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A fun representation of all of K drama classic tropes
Kim Mi Soo is a capable secretary of a narcissistic vice president of a family-owned company, Lee Young Joon. After 9 years of working diligently for him, Mi So now wants to resign to focus on her personal life & romance. But twist, Lee Young Joon actually finds her presence irreplaceable in his life.Now, there are a few other layers of convoluted messy chilhood connections happening with the show, as expected by the K-drama formula, but I'm not going to touch on those because they could be considered as spoiler. And if you want to know a bit more about the show, you can just watch the trailer, which will give a bit more information about the plot setup than I just gave. I'm going to go right into my pros and cons briefly as I should be doing schoolwork.
Pros:
- Fun and entertaining to watch
- Very good chemistry between the leads
- Nostalgic feeling for fans of classic K-drama tropes
- Enjoyable friendships between characters, both leads and supporting
Cons:
- Forgettable characters and plot
- Lack of emotional investment
- Pacing slows down in later episodes
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Park Eun Bin and Choi Myung Bin saved the ship!
During the Joseon dynasty, the crown princess consort secretly gives birth to a girl and boy twins. While the boy will eventually inherit the throne, Confucianism values really condemn twins especially if it was a boy and a girl because they just don't think a man who shared a womb with a woman will have legitimacy. Therefore to protect the prince's future legitimacy, the King orders that the girl and everyone involved with the childbearing be put to death so no one knows about this situation. To protect the girl, her mother fakes her death and cast her way to live out her life in the countryside. Many years later, this girl the female twin ended up taking her brother's identity as the young prince because an incident killed the prince. The only people who now know her secret are her chief servant and her personal eunuch.I have quite a lot of pros and the first is the portrayal of every character, especially our female lead. Her charisma and deep voice make it very believable, she is just like a very pretty boy in her prince costume. Although her figure is very slim and her small arm is very obvious she gives a lot of confidence with only just a cold stare. The only thing that I think could have made it better is if they did something to hide how short she is she really is because the height difference between her and her male lead co-stars is really noticeable.
Next, the pacing because overall I think it's very good, I'm completely absorbed by every episode up until probably episode 8. The child actors and actresses are doing a great job to make me emotionally invested right from the first episode. The child actress who played the twins, Choi Myung Bin, really shines in her roles! She pulled out the duality between the different twins' characters very naturally. Another pro is the OSTs are hauntingly beautiful, my favorite is "The One and Only", and "Shadow of You".
My con is mostly on the romance plot dominates the middle part of the story. I am not as engaged and I think that's because of the romance. Even though the romance is beautiful and I ship the couple, it is very heavy-handed and slow-paced. I'm watching the show because I really like our female lead and I want to see her navigate situations and crises, like her dealing with the envoy from China, fighting her grandfather's dictatorship, and keeping her secret. I think they are the strength of this series not so much the romance. Lastly, the action scenes are done incredibly well, but they're so sparse so I wish they are less melodramatic and had more action scenes.
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Soundtrack is just absolutely perfect: eerie, romantic, ethereal, wonderful!
An angel must complete missions before he is allowed to live in heaven. His last mission is to find true love for a blind ballerina, but he ends up falling in love with her and that is not allowed.Everything on screen is really high quality: the cinematography and set design are wonderful, complemented with great acting. The dancing is authentic and wonderful. The way the ballerinas interact is chatty, like the dancing fight over the bar, it was just so realistic.
Shin Hye Sun always embodies her roles perfectly and I’m happily surprised by Kim Myung Soo; His portrayal as a playful angel was very genuine, he really balanced out the female lead, they have such great chemistry! Another major pro and the reason to watch is OST; when the soundtrack starts, it elevates everything to the stereo-level: It’s eerie, romantic, ethereal, wonderful!
Sadly, it started off very strong, but become a chore to finish. There’s few mythology rules that were inconsistent near the end. I enjoy the slow-burn romance but it gets frustrating when the conflict drags and the villains become one-dimensional. The couple was too focused to dive headfirst in the name of love. The finale was extremely anticlimactic and unsatisfying as they use some tropes that I really dislike.
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Fun, beautiful, though the story was not so memorable.
