Reviews

This was a cute little drama. At first, I wished it was longer, both the episodes and the drama itself - 12 eps, each 20 minutes long, didn't feel like enough - but now that it ended, I think it was just right for the story, which was very simple and kinda thin for anything longer.

What really kept me watching was the relationship that developed between Doo Shim & Woo Soo. The way he became so smitten with her and the way she slowly returned his feelings, her relief that she wasn't alone in this shaman business anymore. That was really great. And also the fact that Woo Soo wasn't just an innocent bystander but that he got powers of his own. That was really cool.

So, yeah, a nice little series. And I do hope that there will be S2, this time with a deeper plot. Then I would wholeheartedly welcome 16 eps, an hour each!

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Good chemistry but missed opportunity

Both of them re-united for a second drama and I was excited for this one. But was kind of irritated by the plotline. At times it felt she was the one being clingy(which she was). Really want to watch a different interpretation of such a show cuz you can already predict the plot pretty much by the first3-4 eps. What if she never insisted on being married to him and what if she got over him in the first place? The whole idea of "making him fall in love and leaving him" as a revenge for her past doesnt make sense to me as he never lead her on and clearly rejected her during high school that means she was the one who held onto it, can't blame him.

Praomook is sure a badass in certain scenarios, will give credit there. Also isn't the sister a minor and lan's friend like mid 20's in the story? Love blossoming there was kind of not ok with me.

Really really wished they showed more of the high school romance aspect as it was somewhat tolerable since you can pass it off as naivety of the age but grown woman being obsessive is not it for me. For the most part it felt that she brought it on herself and her sister is equally annoying too

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Clichéd brainfart

Nothing new about this story. It seems very very unrealistic just as any other ceo-employee love stories. What ceo is this hot lmao! Hated the FL's outfits, she ain't a kid ,even 12 year olds don't dress like her. Typical plotline and it DID NOT require 30 eps. This story is easily 16 eps worth. Acting isn't great. Also there was a scene where the male employees were peaking at female employee while they were in their swim suits. Surprisingly,they were never punished(as in severe action taken against them) for such a behaviour.

The only thing that was slightly interesting is the love story between the second male and female leads, they deserved to have more screen time since it was painful to watch the lead couple barely move their facial muscle.
She is recruited to be a programmer for a team that is barely shown properly programming or brainstorming and just added some "technical" sounding words to justify the title. I cringed whenever these half-assed so-called technical jargon were thrown around. Also ceo has got a LOT of time to mess with her, what ceo even meets employees like everyday?

How come she was never charged for impersonation? Or something along the lines of fooling a huge company by pretending to be someone else? That's weird. The FL got no spine to talk back when it's needed. If she actually did, they are weak comebacks that makes you want to punch someones face. Gurrlll think smart for once!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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too short! i will never move on from this series.

I'm only in episode 13 but so far I loved every bit of this series. I love the cast, ding xian is soooo adorable. The ml is so good looking oh my lord, i love the side characters so in short I love this series so much. Actually, I don't really like these type of series but I guess I love them now! boy I regret saying that in the past ?? This series made me feel nostalgic about high school and made me want to experience it again. if ever i finished this, I will never get to move on, The story was perfect, I got hooked on to it from the first episode to last but they should've made it longer ??


The cast was perfect, the chemistry between the leads is so good, and also the other couples too.

The plot is not unique but still I loved it. I'd say i would rewatch this a lot in the future until I get bored lol

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i’m so in love

Please, i don’t even know where to start. Ahhhhhhhh i loved it so much. The actors are so good and gorgeous! The whole show was really well made, the cinematography was beautiful. For me what makes a show really stand out as one of the best i’ve watched is if it’s cringy or not. I can’t bear shows that make me keep pausing to regain my sanity yk. BUT THIS SHOW! It was so natural and the chemistry was amazing. I love that it had a proper kissing scene and didn’t leave me thinking are they actually together or just friends like some other bls do :D I got the feeling that they were perfect together and i absolutely love when shows do that! I have literally no attention span so the lengths of the episodes were perfect! and they still managed to get everything into them, i didn’t feel like it was missing anything out of the storyline. If you watch bls you HAVE to watch this!!

