Reviews

Not Good Enough

Thai Drama 'Oh My Boss' had all the elements to create a swoon-worthy love story, alas, it didn't use them.

The main problem is the relationship itself. The girl is a delight to watch, as she is not only entertaining, she also does a great job with her performance. However, her partner was too forceful right from the start and he wanted to look authoritative but failed to do so. His past needed more time to be properly explained, to give the opportunity to the viewers to connect with him better and look at him more as a human than the 'Boss'. Unfortunately, everything was rushly explained. The whole love story was, in fact, based on the principle of a few happy scenes, plenty of crying ones, usually from the girl's side. The side characters, finally, were only there to fill in the gaps and talk to the leads, and they had no other porpuse nor story to back up.

So, overall 3.5 out of 10.

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Good enough

Korean Mini Series 'Nobleman Ryu's Wedding' was an interesting take on BL genre, as this time it takes place during the Joseon era. And whether that opens a big space of opportunities to explore, the drama opts for a more cliche approach.

That is, the story starts in an odd way, as the two meet under the most unreasonable circumstances (like, he didn't look like his sister, how the transition from him to her would have ever work?). On top of that, and even though Ryu's family environment provided enough twists for the two to create a strong relationship, the drama adds a love triangle! Finally, the ending was pretty rushed and but it was a happy one at least.

The performances, finally, were all enjoyable and everyone did a great job. The settings and costumes were pretty realistic as well.

So, overall, 4.5 out of 10.

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Good Enough

Korean Mini Series 'Check Out The Event' has a strong start but a weak ending.

The beginning of the drama is pretty intense, starting right off with the breakup and then having the main girl being disappointed over and over as her dreams of getting back with her boyfriend, who, by the way, offered no reasonable explanation of why he was so suddenly breaking up with her. The drama played nicely the love triangle card as well, giving the girl a new love interest to support her through those hard times. However, and even though the intensity of emotions was building up smoothly to a boiling point, that explosion didn't happen. The drama opted to drag things up and stretch the big conclusion as to give a more interesting perspective, however, that resulted in destroying the whole story. A nice alternative would have been for the girl to realize that she doesn't need anyone and stay that way. Unfortunately, the drama chooses to take the clicked turn and pretty much vanish any hope the love triangle had to be interesting.

On the other hand, the performances were pretty enjoyable from everyone in the cast.

So, overall, 6.5 out of 10.

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Good Enough

Korean Mini Series 'Blue Birthday' is a nice blend of mystery and time travel fantasy. However, it didn't prevail in other areas.

That is, as most of the drama takes place in high school, after the main lead goes back in time to prevent her best friend's death, the whole school romance feeling, as well as the enjoyment of young friendship and, of course, the nostalgia factor, were lacking. And the action and thriller scenes provided by the mystery case did not aid to hide those mistakes well enough and they did end up being missed.

That said, the drama had its good moments. The fantasy element was well done and didn't get confusing. The performances were all top-notch too and enjoyable.

So, overall, 6 out of 10.

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Good Enough

Thai Drama '46 Days' is a light rom com with a crazy prompt which, however, the cast and the producers make it work.

The one thing that works for the drama splendidly is the pace. The romance wasn't rushed, but it took its time to be properly developed, solving the problems that had occurred first and then jumping into more trouble. The love story itself was pretty interesting and the couple had chemistry, with few though romantic moments between them. The second couple was adorable too. As for the strongest relationship of the drama, that was the sisterhood between the two main characters, a relationship that was both interesting and created some warm and sweet moments. Finally, the drama tackled many subjects under the umbrella of the comedy element, such as the family drama of the main lead as well as her sisters, but with all the care and attention it was needed when it came to more sensitive matters.

So, overall, 7 out of 10.

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Thought provoking and heartwrenching critque on the military structure and cycle of power abuse

I've never written a review before, but D.P truly deserves one
Initially, I didn't think I'd be interested in this drama but I was proven wrong, if you're hesitant about watching this show don't be. I SWEAR I CAN'T RECOMMEND THE DRAMA MORE :)))

Plot
A insightful and thought-provoking drama that tackles many difficult themes such as social hierarchies within the military system, suicide, social class, abuse of power and sexual abuse I'm telling you when I finished I kind of felt empty but I wanted more, I felt so many different emotions whilst watching this drama but there wasn't a single moment were I felt bored.

