Reviews

Rollercoaster of feelings.

Killer and Healer, is the first c-drama that made me had a mixed feelings into one bowl. Sometimes I just want to smile 'till midnight and sometimes I just want to bawl my eyes out. This feeling make me so stuffy even it's broad daylight tears still flowing. How can I get over this? I asked myself. yet I'm seeking the same thing over and over again.

That one scene even it's cliché it does break the heart. I am yet writing this my chest feel heavy.

I thought the night have the sun but I'm imagining beyond the one's wildest dream.

overall, the story was a bit too predictable and easy to guess but was not the end. The casting, they full of talented actor! I'm really impressed of the main lead chemistry and the charismatic. the friendship between JYL and CYZ is so admirable and compassionate.

The music once and forever make me cried as I play it on and on . the most memorable pieces for me is "understand" by Yu Xi.

"the thought of you,
and the tear will fall.
The time of a lifetime,
have to be separated from you."

that line, are the most memorable lyric and its also keep reminding me of that one last scene. it does really pierced through the heart.

"time flies into a sigh" it's true what Jiang YuXin said in "sigh" lyric. I can't believe it's already the end of the episode of Killer and Healer. In the end, i'm really, really glad that i watched this.


*:) im happy and also sad. i don't know when can i heal this feelings :(*

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Is a makeover growth or conformity?

It is a sweet, easy to watch drama. I so wanted to love this show and in most part I do. When they are good, they are very good but the last 1/3 was a bit of a mixed bag. I think the general plot/pacing was fine. It was a bit on the long side with some sub plots that went nowhere in the second half. I don't mind the FL changing for the better for love as it was gradual and very positive character development. The best part is that the ML did not ask for or manipulated the FL into changing. The beauty angle is not 100% PC but then again who can claim that they didn't change a bit or even have a makeover in the name of love. I would have given it a 10 if the last 1/3 was done better. The FL growth was so nice to watch over many episodes and then just when they both confessed their loves, she went 10 steps backwards and became a total insecure, awkward GF. I think the show would have done much better if they amped up her self esteem and just show all the jealous girls what a perfect match they made and be proud of it. While the first 2/3 was well paced, feels organic and very "slice of life", the last 1/3 was trope heavy (including breakup, misunderstandings, forced separation, etc) and just feel too scripted. Thank goodness they didn't labour the angst and sadness. One final point, this is totally rated G. There is not even a real kiss for the entire length of the drama. There was one scene where they hinted that they kissed but the action was totally obscured. There were so many failed/foiled attempt it is no longer funny by the end. If you are looking for skinship then move on. Hand holding and a peck on the cheek is about as heavy as it got. Was that a clause in the contract or self censorship?

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Had So Much Potential To Be Amazing (but was ultimately just okay)

Abyss was a rollercoaster unlike no other. It had me changing my opinion of it with every episode.

STORY: Some episodes were really great with the right balance of crime, comedy, romance, and thriller, with the addition of well executed storytelling. Whereas, other episodes were plain messy and had left me feeling frustrated with the characters' dumb decisions. On one hand, I disagree with a lot of opinions out there about this drama being to confusing or lackluster. But on the other hand, I agree that the story could have been executed waaaaaaaaaay better. I followed along pretty fine most of the time, so I wasn't having a hard time in that regard, but it still felt clumsy at times and the rules of Abyss (the marble itself) felt awfully convenient when they revealed themselves. So yes, plot holes are there. But I don't think the plot is as badly written as others make it out to be. Plus, the romantic storyline really held this show together - personally, I found it to be perfect and the leads were so cute together. I loved the themes of friendship too and how they developed slowly (and convincingly) throughout the drama. The only story aspect of this drama that let it down due to some messiness and senselessness is the crime (supernatural? alien? thriller?) part. And the ending. But that's completely personally preference. I'm sure a lot of people are satisfied with the ending but I really wasn't. I don't know, it lacked something (emotional impact?) for me. And I hate that kind of ending - I can't say without going into specifics but there's something (related to time) that I don't like. If you know, you know. Plus, I was still left with questions.

ACTING/CAST: Okay, why is everyone lowkey hating on AHS's acting performance in this? They say things like "... he's a little green, but he's done an alright job..." In my opinion, he did great! He nailed the right emotions during his scenes without overexaggerating and he does exceptional in romance scenes (especially kiss scenes lol). Also, he gives off that puppy vibe in this that vaguely reminds me of The Great Lee Jong Suk. Obviously, there's some improvement that could be done in some areas of his performance but I don't see the importance of nitpicking. PBY did a great job too and they had amazing, natural chemistry which is all we could ever long for.

MUSIC: Nice, fitting, and catchy.

