Reviews

Dance away

This drama was okay, I liked that it was mature. However it a slow start and it feel like it was dragging out.

The story was not well excuted, i just feel that the story line should have been a bit balanced out, and made more interesting, the actors were not bad, but they lack chemistry. Its one of those drama you could watch if have a couple of hours of bordem, and need to pass time.

The one good thing about this drama was the music, it was really good, and often came in atbthr right time.

Also I didn't get to see thatb much dancing, from the name inwas really expecting some footloose or flash dance, but instead we got snapshots of a made routine that didn't seem to go with the story line, also who on earth runs through snow barefoot, and not get frost bite? Or get cold period, his feet must have made of ice or something. Why did the mother abandoned him, it just felt like they are more question than answers.

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I dropped this show before the end. Too many cdrama tropes and, by the time I dropped it, I was like everything has happened to this woman, even multiple times, besides being kidnapped but seeing as there were like 9 episodes left there is still time. It started off really strong and, having an art degree aka being a certified art nerd myself, I thought maybe I’d like it but you know how some dramas face that mid drama slump and manage to crawl out of it? It might’ve gotten slow in the middle to stretch out the run time but in the end when it’s over you’re like yeah, ok, that was a good drama! To try and avoid that, this drama tried to pull every trick in the book. But you could really just see it as a cheap way to draw the number of episodes out. If you don’t have enough material for 39 episodes make it 20 or 30, tell a good story, we don’t need all the tropes, every trope like cheating, shootings, assassination attempts, injuries, Hospital stays, random surprise pregnancies, fake pregnancies, crazy exes, kidnappings, etc (Some of those things are in this drama)! While dramas aren’t supposed to be based 100% on real life because, life is non linear and doesn’t make narrative sense, dramas are supposed to mirror aspects of real life and be set basically in reality, unless it’s a fantasy drama but still the characters interactions, motives, and actions are still based firmly in reality even if they can fly. These people are some of the most unfortunate people ever or it’s unrealistic to the point that it breaks the immersive experience it is supposed to be. Btw, most of the misunderstandings could’ve been solved after a few episodes had the main guy just not been a jerk and been honest with his feelings/ kept in contact with main girl over the years and woo hoo a 10 episode or so drama. If they wanted to draw it out to like 20 he could be trying to woo her in the next episodes. In my opinion it’s not worth the watch but folks, if you have the time and like all of those drama tropes/annoying and mostly unnecessary plot building devices have at her. I’m just warning you in advance if you’d like to watch something else. After watching the 1st 30 episodes, maybe more I'm not sure, I was like meh, I wish I just watched Her Private Life again, both the girls are museum curators but HPL is a much better story overall.

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Less dialogue, more action, faster thriller

At first glance, it looks like another one of those typical vengeance dramas, but it strays away from that. It's gripping, highly violent, and an action-packed journey that shows more than it tells.

This is the show's strength—it gets straight to the action.

The storyline is actually nothing too special, you have your main character YJW who's out to seek revenge for her father. She's completely broken and rage-filled, weak and vulnerable at the beginning until she decides to take initiative. It becomes a game of deception, infiltration, and going under cover, along with your casual twists here and there. Up to this point, the plot sounds all too familiar, but what truly stole the show for me was the thriller and intensity.

Forget whatever preconceptions you had about "gangs" from all the previous kdramas you've watched. This is the real deal. As in, Choi Mujin is the real deal. The story is flipped this time. We get an in-depth exploration of the other-world—the world of gangs, drugs, and killers. I was constantly on edge for YJW and wondering if she'd ever get caught, but besides her extreme fighting skills, she's also pretty clever. But the one who stole the show for me was CMJ. As the ring leader, you'd expect a steadfast and merciless boss. He is pretty merciless, but we also see a glimpse of his emotions. A part of him has cracks and is vulnerable, and he takes risks that he'll never know when it'll come to bite him back.

The cast is STELLAR. No character was unnecessary, they're all connected in some way. CMJ taking in KJW to help avenge her father, her going undercover to the narcotics force that happens to be targeting CMJ, and her partner JPD who she finds shares the same broken soul as her (2 broken souls are a recipe for: yes, there is some romance at the end, but it's not the focus at all). Then you got the ringleader's silent-but-deadly subordinate and the former member who's there to ruin the fun. I do wish we got a better depth of Gangjae and Taeju's characters though.

Finally, the cinematography and the music...outstanding. The camera captured the action choreography in a seamless way, it almost seems like a dance. It's crazy to think that some parts were one-shot despite the intense action. And kudos to Han Sohee who even attended action school for this, she nailed her performance.

My Name captures a familiar storyline but twists it in a unique way. It's not often you get the other perspective in the mafia world. Interested in an action thriller full of deception? Definitely binge it.