Acting
I never knew Jung Hae-In could pull off such a different character, I'm so glas he took this role cause he did an amazing job. THE REST OF THE CAST FJGHS I LOVED THEM ALL idk what to say but let me just say the acting is impeccable
AND THE HUMOUR!!


OST
AHHHH I added every single song to my playlists, the songs chosen really fit the overall mood and are quite contrasting in a way. The intro song perfectly captures the atmosphere of this drama idk how to explain it but really all the songs involved in this production were brilliant


OVERALL PLEASE WATCH THIS SHOW :)))))))))

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I give it six months!

The initial review I wrote for this show when I was only a third of the way into it, was a much more positive one than the one I’m writing, now that I am done with this show. To be perfectly honest, this show is very cheap. Not just in the sense of its budget, but also in content and quality. Yet, it has some redeeming qualities. The main character is a rather likable blank canvas, the show is not as sanitized and prudish as the more popular and well-produced shows, and there is certainly a charm in its simple yet entertaining plot that manages to seduce the viewer into keeping up with it. So as a result, I am deeply conflicted in my review of this show and in my assessment of whether I enjoyed it or not.
It would be a lie to say I hated watching it. It would also be a lie to say I found the romance irresistible or nurturing. The best way I can describe this is perhaps to say that it feels a LOT like someone turned a 13-year-old girl’s Mafia-romance fanfiction into a semi-watchable show. It’s watchable because it tickles the nostalgic sentiments of a naïve and long-gone idea of romance that a lot of people harbored in their new young adult phase. As long as you take it lightly, it’s a short and entertaining watch.

You should check this show out if you like:
1. Mafia AUs
2. Short and concise shows with little Drama
3. A good time without much brain-usage
4. Modern Bodice rippers (Lots of sexy times. For a cdrama. It’s like kids’ play in comparison to western shows, though)
5. Summer aesthetics
6. Bestfriends shipping the main couple
7. Happily ever after

Summary: Five years ago, Ruan Nan Chu accidentally wanders into a gang territory and is taken hostage by them. In order to protect her, one of the leaders, a man named Lee, takes her into his custody. As Nan Chu spends more time with him, she begins to fall for the man. Then Lee helps her escape but seemingly perishes in an explosion. Despite that, in the following years, Nan Chu has maintained the belief that he is alive. Then unexpectedly, she actually runs into a man who looks exactly like Lee, named Li Teng, at a party. Drama ensues.

Plot: The plot is weirdly simple! In some ways that’s good. They don’t take 20 episodes for the characters to reveal their true identity and 30 more for the love triangle to develop and another 10 nothing-episodes before they will get an exhausted, long overdue happily ever after. The show’s run is short so things move forward rather fast but also because the main question of the plot is resolved in 5 episodes, the show still feels a bit too long. I used the fast forward button rather generously. In addition to the simple plot, there are some seriously questionable narrative choices made by the writers that left me both amused and confused. Almost no effort is made to make the romance seem like anything remotely plausible or sustainable to any extent! The two barely know anything about each other, their interest in each other seems purely physical, the male lead is honestly creepy most of the time with controlling and jealous streaks, and that’s the level they stay at. They never once have a meaningful conversation or evolve into better partners. It’s a stagnant dynamic that is bound to burst once their honeymoon phase is over. Or when Ruan Nan Chu will report Li Teng for domestic abuse. Whichever comes first! The second couple is no better. The SFL is clingy in a not-cute way and very immature. Her male counterpart seems to be hassled into the relationship by intimidation and a sense that it would be rude to reject her. With the romance so lackluster, the mafia plot should’ve been a bit more interesting but that was also sloppy and rather easy to resolve. Despite the atrocious romantic dynamics, and the pedestrian mafia subplot, the show has this charming x-factor that gets you! I was invested. I wanted them to succeed. The best thing I can say about the show is that it had no delusions of grandeur. It was self-aware. The plot was simple and so matters were resolved easily. It also has a dual-edge of both being feminist and forward-thinking (sexual agency, focus on the FL’s career, etc.) and being deeply problematic and backward (Li Teng is a controlling love interest and it definitely will digress into an abusive archetype at the flick of a finger).