Trapped in her resentment, Man Wol (IU) has to spend an eternity running Hotel del Luna, catering to the unresolved issues of ghosts before they move on to the afterlife. Go Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Gu) ended up working for Man Wol due to a deal his father made with her. Through his job, Chang Sung gets to know the mysterious Man Wol and her dark past. Will there be any redemption for Man Wol doomed fate?The first stand out point is the fantastic world building of Hotel del Luna, it is majestic and wonderful to look at. More than that, the visual effects, OSTs and costumes are all stunning. Man Wol’s costumes are something else! They are undeniably feminine & stunning with luxurious & rich color tones, and IU wore them with confidence that these clothes are not ‘drowning’ her. She really proves herself in this role, with her cold and powerful gaze that perfectly define cold, powerful, and ancient being Man Wol. The next point I love is the cast chemistry, the hotel staffs, the god ladies, and the chemistry between IU with Lee Do Hyun (they fought great together). Indeed, it’s not the chemistry between IU and Yeo Jin Gu, who is our male lead that I enjoyed most.
However, those are the aspects that I love from Hotel del Luna. The story itself didn’t grip me and some of the ghosts issues are not that exciting to watch. I enjoyed the comedic interactions, especially the beginning ones, but the main romance never felt romantic. Overall, it’s a great drama despite my pros and cons. I like how it ends with good life lessons as well.
Last edited-Mar 2024,
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The big stake throughout is whether their love can survive across the dangerous border. I was lukewarm to it at start cause I thought it would be dark and angsty, but it is romcom-y. Nevertheless, this drama was satisfying, as it shines in the comedy, swoony moments, meaningful epilogues, and the everyone’s chemistry. Thanks to the direction and talented cast, each emotional scene hits the way it should. I invested equally in the main and secondary couple; Dan and Seung Jun, who could easily have their own spin-off. Jung Hyuk’s ducklings and their blossoming understanding of South Korean culture were hilarious and heartwarming. Also, beautiful scenery and heartfelt OSTs.
My few hot takes are… First, why the dead fish-eye kisses? It was very jarring considering Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin's perfect chemistry and that they're in real love. Then, I wouldn't mind a slightly less fairytale scenario for the leads and a fairer scenario to second lead couples. Despite all of that, it's undeniably an engaging and memorable watch! :D
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With crisp sound effects, lively OST, and wholesome characters, this show gives me a lot of joy!
Yeon Seo, a popular celebrity who is known for bad acting got involved in a drug scandal which made her get cut from all her projects. Few years later, she gets a chance to play a lawyer role in a drama on one condition: interning in a law firm to learn what their day-to-day life is like. All her new colleagues admire her persona, but not her cold-strict mentor Jung Rook.This show is not all light romcom, we have interesting law cases that kept me invested throughout. The whole law firm team are all nice people, each has their own quirkiness, adding dynamic to the show. With crisp sound effects, lively OST, and a wholesome cast, it’s just a lot of joy!
Yeon Seo our actress is no doubt goddess-like gorgeous! She’s extremely bubbly and straightforward, thanks to Yoo In Na, she showed both really genuine acting and also bad acting very well. Though her character doesn't have a lot of practical skills, she's eager to learn. When someone is giving her a hard time, she stands up for herself instead of giving up. Jung Rook doesn’t look special as a stereotype-perfect male lead at first, but Lee Dong Wook portrayals of him feels fresh, blunt, and quirky. His sincerity, innocence, and chipmunk smile are too die for :3 But my favorite aspect is seeing them together. They encouraged each other out of their comfort zones in a very positive way. Their romantic scenes made me smile and very lovely. Anyone who watched Goblin will not deny the chemistry between these two actors is undeniably real!
The only con for me is a twist in almost the final part, which seems out-of-the-character and so cliche. But the ending is sweet and satisfying. This is a heartwarming show that I’d always happy to watch after a busy day, like a cup of hot chocolate. This show is not a Goblin spin-off, but it is everything I need and more.
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A drama about how precious family bonds and healthy communication are.
18 Again was a blast! It deeply explores the consequences of mistakes made, empathy, hope, and second chances. The story delivers a lot of relevant elements in today's modern society; like single parents being unemployed or trying to find a job and restart their life, and high schoolers' struggles. I get wholeheartedly invested in these elements they discussed throughout the episodes. The ending is also satisfying! 😊In brief, it's about an aspiring basketball player, played by Lee Do Hyun. He ended up getting his girlfriend pregnant and they decided to give up their dreams and raise their babies, yes, they had twins. 18 years later, he is stuck in a dead-end job as a washing machine repair guy (he's actually really good at fixing anything). Even though he's capable at his job, he keeps getting passed over for promotion in favor of the younger higher educated employee, so this is frustrating. Not only that, his wife was intending for a divorce and he can't seem to get close to either of his children. Feeling devastated, he went back to his school's basketball court to shoot some hoops to let out some steam. Upon realizing he's not as good as he used to be, he made a wish to go back to his youth and behold, his wish comes true! He is suddenly 18 years old again!