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Short and Average BL drama

10/16/2021

This is a very short BL drama, eight 10-min long episodes. I would be pretty annoyed if I have to wait each week for just a 10-min episode. They should just make a movie. The drama is a low-budget production, which is not surprising. However, it's pretty average comparing to other BL dramas.

Considering this is the first acting gig for the whole cast, they did a decent job. I would say Kim Yoon Hwan, who plays the main lead, Euen Gyu, might be the better of the bunch. His chemistry with Cha Woon Min wasn't bad. However, the plot is too simple and not much happened. It's just many glances/staring between the two. The love triangle isn't done well.

I would only recommend this drama to those who think the actors are cute and good-looking to watch. I don't find them that attractive, except maybe Kim Yoon Hwan, so I didn't enjoy it as much. Of course, this is all subjective. I am not the target audience, esp. when I am an old woman. LOL.

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"We're only 18." - 16 Episodes of Love, Peace, and Consolation

I will be honest and say that I first started this drama mainly for Moonbin (I love ASTRO), because I was very excited to see him acting in a drama and I had also heard his character was not straight which piqued my interest even more. However, I can say that right from the beginning, the main plot of the drama, along with the full cast of characters made me stay and wholly fall in love with this show.

First, regarding the story, I found it was very close to perfect, touching on some very important topics related to the age of 18 and the struggles of high-schoolers approaching entry into university. I loved how parental pressure and its impact on teens' mental health was deeply explored through both Soo-bin's and the second male lead, Hwi-young's character. Moreover, a very beautiful and consoling aspect of the story related to the topic of academic pressure was the idea that it's okay to not know exactly where you're going at 18 or to not have the most amazing grades. The message was that youth is a time of exploration and of finding oneself, so while every little failure might seem like the end of the world to an 18-year-old, it may just become a trivial aspect of their life when looking back later on, so people should just focus on loving themselves and enjoying their lives. No one's life is 'ruined' if something doesn't go as planned, as Joon-woo himself said in a very poignant scene. Furthermore, this drama's messaging greatly emphasized acceptance, which was very touching for me. This can be seen as related to the blooming love between Soo-bin and Joon-woo and *minor spoiler* her mother's judgmental attitude towards him, seeing him through the lenses of his reputation and his lack of means, things that gave her a completely distorted view of him, making her completely disregard his inherently kind and mature nature *end of minor spoiler*. I could go on and on about why this story touched me and kept me entertained throughout the 16 episodes (wish there were more!), but I will stop here so this doesn't get too long.

Next, the characters/acting/cast: 10/10, I found both the characterization and the choice of actors to be simply perfect. Something that really stood out to me was how the characters look exactly like real-life teenagers instead of the, more commonly seen in dramas, picture-perfect 'teenagers' that look like adults. By this, I am in no way saying the actors are not good looking, they very much are, but what I mean is that their appearance was made to match the real-life look of Korean teenagers, through their hairstyles, their simple and normal-looking clothes/uniforms, and the absence of (obvious) makeup.
One character in particular that I would like to talk about (for the sake of conciseness, I will not touch too much on the rest of the characters) is Oh-je (Moonbin's character). *Oh-je spoilers ahead* I was so impressed with Oh-je's characterization, going from at first seeming just like the cliché handsome guy that all the girls probably have a crush on, to coming into his own through his caring and beautiful friendship with Joon-woo and mostly, his failed relationship with Soo-bin's friend, Da-heen. Throughout their relationship, one can observe how Oh-je seems very uncomfortable around Da-heen, mainly when she emphasizes the romantic aspect of their relationship. However, as time goes on, he starts caring for her very much, but only as a friend, which ends up leading him to break up with her. Still, he cares for her so much that when he sees how depressed she becomes after their breakup, he suddenly comes out to her and reveals his crush on Hwi-young and his confusion regarding his sexuality. Moreover, I really love how, after rumours start spreading about his crush on Hwi-young and after seeing Hwi-young's cold and insulting reaction to them, Oh-je seems to not have a crush on him anymore, showing his level of self-respect and self-love by not wasting his feelings on someone who doesn't even seem to care for him or respect him. Later on, he seems to just focus on his friendship with Joon-woo and Da-heen while being at peace with himself. This type of representation of different sexualities and of the fluidity of sexuality (Oh-je never overtly states that he is gay, he is confused about his romatic attraction) is very healthy and welcomed, as it strays from the common depiction of non-straight people being the victims of society by showing Oh-je be at peace with himself even when rumours about his were circulating at school. *Oh-je spoilers end* What can I say, I LOVED Oh-je's character and Moonbin's depiction of him!

As for the music, it fits perfectly with all the moods of the drama, having an array of sentimental, sad, comforting, and happy songs. I will definitely be listening to the OST of this drama for a while!

Finally, for the rewatch value, it is 10/10, as even now I feel like I could go back and watch it again. I already miss these beautiful characters!

Overall, this drama is a 9.5/10 for me, very close to perfect, so I 100% recommend it! Go watch it if you haven't already!