Acting: The acting is not great. The only one I was really impressed with was the female lead but I thought the male lead fell short because he was constantly carrying this brooding smolder expression that was interrupting the authenticity of his performance. The sexual chemistry between them was great and there was plenty of steamy kiss scenes to highlight that but when they were not kissing, the acting was just not good. Everyone else felt like fodder as well. The only balanced performance belonged to the female lead who honestly deserves better projects where she can shine.

Music: Generic pop ballad that repeated over and over again. Overall, like every other cdrama out there.

Production: They maintain a certain aesthetic throughout the show. The costuming is very consistent with the female lead having a clear style throughout the entire show, a rarity when there’s ample chance to flaunt flashy fashion choices. The whole show has a special color grading which makes it cold and clinical. I didn’t love it but it did make the summer heat of the coastal setting seem less painful at least. For such a small budget show, with barely functioning anything, the fight scenes were seriously well-choreographed and created a nice hype.

Rewatch value: It’s short so it encourages that. I won’t rewatch it though.

Negatives: Evil femme fatal, tired trope! The gratuitous second prospective love interest in the Shixiong. The weird love triangle towards the end. The child character being annoying almost consistently throughout the show. That one female character who went mad because her husband died (wtf kind of 50s sexism is this?! Not to mention the weird implications about how mental health works). I’m still not sure what Lee’s job was prior to the bodyguard business. Was he in the military? Another gang? No idea! And to top all this off, there were those ridiculous shampoo ads implemented into the plot. It was hilarious but also just so absurd. There are a lot of questionable plot points with holes and just sloppy planning but if you don’t take it too seriously, then it’s more fun to watch.

Overall: I don’t regret watching it! Every time it became too stupid, I just laughed it off. When it shows genuine moments of sincerity, I enjoyed them. It reads like a fanfiction that is not particularly well-written but it is a fun time, anyway. In some twisted way, I want to recommend this show, actually. Just don’t watch it with high expectations.

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JUST GO FOR IT! MUST WATCH. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The storyline the characters everything was awesome. And obviously Lee do hyun's acting skills are on another level. I am In love with this drama. Trust me you are gonna love the characters especially the main lead! If I would have to say about this drama in one line it would be "The best of the best"
18 again deserves more hype. Its really a great refreshing drama. Must must must watch. I am a type of person who is very particular about dramas but this drama has my heart. If LEE DO HYUN gets more dramas with a great storyline then trust he is going to be the next LEE MIN HO! Overall, 18 Again is a nice ride of emotions with great acting, decent storyline, not-for-everyone jokes, and valuable life lessons. However, as just how life goes, those valuable life lessons might not come in the best form.

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"But behind us are extremely solid mountains"

"We are like the waters from a river, continuously flowing straight from the upstream and never looking behind to see the scenery......but behind us are extremely solid mountains" - Hu Yixuan (21/09/06).

'A River Runs Through It', this Chinese drama is another one of those dramas that revolved around youth, school, romance and comedy. At first, people will have second thoughts and automatically compare it to the other c-dramas of the same genre which they have watched before. Given all the plot tropes, clichés and all the other elements which most of us c-drama fanatics had seen before, it will make us second guess if these 36 episodes are truly worth it, well YES! i'm answering right now, this drama is worth every second of our time as viewers as there is not a single boring episode.