This is not a time slip show, only his body has reversed back to 18, and his mind is still 36. It's still the present day: he still has kids, his wife is still there, and everything is the same. This is a twist I appreciate because I think it allows the story to be more complex than if it was a time-slip show, as this way he's able to interact with his children and realizes that it's not his dream that he needs to pursue. This isn't an opportunity for him to become the basketball player he's always wanted to be, but an opportunity to be there for his children.
I have just two cons: there were a bit too many Kdrama tropes in the middle part of the show that makes our couple misunderstand each other in inconvenient situations, and I was getting a bit tired of them when they were repeated several times. Then a minor but fun con that I just have to say, I felt the actors' faces playing the younger and adult version of our male lead is very contrasting (Lee Do Hyun vs Yoon Sang Hyun). They have equally same screen time too. It's not about their performance at all, but simply their looks. I was hoping for someone more attractive (Gong Yoo, please?) to play the adult version so it feels balanced, sorry!^^"
But both of their acting is superb, especially I enjoyed Lee Do Hyun's range of emotions reliving his character wholeheartedly. I've been noticing him since Hotel del Luna (he was not the lead but he's so swoony!), and I'm already impressed with him from his expressiveness in The Good Bad Mother. He really is a versatile actor!
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Good show about friendships and fencing, go watch!
This is a true coming-of-age story with a large lovable cast. 25-21 is a drama about the dreams and friendships of a group of young students who thrive together despite their struggles. As the story spans from Na Hee Do's teenage years until she's a mom of Kim Min Jae, it shows how the time we enjoy with our friends and families changes our lives to an extent. Time might fly by but still brings success and all of the consequences of our choices.The enemies-to-friendships between Na Hee Do and Ko Yu Rim are my favorite part. Oh my god, I just love how pure the camaraderie between them is. Not only them, there's not a single cast member that I dislike, they're all just so beautifully written as real people. The ones you don't like at first, you learn more about them or the characters themselves interact more and form understandings of each other. I really commend all of the actors and actresses involved.
! Spoiler section: don't read unless you want to be spoiled :)
Regarding the ending, As I wasn't invested in the romance plot much, nothing hurts me in the end. It's lovely to see the slow-burn romance between Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin evolves from meaningful friendship to pure love, so to me there's no surprise whatever happens in the end. Overall, I enjoyed their conversations and interactions together.
So, why my rating is 8/10? Because I have frustrations and questions about the whole news anchor plot. This conflict of interest issue, everyone clearly sees is a problem from afar. So then why Baek Yi Jin is not being clear to Na Hee Do and just say it from the beginning that they are not meant to be? Just be friends from the beginning. Also, some scenes on the present-day Na Hee Do as a mom I feel they're a bit unnecessary. Her husband is not introduced at all in the story, so why bother breaking up with Baek Yi Jin, if the future husband is not living together with Na Hee Do?
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Enjoyable, rewatchable and I love it for the daring social representations
The story of a wrongfully-accused young man’s journey in realizing his 17-year business plan to avenge his father's death. He recruits his trustworthy friends and acquaintances to run a pub in Itaewon.Life lessons are learned right away, we got introduced to our protagonists and villains. A lot happened to our male lead Park Saeroyi. I got invested and rooted for his life in every aspect: from his dad to his first love, to his dreams. He doesn't give up although unfortunate events happened to him. I also respect these villains characters, they’re smart and driving the plot significantly, keeping us guessing how Saeroyi can win.
Park Seo Jun did so well portraying Park Saeroyi. His calmness has a certain charisma that brought his friends to trust him as their leader. I appreciate the uniquely written DamBam staffs. Each of them has their unique background and motivations, which is not often portrayed but needed. We need more positive highlights on social diversity. I love all their stories, especially Jang Geun So.
There’s also a character briefly shown on the 1st ep but appear again later in the 3rd ep, Jo Yi Seo. She is quite hard to describe and you need to just watch her. Her mannerism, face expressions, fashion, her abrasiveness fits perfectly together. She’s tired of the socially-expected life of studying hard, going to university, work as hard as possible until you die. She even wish for the world to end so she wouldn't have to live that routine. Kudos to Kim Da Mi for carrying Yi Seo as a very authentic female lead.
