles. Everyone cant do that. Respect:)

I know villains lost their home and their family. But also they kill a lot of innocent people. I can say they are right. They are also bad people and don't deserve a happy ending.
Have a nice watch:)

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OK Plot and Acting, just bad costumes

The plot and acting of this mini-series is OK, it is the poor costume and hairdos that strangles this mini-series. All the main and support characters either dress up poorly or have bad hairdo, and the whole thing makes the cast looks a bit ridiculous. The main FL's dress/costume is especially dreadful, so is her ridiculous hair piece. I pity her and the ML most for having the worst costume & makeup. (I checked their profile photos, they are quite good looking in real life.).

Some of the female servants have their pretty long hair out while working (a surprise to me - why servant characters allowed to have better hairdo than the main leads?).

I can't comment about the background music, but the voices I heard from some sections of the youtube clip (in Chinese) sound unattractive (guess the clip I saw was in its very raw form).

Let hope the cast here (especially the FL & ML) will be luckier in the future (ie, get chosen for some better budget productions).

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Makes your blood boils

This is a drama jammed packed with action and humour, although at times a bit snapstick. This drama is quite violent by my standard and I would only recommend it to mature adults.

Vincenzo, a consigliere of an Italian Mafia family was in Korea to retrieve an illegal hidden trove of gold. But instead he found himself drawn into a fight for justice after the villain and his accomplice murdered a number of innocent people to cover up his illegal activities. Together with the daughter of a murdered friend, they pitted their wits against a duo of psychopaths: a sly ruthless lawyer and a wealthy cunning narcissistic brat with their network of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Did he manage to retrieve his gold in the midst of the distraction?

What I like about this drama?

1. Full of action
2. Fight for justice
3. Demonstrate how corruption can infiltrate a democratic society
4. Smoking hot first and second lead actors. Very often a second lead could make a lot of difference and sometimes overshadow the lead. Although Ok did not overshadow Song in this drama, I must say he is really good and smoking hot.
5. Outstanding cast, both lead and supporting - all were outstanding
6. Very entertaining

What I dislike about this drama?

1. Vincenzo's fight for justice is commendable but the final episode when he raved about how he handled his enemies back in Italy is a bit twisted.
2. The story has a number of loopholes and this is the biggest: the idea of buying a commercial building, digging out a basement to hide a large load of gold and then killing all the movers is a bit silly in a modern day setting. The construction of the basement and move of the gold could be very inconvenient - almost impossible for the rest of the tenants not to suspect anything.
3. It seems a bit too easy for Jang and Choi to manipulate the politicians, justice system and investigation bureau - is the system really so fragile?
4. It would be nice if Vincenzo has done something for the tenants especially since they had helped him so much. It seems he just pocketed almost all the gold except for some for his few immediate helpers.

Overall, an excellent production - highly recommended.

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Charming high school days but not so much in the present

I'm not too sure what I was expecting when I started this drama, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the portrayal of what pure young love is like. I kept bracing myself to cry buckets or for some horrible tragedy to strike (I guess I was thinking of 1 Litre of Tears haha), but I'm happy to report that you'll get many bittersweet moments instead and a happy ending.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this drama, I have to say that were a few things that did bug me, which is why I didn't give it a full score.

1. I found myself looking forward to the high school flashbacks versus the present scenes:
This is one of the rare cases where I felt like the high school actors of the two protagonists out-performed their present-day counterparts. The young actor who played Harumichi, especially, was perfectly cast and their love story was so sweet. Granted, there are reasons why their adult character aren't as carefree and have been shaped by past unfortunate events, but the fulfilling past love story made me crave for more of that in the present. Despite this, I still think both adult actors gave really excellent performances and played their roles perfectly despite the weak plot in the present timeline.