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My Name is Mary Sue

Revenge dramas are such cliche that if you've seen one you've very likely seen all of them. Let me just list some of cliches appearing in this drama:

Main character has love/hate relationship with the relative who gets killed. Main character goes "I hate you! I wish you were dead!", but 5 min later, when the relative actually gets killed, main character goes "Nooooo, I want revenge! I want to kill [whoever made my wish come true]". That's a bad writing and handicaps the main character from the very start cause that isn't characterization. That's just drama for the sake of drama.

Main character puts the trust in the person most likely to have killed the relative, since that person was the closest to the deceased. I figured out the killer in the first 10-15 min and Google + My Name + Ending Explained revealed that I was right.

The killer never does the most logical thing - kill the main character since she's seen him even in disguise - but decides to train her to be tough, thinking that will mislead the main character, but also because main character is special. At the end of the day, it all boils down to character being special especially in female revenge fantasies.

They form a surrogate parent/child relationship which goes to hell once she falls in love with a nice beta orbiter that works for the good guys. (I spoiled myself just to see if I was right in this prediction and yep I was!)

Main character wins competitions with very little training because her new patron saint and father figure tells her to attack vital points instead of relying on physical strength that she doesn't have. As if, you know, other fighters with many years of experience don't know about that. :eyeroll:

Main character is always special be it the only girl among men (such as in this drama), or the youngest and least experienced new member among older and much more experienced (also the case in this drama). As you can expect from a special character, she excels at everything, earns everyone's respect by the sheer power of her specialness, or characters simply start liking her because , you guessed it, she's special. All the while, her acting is either po-faced "steeliness" or histrionics. No middle ground.

Since I was this close to punching the screen every time Mary Sue was on it, I decided the best course of action was to simply drop this drama or otherwise would have to buy a new set.

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“Be it hatred or resentment... learn to live with it. As long as it gives you the will to live."

Yeonmo is a poignant and heart-wrenching story about perseverance, love and sacrifices. It's centered around a little girl whose only fault is being born as a twin into the royal family, an ominous sign at the time. Her existence eventually leads to her twin brother's death. Trapped by the circumstances, she's then forced to secretly assume his identity and grow up under the watchful eyes of her maternal grandfather, the main culprit behind her brother's killing.

What immediately drew me to this show is not only the cast and plot but also its gorgeous settings, clothes and OSTs. The child actors also did an incredible job in setting up the narrative, especially Choi Myung Bin playing both the young FL and the twin brother. Her versatility and expressiveness truly remind me of the young Kim Yoo Jung in Moon Embracing the Sun.

Park Eun Bin is giving me major girl crush vibes. One moment she's the handsome and fierce Crown Prince that makes me swoon so badly, then she turns into a gorgeous lake fairy in the next to blow me away. It's a complete makeover from her timid and reticent role in Do You Like Brahms. Eun Bin's androgynous portrayal of Lee Hwi makes the cross-dressing extremely convincing, especially the intense stare and low voice she would use when confronting someone which gives me the chills. But we also get to see the lonely and vulnerable side of Lee Hwi. A young girl who has to put up the facade of an "Ice Crown Prince" to survive the ruthless palace battle. She has to remain distrustful and vigilant of her own family members, who all seem to have a political agenda of their own.

And yes, we can't not mention Rowoon's historical debut. His acting has improved a lot from Extraordinary You and She Would Never Know. I love him as the playful and carefree Ji Woon. It was hilarious watching him falling head over heels for Lee Hwi, I mean who wouldn't? The leads' chemistry is just chef kiss here. The switch in power dynamics is definitely a refreshing twist on the classic gender-bender trope, with how Lee Hwi is put in charge and Jung Ji Woon is tailing along but not without the occasional witty comebacks. However, I do notice that Rowoon sometimes falls short on the more serious and emotional scenes that require a bit more desperation and refined articulations. But overall, I would still give him a solid A for effort.

The second-lead syndrome is real! Lee Hyun is such a sweetheart, I can't believe this is the same Nam Yoon Su who played the bully in Extracurricular. I immediately fell for his cute dimples and duality. He's extremely protective and devoted towards Lee Hwi. It's still a bit weird that they're distant cousins but I guess that's historical royalties for you. I think one of the best things about this drama is the vibrant side characters. We have the dashing yet mysterious bodyguard Kim Ga On, the funny and loyal Enuch Hong, and Court Lady Kim who's like a mother figure to Lee Hwi.

While the show has a very strong start, I feel like the middle part seems to drag a bit. It does pick up a lot near the end, but now they also run out of time to fix up some of the plot holes. I wish they've cut down 2-4 eps and kept the pacing consistent so that the story is more cohesive. It's also unnecessary to have the 2 side female love interests when their characters are not even fully fleshed out, especially when there's already a love triangle between the 3 main leads. It just makes the love line look messy. But that aside, I do like the complex relationships FL and ML have with their fathers. Both the King and Chief Jung deeply care for their children but have to hide it because they're also bound by their duties and political standings. This leads to even more misunderstandings to drift parent and child apart, until they inadvertently end up on opposing sides. It's touching but also bittersweet and somewhat tragic.

