Completed
Big Dragon
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers

It already fails with the most used and easiest love trope – the love triangle/corner.

This was a mess. Completely all over the place with no depth or any development.
It felt like the director & writers wanted to make another KinnPorsche, but then realized in the middle they're better at making another Lovely Writer.

Was it even directed by one person? It genuinely feels like every 10 minutes someone else directed it with a script from a different writer, and these different teams didn't communicate between each other. Like, "oh yea, let's all make short films about these characters, every team will work on another time period of their story, and then add these shorts all together to have one full series. Oh, and also, we won't tell each other what exactly we're gonna put into those scenes – who needs communication, when you can surprise each other." Basically. That's what I imagine the producers said to the team working on it.
If not that, then it felt like the director(s) (& writers) never watched a movie before, never did anything in that field, never even read a book or consumed any type of story.

I'm convinced that a kid, who watches nothing but "baby shark" on Youtube all day, would make a better director & writer than this team did.
At least for the overall plot.

There were scenes here and there that I did like, where it really seemed the team has actually put some effort and passion into what they want to show, and then really flourished to prove to everyone what they're capable of. Particularly episode 7, at the end, had beautiful shots; also props to the camera and color grading team for that.
Generally, the cinematography was mostly beautiful and great. The camera team are definitely professionals; at least they knew what they were doing and put their passion into it, despite the awful writing and probably also directing.

~

Episode 1 starts off with a rather "dark" tone, talking KinnPorsche or generally mafia vibes. As far as I know, Yai's family is not mafia, just very rich. That already felt out of place, because while they were going for the dark tone, there was no dark plot whatsoever.
Yai seems to be into BDSM and drugs people a lot apparently, but that's it. It's like Yai listens to too many of those "POV: you're a mafia boss" music playlists on Youtube and tries to make it his personality, but the problem is that nothing in his life suggests to be dark or even fit the mafia vibe – except for being rich and having bodyguards.
He tries to be that dark playboy/womanizer, who doesn't let anyone close to his heart, but ends up failing every time he puts up the facade. Manipulated by TikTok into wanting to be the main character so badly, wanting to be this hot and dangerous mafia boss, and refusing to give up, even though he knows it's not his personality.
Well, it was never said that being a playboy was just a facade, but if it's not, the story would make even less sense, and my brain is just trying to fill the gaps.
The Yai at the beginning and the Yai at the end, especially episode 7, feel like two different characters.

As said earlier, there was never any development. No transition between scenes, plot points or character personalities. It was constantly jumping. In one moment he's that dark rich kid and in the other he's that shy kid, who lost his mother too early, and just needs to be held by someone. If my "theory" about his personality is true, then it would definitely make a little more sense, but the thing is it was never addressed in some way or the other.
In ep1 he’s basically a mix of Kinn & Vegas (from KP), and the rest, especially the second half, he's like Gene from LW.
But it's not only him. In one moment, Mangkorn is that hot womanizer, who makes out with another woman every day in the back of some shady bar, and the other moments, he's like Nubsib (from LW), who just wants to finally get together with the crush he had for so long, but doesn’t know how to be honest or make friends.

The only characters, who stayed the same from beginning to end, really were only the bodyguards, Pong and Park. Goofy, awkward, clumsy, comedic reliefs without being funny (at least for me the comedy felt forced and out of place), and horrible at their job.
Why does Yai even have bodyguards? First off, Yai's family doesn't seem to be hated or anything, there was never any dangerous situation in the series, where they were needed. Secondly, they're so horrible at their job, that, if there really were a moment where they'd be needed, Yai would die sooner than they can blink or even realize that he's in danger.
At this point I think these two are cousins of him and just needed a job, so the dad made them bodyguards, even though Yai doesn't need them. Just so they have some kinda job on paper and get legal money from that.
Or Yai was just lonely, so he hired them to basically keep him company.