REWATCH VALUE: Low for me because watching this storyline play out again would just exhaust me - OH that's another thing. This drama somehow felt draggy because it wasn't (? I don't know how to explain this). Basically, so much was happening in every episode and it almost always felt like I was watching a finale (or the build up to one) and therefore, it felt like the show went on forever.

IN CONCLUSION: I gave Abyss a 7/10 because I think it was good, had a great romantic storyline, the comedy was great when it happened, and I definitely recommend watching it at least once! And despite it's outward appearance - and the premise - this show isn't trying to say that "looks are all that matters", it's trying to say that "what's in the inside is what counts". Your soul. It's not like Cha Min was reborn handsome and Se Yeon was suddenly in love with him. If that had happened, I would have dropped this drama straight away for being shallow.

Anyway, give it a go and form your own opinion!

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So I just finished Season 1 for Nine days straight ? I have a looot of pending cdramas to watch, I think we all are haha! But I just couldn't find a certain cdrama that will help me move on from FIYS ? I meant, it's one of the best decision I made, watching this first!

I dont know if this cdrama is underrated or not but I will rate it 9/10!! It's worth watching! I was super into the lead actor (Xu Kai Cheng) and he had a good suave personality, as well as being caring, thoughtful and has a husband material vibe ? He is like a chinese version of Mr. Grey haha very much dominant for his role, he also reminds me of my crush Danniel Henney a korean actor ?

I honestly enjoyed the first 10 episodes, their cheesy thing hahaha the couple looks great together in one frame, omg plus the kissing scenes are on fire ? hays, from that moment, I thought they werent acting anymore. Haha Ling Yi Zhou (Xu Kai Cheng) and Xia Lin (Simona Wang) looks so natural for a married couple!

And yes! I would recommend this to you all. Haha after all, I couldn't resist and love the lead actor, Xu Kai Cheng ?

You all should watch this!!!!♡♡♡♡

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Amazing iirst 20 eps, but starts dragging its feet towards the finish line

Short placeholder review for now.

First 20 eps were great. Solid balance of romance and gaming. Although Douban seriously hates this drama (mostly because Chinese viewers don't like how it "disrespects professional gamers"), I thought it was a great and fun watch. The first 20 episodes had great character building and we got to see the amazing supporting characters as well. Strong female lead - although she's the quiet and stern type, she's not shy - great change of pace from all the bubbly/upbeat/naive female leads we normally see.

The episodes definitely start dragging past episode 20. Once the main character gets together, the plot becomes messier, both from their gaming standpoint and real-life standpoint. The first 20 episodes paint their team as the favorite so the plot has to introduce challenges. Sometimes a game takes too long to finish and other times, are way too short. Sometimes, it feels like their team moves backwards as well (unexpectedly suffering from arrogance or extreme sadness from losing a game - very different from the general atmosphere of the drama and a bit out of character). The real-life plot points also follow one cliche after the next - scumbag male lead, fan backlash from revealing their relationship, crazy fans, misunderstandings, etc. It's natural to have challenges for the main couple to face, but some of these plots took away from the strengths of the drama. I would have liked to see more organic plots, perhaps learning more about the side characters or more about the male lead's family and their business.

Nonetheless, still a very enjoyable show. I'd recommend watching this for the female lead herself. Finally a down to earth main character. She's had a relationship so she knows what to expect. She's calm, cool, collected and great at her profession, but isn't a Mary Sue. Finally more nuance in a character rather than being upbeat all the time and blushing at everything the male lead says. The gaming portion is done well and the animation is a step up. Romance is also developed gradually but also has some faults at time. Would recommend.

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A Must-Watch to Any Omega X Fans (FOR X)

I don't normally write about kpop reality shows, but this group is really special to me. Omega X's members have all experienced being a part of other groups previously. Most of them have been through heartbreaking disbandments due to reasons that are out of their control. This is what sets them apart from other groups - there is an emotional story behind each member in the memory of their struggles.

Despite only nine episodes, this show will put you through an emotional rollercoaster. From laughing to crying, you will grow to love these boys through utter chaos and heartfelt moments. I can almost guarantee that in every episode, a different member will catch your attention. This group is full of energy, variety and talent, but more importantly, their bond is ethereal.