2. A lot of unnecessary scenes that didn't contribute to the overall narrative of the story:
- That random sex scene between Harumichi and some girl he picked up at the bar (like, ok, so you're saying he's lived a full life after Yae?)
- The drawn-out scenes on the development between how Harumichi and Tsunemi started dating. Leading up to this, we already sense that Harumichi would inevitably break up with his fiance because of his deeply-seated feelings for Yae, so what's the point of showing us how he ran to her after an earthquake? We know there won't be any conclusion for them anyway and I was honestly quite bored with that arc and had to patiently wait for him to finally break up with her.
- The long karaoke scene between Yae and Uta was weird since they only met once briefly in the taxi.
- The awkward scenes that mentioned COVID-19 - I understand that it's part of the timeline but it wasn't necessary to mention imo since it doesn't affect or change their story in any way. It's like saying, oh yea, so this happened (for me, this took away the time we got to see the leads finally together in the last episode).

3. Inconsistencies:
There were a few but the one big one that left me confused was when Yu (Harumichi's younger sister) looked like she wasn't aware of Yae's memory loss in the hospital scene after Harumichi saved Yae from falling down the stairs.
BUT in episode 8, you see Yu secretly telling Tsunemi that Harumichi's first love has amnesia when she visited his family. That scene was clearly before the hospital scene because Yu's daughter was only 4 years old, versus 10 years old when she was visiting him at the hospital.

Towards the end, I feel like there's just something...missing...
I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to describe this accurately, but there were a few scenes that left me wanting MORE because they were supposed to be really climactic moments but we don't really get these emotional moments that should have come with the events.

For example, when Yae regains her memories - I wish they had a few more scenes to show how heartbroken she was to have forgotten about a person who was such a BIG part of her life. Yes, she cried, but it wasn't the heartbreaking kind that truly displayed all the loss she felt - I just wish it was elongated a little more and made her think about the chances that passed her by had she remembered. The moment when they reunited in Iceland was also quite anti-climactic and felt very rushed - there was not explanation as to WHY he chose to leave the country in the first place and we don't get any confessions from Yae's mom admitting what she did. Those small details were all glossed over and so many strings left untied.

I know it was supposed to be a satisfying ending, but my heart wasn't as filled as it could have been had the script been executed better or at least been fine-tuned a bit. I just feel like there was SO much potential for this drama to have been excellent but it ended up being just good.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this drama despite its flaws and I was completely enamored from episode 1. I really reallyyy loved how the timelines weren't sequential and were revealed slowly, almost like peeling back layers of an onion to form the whole story. I would still highly recommend this, especially if you're in the mood for a romance drama that will pull on your heartstrings. Just don't expect a completely ironed-out story and you'll enjoy this a lot.

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The best way to describe this show is really a huge mess but kind of a fun one.

The harmony at the beginning of each episode is 10 out of 10!

The production is really pretty but I expected that if its going on Netflix. Mi Ran is a weird character though I like her the way she dressed up in all black beating up a thief lol it's giving Revenge of others. Her dancing skills are top tier! and her interactions with her boss are funny af.

I love the bromance from Won Jun and Kang Ho! Now all I need is some sismance between Mi Ran and Na Eun <3

The show wasn't really funny the only funny bits is subtle scenes I don't know why because I'm big fan of over exaggerated comedic acting but this is just not for me also the entire plot is founded on Kang Ho liking Mi Ran because "she's not like other girls" and it genuinely pisses me off.

The way I feel about Kang Ho is literally the title, it's a love and hate relationship I really do love to hate him, I try not to because I know for a fact later on we're going to need to like him but sometimes he just opens his mouth and I'm just like can I sew it shut please!? I beg, what do you mean as a birthday gift you get to go in one date with me no-one wants to go on a date with you!!! But then they kiss and I'm like maybe one date won't hurt also I was side eyeing Won Jun so hard, what do you mean Mi Ran triggered Kang Ho's attack!! If anyone crossed the line it's him, all she did was kiss him back.

