Reviews

DESERVED MORE RECOGNITION!!!!

I just recently found out about this drama and since Iam a huge fan of the genre I decided to give it a chance and so far it's amazing.

Yes I have seen this concept many times before but I love how the drama still managed to be consistent in their story telling to the point that the drama feels engaging and thrilling as the episodes go by....the acting is so far good and the characters are pretty much diverse which adds to the fun.

Iam only 10 episodes in and so far it's going well ....can't wait for more episodes.

I need more people to talk about this because I badly need someone to discuss this drama with....and share theories with but Iam not seeing more people talking about it and it hurts because it's good.

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Thrilling, Gloomy, and Unnerving— Featuring Some Twisted Familial Relationships

I don’t usually gravitate towards slow-burn thrillers, but this one hit different. Overall, the pacing of the show was slow, but there were some moments filled with action that got your adrenaline racing.

The Bequeathed is reminiscent of Beyond Evil, in terms of the rural, "small town" setting and the general "slow-burn" unfolding of the storyline, as well as The Revenant’s dive into the whole supernatural aspect. Construing an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, especially in a rural setting, can be hard. After all, you don’t have much to work with apart from empty plots of land that stretch as far as the eye could see; but despite having limited cards to play with, he knew how to manipulate them well. Cinematography, lighting, the camerawork, and soundtrack all pitched in to weave this unsettling atmosphere that kept me on my toes.

Despite its original and interesting premise, the drama did fall short towards the end. Although most of the smaller plot holes were filled, unironically, perhaps the most important overarching one was left untouched: "Why does everyone covet the burial ground?" Considering that the burial ground is part of the drama’s synopsis and was it’s overall theme, it’s hard not to consider this factor when rating the dramas plot holes (now, we’re treading on dangerous territory here..). Other than that, the dramas worldbuilding, flow, pacing, character and relationship development, and overall predictability scored quite high on my scale.

Is it a fresh concept? no, but it is a good take on the noir, slow burn thriller set in a creepy, rural town where a mysterious serial killer runs amok. If you’re into that, The Bequeathed may be a good option to add to your list.

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Inspirational

Without question, this is a high calibre, well thought out and impeccably acted drama. I love how they did away with silly tropes and that, even though we knew what ending was coming, it never felt boring or unnecessary. Kudos to the actors and those involved in any way with this drama. Bravo indeed.

My only reservation ...and it's a minor one because this wasn't truly the point of the drama...is that I never really felt the connection or chemistry between the two leads. I know we heard often enough of the ML's longstanding devotion for the FL but it wasn't something I felt beyond his loving gaze...and I'm still not sure how she went from being an appreciative friend and beneficiary of the ML's kindness and connections to being in love with him. It just didn't jive with me..in fact I felt a greater connection between her and Martin, her best friend's love interest.

I do appreciate the comraderie that grew between the wronged wife and the mistress. Lovely and so supporting and deep. To me, that was the greatest love in the tale...the unbreakable friendship between two women who should have been wary of one another.

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A heartwarming and beautiful story that sadly isn't for everyone to enjoy!

I'll start my review off with a a line quoted from the series.....

“ keep your head below the water only for as long as you can breathe and when you feel like you can't do it anymore then get out of the water and catch your breath "
- Samdari hanyeos.

This drama has been a pleasant journey, it managed to mix up different genres and tags and still made things work some how, we had family friend romance an ex lovers troupe childhood friends to lovers troupe and many more.

What I loved about this drama?

- The consistent story telling...they stuck to what the story had to be from beginning to end..it had to be a healing drama filled with life lessons, rekindling relationships such as friendship and family and it did exactly that..I was sold to the way the story was being told in an engaging manner and with atmosg consistency.
- The acting..this was one of the dramas biggest strengths...every character in the series even the little girl could actually act or potray their feelings In the most believable way in a way that getting attached to the characters didn't feel like a problems because it happened naturally.
- The characters...Except for a few annoying ones most of the characters in the drama had personality...they could stand on their own because they had their own stories....one more thing is the flawed presentation of characters that was done absolutely well, these characters were hurt and flaws and imperfect but that was the charm they added to the series...their character development seemed natural and it happened along the way without feeling random or forced..the characters were given room to make mistakes and heal and make wrong decisions that they later learner from and that was another charm in the series.
- The couple's chemistry.. The main couples served longing and Agust and it was done really well....the other side couples were also cute and were the cherry on top of the drama either way all had amazing chemistry.
- The Samdarli community that I felt part of in these six weeks.