I honestly don't know where to begin, since I have a lot in mind about this drama. I'll start first with its biggest take and what I think made it so worth spending every single second of time on. The first is the scenery or the setting of the drama, it earned such a big applause for me and i'm extremely glad that the production team of ARRTI managed to pull through every single detail, even the smallest ones to make it really look like the drama is set way before the year 2000s. It took them such huge efforts, I mean even the intro of this drama itself with the miniatures is already so appealing. Each scenes perfectly blended with the setting of the drama, making us feel as if we jumped back through time, so it really helped the viewers be completely immersed into every episode. The second would be about the friendship and bond between our precious five (Xiaoju, Shiyi, Chenglang, Letao and Baobao), I won't go through every single detail but get to the main points since it's too long for that, these five have completely proven that a genuine friendship between a girl and a boy or a man and a woman is possible. Although, the rest were a couple except for Chenglang, but let's go way back first to the early days when Xiaoju and Baobao are just simply competing with each other on who will place last or during their beach trip in order to cheer Chenglang up after their college entrance examinations. The friendship of the five of them is so solid, they were there for each other through ups and downs, even if there are misunderstandings between them that arose at the latter episodes, particularly for Xiaoju, Shiyi and Chenglang because of love, despite that, it was evidently shown to us how strong the bond they have is, like when Xiaoju and Shiyi genuinely cared for Chenglang when he got heartbroken by Lin You and etc. The third would be about family, during the early episodes, we have seen how Xiaoju's relationship is like with her mother. In some ways, she was treated unfairly because she had a younger brother whom her mother used to favor more than her. Most viewers who have siblings could easily relate to this. I just love how the rocky relationship between Xiaoju and her mother was dealt with afterwards, the scene between them at Xiaoju's dormitory made me cry, their reconciliation was so heartwarming and proves how important communication is between parents and children. The other heartwarming moment for me was with Chenglang and his mother. His mother here became a strong woman for her child. When Chenglang had an accident when he was about to take the entrance examination for college, it was so touching that I cried buckets, that touching scene i'm referring to is when Xiaoju and Shiyi's dads including their homeroom teacher was there like a father for Chenglang. Ofcourse, not to forget Shiyi's parents, especially his adorable relationship with his dad (always the best and most hilarious) and his pretty mom the referee for the two.. I love how supportive they are although at first his dad was firmly against him becoming a doctor because of what had happened in his past, but seeing how he supported his son, especially at the time when Shiyi was suffering from a blood phobia, although they only showed us a scene of them eating together and talking, that was the most touching moment between a father and son.

The last would be about love (placed it on a new paragraph since this will be longer it seems). I'm a person who easily relates to Xia Xiaoju the most, an unrequited first love is always the hardest to go through and move on from, despite how there is really nothing to move on from since the relationship was never established to begin with. I honestly get why people got mad or annoyed by Xiaoju at times, since she did became a fool and completely blinded for the love she had for Chenglang. I mean, let's be honest here, Chenglang is the typical male lead that every female lead usually falls for, so even at first I thought he really was the male lead. He had so many good traits in him. Both Shiyi and him are complete opposites but both have their own good and unique qualities so it is useless to keep comparing both. Yes, it took Xiaoju a lot of episodes before she finally realized her true feelings, and yes, such things can happen in real life. In real life, we can be like Xiaoju too (admit it or not, we've all gone through unrequited love or unrequited first love at worst). So, we can't truly put all the blame on Xiaoju for hurting Shiyi at times. Shiyi has some faults too, since no one is perfect. The fate of how Shiyi and Xiaoju first met played such a big role, all thanks to those firecrackers blasting off on Shiyi's butt lol. Anyway, first impressions are just as important as last impressions. During their highschool days, Shiyi and Xiaoju were always bickering with each other, they always bully one another even until they reach college. Their usual bickering became so normal for both of them, most especially for Xiaoju so she regarded Shiyi easily as a bro or friend and nothing more but that. Whereas, Xiaoju and Chenglang always gets along with one another, the big contrast was easily painted and thus, Xiaoju had a more harder time to decipher and realize her real feelings for Shiyi as she had always regarded him as a friend and her love for Chenglang clouded her visions. But, we can't blame Shiyi too since he is who he is. Blame it on the writer lol jk!. Xia Xiaoju in this drama is honestly better than the one on the novel, she was more selfish there and so Shiyi and her never ended up together but here she's a lot different. The realization of her love for Shiyi might have been too late and the times she had disappointed Shiyi might have been a lot, so in my opinion, the time and distance between them is what was completely needed for her love for Shiyi to grow stronger. Although, it could have been a disaster if Shiyi moved on and loved someone else, which thankfully he did not. We can see how Shiyi leaving had impacted Xiaoju a lot, to a point she is unable to be in a relationship as what she had said to Baobao. Her feelings for Shiyi became stronger, it was further shown to us when the word pain was painted on her face when Shiyi told her he was going to propose to his girlfriend, also when she saved Shiyi from the pool or when she kept shouting his name in a burst of tears at the beach, she really fell too deeply. On the other hand, Shiyi might not have been our typical male lead and everyone must have expected him to be just the second lead. To be honest, this was the biggest turn on in the drama for me, because it is so refreshing to see a new male lead who is not the usual-usual that we have seen in majority of the dramas. The sad reality hurts though, because Lu Shiyi is just a fictional character. I really love his relationship with Xia Xiaoju and I love his character the most. At first, he might have been a bully who always picks on Xiaoju, but we saw a lot of colorful and warm scenes where he had proven time and time again how much of a perfect man he is for Xiaoju. He might be quite childish in a lot of times and would easily let out his temper when he gets annoyed or jealous, but every aspect of him is so loveable and adorable. He is a complete embodiment of patience, persistence, warmth, effort, encouragement, and love. He was the one who was always there for Xiaoju from the very start until the end, despite how many times he was let down, he persisted and he was most of all patient, he didn't push his feelings for Xiaoju, when he knew how hurt Xiaoju still is because of Chenglang, he tucked his feelings in and was there to be her biggest comfort. Most importantly, he made Xiaoju realize what her 'real dream' really is at the times when Xiaoju herself was lost. Shiyi was there giving her encouragement in every step of the way, he is one of the biggest factors in Xiaoju's life that turned her into who she was. Ofcourse, Xiaoju was there for him too. At the time he suffered from blood phobia, she spent a great effort in searching for ways to help him overcome it, so in a way she helped him with his dreams too. In conclusion, they both helped each other with their dreams and supported one another every step of the way. I completely love how despite some of their moments might be cliché, but it wasn't over the top, rather it was so refreshing and sweet. Both of them are so perfect for each other and they compliment each other well.