Also, the rival thingy. They're supposed to be these two rivals, who aim for the same women, hate each other and apparently also want to make each other’s life miserable, instead of focusing on getting the woman.
And apart from that, the woman they're fighting for, didn't even seem interested in either of them. Like, if you do the rivals trope, at least show that they are in fact rivals.
What are rivals? Two people who have an equal chance of winning. All they had was an equal chance of losing, because if you'd asked her, she'd reject them both. Edward & Jacob, those are love rivals. But Yai and Mangkorn? They may hate each other (for no reason, because they've never actually met before the moment at the bar), but you can't call that rivalry.
How did they fail at making a love triangle/corner, when it’s the most used trope in the romance/YA genre? All they needed to do was to actually just make the woman be interested in or at least attracted to them. Show that she’d pick at least one of them. How can they be rivals, when the prize they’re competing for isn’t even in their reach to begin with? It’s like as if two runners were arguing over who of them will win the next marathon at the olympics, but they both forget to actually sign up for the olympics.
Especially because as soon as they slept with each other, they completely forgot about the woman they were fighting over. Rivalry gone in like two seconds and suddenly they're not interested in her anymore, and make out with other women.
Sure, it's hinted that Mangkorn never actually hated him in the way Yai hated Mangkorn, and just played along with his game, pretending he's into the woman, to make him jealous. His intentions would make sense, after you find out the backstory.
But Yai? He got drugged by his own bodyguards (accidentally), slept with a guy for the first time, who happened to be that guy he hates and wanted to ruin his image with a tape (by filming how a woman rapes him, which is another part I don’t get… if he’s a womanizer, surely everyone knows he sleeps with lots of women. How would a video, where he sleeps with a woman, or, well, is getting raped by her, ruin his image?), but instead that guy figured him out and stole the tape (which had footage of the two guys making passionately out), and then threatens to post it, if Yai doesn't do what he says. So, from Yai's perspective, their relationship is based on a threat, which would surely make anyone hate a person even more. Yet, when Mangkorn asks him to be friends an episode later, Yai seemed to have forgotten their hateful relationship and agrees. And then suddenly they’re really lovey-dovey, talking about deep feelings, as if they’ve known each other for years.
What? Did I miss something? Was there a whole episode the producers had to cut? Seriously, either the writers have no idea how to write smooth transitions and make realistic developments, or there actually were some more scenes, but for some reason didn’t make it or were forgotten. But it feels like they skipped a whole season.

I started this drama mostly because of the "rival to lovers" trope but got deeply disappointed in that aspect.
Later at the end, there was another rival relationship, with Mangkorn & Nine. Now, these were real rivals. I actually wanted them to hook up, so that the teased "rivals to lovers" trope could finally be fulfilled, because that would've worked. Not that I ship these two, but a make out session would’ve been cool.

And then there are the sexualities. Since they were both womanizers before, and after having slept with each other, you'd think they're both bi/pan. Well, apparently not.
Mangkorn seemed like he knew he was bi, considering he knew what he was doing in ep1 and the fact that he had a crush on Yai for far longer. But aside from that, we've never seen him hooking up with a man. If he knows he's into a guy and doesn't mind it, why does he only make out with women then? Is it easier to get a woman or was he not ready to explore his sexuality? Or is he "only gay for him"? Questions that are never answered or even hinted at.
Yai too was supposedly that hot playboy, but we only ever see him make out with a woman once – except that short BDSM scene with a call girl, who he often calls. Don't get me started on this, because the whole scene was just awkward – they wanted BDSM but didn't know what to do with it; the girl was just basically hitting his leg, trying to get him in the mood, but he didn't seem like it and wasn't even naked; then they talked about him being down and she leaves… and the BDSM aspect is never explored again.
He's also never slept with a guy before, given his butt was hurting af after their first scene (typical trope you find in college BLs) and he didn't know what to do about it. He does have a kiss with another guy, though, but never with a woman again, making it seem like they pulled the trope "I was hetero before but he turned me gay", forgetting that bi- or pansexuality exists.