It's almost like an Easter egg hunt with the OSTs. We've got Super Junior's Shadow of You and I can already spot our OST queens, Lyn's One and Only in the opening and Baek Ji Young's If I. Plus, we can't miss the sweetness overdose in Hide and Seek by VROMANCE.

Overall, while there are some wasted potentials, it's still a well-made sageuk drama with fairly easy-to-follow plot and lovable characters. I think it has a good balance between romance and palace politics, intense at times but also fluffy when needed. I guess the ratio is really just based on personal preferences. It's a fun and interesting watch, as long as you don't nitpick on the details too much. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“I have never lived my own life.” Lee Hwi

“On the day I was born, what did my father say? Did he also agree with those who wanted to terminate my life? That a girl was of no need and should be killed?” Lee Hwi

“I will not die. You know better than anyone what I have endured to come this far.” Lee Hwi

“The palace can be as dirty as the mud. Lotus flowers bloom in mud, but they can cleanse their surroundings. And the leaves have the ability to shake off murky water. There’s no trace of any dirt on them. Just like the lotus flowers that stay virtuous despite its dirty environment, I hope that you will become a strong king." Jung Ji Woon

“Like the good rain that falls when most needed, I will be someone you can count on. Just like you were to me when I needed you the most.” Jung Ji Woon

"Only people like you who are born into noble families had the chance to make decisions. This was the only path I was given. So I merely walked my path. Even if I were to go back, if this is the only path that remains, I would be here again.” Ji Woon’s father

“I got married when I was your [Lee Hwi's] age. I made a family at a young age. So I didn’t know how precious it was or how to protect it. So I failed to protect my family. But I didn’t want you to make the same mistake." the King (Lee Hwi's father)

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I surrendered to the hype. As I started only airing dramas, I had the time to finish this one pretty quick (I mean one day) and I have to say that I understand the boom that I talk about in my last post. Although it isn't the kind of drama that I frequently watch, is undeniable that this production is amazing and is not from thin air the success that we can see involving this now.

"Squid Game/Round 6" tells the story of Seong Gi Hoon (Lee Jung Jae), a broken man who lives with his mother and has many debts to pay because of his addiction to gambling. The life of Gi Hoon changes when he met a man who presents an opportunity to earn a lot of money participating in a secret game. What Gi Hoon didn't know is his life and the life of others 455 people would be at risk because of that.

We can see a lot of references in this drama, as "Matrix", "Saw", "Hunger Games"... I read a lot of reviews telling about copy, but I don't think this is the case. It's impossible to talk about survivor games without reply some aspects from other productions, but "Squid Game" has its particularities, which I can't mention here because it is a no-spoiler review. I was a little hesitant to start this because I heard so many bad reviews mentioning the violence and wrong ideas that I was scared, but now that I finished I really don't understand these critics.

Of course, is a violent drama, and the age-rated is the point that confirms this, but if you watched any other horror movie or even some heavier action movie (John Wick sent his regards), you won't be impersonated at all. It isn't the kind of k-drama that the romantic ones who just watch dramas because of their sweetness and softness would like. It is heavy, but nothing absurd to people above 16 who have a clear mind at the moment. So, if you are passing through something heavy in your life and don't feel comfortable watching violent scenes or a dystopic story, save this for later or for never. I just watched because I was feeling okay, but I would wait for sure if it was a few weeks ago.

I'm doing this review more like an alert because the internet is full of reviews and comments about it. My considerations are: The story is amazing. The performances are incredible. I don't know if I want a second season. If you have children, don't let them watch it. Even if your kid is pretty mature, that are some things that they don't need to watch, and the age-rated is made for this.

This is a chosen one (★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★) for sure, and now I'll come back to my silly romances until the blood dries out of my brain.

See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.

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a very, very Romantic Sunday in dramaland!