Overall there was plenty to like about this drama to be honest...I felt healed and warmed up and also heartbroken by the story..I was so emotionally invested.

Things I didn't like?

- The unnecessary love triangle that was trying to be created...it felt not needed in the progress of the story.

Other than that...this was a good watch....I mean what do I expect from putting together amazing actors and actresses...Shin Hye Sun's acting range and emotion potrayal got me so attached to her character and rooted for her...Ji Chang wook proved once again that he's a versatile actor and I support him trying out different roles because he's an amazing actor...the rest of the actors and actresses too did a good job with their roles.

Do I recommend this drama?

YES..it might seem like the type of drama that isn't for many but it's a nice watch if you want something healing relaxing yet heartbreaking at times..you will laugh and cry but it will all be worthwhile....so please don't mind the ratings and give it a chance yourself.....

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A Relaxing Watch That Ultimately Left A Bad Taste In My Mouth

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

This was a very serene watch for the most part. I found it enjoyable although there were things nagging at me throughout the entire drama.

Acting/Cast: I think this is the first time I’ve seen these actors (except for the female lead’s best friend and the female lead’s brother). I thought the female lead was fine, but I thought the male lead’s acting style was a little different that the others. He seemed like a regular person -- not very passionate, constantly flipping his hair out of his eyes. I didn’t feel like he liked the female lead. He seemed happier and more comfortable alone. Basically, I'm saying he didn't sell the romance for me; it wasn't believable. I enjoyed watching the sign language between them and not necessarily the love story between them. Maybe the leads just didn’t have chemistry. There was too big of an age gap between the leads, which also bothered me and didn't help with the chemistry. I typically don't like big age gap romances, but it still probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much if the two leads actually seemed like they loved each other. Unfortunately, I developed the dreaded second lead syndrome because the female lead and the second male lead seemed to be a much better fit for each other. 4/10

Writing: The main story started off strong, but as conflicts were introduced, it became annoying. I enjoyed all of the side love stories more than the main couple's love story. If this drama wanted to stay realistic, it should have taken a risk—have a female lead end up with a second male lead for once. I know, it’s crazy...so crazy it just might work. My heart goes out to all the mistreated second male leads in the K drama world. Anyway…where was I? Oh yeah, so the romance between the leads suddenly becomes toxic out of nowhere. I was so confused…the female lead just does a complete 180. I mean, I guess it was realistic because in real life there would come a moment when she’d realize the reality of the relationship and the age difference (Although, I don’t even think the age gap was addressed…). But then, the ending made it unrealistic and left me feeling very negatively about the whole thing. 2/10

Direction/SFX/Music: The pacing was great. That was one thing I really liked about this drama. Even if I wasn’t too into the main love story, the pacing made it a nice watch. The OST is also pretty decent. I like the artwork that was used throughout the drama as well. 6/10

Entertainment Value: I did enjoy watching this drama. It had a nice, peaceful vibe. I really liked watching the sign language and I liked the side love stories. However, they weren’t given enough screen time. I started getting annoyed in the second half of the drama by the repetitive conflicts regarding past trauma. Then, the sudden change in the female lead towards the end threw me through a loop…and then, the sudden change AGAIN at the very end... 4.5/10

Overall, I ended up giving this drama a 4/10 due to the unrealistic and strange ending, the lack of the development of side characters, and due to it being yet another drama that does a second male lead dirty. I’m going to go sulk now. (Don’t mind me…I’m still not over the second male lead syndrome I had developed while watching True Beauty.)