Oh, and the lesbian couple. GL asian dramas are rather rare, but even rarer it is to find them in a BL drama. I was thrilled when their relationship was confirmed, but at the same time just confused, considering they didn’t seem like a couple at all. I did ship them, but they seemed like good friends, who might have a crush one another, yet aren’t even close to the point of confessing to each other. And then it turns out they’re actually already together and have been maybe dating for a few years (they talked about marriage)??
They were cute, but ultimately didn’t seem like a couple. I thought for a sec they could be an aro/ace couple, but considering how non-modern and non-2023 everything else was, there’s no way the directors/writers have even heard about the aro/ace spectrum.
And then they had a somewhat kiss, and oof, was that awkward. It was just a kiss on the cheek, or, well, that’s what it was supposed to be, but her lips didn’t even touch her cheek. Why? Isn’t it common for women to kiss each other on the cheek, especially for heteros? There’s no way the actresses were uncomfortable with that, unless kissing friends/family on the cheek isn’t a thing in Thailand.

And they throw an arranged marriage trope in there. Huh? In 2023? Apparently it was only a plan between the dads, the mothers had no saying in there and the kids didn’t even dare to talk with their fathers, even though they both didn’t agree with the marriage.
Can parents even force their children to marry someone nowadays? Lawfully speaking. Why did the kids seem like their world was shattered, when technically it shouldn’t even be a problem? Dude, it’s 2023! If your father forces you to marry someone, especially if you’re a son, you can just laugh at him and give him an updated calendar.
But even then, why were they so afraid of talking to their fathers? They didn’t seem to be abusive in any way. At least they could’ve shown a scene where they once tried to talk to them and since then know it’s useless, but with what it is, the audience is basically clueless.
Weird thing is, that, in the last episode, the mother of one of them was like, "oh, I finally talked to your dad and he’s okay with you not marrying her."
Huh?? So it was easy after all?? All it needed was one talk?? Wtf? The marriage proposal was made so dramatic, that it seemed like the kids would rather die than marry or talk to their dads. Dude!

~

You can’t tell me that 8 episodes is too short to flesh all of this out on its own. Each episode is around an hour long, that is more than enough time. Considering there are kids shows with 8 episodes, each only 10-20 minutes long, and somehow can develop things perfectly.
Sure, there were definitely too many plots thrown in there, but even then it isn't an impossible task to write connections between the plots and give it a somewhat depth.

The high rating really just comes from episode 7. The last 15 minutes were beautiful, truly art. Episode 8 was way too dramatic honestly, but also had good shots, with the director finally realizing what they’re good with: filming static, emotional/intimate, slow scenes.

Technically you could watch ep1 and skip to ep7 right away. You wouldn’t miss out on any development, because there was none. You’d also have more fun, because then you wouldn’t need to sweat through those unfunny & forced comedic scenes, as well as the unrealistic moments (like the one at the doctor's office or Yai chasing Mangkorn at uni).

Oh, and btw the OST is amazing, particularly "Dancing with the devil" by Isbanky. Only that the song doesn’t fit the series at all – it’s like what they wanted to be, but miserably failed in trying. (The song would fit PeteVegas from KP pretty well, though.)

There's also no homophobia or dramatically realizing they’re into the same gender (looking at you, SOTUS), so that’s a plus. And Mangkorn’s mother was also really supportive and mature – saying that she doesn’t care which gender he likes. 

The two main actors had beautiful chemistry and I got butterflies during each of their intimate scenes or even when they were just holding eye contact for long. The other male actors were overall also good, though not as good as the two mains.
But the women… mostly just awkward. Well, not really the actors itself maybe – this is probably just another mistake by the writers.
Especially Yai’s stepmom. She was too dramatic, and it didn’t even make entirely sense.

Overall it basically seems like the writers first wrote the hot scenes between the main couple, and then realized they actually will need some kind of plot, but had no idea how to write „normal“ plots and especially never heard of smooth transitions (only jump cuts), let alone what development is.