Hometown Cha cha cha is very much like the ost of its - Romantic, so so romantic in all the ways that it could be, and so so refreshing and exciting as a Sunday; makes you enjoy yourself while preparing you for the journey thats about to come.
HCCC talked about love like love deserves to be talked about, the love for ones self, love for smallest things and life, and most importantly love for other people.
The characters were like water; fluid and developing. HyeJin, you may not like her at first and Hong Banjang may be the first to catch your eye, but HyeJin definitely was the one i fell in love with the most. Her strong will had her standing head held high even in the deepest waters, she taught us emotional vulnerability, transparency and honesty is a strength not to be ashamed of. Hong Banjang taught us to hang onto love, even in the darkest times. If not for yourself, then love for other people.
Behind the scenes characters were just as strong and not overshadowed by the main leads, each getting their own stories and character depths. All the people of Gongjin, no matter how broken, come together in this witty little town that lifts up all our spirits.
The acting was impeccable. HyeJin is probably my favourite character Shin MinAh has ever played, just how realistically she captured her development throughout the episodes is truly, truly, amazing. Kim SeonHo, guys, dont get me started on him. I love that man to bits, and here he outdid himself. Layers and layers of expressions and micro-expressions, they made Hong Banjang into the character that we have all come to love. He was amazing.
and so was the rest of the crew, the chemistry was off the charts. esp love the bromance between KSH and Lee SangYi.
The drama had the best love triangle in kdrama history, the best breakup, and the best friendships. Genuinely good portryal of what it truly means to be a good human.
the production, music, setting was all so fresh. i couldnt recognize most of the artists in the OSTs. It included Seungmin's solo debut, which was IMMACULATE might i add. all the songs felt new and refreshing. Romantic Sunday, Here Always and Wind are my favourite osts.
The story is warm, like the sand on the beach, and the slow melting of ice in a jar. It melts you along with it and soon you find yourself a part of it, all warm and cozy inside. I dont think ive ever cried at a confession scene, but i did here. the emotions were all too real and all too there, it was difficult not to be teary eyed.
overall, a beautiful, beautiful slice of life masterpiece that will definitely go down in books. amazing. ill be so sad to let it go and not wait for it every week. will definitely rewatch for all the good vibes <3

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Captivating visual with fine acting delivery but needed more duration time

The first thing that really got everyone's attention is how good looking the leads are. I'm not complaining since Korea were known for emphasizing beauty as a standard for the camera appeal. But the good thing is, given the handsome faces they had, they know how to executed the emotions needed in every scene. Due to this, it already been a well love series by many. But the most important element of every film is the flow of the story. I guess for a 11 min duration with 8 episodes, they manage to connect every scenes in one fitting. But obviously they're some scenes that needed more time to be explained or tackled. How do their love for each other blossom? What was the exact background or past of the guy? Where do the relationship of the two extra guys headed to? (since the drama itself gives us some clue or interpretation of a possible romance between them.) How do the second lead cope up with the atmosphere, did he finally manage to move on? We need more closure to the ending.

There are several cringe scenarios that I can't help but to giggle about. On the first episode the typical "I'm going to save you from falling, I'll catch you in my arms" was so typical. They should altered it with a fresh new ideas or something that will be either romantic or comedic. Another consecutives cringeness scene was the "hand sign photo capture," I knew Korea loves that kind of gestures but it was too childish for me. Speaking of childish, the fight scene between the two best friends was so immature. Okay, sometimes people tend to do things based on their emotions despite of how old they became.

I feel sad for the second lead, he's so cute but you can't really force someone to feel the same way as you especially when it comes to love.
I was shocked that he is so young, he's character was full of sex appeal and I'm thinking that he is much more older than his real age. On the other hand, I was happy that I get the chemistry of the main couple. Another soft-mysterious guy relationship. Aside from cooking, seeing the main guy in a Taekwando uniform is so sexy! The dishes was literally yummy, I mean the menu from their business. I like how they presented the meal in an IG worthy vibes, really presentable.

I was so into the music as well. A great one to add color to the show. It was so lovely and at the same time its pop my mood up, perfect song for the show.

The major fall back of the drama is the length of time they given to the story. I keep thinking of many possible things that might be added to the story. But anyways it was a good and cute mini-series. I am contended on how it is. Fluffy and majestic!

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If you want a brain mixer try it

I don’t know how come this drama got this much rating because I felt this drama is totally waste.
There is no family type or love story at all. From first to last episodes some medical emergencies is keep on appearing and solving only. When he realized that she also has feelings they both become too childish and the ML turned into sadistic. He couldn’t tolerate when someone stares at her or some male characters talks to her. Both the FL and ML are so annoying and their chemistry is soo bad, and there is no proper explanation for so many plots why they did or what is going on. In most of the episodes the ML is totally a jerk. Beyond this There is nothing criticise or to praise about this drama because there is nothing in this drama at all.

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Draaaaaagy and traaashy

The whole script and direction is meaningless, unrealistic and effortless. They say something and do promise for that but in the next scene they act opposite to that. The main annoying thing is, for last more than 14 episodes everyone(including ML) keeps on telling that the ML is dying bad dying and dying and so many times he went unconscious also but yet he woke up in the next scene. The most unrealistic is, when the ML was in critical condition, FL visits him at the hospital to convey a heart breaking news that she is leaving him permanently and going to America and she will never come back and she don’t want to see him in the future, and she asks to second ML not to tell any news (whether he is dead or alive) and in the next scene she commit suicide. After two years, when had only 3 months he suddenly showed up even though he acknowledged that she is having a good life by forgetting her past, and even though he knew it is affecting her life again he keeps on clinging to her and make her life miserable again.
Whole drama has only one proper villain, keep on dragging her. I think no one can get so many chances in single life, and all the sins and crimes she committed was forgiven easily even the murder of a daughter, attempt to murder of some people and reason for so many miseries. Not humans even the devils also won’t forgive.
Like this there are so many baseless unrealistic and useless things but I have given 5 because I like their chemistry and the climax of this drama.