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Has everything except for the plot

I really loved the first few episodes — there wasn’t much of a plot but the “city girl escapes to the countryside” premise promises comfort and I definitely felt that. There was the overarching plot of Samdal’s career, the yearning of an exes-to-lovers romance, and the three sisters providing the family aspect — all of which I loved.

And then as the show went on it started to drag, and I found that there weren’t that much of the countryside vibes, and they introduced plots that were detrimental instead.

First there’s the love triangle, which is the most unnecessary part of the show, and I’m saying this as a love triangle trope defender. The love triangle where the second lead has zero shot, who the FL never once considers a potential love interest, and who has no plot other than the romance and standing in the shadows looking at the main couple steadily progress…we have to leave that behind because all it does is waste screentime.

And then there was the reason behind the main couple’s initial breakup: parental disapproval. It’s a common trope in kdramaland too, and one that I also think is really outdated and frustrating, especially for a drama like this where there’s really nothing else going on.

A third thing that got too much screentime was the gossipy old ladies, who were frustrating even if they weren’t completely horrible by the end.

In terms of the subplots, I think they started out strong but also fizzled out a little. The eldest sister’s romance with her ex-husband was really funny but I wish it was more serious at times rather than making it all so slapstick. The youngest sister’s romance and relationship with her daughter was the best part of the show, especially in connecting the theme of motherhood throughout the show. It’s a fantastic theme that I wish had a better throughline rather than coming in and out, because the mother-daughter scenes always hit really hard.

I also actually really like the focus on Samdal’s career and her adversary, and I wish it didn’t come so late in the show. I also wish they didn’t lean so much into one character being downright evil, and it doesn’t quite give you the satisfaction of karma getting her in the end due to lack of screentime. The plot line of Samdal rediscovering her love for her hometown and photography was really heartwarming still.

Another thing I wish got more screentime was the friend group. We had some at the start of the show when Samdal returned and some at the end when they were helping her, but overall the show leaned into the love triangle and other scenes instead and I felt like we never really got to feel how close they were the way we grow to love the friend groups in dramas like the Reply series.

Overall, it ends on a satisfying note and wraps things up in a neat little bow, but I feel like I didn’t quite get as many comforting vibes I wanted.

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A Drama That Expertly Blends Emotions Well

I took immediate interest in this drama after finishing up Extraordinary Attorney Woo because I had fell in love with Park Eun-bin and her fantastic acting ability and its apparent she is quite possibly one of the best actresses around with how she fails to disappoint in her ability to play totally different roles in this wonderful drama. The main major thing Castaway Diva expertly does is it's ability to mix in a wide arrange of emotions and its ability blend together serious and more intense scenes with its happy and joyful scenes.

The story itself revolves around the titular character, Seo Mok Ha, the Castaway Diva who spent 15 years stranded on an island after she fell overboard trying to escape her abusive father while trying to seek a better life by becoming a singer. The story takes Seo Mok Ha on a journey with her resettling into society and meeting new people including her idol that she absolutely loves, Yoon Ran Joo. I really loved the sister relationship the two developed over the series with the individual character growth it brought for the both of them. Both of them learning new things and becoming stronger in different facets of their personalities while also taking each other's careers to the next level. I have tagged this as review as a spoiler but I am giving extra warning with the next bit of this because it is a major reveal!

The secondary plotline revolves around Kang Bo Geol formerly known as Ki Ho, Seo Mok Ha's middle school friend who helped her film her contest music video in turn falling in love with her and later helped her escape her abusive father while also escaping his own abusive father. Despite having saved Seo Mok Ha from the island after searching for her for 15 years, he had to keep it a secret because he and his family were hiding from his father by using a missing families identities to cover for themselves. This secondary plotline is the main driver of the serious, intense, and sad scenes throughout the drama. Personally for me I thought it hindered and took space from the main plotline revolving around Seo Mok Ha and the more generally happy moments but it felt natural however with the way the writers were able to mix in both together. The romance between Seo Mok Ha and Ki Ho played out perfectly and paid out well with how they handled Ki Ho's reveal to Seo Mok Ha and their lead up to them confessing their love to each other.