-07.01.24

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Completed
Salamander Guru and the Gang
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 1.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

Salamander-Man

The idea of a gang pretending to be fortune-tellers to scam people sounded promising, but the show had a hard time keeping up a consistent comedic rhythm throughout. It tried to mix in this absurd humor and wacky scenarios, but most of the jokes felt like they were pushed and stretched too thin. They turned more stale the longer they kept going. While the characters may have been acceptable but they lacked in verity, more archetypes were needed to bring the comedy to life and create a more interesting dynamic. It could've been a bigger problem if the runtime was to be longer. Anyway, even though there were some moments that showed off creative thinking and quirky charm, it just couldn't keep that interesting premise going.

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Completed
Joseon Exorcist
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
2 of 2 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 4.0
Music 2.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Joseon Ex-Exorcist

I noticed it started and ended without accomplishing anything, it just went over a singular small event that wouldn't even fit a movie format. Then I realized it was a drama that was cancelled. Regardless of the cancellation, I didn't see anything appealing or interesting in these two 70-min episodes. These possessed creatures were your generic screechy zombies with no life in them, no pun intended. The drama didn't provide a good introduction to set up the story or a good introduction to establish the characters in these two episodes, which should have been an enough duration to do both things easily. It got cancelled but at least the cast got paid.

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Ongoing 5/38
Castle in the Time
0 people found this review helpful
by Flower
Jan 7, 2024
5 of 38 episodes seen
Ongoing 1
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Love it

Looking forward to seeing 《Castle in Time》for a long time. Finally here it is. Thought this was filmed in 2016, but Zhehan was still handsome and professional.

This is the first drama i watched since August 13, 2021. Thanks a lot Zhang Zhehan! Without you, I don't watch any TV programmes. Just Love yours.

Zhang's talent, combined with his attention to detail and dedication, makes him a standout actor in the industry. If you're a fan of historical romances or fantasy dramas, "Castle in Time" is a must-watch, and Zhang Zhehan's performance is not to be missed.

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Completed
W
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

Mix of THRILLER, FANTASY, ROMANCE, COMEDY...

Despite the “flaws” that people mention, I loved this one, and it is one of my fav Kdrama. The two leads have such strong chemistry — unlike any other Kdrama I’ve ever watched. It was so beautiful to see how the two characters were constantly drawn to each other even with all the obstacles they faced. If you love a mix of thriller, romance, fantasty, and comedy, this one’s for u. Loved the whole concept, and I was constantly hooked. The actors btw r jus brilliant, would love to see them act together again.
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Completed
Gyeongseong Creature
11 people found this review helpful
by SKITC
Jan 7, 2024
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

You sly dog! You caught me monologuing!

It's not monologuing that weighs down "Gyeonseong Creature" as much as it "dialoguing".

There's some very credible attributes of this drama and it deserves some accolades. The photography is terrific. The pyrotechnics and slow-motion shots are stunning. There's a few low light scenes in the countryside that are jawdropping. The score is solid. The wardrobing, at least to this layman's level of expertise, is exquisite.

There's some solid supporting characters and actors . Jo Han Chul, in particular, is as good here as he has ever been. There's several great actors that just don't have the character depth unfortunately though. The talents of Im Ki Hong, Im Chul Soo and Ok Ja Yeon are almost completely wasted. For the villainry, Kim Su Hyun and Hyun Bong Sik and Choi Young Joon all play extremely terrible and awful monsters. But then there's a lengthy list of other wrongdoers and each time one of them absorbs any of the focus, it detracts from developing the main antagonists.

And there's plenty of bloat all around. Kim Hae Sook is listed as a lead but there's no need for the character to appear at all. Wi Ha Joon disappears for vast stretches and when he is visible, is bland and forgettable.

As for the leads, when given the opportunity to showcase their strengths, they deliver. Han So Hee and Park Seo Joon deliver in the action set pieces and exhibit all the grim resolve a viewer can handle when things get dark. Sadly, these moments aren't enough.