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Historical story promoting equality for women

This is the first Chinese drama where I see where equality for women is being pursued and supported. Liked (1) the way one needs to think of solutions to overcome problems by the ML and FL. (2) the many funny scenes (3) shows how one can feels growing up not being loved by a family (4) nice costumes (5) a nice story with everything .. fun, great friendship, suspense, love and a lot of forgiveness. The acting by ALL were good too (1) FL was feisty (2) ML was cool but indulgent to his loved one (3) 2ML obsession with the FL and his behavior towards life due to his upbringing. It was a happy experience watching this light comedy plus the BTS were hilarious.

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very brutal drama

The only reason I watched this is because of Vic Zhou.

The story was interesting but it is way too brutal. It is very savage, barbarous, cold blooded and monstrous. This has to be the most violent drama I have ever viewed on TV.

It is sooooo bloody, I stopped watching after 5 episodes. I was not able to handle this extensive cruel, animal like behaviors and I have a pretty strong stomach. It should be rated RRR, it is not a show to be shown on regular TV.

I do not consider this a thriller. It is a drama for the mentally sick minded. May be that is the whole purpose of this show, is to target these type of audiences.

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refreshing and incredible.. until the later half

overall, this show was really really good. it was mostly light hearted with lots of mature dialogue, deep characters, beautiful cinematography, and more. for the first half, i was convinced this drama would be in my top three along with vincenzo and healer. up until episode 10, I think id give this show a 10/10. somewhere along the second half it seemed to have lost its spark, but none of the issues im going to discuss are reason enough to not watch this show. overall i recommend it.

as an overview, i love thinking about how much progression we saw over the course of 16 episodes. especially within the FL whom I feel was the main vessel of change, i can see a huge difference in her from the first to the last episode. same goes for the other characters, all of them had some kind of realization or moment at least once in the show, and i really appreciated how different people at different stages of life were all given a moment to have feelings and talk about their trauma, because thats real. There also arent any typical vicious drama villains: the second male lead is accepting, the teacher is actually just quietly in love with hwajeong, everyone feels real and not at all like a typical drama caricature. usually dramas forget everyone that isnt the main character, but not this one. i also really liked the vibe of the show itself, it promises and delivers a mature healing drama full of family and friendships and community and all that good stuff. The themes of second chances, the importance of emotional support, this was also so nice to see on screen. the writing was stellar, until the later episodes ( especially ep 15). The characters are all interesting, the cinematography is great, and even the ost is good, its an almost perfect drama if i ignore the later episodes.

im going to discuss stuff i didnt like because when a show is this good, the issues tend to stick out more than usual. Some of these things are very nitpicky, so dont take them as a reflection on the show as a whole.

full review below. SPOILERS

even though this drama covered many important topics such as the hardships women face (with the crazy pervert and the childbirth) and even included a lesbian (!!!), i felt that the way they addressed many of these topics was a little skewed and delivered the wrong message. as for childbirth, i was pleasantly surprised that they were depicting it on screen as well as reinforcing how hard it really is to be a woman. but it was ruined by FL saying how romantic it was when the husband promised to be by the wifes side even though the entire episode talked about how he was a horrible husband that didnt even change his kids diapers and didnt realize that childbirth was difficult. like what ?? and as for the teacher, she just comes and goes throughout the show and i wish she was on screen and talked about herself more (instead of showing up to give yeongguk a motivating speech about apologizing to hwajeong), since lgbtq are not often seen in kdramas. and then i enjoyed how they depicted change with the FL and trauma with ML, but the way his was only delved into in the last episode really sucked since i think that shouldve been a main focus along with FLs personality shift.
It feels like all of the issues I have with this show come down to an unbalance, or a right message gets skewed the wrong way, you’ll see what I mean.


as for the FL, i generally enjoyed her growth. i loved how obvious it was, how realistic it seemed. it was gradual, but there were also specific moments where you can SEE her changes. like in episode 10 where she walks in the rain even though its something she hates, just because she recalls ML saying that she should let herself just exist. i love how open she becomes, with the way she confesses her feelings so openly in ep 10 with no hesitation. when she first came to gongjin she was so artificial, pretending to listen to everyone, smiling and nodding absentmindedly. it was a complete 180 to see her be as genuine and open as she became.