The casting for this drama was absolutely perfect, Park Eun-bin became my all time favorite actress after watching Castaway Diva, she is so incredibly talented across the board. She plays the role of Seo Mok Ha perfectly. Her counterpart Ki Ho is played by Chae Jong Hyeop who does a wonderful job in portraying a conflicted man wanting to confess who he is to the love of his life but not wanting to risk his family from getting hurt. I also loved how both the young and adult versions match each other so very well, normally in dramas and in TV shows in general they always come off abit weird and wrong, but this was the first time I actually enjoyed watching both. (Spoilers for Good Detective S2 ahead) Yoon Ran Joo is played perfectly by Kim Hyo Jin who I didn't even realized was played by the main villain of the second season of Good Detective. Cha Hak Yeon plays the annoying brother role perfectly and the rest of the casting was absolutely fantastic.

The OST is legitimately one of the best I have ever heard plus the fact that it also revolves around the story of the drama makes it so much even better and makes it all the more special. Park Eun-bin is so incredibly talented as a singer that I have had her songs on repeat since finishing this drama. The cinematography was picture perfect with each scene displaying the emotions of the characters by just the way it was filmed using a variety of colors.

All around another perfect drama from Park Eun-bin! She really is the perfect all around actress, I'd suggest everyone to watch this wonderful drama that makes you feel all the emotions!

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SO SWEET… but not enough screen time for the side couple!!

BRO this was so cute. i cried sm. so feel good. omg i love this. so much more than hometown cha cha cha thing… i didn’t like that but THIS AHHHHHH!!! omg and kang mina ??i missed her sm she’s so cute and her daughter UGH LOVE. this was so good. i love them in their hometown so sweet. and second chance love was cute. BUT THE SECOND COUPLE…. KANG MINA AND THE DOLPHIN BOY. i literally started watching this just for them BUT THEY GOT LIKE NO SCREEN TIME AT ALL HELLO??? just like very little in the last ep… pls…. I NEED MORE. kang mina needs to star in something some romcom pls i love her. but i loved the three sisters. the older sister … i wish she had less screen time and MORE FOR KANG MINA HELLOOO. omg and hayul was so cute omlllll so sweet i cried she’s so thoughtful. and last ep the gallery scene SOBBBBBBB it was so beautiful ???yongpils dad got on my nerves tho like… they would’ve been perfect if not for him.

very feel good! sweet! -2 for no screen time parts… BUT TAY

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I’m surprised!!!! I liked the drama :)

First - Lead actors. It’s the first time watching any work of Zhai Zi Lu and Xiao Yan (had to look for their names). And Watched “Special Lady” without expectation at all (except for the 7.4 mydramalist rating). I don’t usually write reviews but I did for this drama because I want to say that both of them are good actors and the drama deserves a bit higher review.

Zhai Zi Lu - impressive. I think with all the cdramas I have watched, he’s the only cdrama actor that I found good in romcom. He has great sense of comedic timing that is crucial in this type of character (though I find his intonation too high sometimes lol). His antics are on point. Not all can pull off this silly character as some may look awkward or trying hard.

Xiao Yan - adorable. I did not have much interest in her in the beginning but she gets adorable as the drama progress. Her acting is good and the character fits her overall look.

Zheng Xiao Ning - Song Zhu’s father. Dean Song. I wanted to put it up here that he did a good job acting as the ever calm and upright character.

Second - chemistry!!!! They were cute bickering (and because the characters are well portrayed, I found them silly in a good way) I loved their energies.) Then when they were starting to realize the tension between them I found myself smiling and giddying that I wanted their relationship to progress faster lol. Finally!!!! When they got together it was warm, fuzzy, calm and secure relationship which fully convinced me watching it is so worth it <3

Story - Now I think one of the reasons for the low review is it’s excessively long, especially the first half of the drama. I know it’s for the plot but I still fee like this should not have 36 episodes. Especially the relationship build-up for the two it took more than half of the series. Nothing special about the plot but still a good watch. So I am giving it a 8.5. Still it gave me butterflies in my stomach so great job, everybody!