Both Hu Yixuan and Richard Wang's chemistry in this drama is way over the top. They both acted so naturally that at times their scenes together felt so so real. Both of them deserves to get more recognition as they both are well skilled and very talented actors. Wang Ruichang deserves to have more dramas as a male lead, i'm a fan of his and had always followed all his works ever since I first saw him on the eternal love. I watched almost all his dramas, each time he never fails to amaze me at how perfect he can deliver and bring life to his character. I must say that among the characters/roles he had played, Lu Shiyi is his best and I could never see him the same way again without Lu Shiyi popping in my head. The rest of the actors were amazing too, their parents were wonderful actors and actresses. It's a shame we didn't get to see the reaction of Xiaoju and Shiyi's parents when Shiyi proposed, I was honestly looking forward to seeing Shiyi's mom reaction the most. It is sad that such a good and a rare gem drama has ended. I doubt that i'll be able to find another drama as good as this, so will definitely re-watch again in future.


"but behind us are extremely solid mountains"
That extremely solid mountain for Xia Xiaoju is Shiyi and her friends Chenglang, Le tao, Baobao as well as her parents.

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Must watch mature and realistic drama for those who left their hometowns for another city

10/1/2021 - 9.75 rating

At the time of this writing, the MDL rating for this drama is 8.2. How could this be so criminally low? Is it because it's not an idol drama, no good-looking cast, not a fluffy romance, not produced by a big tv network? Objectively speaking, this is an excellent drama. Subjectively speaking and on a personal level, this is a near perfect drama. Thus, I am giving it 10.0 (rounding up from 9.75). This is the first drama I give a 10. This drama needs to be talked about and recommended more.

"Remembrance of Things Past" is about the lives of four women who moved away from their small hometown for college and stayed in Beijing after graduation to make it big and have a new life. As a transplant in Beijing, life is not easy and they encounter different hardships in romance, work and just trying to survive.

I have very similar experiences as the female leads - moving away from home, relying on friends to survive in a new city, only reporting happy news to family, long commute to work because housing is cheaper when farther away, loss of a loved one, single woman walking home at night, parents sacrifice for me, etc. Aside from all this, this drama also covered peer pressure at work and at home, marriage pressure for women in their late 20s and 30s, physical and mental health concerns, suicide and attempted suicide, workplace rivalries, materialism, physical beauty, renting vs buying a house, saving money vs living life, money scams, etc.