For the ML, his personality was always captivating, and he was an interesting character. here is where my first issue with the show comes in: they shouldve given chief hong more flaws. he doesnt seem to have any besides his trauma, which isnt really a “character flaw”, unlike FL that is judgmental, stubborn, unwilling to change sometimes, etc etc. especially in comparison to the FL, hong is TOO perfect. Plus you’d think someone with that much trauma would seemingly have more issues: maybe trust wise or be cold and angry, but he wasnt any of those things. Up until episode 10 (which I thought were 10 perfect episodes) FL grows as a person thanks to hong which is fantastic character growth and fantastic set up for their relationship, but hong doesn’t change at all. And why would he? He’s kind, helpful, can do everything. They should’ve given him a basic flaw like being stubborn or something so he could change thanks to hyejin as well. But he was the one always calling out her flaws and mistakes while he remained the same, and although he was often justified I was sometimes annoyed at how he wouldn’t mind his own business and tried to change her when it wasnt his place.

The reason I keep saying "up until episode 10" is because after that I feel like the show lost its spark. character wise, the shift between pre-relationship FL and relationship FL was so jarring. She felt like an entirely different person. And yes people are cuter with the person they like of whatever, but they should’ve incorporated some of this into her pre-personality so it wouldn’t come off as so strange when she suddenly started acting this way. I also felt like some of her character development was wiped off after episode 10. in fact, i occasionally felt that the FL was even more unreasonable and unlikeable than in the beginning. In episode 11, she hurt ML physically and emotionally, such as when she asked him to take care of the Second Male Lead, when she has unreasonable requests, when she takes him to see the sunrise at 4 am, when she makes him wear school uniforms to take pictures. especially when she drags him around the mall and he’s clearly saying no to doing things and she pressures him when he constantly says no. And to keep their relationship a secret hyejin hurts dusik throughout the entirety of ep 11. physical violence is never okay, especially not for comedic purposes. the fact that it was done multiple times made me less and less excited to finish that episode. and the fact that her go to reaction when she was surprised was to hurt him really made me dislike her, despite all of the progress that they made on her personality. this also really pushes the narrative that shes full of flaws and he isnt because hes forgiving and understanding.


Back to the ML, he was the one that carried this Big Secret Trauma for a majority of the show which like I said earlier was made out to be his only flaw. we didnt even know what it was until nearly the last two episodes, which I have a few issues with.
i dont appreciate how they approached his trauma as a flaw, because it isnt. everyone has trauma and issues, and not everyone reacts to it the same way. hyejin was hurt by her ex bfs words that caused her to be more materialistic, but she never shares that with ML. yet she expects him to share everything with her? she had a line where she said "im okay with showing you all of me, so why cant you do that for me?" which, just because hes seen you drunk and met your stepmom does not mean he needs to reveal more than hes comfortable with. she pushes him constantly to open up about his trauma (that was much more severe than her ex saying she dresses ugly) and i thought this whole situation and episode were so unreasonable. i understand that she expected more from him and their relationship, she was thinking of their future and he wasnt yet. i empathize, im sure its hard when your S/O isnt where you are and youre feeling anxious about where your relationship is going. but they had only been dating for what, a few weeks at that point? that combined with how much pressure she was putting on someone that was clearly hurting made it hard for me to feel for her.

plus, when SHE decided they need a break, she kept rubbing it in his face saying “we are on break- BUt why arent you saying anything to me? im giving you time- BUT why wont you tell me your secrets?!? we’re on break-BUT-here i am at your house even though i suggested the break!” and then she ends the break when she feels like it- even though initially it was supposed to be FOR him to heal. this was why, despite me being understanding of how hurt she was about ML not being open about his past, i just couldnt be on her side. This was one of the moments where again, I felt that her character development was setback.
the way this led to people blaming hong when he was trying to deal with TRAUMA was just so ?? disgusting to me. no one knows what hes dealing with, but they keep pushing him. It is never anyones place to push someone to speak about their trauma or disclose aspects of their personal life if they are not ready to do so.
And hwajeong tells FL that she should give it time, which had a nice sentiment, but then she told FL to be MLs rock. Again, taking a lovely scene with a good script and turning it into something that isnt necessarily a great message. If someone isn’t in the same place emotionally where you are then you dont need to wait for them. this is another reason i couldnt entirely be on FLs side, if hong isnt where she is and he doesnt want the future she wants, she cant just force him into it. even though i loved them as a couple, they shouldve just had them break up then instead of depicting their relationship how they did. you should never push someone when they arent ready, and you dont need to wait by that person either. if you want a future, and your partner just isnt sure, then you dont need to be with them. The result of this situation was as I mentioned, FL constantly pushing ML and reminding him that she is giving him the HONOR of her patience, while he struggles to deal with his internal conflicts. The way this whole episode was handled was a big no from me.