While the structure of the show is compelling, the ground-level narrative is twisted so badly with unnecessary side- and back-tracks, incomprehensible gaps in plausibility (the ventilation shaft that literally holds an entire squadron of soldiers is particularly laughable), interminable stretches where the highlight of the program, The Creature, is forgotten and, egad, the dialogue! The production team apparently thought nothing of stopping gunfights and melees and action to have some of the most saccharine and cliche and dull exchanges between characters. Of what had most likely been hundreds of pages of script, they needed to be reordered on a wholesale basis and almost every line rewritten. This was a concept that begged for a brief backstory up front and then a deep and long and uninterrupted dive in to a suffocating, claustrophobic, dark and forbidding place. Instead, "Gyeonseong Creature" is a tedious mess.

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Completed
Our Beloved Summer
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

OverHyped

Had gr8 potential but iam disappointed and also the female lead is annoying and often selfish. She loves then leaves the male lead with no explanations. This is not love. Leaving someone to pick up the pieces after your breakup is immature and doesnt let the other person get closure. If the roles were reversed, we would be calling the person toxic. Unfortunately, women seem to get away with a lot more selfishness in dramas. Netflix has great production, music, locations but somehow loses out on empathatic characters. The women are portrayed as get-up-and-leave kinds in the name of female emancipation and freedom. I just dont get it. Had Dropped the drama after 12, felt its draggy . Drama could have finished in 10 or 12epi .She seems to be stuck, acting out like a high schooler.

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Dropped 13/33
Love Me, Love My Voice
3 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
13 of 33 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 5.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Should've been shorter and sweeter

I have nothing against the actors, I've completed and loved them in their own dramas.
Zhou Ye in Word of honor and Scent of time, Tan Jianci in Under The Skin and Lost you forever 1.
Zhou Ye's character in this, Gu Sheng, is a composor who covers and arranges classic Chinese style music, she also sings and does podcast type shows.
The main ship first meet when Gu Sheng is in her chatroom and Tan Jianci's character, Mo Qing Cheng suddenly comes in and his voice tells her a recipe.
They both have online secret identities they use to voice and sing stuff, so there's alot of secrecy and it's basically a cheesy secret identity trope.
I enjoyed it at first, it was light, quite low/nonexistent bad drama, plus they were sweet together.
One of the main things I started to dislike about this drama was I feel it could've been much shorter. With how the story was feeling to me they could've had less faff and forgettable scenes and gotten the important story done in less then half of the 33 episodes this drama has.
The length and what the drama actually has going doesn't draw me in enough to commit to watching it all in it's entirety.
Another thing was Mo Qing Cheng was such a busy character, it felt almost unrealistic how much he was managing to do. His almost constant smiling and just in general people pleasing vibe made him feel almost flat. Compared to Tan Jianci's others roles this was my least favourite.
By the time I'd finished episode 13 I was starting to lose interest, the relationship had gone into secret meetings and almost kissing but being interrupted, a trope I didn't think I hated but in this it all feels so plain and so slow yet not slowburn.
In conclusion this isn't the worst drama ever but in my opinion it's a bit of a nothing drama. Could also be called too much of not alot or enough.
Was funny and sweet for abit but I don't want to watch all 33 episodes of it being this flat.

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Completed
Twinkling Watermelon
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

VIVA LA VIDA ???????

Hands down best kdrama of 2023 or to say best of all time (atleast in my opinion), It is an all-round show, telling us the story of a CODA (Child of deaf adults), which will make you laugh, cry, happy and sad all at their BEST. A show about a family, love, dream, passion, child-parents relation and those fluttering hearts at the age of 18 (With the addition of TIME-TRAVEL). All four main leads RyeoUn, Choi Hyunwook, Shin Eunsoo and Seol Inah were amazing in portraying the details of their characters.
PS : Twinkling Watermelon ✨️? has one of the most beautiful and pure love story with a historic confession, Most favourite CHAOTIC father-son duo, CALM-BEAUTIFUL mother-son duo in the world of kdramas!!!


HOPE this show reaches to larger audience so all can feel the joy and beautiful emotions with it ?
VIVA LA VIDA!!! WATERMELON SUGAR!!!

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Completed
Castaway Diva
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

Both the Leads are my favorite.