I'm a big fan of fake dating so everything before episode 5 I might just forget it and pretend that the series starts from there because so far episode 5 has been my favourite.

YES YES YES YES UMM YES!! GET THE BESTIES DATING IM ALL FOR IT!! BECOME MY FAV COUPLE RIGHT NOW YESSSSSS

Mi Ran has problems with men and doesn't get along with her dad while Kang Ho have problems with women and doesn't get along with his mum. The mummy/daddy issues are jumping out right now...

Na Eun was wayyy too into Won Jun just cause he's good looking like he is but please let there be some character development where she sees his good sides and He stops being kinda of a jerk, trust me I KNOW he's good looking but control yourself girl.

I feel like there was a better way for information to get traded in this series because why is Won Jun telling Mi Ran Kang Ho's entire backstory?? And vice versa to me its like a betrayal, total betrayal of privacy.

Kang Ho's before and while liking Mi Ran was too different there was no smooth transition, makes it almost unbelievable that he actually likes her. Might have been the goal but I don't like it cause we're watching this from a third person perspective not first. Kang Ho and Mi Ran's relationship was also moving too fast, I feel like I was missing something. Maybe I just didn't expect this from a Korean drama or it genuinely just had a shaky foundation.

I LOVE YOU?!?! Y'all just started dating for real TODAY!?! the pacing is so messed up... (don't get me wrong my feet were kicking and I was twirling my hair and giggling while it was going on but damn I love you already?!)

Okay the plot is "you're not like other girls" but it's more like "you're not like other girls I KNOW" (cause trauma) which still annoys me but I'll let it slide.

The baby voice kills me the second this girl is in a relationship her personality does a 360 lmao but Kang Ho baby talk "doenjang-jjigae" is way cuter than hers, it wins by a mile <3

The main character's respective best friends sitting down so they can crush each other's hopes in dating each other even though I'm pretty sure they like each other is the weirdest thing I have ever witnessed in a drama. It's like when couples say no you hang up first but instead it's no you crush my hopes in ever dating you, first please. Was weird but I like them so I'll settle for the scene but Na Eun, you play too many mind games.

The longer the show goes on the worst it gets tbh.

Won Jun and Na Eun please stay away from each other cause these games are actually stupidly annoying. The girl in blue with Won Jun at Kang Ho's party though damn, got me rethinking my entire sexuality how can yo u look so gorgeous!!

The whole secret relationship thing I also thought they could do it but why didn't they tell their friends that was the dumbest shit ever, you can't be vigilant 24/7 you need someone to have your back and I was trying to yell out all the time TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS!! And then after they created this mess, Kang Ho is here like hyung, otoke?? YOU SHOULD HAVE OTOKE FOR SOME ADVICE BEFORE!! Why does Won jun have to now clean up your mess, you did whatever the fuck you wanted before do that now. Now Kang Ho is trying to guilt trip his bestie into helping him, he was there for you before and you LIED, y'all don't deserve him for real.

Won Jun and Kang Ho fighting like children, I love them!! Tbh I have a love hate relationship with the entire cast except Soo Jin my baby does nothing wrong <3

I really enjoy Mi ran and her ex together a mess but a fun one.

The best way to describe this show is really a huge mess but kind of a fun one.

When Won Jun is on screen there's only three emotions 1 I am infatuated with his looks 2 laughing because he is hilarious or 3 I'm cringing like now as he shows up in the Limousine, literally paused and threw my headphones because what the actual fuck am I watching?? I can't do this, please stop! the second-hand embarrassment is too much. At least he's self aware so *shrug* it was cute... please don't do it again.

Won Jun and Mi Ran are actually pretty similar, the anger, the casual dating, the type they fall for, the exes woah.

I feel like I was settling down in a bad relationship because this is what I think is the best that I deserve!?! Why did I let half of the problems of this show slide?? and settling for mediocre plot just because they gave me a scene with the couple I like which by the way wasn't that great either. This was bad I don't know why I'm being soft about it, others might like it but I didn't and that's okay. If u hate clichés, me too but this wasn't as bad as I thought, though it's full of clichés, so still bad.