as for ML’s actual trauma, they dragged it on for SO long. and im not saying it wasnt worth the wait, but I was underwhelmed. Maybe the trauma they gave him would’ve panned out better had they disclosed it earlier and had him work on himself for the remaining episodes, but they chose to build suspense and shove it on us at the very end. Which, okay fine, but this didnt work for me. Despite the big suspense, he wasnt a murderer or anything, he blamed himself for a situation that was unfortunate but not at all his fault. Some people hypothesized that he was in a car accident with his wife and child which i think wouldve been better to fulfill the suspense than what actually happened, which was that he was there for the death of his best friend and dohas father became paralyzed (which had NOTHING to do with hong and was entirely the fault of the father who made a reckless decision). but the show treated him like a murderer which is pointless for several reasons. for one, when doha calls him a murderer, no one in gongjin actually thinks he is one so theres no outer conflict. we are never under the impression that he is either because he has proven over and over again that he is kind and good natured, so its more annoying than anything else that the show treats him this way. that leads into two, we are watching this pan out as an audience. we KNOW none of it is his fault, so watching this poor guy blame himself since childhood for his parents and grandfathers death, and then those related to the adult deaths blame him for those, it just sucked. its just not great to watch someone get beaten down over and over again, especially since this is a made up "healing" story and the writers can do whatever they want with it, and they chose to leave the actual healing for the very last minute. in real life, yeah there are probably people like hong. but this is a drama and watching his internal conflict pan out just doesnt make sense when its entirely in his mind and he didnt actually DO anything wrong. so its just annoying and unsatisfactory when for 15 episodes youve been like WHAT is this trauma and that answer is: another accidental death that has nothing to do with hong and everything to do with everyone else. i guess in a sense its realistic that he might get blamed by those that are hurting, but i just felt like i was watching this perfect guy who has lived a shitty life get blamed over and over again, and even now when he is supposed to be forgiving himself, the wife of his friend refused to apologize and doha tells him he shouldve taken better care of his father. what poor writing, there should be a balance between the tragedy and how much shit this poor guy gets and the healing (not to mention gamri dying in the same episode??). how many times do we need to see him apologize for things out of his control and get hurt? i think his healing shouldve been a main focus, maybe cutting into the time of all of the unnecessary misunderstandings and filler moments or even into FLs personality change. because although her arc was important, we watched her change throughout the entire show and he only got the last episode.


All of this happens in the second half of the show, which like I said lost its spark. The scenes felt a little more childish, with more misunderstandings to brace us for the couples upcoming conflict, and more happy go lucky filler to brace us for the reveal of the Big Trauma. the trauma itself wasnt handled well either. honestly, i kind of lost interest and had a hard time sitting through the episodes, while before id open netflix the second the episode was up and watch it immediately. i still really appreciated the show, but it didnt give me the same feelings as before.

Also in the second half, we see less of the other characters and focus more on the main relationship. I thought this was a big mistake because initially the magic of the show was the family feel and the environment, but that dwindles away to give focus to how the main relationship develops and has misunderstandings. the other characters only seem to come in to give motivational speeches or to make minor commentary (like in ep 15 when hongs trauma is revealed and they sit there for two seconds and take turns saying they are worried about him) or to help add to the drama (like in ep 14 when doha punches hong, everyone in gongjin is there to add to the dramatic feel). I wish we focused more on everyones individual lives ad relationship at that point, instead of making way for silly misunderstandings or filler or the Big Trauma. like the scene with yijoon and his parents getting back together was so heartfelt, and i think we shouldve gotten more of that with each character.Like I said, a solution to this wouldve been disclosing the trauma earlier and gradually working on it, which wouldve given more time for hong to actually get over it (because I can’t believe that in the span of an episode his years long trauma disappears) and the other characters could’ve had more screen time.


i think the shows flaws come down to one thing: an unbalance. an unbalance within flaws, an unbalance with the pacing, an unbalance with the characters personality. There was even an unbalance of storytelling and mood: the whole drama was mature but then we have the childhood connection, really? That didnt even add anything to the story so why was it even in there? plus the way everyone was connected?? PD is related to the wife of hongs best friend and PDs editor is the son of he guy who worked at hongs company and PD went to school with hyejin and they all meet up in this one small town i mean ?? really ?? It felt unfitting for a show that was otherwise serious and realistic. And where was miseon, FLs best friend, for half of the show? In some episodes she just wasnt home, or she just isnt mentioned. She only starts showing up for relationship issues in the later half of the show. I loved their friendship, so I wouldve loved to see more of them. I also wouldve loved to see more interactions between the gongjin citizens and hyejin after her personality shift. these are just little things that could’ve been changed to greatly improve the show.

Of course I dont expect perfection, but some of these flaws were so avoidable. Just taking away the line about hyejin romanticizing the poor relationship between the market owner and the hardware owner or just leaving the line from hwajeong at “ wait for him to open up” instead of saying be his rock, all of this wouldve fixed what I think of as a flaw. Overall, I do think this show was really really good. But because I had such high expectations for it, how some of the scenes were handled really set it back.

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