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Amazing show!!

I love love the game!! Before watching it, I had no idea how they can make a game where you lie to win...I was curious and thought concept like this couldn't have gone far with the plot, i was so WRONGG. I was amaze by how the author could thought of these games and how each character can manipulate their way to win the games...

Characters: Loved akiyama, his character is so clever, calm, caring,..kyaa!!...he become even more handsome every episodes (atleast for me)...I admire him for how much patient he had with the FML, its just show how much care and understanding he had towards her cause her character is just too innocent.

As for FML, I wouldn't say I hate her but she just so annoying, believing the same person who lied to her over and over again... Actually stop watching for a while because of her but continuing again for the games and akiyama.

However, I shipped the both of them so hard, wish they can be together in the show, unfortunately the just FRIENDS.

I actually think Fukunaga is better than her. He's also a smart character where it is good to have him on your side but when he's not...you would have harder time winning (not for akiyama though). At first I thought he's just someone who is bad, annoying and overreacting but he contribute his part in the group games like he's friends/enemy with the main character depending on which group/games he's in. He just do what he do best to win and not a bad guy I initially thought he's gonna be...

I probably will watch season 2, just praying here that the girl will not make my blood boils as much as this one does...
TRULY RECOMMENDED for someone who like game theme show. You won't regret it!!... well... if you could look past some over dramatic part....It is an AMAZING show.

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A special gem that remains funny, fresh, and sweet

I watched this just now, 12 years after the show has originally aired, and I was surprised by how much I like it. I rarely watch older dramas and the very few ones I do, I usually fast-forward through most of the side plots to get to the core story (like 2005's Biscuit Teacher).

Having watched most of the Hong Sisters' dramas, I thought I've seen it all and wasn't paying attention in the first 2 or 3 episodes. But the show kept managing to surprise me and the characters are so endearing and well-written that I think this might end up among my all-time favorites.

As a side note, You're Beautiful was eclipsed in ratings by the blockbuster IRIS back in 2009 but interestingly enough, I don't see IRIS getting recommended anywhere anymore while You're Beautiful remains just as loved by k-drama watchers.

Jang Geun Suk and the rest of the cast were simply awesome. Glad they got this project to look fondly back at such a fun time in their lives.

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First and foremost as I say in all my reviews, I avoid romance Kdramas because of how sappy and cheesy they are. It sucks because if a drama is good that have romance in it I would be missing out.

IF I had known this had romance in it I would've avoided it at all cost. This is why I gave it a low overall rating plus it had some takeaways that always irk my nerves.

Remember I will be telling some parts of this series so you may want to stop reading this if anyone comes across my review of this drama.

I liked the main male lead but I most definitely loved the guys on the police force a lot better. I love how they stuck together no matter what happened. I also liked the female lead up to a certain point. She started off tough as nails but ended up becoming an idiot throughout the rest of the series.

This drama depicted on one being able to see someone's death and it's fate if one tries to change it. Too bad this sounded as good as it looked.

Here's where I will actually talk about one episode in particular. In involved the main character trying to change the villains death on order to save lives from whom the villain will kill. He purchases a bomb from the black market, set it to his car, traps the villain and then blow up the car. You would think this would be saved towards the end of the series but it happens in the middle so obviously you can't kill the antagonist and protagonist. It would end the series. But the developers made it to where both of these guys...SURVIVE a car explosion! Not only that, fire erupts through the car causing it to entirely flip once and then land in a lake and sink. All the main character received was a scratch to the face and was in a coma for about a few days while the villain suffers burns to the side of his face and the back of his hand. Both are within their sound mind and is able to carry on what they were doing before the explosion....Eye roll times 10!I know it's not real but COME ON!!!
Another instance was when the MFL was unconscious from being locked up for several hours. She comes out of her coma with perfect looks, memory, oh, they had to throw in a tid bit of physical therapy but she recovers fast and goes back to work.