I swear some scenes are not on the script unless they are genuinely just that good; There is absolutely no way that the lawyer walking into the door was planned in script, when Kang ho kicks his slippers off and throws the photos to then accidentally hit a vase is my favourite scene it's so out of character yet still in character so cute!

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sometimes ‘sane’ people are the actual monsters.

this is not your average “fighting monsters” drama, infact it's actually not about it at all. at first i was vary about watching this thinking it'd be just another zombie apocalypse with no explanation as to why it began or how it'll end but still decided to give it a try.
IT IS DIFFERENT. when i started watching it all of my concerns were proven false. and this is NOT a zombie apocalypse drama too btw. it's about how even with sick people around, people with a healthy body prove to be more dangerous. the show had all the different kind of people you do meet atleast once in your life as characters, when u watch some characters and their decisions, you feel like asking yourself “what would I have done in this situation?”
there are some very well shot action scenes and touching emotional scenes that do make you want to want to change their situations only hoping for the better.
every single episode was like a well fit puzzle piece and as the drama progresses the characters’ real faces also start showing up. like i said in the beginning, this drama is all about “are sane people any better than the monsters?”
unlike other apocalypse/pandemic dramas where you're never really told how things began or how it is ever going to be stopped, happiness had answers for EACH AND EVERYTHING. when the drama is done it'll not leave you wondering about anything because everything is cleared in there.
the main duo's chemistry is soo good, whether it be action scenes, emotional scenes, scenes where they fight for each other and for what's right, their characters always match up with each other's chemistry. even the little girl showed more maturity than some “aDuLtS” showing it's not always age proving how mature one is.
overall, i did not regret watching this at all and i will rewatch it in a few months because it's just THAT GOOD. edit : did re-watch it haha.

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This was what I wanted no thoughts just romance <3

The title is genuinely so cute!

This was what I wanted no thoughts just romance <3

Towards the end it was a little too much for such a light hearted watch but the gun was fake and was funny after so fine. I really wanted the inner monologue/over the top acting to de-stress so this is probably rated higher than I'd normally give it.

What I needed not necessary an amazing watch.

The ending was perfect!!

Too short want more where they slowly progress in their relationship. Would've loved if they went deeper with the girls and friendships.

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So much chemistry they could teach AP classes

omg, ok so I'm only 6 episodes in and I can get over the chemistry between the two male leads. The way JiHyun just becomes a total safe place for JaeWon where he doesn't have to be anyone but himself, a person he can go to when he needs genuine comfort and care not just the lip service and thinly veiled jealousy his so called "best friend" provides.....don't get me started on him, ?.
And for JieHyun, JaeWon helps him find the confidence to face his fears and try new things. They truly compliment and enrich each other the way partners are supposed to. I can't wait to see where the last four episodes take us.
As for the music, so many amazing songs that capture and enhance the mood and the moments that are being played out on the screen. I can't wait to get my hands on the OST! ??

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read this

trust me don't watch it if you don't want your heart broken it's one of the ending i can never like they were not together in the last i was sos so so infuriated just how huh just why it was going hjust fine just every thing could have been sorted out and people would have love d the ending of they had become together Orr may be even if they were not they should have had a proper good bye like okk why did they jsut split up liek that is there even going to be a season 2 and why did the female lead never ever got to know that hero heard her and it was not even about him it's about her dad no no no that was definitely not a good ending at alll nooo

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amazing i love it so much

okay so im not gonna get into a deep study of this BL because i dont have time for that+ that’s unnecessary its just a show.
okay first- acting
yechan and jaehan did such an amazing job and i am insanely proud of them. dayeol and taehyun were really great/perfect roles for them because i felt like it fit their personalities very well.
story- i love it so much. this drama is so cute and i love it. the time skip kinda threw me off but in the end it was really cute and i wish there was more of their ending music- amazing of course stan omega x, vocals devoured as always
but overall i really love it. 10/10 for me
im probably gonna rewatch it lmao

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Truths or Lies, Friends or Foes, These People Don't Die!