Episode 1 hooked you right in! Not knowing why a close friend committed suicide is a central plot in the drama. Her story is told through flashbacks, but the guilt is so very present within her friends. Each episode has a theme and an epilogue that narrated by the female leads which make you really stop and think. I love these thought-provoking epilogues. The last 15 minutes of Episode 10 was the most intense for me. The series of events happening at the same time with the three female leads and their subsequent big fight were explosive, intense and heartbreaking.

Romance isn't a main focus of this drama, though each of the three female leads has their own storyline. Maybe except for the romance of Xu Yan & Zhen Zi Chang. The struggles of their relationship is the central storyline, and it's also my least favorite of the three romances. I feel that it's somewhat repetitive and I really dislike Xu Yan and the way she treats her boyfriend. I am glad there's character development, but we don't see a better version of her until the very end. I wish there's more to Xu Yan storyline than about money and her boyfriend. I enjoy the shyness of Jian Yi Fan when he's somewhat courting Qian Xi Chen. I am a sucker for a quiet man who shows love through quiet actions. He seems like a different person when he's so shy and reserved, yet he's such a boss at work (calm and mature). I quite enjoy the banter between Xi Chen and Yi Fan, and they make a cute couple. Ji Nan Jia & Ou Yang's relationship is the sweetest. I love LOVE what Ou Yang said to Nan Jia about having children and raising children in a loving family. How could you not want to have a child with him after that? Ou Yang appears immature, but he's actually quite the opposite. The talk that Nan Jian had with Ou Yang's mother is also excellent. Those two don't seem like a good fit together, but they actually complement each other very well.

Of course, the best part of the drama is the friendship between the four women. I doubt they can survive in Beijing without each other.

Other notes: I watched this drama on YouTube and another site-that-shall-not-be-named. MangoTV YouTube videos blocked some of the music and the sound quality wasn't great. It really did affect my viewing and I couldn't really listen to the OST. The English subtitles also suck. Maybe this contributed to the lack of popularity. I wish this drama is shown on Viki, as I think the subbers would have done a much better job. I also found the accent of the actors quite hard to understand (with my conversational Mandarin skills). Maybe it's a very thick northern accent? Or I am just used to the voice actors these days, which is kind of sad but also why they have voice actors to do the dubbing.

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A pack of sh*t and trash

Annoying sh*t trash
OMG I couldn’t believe it is possible to make a drama this much trashy. I don’t know what is there inside the skull of this direction team, I am pretty sure they don’t have brain at all.
Soo annoying, ML likes FL, FL likes second ML, second ML likes second FL, second FL likes her childhood friend, her childhood friend likes another girl, thank god that mystery girl not showed in drama.
Both ML and FL are worst than trash
1. Out of 36 episodes till 28 she had feelings for second ML, yet ML knows that he keeps on telling her to give up on second ML saying that he has no feelings for you but he keeps on pursuing FL yet he knows she has still feelings for second ML. He couldn’t give up on FL yet he keeps on telling her to give up on second ML.
2. At 29 episode When he proposed to FL she dumped him so cruelly, in the same episode she asked him to act as fake boyfriend and shamelessly he agreed to that.
3. As like in other Chinese dramas ML is soo shameless and sadistic trash, he couldn’t tolerate if she talks with other guys, he rush to her and drag her from the spot like a stray dog, he keeps on rounding around her and always she took him for granted and insulting him very badly yet shamelessly he acted like nothing happened. When he heard some guy is planning to propose FL he run to the spot and dragged her like a dog and suddenly proposed her knowing she still not over with second ML.
4. The main sadistic and cruel part is whenever he tried to confess to FL, before him she always confessed her feelings on second ML and crying in front of him. Yet he trying the same and get annoyed and disappointed.
Like this I can say hundreds of trash in this drama but I feel like to throw up to mentioning those sh*tty things.
I strongly recommend not to try this drama

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A pleasant surprise

I went into this drama expecting nothing. I didn't even read the synopsis and I landed on a gold mine!!
Does this mean there are other good and moving dramas I have slept on and ignored?? I weep at that thought.