Series is good, but we can not call it romantic comedy. There was only 1 or 2 romantic scenes among ML and FL and most importantly there was no chemistry b/w them.Chae Jong-hyeop ( Kee ho) is treated like second lead. I've seen his all other series ,he is a good actor and my fav actor and also he is so handsome, But in this series he was not not given much depth to his character . Child Actors did commendable job, there acting was very good. At some point i find script is draggy n have to skip some scene, Overall its a average story , one time watch.
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Completed
My Dearest Part 2
11 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Best drama I have ever watched

Best drama I have watched so far, since I started watching dramas 8 years ago. it is the best drama I have ever seen, no hyperbole. My words cannot express how great this drama is and my words cannot do it justice so I'll keep this short. it was deeply satisfying to watch. There are so many important, intertwined themes, still relevant to modern day, such as unrequited love, sexual assault, fanaticism, and so much more. and it makes it very deep and cerebral despite also being a love story. it might not be for everyone but I loved it so much. I couldn't stop watching it. but it is one of those few TV shows or movies that stay with you forever and that you never forget because it has such an impact. I will never forget this one. not only was it a joy to watch, I feel like I learned something (and not just about Korean history). the way it treats the subject matter and themes is brilliant. I will definitely have to rewatch it again someday. I hope it comes out on DVD so I can buy it, I love it soo much. and I hope they make more dramas like this in the future. one last thing: the main actors are gorgeous and brilliant.

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Completed
My Demon
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Do Kyung and his messed up family

Let me preface by saying, I am not trying to justify any of Do Kyung's actions. This is simply an analysis on his character. Yes, he's done bad things and should face the consequences. With that being said, I hate how his mental health is being handled in the drama. Not the way it's written per se but how a few characters handle it.

His Dad
Literally all of what Do Kyung is facing right now stemmed from how he was brought up. Having to be perfect at everything and putting on a facade for the cameras. His dad showed NO interest in him beyond his "offerings." An example being: "is he good enough to be my heir?,"is he good enough to commit such a crime?" He has also had to prove himself in his own family and that can cause a person's psyche to become altered and disrupted. His dad to me is also a victim and I'll expound later in Chairwoman Jo's paragraph. Him calling Do Kyung a monster is quite ironic as well. Who could've created such a monster, I wonder? Let me guys know if you ever come up with an answer.

His Mom
She's a victim as well. She's very submissive and lacks agency. Her helplessness and naivety is actually quite scary as this makes her a tool that the father can use at anytime. Her scene in the prison where she visited Do Kyung actually had me tearing up. That was what led me to even start writing this. Just her one statement, "You disobeyed your dad." That just showed how she herself can't do anything without approval from the dad. I don't even think she realizes the damage she's done to the poor child. Her also just moving on with her life after seeing her son breaking down infront of her just goes again to show how disconnected she really is. And even at the funeral, she looked like she had so much to say but she just wasn't able to. Her entire marriage all she's known is serving her husband and being a "good wife" of course nothing else will come before that. Not even her son.

Do Kyung
Do Kyung making such a choice is understandable to say the least. As someone who has struggled with mental health. Such a method has always been seen as the way out. Notice I didn't say easy. Because such a choice is NEVER easy. Poor guy wasn't even being treated while he was locked up in prison. Everyone putting the blame on him for EVERYTHING was so unnecessary and unfair as well. He was a jerk, evil and downright nasty but no one with mental health issues should be placed in such an environment. Especially without proper medication and care.

This is dedicated to the worst character of the show in MY OPINION.
His Doctor
Ohhhhh I was fuming when he called him a psycho. I was so annoyed. Do Kyung was a patient. He was actively seeking help in an environment that ostracized mental health issues. Yes, he may not have been the nicest, or taken his medication all the time but he was still trying. He was doing the best he could in an environment that wouldn't allow for much growth. And for someone who he was supposed to trust and tell his entire life to to say something like that was just downright nasty. No matter if he was a psycho or not. If the doctor had felt that he was a threat, then he should've reported him to the necessary authorities. Disrespecting a patient is never the right thing to do. I was so elated when Do Kyung beat his a** up. Leaped from my chair in joy.