To add to the eye roll things went sour when the two main leads decided to fall for each other. The thing a person would do for love....really screws every thing up if it's not done right.
They fell for each other, sure, but it was so superficial. And as always the last episode which is suppose to be the wrap up dragged on.

The plot itself would've worked if these few things plus more weren't thrown in to save face. Now it's time to find something else to fill the void this series nearly left me in.

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A theater-in-the-round experience

This is a series NOT for everyone. It is highly allegorical and is very Avant-Garde. But I rather enjoyed it for those reasons. It has some very intense erotic scenes which adds to its mysteries. I thought the acting was very good but it lost me with its repeated scenes and constant singing. You have to really enjoy fringe series to appreciate this one. You are really quite an observer in this series, almost lie a theater-in-the round and you feel a bit intrusive when listening to their conversations and certainly when they are bring lascivious.
Read my full review of this interesting off-the-wall series at BLBliss.com

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Shut off your brain...No Logic Allowed

I am into fluff these days and this series fit the bill.

The story is about a girl who like a guy unrequitedly because he helped her when she felt lost. A guy whose been burned by love whose prejudice against girls in his field caused major misunderstanding between the leads at first.

Here are points of what I like and dislike:
- the gender bender ended quickly, I can't bear seeing her wear that hideous wig.
- the FL is headstrong, although admittedly she loses herself when it comes to the ML but personally, i think in real life there are girls like her.
- the FLs bestie is the best. She does not push her opinions on her friend but she supports her with whatever decision she makes.
- the ML is dumb, that's the most positive way to describe him when it comes to love. He's not hung up on his old flame but because he feels guilty about his misconception of her, he gives her some of his time which gives her hope that there's a chance to rekindle their affair.
- the MLs best friend like the FLs bestie is awesome. He was not written as a 2nd lead that we get sick of because he didn't end up with the FL. He supports her and tries to put some sense on the ML but the ML being dumb as he is does not understand his friend's good will.
- The FLs teammates, 4 musketeers of the team A of programming, made the workplace lively and their teamwork and camaraderie is cute, they made the scenes in the office funny and endearing.
- The Ex GF, Li Man is the ex we hate the most. She's under the illusion that the ML has not moved on and can't forget her. I mean, she made his old company go broke, she blamed it on his mom's dislike and she disappeared to improve herself. It's all sugarcoated BS. She should not have had the face to show up in front of him but she's brazen and so confident that she can't get him back.

The OST is cute.
As for the rewatch value, I would when I need to shut off my brain and watch nonsense.

All in all it was not a bad story, it's a usual romcom, the story is what we're used to but the chemistry between the leads didn't work well for me. I've seen them act way better than what we've seen here. The only reason I scored this at around 6 is because the comedy worked for me.

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Suffers from the limited screen time.

The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim is a rather well written simple fantasy, high school romance that tells the story of Doo Shim, who rejects her abilities, and would rather live a normal life, and Woo Soo, top student in Songyeong High School who gets himself involved in the supernatural shenanigans.

Was I the target audience for this show? Definitely not. It caters to the younger demographic, and gives me quite a Disney show type of vibes - technically there is a message, but the lack of in depth perspective makes me not care that much.

With limited screen time, the writers did what they could to present a well structured and well paced story, that involves quite a number of characters and their side-plots. With a complex drama like this one, that presents the struggles of the main leads, their sweet romance, the demon hunting in school, revenge of the female lead, villain’s backstory and all the subplots of the students with the lowest grade, 20 minutes per episode with 12 episodes in total is just not enough. With that, some plotlines seemed rushed, some were barely touched, almost none of the characters had an actual depth.

I liked Doo Shim a lot. She had a nicely paced development, as she learned how to care for others and fight for the good. Straightforward, but caring. On the other hand, Woo Soo had little to offer - he was there as a romantic interest and for the sake of driving the plot forward. Sounds like a male lead taking over the usual job given to female leads.