Thank you for reading my review. <3

** Pseudo-spoiler **
P.S. I’m glad I did not root for the 2nd male lead guy here lol. Judge him when you watch the series

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Don’t miss out on this time-loop gem

This is a great time-loop costume production with great actors and a brilliant and mesmerizing storyline. I normally hate stories with time-loops because they get too repetitive for me, but this one doesn’t. Each timeline has its own story with only the basic story being the same. It’s kind of a crime-solving story with a sweet romance.
Character wise:
FL is a sweet and kind woman who ends up in a time-loop involving her and ML’s marriage.
ML is a clever and nice but reluctant man who doesn’t want to be a part of the power struggle for the throne.
Acting wise this is great and the chemistry between the leads is very good.
So, if you love a great time-loop/time-travel story - with twists and turns - this is a “Must Watch”.

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i think Natsuzora gonna be my favorite asadora!

The way Natsu is accepted and accepts the Shibata family as part of her life is really well written ♡

I really like the story because it starts from little Natsu, then as a teenager, to adulthood and having her own family.
Here we can see how children who were victims of war lived to recover and become adult pioneers, how they could be a family even without blood relations, how anime was made at that time, and the beautiful scenery of Tokachi Hokkaido!

What I like most here:
1. Heroin's relationship with Shibata fam (her foster family), my favorite is granddaughter-grandfather relationship here.
2. Realistic! especially when the heroine (Natsu) and her husband have a child, the struggles of new parents are seen in detail.
3. The theme is that the heroine becomes an animator, because I like paintings, that makes it even more exciting!

There's only one thing I don't like:
1. families who used to be together, but had to be separated because they started their own families. For some reason, that makes me sad.

Overall I really like Natsuzora, after watching this asadora, my heart felt warm.
156 episodes worth watching, I highly recommend this asadora!

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I loved A Time Called You

In my honest opinion, watching this K-Drama and observing how the story unravels was super intense! As a person who loves the concept of time traveling, going into the past, and going to the future, this was a K-Drama for me. I was so invested in this K-Drama that I took an entire day just to finish (or try to) all the episodes.

I usually don't watch K-Dramas with hour-long episodes, but the urge to finish it pulled me in. The story was so confusing at first but as the episodes went on, the puzzle and mysteries started to come together. On top of liking time travel, I like the idea of solving mysteries or murder mysteries. The entire plot is based on Jun Hee discovering things about her newly found friends as Kwon Min-ju.

After finishing this, I kept listening to "Gather My Tears" by Seo Ji Won because they played the song so much in the show, it slowly became addicting that I had that song on repeat for weeks. It was on my Spotify wrapped that I listened to it so much. I became really obsessed with this show and I would HIGHLY recommend it to this K-Drama IF you are into time travel, murder mystery, mystery, and suspense.

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Good but annoying

The first season was really good, I'm not sure why I watched this one, honestly, I would've been fine with just season 1 because it ended very well. The whole series was just really annoying to me.

First of all, I disliked Ji Woo's character, he turned from a cold person with a soft heart to a cold person with a cold heart, we didn't get a full reason why he left Seo Joon, just that everything Seo Joon did annoyed him which was just an easy way out, instead of saying he was scared to be in a relationship or something that made sense.

It pained me to see Seo Joon trying too hard to get Ji Woo to like him again, he needed to move on because he didn't deserve Ji Woo and the way he treated him. Seo Joon even found out Woo's restaurant wasn't doing well so he did everything he could to get people to come to the restaurant and Jo Woo was still stand ofish.

The little girl was extremely annoying to me and they were she was calling Ji Woo "dad" She needed to stop, Also her "running away" and hiding in the cupboard just because her mother couldn't pick her up was unnecessary.

I wish they could've found someone else for Seo Joon, he was just too pure for Ji Woo

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