Final Character
Chairwoman Jo
This is kinda hmmm. Like I think everything that we're seeing and all the characters in the Noh family all have their respective issues due to her. In a flashback we could see that she treated Suk Min similarly to how he treated Do Kyung. Talk about generational trauma. Of course Suk Min would've replicated what he was taught. In this specific scene she was talking about sending Suk Min to prison for a crime he had committed because he had gotten away with "too much." This literally shows that she had been sweeping all of his wrongs under the rug as she wanted someone picture perfect to take over her beloved company. Suk Min was never enough for her, similarly to how Do Kyung wasn't enough for him. She didn't care much for them.
I think that she saw an opportunity to right ALL her wrongs through Do Hee. Do Hee to her was a new slate. All the things she did with Suk Min and Su Ahn could've been "erased" by raising Do Hee in a less restrictive way. As she was able to do all this she decided to give Do Hee the company. I think that was very wrong. Of course Suk Min didn't create the company and it isn't "his" looking from it at a more Western perspective. As Chairwoman Jo built it from the ground up however, she had Suk Min training ALL his life with only one thought in mind. Him owning the company and carrying on her legacy. And for her to throw such a curve ball of course he'd be upset and pissed off. This is not me justifying all the rubbish he's done though. I'm just saying I would be very upset if I were in his position. As such, I think Chairwoman Jo is kinda the biggest villain in a sense. Because all these "monsters" were created through her training and teachings. Plus episode 12 ending kinda proved me right in a sense.


So that is that. My little two cents on a few characters and why I think Do Kyung isn't the biggest of villains. Poor kid needed love and that wasn't given to him. Still he was disgusting jerk but he needed love. If he was given that care and Affection maybe he would've been different. If Suk Min, his dad was given more love and care and approval maybe he would've been different as well.


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Ongoing 5/38
Castle in the Time
0 people found this review helpful
by Pinja
Jan 7, 2024
5 of 38 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

Castle In the Time

In my opinion, this is a good drama to watch, especially due to Zhang Zheha's role, which is funny, cute, and subtly portrayed. Despite being produced seven years ago, the actors' skills remain impressive. The storyline, while not complex, is well-suited for leisurely viewing. I must say, Zhehan Zhan is truly handsome! Honestly, Zhehan's portrayal of the character Gu Chijun left a deep impression on me, and I would like to continue watching it. I strongly recommend giving this drama a watch; it's worth your time. :)
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Completed
Gyeongseong Creature
5 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

Boring

I expected so much more considering the subject matter (Japanese atrocities and occupation of Korea, unit 731) at the beginning...but it ended up being super boring. i couldnt wait for it to end. The characters are underdeveloped. And the love story they forced into the series just didn't fit or make sense and took away from the rest of the story. it was like they were trying to do too much. it was highly fictionalized, it did not dive deep into what actually happened at the time, or what unit 731 did beyond just vague "human experimentation." the whole series ended up coming across as a bit too vapid for me. personally I would have preferred a real historical drama regarding this subject, with real names, real people, real events, real places, such a drama would have served the subject matter better. I just feel that the way this show treats the subject matter is too light and even maybe trivializes what happened. would have liked it better if it was more deep and serious. I did loved Suho from EXO's song that was part of the soundtrack.

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Completed
Hyde, Jekyll, Me
2 people found this review helpful
Jan 7, 2024
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 6.5

ok for one time watch..

OK, I enjoyed it even though the story was written really badly... The cast were good enough to keep me hooked, even though there were many parts that had me rolling my eyes, or saying "seriously?"
I feel like this had the potential of being a really amazing drama, the main plot had so much potential, but every now and then I would get disappointed.. Also, the way they portrayed his illness was very unrealistic, especially the ending..
Anyway, it's still interesting enough to make you watch it till the end.. Just be prepared for some ridiculous plot holes and disappointments..
This drama was released right after "Kill me Heal me" which is also about multiple personalities.. and to be honest, the story is incomparable to KMHM even though they are both unrealistic portrayals of the illness. They both had a different twist and used the illness creatively.. But I found this drama to be sadly disappointing in many aspects.

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