A drama that made me long for such a pure and young romance. Made me long to be in love, and be loved. That feeling of a first love, of sleepless nights, of long night conversations, of shy looks at each other, of the uncertainty on whether he loved me or not, of selfless love acts. In conclusion, I was smiling continuously with googly eyes glued to the screen, and my hands were either touching my face and awing(making all sorts of awwwwww expressions)or my heart because! BECAUSE!!!!, it was too much and sometimes too little.

This drama is and will always be my special sugar jar to open when I need something sweet in my life. I foresee a future of rewatchs! My special place in drama land.

It was raw and the acting was as realistic as it could get. I really believed it when they said the fl could pass as a boy. Her makeup, her fashion and what she would do, was trully believable (not like the usual elephant in the room, where we all know she does not look like a boy but we just have to close our eyes and believe).

I did not know kdramas were produced like this. Maybe this was common in dramas back then. Where you believe wholeheartedly in what you are seeing, it does not look scripted , the actions, the reactions, the set up. It looked like the real world and I ate it all up.

I loved the relations between all the characters and I found myself stary eyed at Kim Jae Wook's character. I loved that each character had their own story and goals they aspired to and not just an add on onto the main characters' lives. Each character had their lives to move about and their own stories and their own actions outside the main characters' love story.

I am grateful to that random user I saw praising Coffee Prince in the feeds and in turn prompted me to check it out. This drama will forever be my never-never land.

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Easy watch but nothing ground breaking

Sweet Teeth is one of the easiest/lightest dramas you can watch in 2021. The plot isn't heavy and easy to follow, the characters are all good-spirited (yes, every main character), and the overall vibe leaves a sweet aftertaste, albeit not a particularly impactful one. I'll examine the pros and cons and help whoever reads this decide whether it's something they want to watch.

Pros: 1) Leads. Both main leads are relatively new into the acting scene but I thought they carried their weight well. I especially thought Betty Wu did a great job balancing the cuteness/comedy/romance aspect of her character. Her acting isn't perfect but for an idol drama, definitely passable. I will bring up that I would have liked to see her change up her hairstyle once in a while - she has dyed hair w/ long straight bangs the whole show, a tad on the unfashionable side haha. I thought the male lead did alright as well. We're finally able to see a "cold/cool" main character actually be nice, affectionate, and most importantly, not perfect. He has his insecurities but doesn't bring out any of the stalker vibes like some CEO dramas. Shows off a well-rounded character as opposed to the typical "perfect, quiet, cool" main characters that are plaguing cdramas. Once again, not perfect acting by any means but good enough.

2) Light plot and pacing. Watch this if you don't want to watch anything too heavy. Nothing about revenge or angsty breakups. For the main leads, it's a relatively sweet story. A bit of a love triangle that plagues the middle of the drama but as the whole series is only 22 episodes!!! (LOVING THE SHORT MODERN DRAMA PACING). This eliminates pacing issues that many series struggle with. Lots of shows struggle with plot and character development after the characters get together which is why the final arcs in many of these dramas result to angsty breakups, disapproving parents, or other wacky misunderstandings. As Sweet Teeth is relatively short and the main leads get together relatively late, there's little drag. It's a simple watch although because of the light plot, it might not be something to draw viewers in to binge, but it's a show that you can watch a couple of episodes at a time.

Cons: 1) Low budget. Viewers can tell that the budget for this isn't the greatest. There's definitely inconsistencies in the dubbing which may be distracting. The setting is fine but the outfits are a bit bland (although the director might be going for the bland look for realism) - but the blandness makes it harder to binge.

2) Hard to binge. As mentioned before, it's a sweet watch but hard to binge because some parts are a bit bland, the middle is a bit draggy, and many moments are so cringe that you might need to put it on pause and take a breather. The slow really lacks that magnetic quality that some other shows have, and this might stem from the con #3.

3) Chemistry isn't exactly electric. I thought the main leads were good, but together, I didn't see that spark that some of my other favorite dramas have (Love is Sweet, You are my glory). But to each their own.

4) The damn interruptions. So many inopportune interruptions during key moments. Became way more frustrating than enjoyable/funny after a certain point.