The acting from the whole cast was good. Most roles were given to already popular actors with years of experience - even the two main leads. It could not go wrong in that department.

For a short drama like that, the quality of writing and pacing is still really good. Not gonna lie, the sweet, a bit cringey, but quite realistic teen romance gave me some flashbacks to my teenage years - sentimental vibes, but do I really want to remember the awkwardness that came with it? lol

Overall, it’s a fun, short story focused on presenting the fight between good and evil - both as external and internal conflicts. It sheds light on the competitive nature of high school experience in Korea, and how it looks different from the perspective of the adults (who claim it’s a good thing for teens) and kids themselves.

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Taiwanese answer to Gameboys was everything I didn’t know I wanted.

SYAQ? features a Japanese love interest, a tiny frantic disaster gay, slow burn pining, and ended with a domestic montage of pure joy. OMG SO CUTE.

It’s a marker of Taiwan’s adoration of the crash into me trope (have they ever done a BL without it?) that our boys spend less than 5 minutes of screen time together and still they stumbled into that one. Also, this is Taiwan, so there’s even a bit of high heat. The only thing wrong with this show was how short it was.

Stay all the way through the credits for the most adorable boyfriends ever.

An utterly charming series, all fluff, no drama, and pure warm fuzzies to watch.

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Extremely High Execution of a Very Used Concept

I watched this on the spur of the moment after having 0 intention of watching it previously, because tbh how many times have manga/anime fans seen this survival game concept? Growing up with Japanese entertainment, NOTHING about this show was new at all, but I still loved it. I suppose for Westerners it might be new, but for me the shock factors or disturbing qualities didn't stand out from originality but from the pure execution. I could say the majority of the plot turns were predictable as well but the pacing and performances were SO good, that it kept me on the edge of my seat. The violence/gore wasn't emotionally or mentally straining and was easy to get to used to after the initial shocks of the first two episodes.
I LOVED the detective. Passionately :D and not just because that man is incredibly fine, but his character addition really added to the quick pacing of the show, mixing in another storyline so as to almost give us a breather from the dirty inhumane warehouse feeling the other characters endured. I believe that the alternations of character/story focuses was what was really done well because it always kept you rolling and focused. A "next, next, next action" experience.
The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because I really felt that the ending of some characters was rushed. Episode 8-9 definitely lacked the full emotional appeal of loss for me and I was mildly disappointed but I understand there was a time crunch.
I've never stayed up all night to watch a show before, but I did for Squid Game. I was absolutely groggy the next day but it was worth it. I'm currently rewatching it with my mom, and it is still an incredibly crisp viewing. The camerawork and colors were executed very, very well and I look forward to watching Hwang Dong Hyuk's other works.
The "novelty" of Squid Game that's all over media is 100% Western hype in my opinion, but tbh with how well done this show was, it probably deserves it.

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Electrifying chemistry between leads!

This drama is really romantic, those who love watching many intimate romantic This drama is really romantic, those who love watching many intimate, romantic moments this drama is for you, there are lots of kisses which are rare in cdrama.. The story is a bit lagging but the lead actors acted so well. Lead pair looks so good together and the did justice to their roles and like...moments this drama is for you, their is lots of kisses which is rare in cdrama..Story is a bit lagging but lead actors acted so well. Lead pair looks so good together and the did justice to their roles and like i mentioned above you will love their chemistry. Their is also second lead couple their story is really confusing . storyline has many flaws but actors tried to cover it with their performance.This drama would have got more fame if the storyline was less lagging.

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Great chemistry

This is by far my fav bl drama. The chemistry of the characters is so good which makes their acter better. The storyline was different and the director did a great job at providing enough information on their past for the viewer to sympathize with them. The huge mystery behind Tharn's exes was kept hidden very well and, honestly, I could have never thought that Lhong was the culprit and such an asshole. Even though the relationship was kind of toxic, they made it work. I went back to watch this series 4 times more, so far. I think it was because of the attachment I had with Gulf's character 'Type'. Have to add that the music was very addicting as well. I definitely listened to the songs after finishing the series.

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