Rewatch Episode Summary:
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Ep. 1) House Introduction -- picking rooms + bed bugs, cooking/cleaning, group vocal lesson
Ep. 2) Talent Evaluations pt. 1 -- new members joins, compete for main vocal/dance
Ep. 3) Talent Evaluations pt. 2 -- Tiger Inside, compete for Junghoon's (exaggerated) room
Ep. 4) Teaser Filming -- bottle flipping challenge, dance practice, flavoured chicken
Ep. 5) Member Profiles -- drawing contest, group games, tickle punishment
Ep. 6) Cheat Day -- Spire red carpet + group feast, debut concept discussion, recording Vamos
Ep. 7) Outdoor Trip -- ocean/amusement park, testing leader candidates, rooftop bbq
Ep. 8) Team Missions pt. 1 -- company mystery trip, cable cars, sky swing mission, treasure hunt
Ep. 9) Team Missions pt. 2 -- kpop charades, relay mission, sharing personal letters, fan letters

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A twist to the standard school yard romance drama

I loved this drama. I was only expecting a light weight school drama but how wrong was I. It was so well written and the theme is so strong but without going all dark and horrid. It is all about love at every level. Love between the OTP, family members, friends and colleagues. It is all there and it is their devotion that overcame obstacles and adversities. The chemistry of our OTP is off the chart and how they talked and cleared up their misunderstanding and then became so strong and steadfast is a breath of fresh air compared to the usual k-drama trope. Thank you writer-nim.

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Soak up the atmosphere and breath

It is a lovely, well made drama but it has issues. The mood is generally mellow, slow and contemplative. The acting all round is good and some stands out more than others. While the OTP is lovely together and Park Min Young can just stand still and be beautiful anytime and I won't complain, it is a slow burn. There was almost more chemistry with the 2nd OTP and they certainly had more fun with them. ML's sister is a scene stealer. I do wish they let her develop a bit more. Now on to the elephant in the room . . . Like so many k-dramas, they have to add a dark twist or two. Unfortunately, it was telegraphed very early in the show but the writer insisted on recounting the events again and again but with a slight change of angle or a bit more voice over or an added scene. I suppose the idea is to reveal the "true" event over time as you get deeper into the story but there are no surprises so the recounts just feels draggy. I'm glad that they did wrap up the story nicely so you do feel satisfied. It is well worth the watch but you have to be in the right mood.

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Interesting urban fantasy story

I have to admit that I have a fairly low expectation for this drama. The story line sounds interesting but I have serious doubt that they can pull it off. I was partial correct but I'm also happy that I enjoyed this show more than I expected. First of all, the whole boy raised by wolves thing is a joke. You really have to suspend all your disbelieve and just run with it. Take it as a fairy tale and you will do ok. In that sense, the ML carried the first 1/3 of the show. His looks, innocence and chemistry with the FL made the watch more than watchable and quite cute and entertaining. The middle 1/3 is where the show lost its way. The plot holes are big and the villain is over used and he is not evil enough to carry the show. He is more meddling than pure evil (leave it to k-dramas for that!) but the effort of his dirty work was over amplified. The plot just meander around for several long episodes just so that we can feel the angst (not) and wait for the story to get back on track. Thank the drama gods for the last third of the show as it saved the drama. Bits of it were cheesy but at least they gave the drama time to explore and bring all the threads to a satisfactory conclusion rather than the rushed happy ending for everyone in the last 15 mins of a 30+ hours show. A nice surprise is the villain did get a chance for true redemption rather than just being written out or worse, let off the hook. There are a fair bit of skinship and it was largely done well and with feelings. You have to give it to Amber An for not shying away from intimate scenes. She is a good actor but I feels that she is getting type casted into this type of rom-com roles over the years.

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Worth the hype :)

I wasn't sure at first that this would be for me, I'm usually more of a romance based story lover, but this really surprised me. Squid game has no romance, and I wasn't bothered in the least about it. I was just an interesting story with morally grey compelling characters.

I'm a bit confused about the ending. I'm not sure if they did it that way so that there could possibly be another season or just to make the viewer think? But overall, this kept me very engaged and I really liked it a lot!

If the creators were to do another show set in this world, I would LOVE to see more about how it started, how the workers are chosen and just more about the frontman. The frontman had the potential to be a really interesting character, the story just wasn't focusing on him. I just want to know why he chose to join the game maybe even (SPOILERS) see what his original game was like and ultimately led him to abandon his family and become a major part of the game.

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Started off well but afterwards annoying sister ruined it all

The first 15 episodes was good! I actually really liked the beginning of the story and thought it was different, however continue watching was such a let down!

Female lead Xian Qian is a bargainer, who helps people get things they like for a lot cheaper of a price, for example trying to bargain hunt for a place of wedding... Two years ago her boyfriend ran out on their engagement party, which was held Chang Sheng hotel. The male lead is Chang Sheng's ceo. He witnessed the breakup of the couple and accused her of pressing the fire alarm.
Xian Qian and Sheng Zhe Ming meet through, Xia Qian organizing Zhe Ming sister's wedding. It also turns out Xia Qian 's ex is with Zhe Ming's sister. Before she knew this she tried all her best to get a booking the Chang Sheng hotel. She even tries to go uncover to steal the list of people who supposely has a wedding on that day to see if they could change times.