OK, I admit, I was so confused watching this drama. While I thought a character a friend, he/she turns foe, and vice versa. Perhaps this is what the writer trying to tell the viewers: don't believe in what you see; what you think may not be what it is. Through all those twists and turns, only one thing is real: the undying friendship between Li Wu (Leon Zhang) and Lu Zheng (Chen Ruoxuan). Their bromance is full of humor, deception, protection, and sacrifices.

Based on real historical events and figures, the story is set in the Ming Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Jianwen (r. 1398 – 1402) when he was trying to hold on to his throne with his uncle Zhu Di (Prince of Yan) infiltrating his government and bureaucracy, attempting to overthrow him. Everything goes back to some events that happened 10 years ago, and around the secretive Fisheye Lock (yuming suo) which holds the key to the top secret. Many people have died trying to protect the secret and many have died trying to find it.

By fate, Lu Zheng and Li Wu meet again after their first encounter as kids. Now, Lu Zheng is a Jingyinwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard), and Li Wu a street scoundrel who picks pocket and lies without blushing. Li Wu impersonates another Jingyiwei, Li Dongfang, and eventually takes Li Dongfang’s identity. In the Jingyiwei organization, the two become true friends, saving each other again and again, but most of the time, not trusting the other, and Li Wu continues to deceive in order to protect Lu Zheng.

Though both have their love interests, Li Mu in Shu Tang (Sun Yi) and Lu Zheng in Zhang Junqing (Ma Yujie), romance is not the focus here. Things move fast, and the main characters don’t die even though they are mortally wounded, multiple times. In the next scene, they are up and running as new. For this, viewers are advised not to look too deeply (otherwise you would roll your eyes). Acting wise, the whole cast is fabulous, though Leon Zhang’s expressions confuse me at times.

My Verdict

This is a rather enjoyable and funny drama with some wuxia actions executed convincingly. It is also intense, suspenseful, and rather dark. The background story is very interesting, but the storytelling is rather confusing, chaotic and requires some reading between the lines. Overall, it is a fun watch for more serious and patient viewers as skipping forward may make it even more confusing.

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Only watched it for KYK

So dreamy, KYK. I only watched the drama to watch him. Kdrama fixation.
Don't care if he emotes two dimensionally or whatever else people are complaining about. Just happy to see him glide by and watch that face!
The FL was also lovely and the rest of the cast was the good, underplayed k drama actors who are actually the unsung pillars.

I must commend that lady who plays the wicked mother.
Did not check what her actual name and age is, but she is gorgeous.
Not sure how she ended up consistently playing a philandering wicked mother - have seen her in atleast 3 dramas doing the same wicked stuff.
But she has the courage to continually play the terribly villainous mother and excels in her negative craft.

This drama needed a lot more intimacy because the slow burn is fiery but ends with cold water.
There was ample room for it but it was wasted with just despair longing.
Needs a serious fix.

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BEST BL EVER!!!

Starting this drama was the best decision of my life. I have never seen a BL with this level of acting, storytelling, cinematography, and romance. This drama has an amazing feeling, it makes you feel like you yourself are falling in love while watching. The two leads are sooo charismatic and they compliment each other so well. I have never seen two leads with this much chemistry, especially for a BL. Lim Jisub was casted by the director through mutual friends and Oh Jun Taek was casted on the street which is crazy to me because they work so well together!!! The drama is about youth, mental health issues, friendships, family, and so much more. I would recommend this to experienced or new BL watchers but it's seriously so good. The kiss scenes are top notch for any kdrama I've ever watched so pleaseeee give it a watch and you won't regret!

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