Conclusion:
So should you watch? I think this will depend on whether you want to watch something a bit lighter. The interruptions during confessions or important moments is honestly a bit distracting. This show is unique in that the show establishes the leads like each other very early, but they don't get together until way later - maybe this keeps up the "magic" for you, but maybe these types of relationships are annoying for you. One thing I didn't mention is, there's a lot of focus on the 2nd and 3rd couples. I honestly did not find either of the side couples very entertaining and they do take up a lot of airtime. The main leads are relatively stable characters so some of the randomness/quirkiness/typical cdrama angst are thrown onto the side couples. If you're on the fence, watch a couple of eps and if the side couples are not entertaining, just drop this drama. There is a lot of focus on the side couples, and in my opinion, is a detriment. Overall, I think you should give it a try. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but might be a nice watch for many as well - just don't Shakespeare quality. I know for sure I will check out Betty Wu's future dramas.

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So slow to get moving!

This is my first review and I just had to leave my thoughts about this drama so far. I am only on ep. 15th but could this please pick up a little. They are married and have a hard time hugging. It just doesn't seem that real when you have to wait that long. I know the lead actor is married in real life and I seen him in another drama where he didn't kiss the main lead really at all... but come on... if you are not wanting to kiss the FL then don't do a love story. I love the actor but come on people. So if you want a drama that has passion then I would pass on this as of right now. I don't know how much more I'll watch.

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I came here for Xiao Zhan

I'm not going to sugar coat this. I'm one of those fans who just came off of the high of finishing watching 'The Untamed' and decided to search out another Xiao Zhan series, so this review is obviously going to be of little value to a lot of people. I apologize, because I know that the rest of the cast is doing their best, but they are not Xiao Zhan or Zhao Lusi, and I CAN be that shallow.

Upfront, I'm going to admit that I finally decided to watch this series because of Zhao Lusi and Xiao Zhan (and I need these two in a series together as the main CP, preferably another historical or similar). Previously, I'd seen some video clips of this series and was slightly interested because of Zhao Lusi--I became of fan of hers before I became a fan of Xiao Zhan, by the way. But a lot of those video clips seemed kind of strangely cringe-worthy, and the story line felt a bit unappealing.

Then I watched 'The Untamed' and fell for Xiao Zhan... and that made my decision.

Back to this series, I only have a few minor things to say:

1) After finishing this first season of 'Oh! My Emperor', I now realized again why I'd decided not to pick it up in the first place. A lot of the acting was stiff, editing was bad towards the end of this season, and some of the sound effects were a bit slapdash.

2) So really, it's all because of Xiao Zhan that I even bothered--yes, I can be that biased.

3) Again, the acting was rather stiff and the only person I liked in the entire series so far is Zhao Lusi's Luo Feifei--she was fun, spunky, and all sorts of cute and cool.

4) I don't think I understood at all why Luo Feifei fell for the emperor instead of the royal uncle. Beitang Yi was a jackass throughout the entire series. Beitang Moran was the typical good man who treated our female lead really well and any sane woman would fall for. Even the little brother, Beitang Tang would have been a better pick. I really feel like this trend of the female lead falling for the jackass main male lead needs revisiting--just stop doing this, please.

5) So even though everyone's acting except for Zhao Lusi seemed rather stiff, I still wished that Feifei would have fallen for the royal uncle instead. Yes, even Xiao Zhan's acting was pretty stiff, but you can see that he's got potential.

6) I will give props to positive female relationships--Feifei and Yanran were great together as friends and broke all the tropes in typical idol romances. I loved that even though the two of them were set up to be love rivals, they still remained friends. Yanran's talk about how Feifei is her friend and would never betray her trust was wonderful.

7) The story actually started off pretty interesting and I was intrigued most of the way, so I can't say that I disliked the series completely. I was hooked and was interested in the big mystery behind the Ophiuchus people. The editing and some of the execution of scenes was just kind of choppy and stiff.

8) I will definitely finish watching the rest of this in season 2... even though we all know that Xiao Zhan doesn't end up getting the girl, which is a bit of a bummer for me, but oh well. Maybe in another life he'll get to partner with Zhao Lusi again.

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