The leads meet and slowly but surely the male lead falls for female lead. I love the female lead's character, she's smart, sensible, and down to earth. I also like their bickering. I think it was cute when they finally got together.

But knowing it was 40 episodes, there was bound to be some drama. First of all didnt really care for Wu QiLong to be the second? lead. He falls in love with Xia Qian's coworker. Their storyline is pretty much skip worthy! The other storyline is the ex fiancee and the lead's sister. Except the lead's sister is a bitch ! and super annoying. She's always jealous of the female lead, shes always trying to do things to hinder her brother and female lead's relationship.

As for story development wise it becomes weak.. and pretty boring. I would of love to see more cases that she worked on to bargain or something along the lines. There wasnt much plot development.

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Cute and simple!

This story! Gosh! I'm gonna miss it now that it's done! I personally felt everything was so perfect, eventhough it was so simply done.

Story-10/10
As I have stated- everything was so simply done. And yet, it was done so incredibly well. And the format way that they choose to do it (like Gameboys and Hello Stranger being done over an electronic device instead of face to face), you would think that you would get bored as you have seen this format already. But I wasn't. I wanted to see the outcome story of Chen Bo Chun and Itsuki Sato so badly, especially due to this format.

I will say that I nearly gave it a lower score due to the ending (or at least what I thought was the ending). But then we got those cute extra scenes that I felt wrap up the storyline so well!

Acting/Cast-10/10
They all did so good. Lance Chiu and Akihiro Kawai was able to portray thier characters so well. And while the storyline is so simple, thier acting was able to portray it so well. And sometimes you don't get that in some other series, but they were able to do it and made me come back every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to see what happens next with them. And then I was so happy to see Aaron Lai as a guest role in this series.

Music-10/10
That opening OST is addictive and I love it so much!

Rewatch Valu-10/10
I would most definitely watch this again. And I feel like I would enjoy it more as I won't have to wait like I did when watching it while it was airing.

Overall-10/10
Overall I loved this series! I would recommend this series to anyone who wants a cute and simple storyline that can be watched in one go!

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cliche disney ending

FL is too smart for her own good, she applies her good values to others. The pacing was off, last 7-8 episodes were rushed and the early villains/schemes were dragged out too long. Costume and makeup were too clean, I don't think I saw anyone sweating. The villains that should get punished gets a slap on the wrist(I'm looking at you pupil student wanting revenge), good characters outside of a few main leads are dull/easily manipulated.

good to see some familiar faces, old doctor by the border town played by 2010's three kingdoms actor, who played one of the 5 tiger generals under liu bei.

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Truly a masterpiece

I originally wanted to watch this within a week, but I couldn't, I finished this drama in only 3 days. It's totally worth it, and it is the best, if not, one of the best Chinese drama I have ever watched. The acting were spectacular, the casting is great, the chemistry between family members are truly inspiring. This drama is not only great to watch, but also very educational on how people should treat each other, and be kind to each other. I usually don't want to recommend any foreign language drama to my family because they prefer movies they can understand, and also the genre isn't exactly my family's cup of tea, but this drama I can 100% recommend my family to watch. If you cry easily, this drama might be hard for you because you might cry and laugh in every episode, don't worry, it's not a sad drama, more like a touching story. I can even watch this over and over again, I finished this drama 2 days ago, and I still can rewatched it again without feeling bored.

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Story could've been better, casting is perfect

The casting did a great job, although some of the supporting actors still need improvements though. The story is quite draggy, and I lost interest halfway through the drama, but I finished it because I love the actors and was interested to see the ending. Happy ending for villains is what I don't like about this drama, and the leads are too forgiving. There are no karma for bad character. Even FL's ex-fiancee who cheated on her, and pulling a fraud on her gets an okay ending, and FL ends up giving him money for him to settle. Furthermore, what I don't get about this drama is FL is too forgiving and trust other people easily, but treats her boyfriend badly even though ML gives all of him, which she doesn't deserve.
What I like about this show is only how mature the lines are. There are no acting cutesy or whatsoever, which I dislike. There is still room for improvements, FL dubbing is showing too clearly, I don't want to compare it to Korean Drama, but I have never seen any Korean Drama do any dubbing, or if so, they did a great job hiding it. But in this drama, the dubbing is too obvious, there are some scenes in which the dialogue doesn't match their mouths when they're speaking. The telephone ringtone is bugging me too for some reason, why can't they just use normal telephone ringing instead of a song, every character's phone uses the same song for the ringtone, and since this is a business drama, it's kind of expected that there are a lot of "calling" scenes, maybe 8-10+ per episode, so imagine listening to the same song for 40 x 10 = 400 times of the same song on this drama.

PS. I don't get why so many people are triggered by product placement (pp) in this drama. I didn't notice the pp at all, I think it's a normal amount of pp.

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