My quibbles are, the ending was overdramatic, the car fighting scene was too long. Also, I never believe the romance as they’re perfect as friends, why can’t man and woman be friends? Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed Itaewon Class, it’s a great underdog story, with uplifting and awesome OST!!
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This show is operating at a 110% FUN!
Prem is losing confidence in his skills as a chef when he meets Ten, a medical student with stress issues. Finding out about Prem’s delicious dishes, Ten begs Prem to teach him cooking, and Prem agrees only because he needs money. However, as the lessons go on, it isn't just the food that's hot, but also their faces as they slowly fall for each other.Yes, this show can be very jarring because of how 'extra' it is. Well, for me, I love how 'extra' it is, albeit a bit ridiculous. The music's really high energy, and then the acting's over-the-top, some dialogues are borderline cheesy, and the camera angle is also quite cartoonish, but because everything is on that level, somehow it all works together, and just super fun to me.
Now, for the story, there's no angst at all, it's a straight up comedy from the start and consistently to be so all the way through. Easy to binge, sweet and light hearted with no dramatic twists. The foods look good too and I enjoyed the cooking show vibe, When the romance starts, there is a bit of a 'gay panic' trope, which I'm so over with.. but thankfully it didn't drag for too long. I enjoy the leads' acting and the script. Both couples bounce off of each other really well. I laugh at them because of how whiny, clingy and horny they can be, but always in a fun way. They know how to pique my interest. Lastly, kudos to the market lady and the cooking show presenter, they’re such scene stealers! ^v^
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It's comedy hours with gumihos!
An unexpected error leads Lee Yeon to time travel to 1938, where he reunites not only with his brother but also his past nemesis. Can Lee Yeon return to the present and his love before it’s too late?Tale of the Nine-tailed 1938 is the first kdrama I watched as it aired, and LOL! It was the highlight of my weeks. The characters don’t take themselves too seriously, they’re always bickering, doing hijinks while being so stylish. The story is clear and entertaining, with a mission. There is slightly creepy demons, time-travel and rich retro-fantasy universe. I feel it’s a very light-heart watch, like watching anime.
I felt the pacing and the plot are significantly more tighter than the prequel, without compromising the characters set. I love the unbreakable brotherhood of Lee Yeon and Lee Rang. Despite their issues, they’re always there for each other, in good times and in crisis. Also, it was cute to see Lee Rang, who is manly and clueless about love, falls for the mermaid lady.
The finale part felt a little too chaotic with the climax involving so many battles in different places, but it does not take away the overall fun. If you're in for light, pure entertainment with very good styling and crisp cinematography, I highly recommend this!
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Though I did not like how the story leads to, it was overall lovely and funny!
Lovely Runner delivers a true rom-com moments and up-beat-ness which I enjoyed for the most part. The characters are likeable, very bubbly with laugh-out-loud jokes a lot of times, especially the ones involving the friends and families. It was interesting and great to see the story through different timelines without it being confusing – which is essential for a time travel drama. I loved that the couple is cute and trusting of each other. Their romantic scenes were wonderful and were shot beautifully.Well, at some point I started losing interest. I was expecting they eventually would address Sun-Jae & Im Sol's insecurities that we saw in the beginning, but they focus on the murderer involvement. This part of the story was so uninteresting. Every time the episode is about to end, this mysterious guy appear and whatever he does gives no tension. The accident and incidents happening were repetitive so they did not make me care or anxious anymore. Overall, still a fun watch, though, it gave me motivation to look forward to Mondays!
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Bartering as the new trend during hardships
We are presented with the apocalyptic event right away, not as a mid-climax like the usual apocalypse-themed movie, so the horrifying apocalypse events is not the focus. Instead, it highlights the post-apocalypse social conditions, where tenants and the non-tenants fight for one apartment as the sole livable space and the limited resources.I feel it has a few plot holes, so much blood and misfortunes but not enough suspense within the social conflict. The sequence of events happening felt a bit flat, no such strong push and pull and interesting dynamic among the characters. I definitely had seen this being the butter of the story, as I’ve seen in other similar-themed movies. Then, it wrap up very quickly and just like that is ending. Probably, it would be better if we are presented the background of what has been happening in the past and also the characters relationships before and after the disaster.
The CGI is not the best, it's a bit funny: despite the strong winds are blowing, the characters' hair and clothing are not moving. Acting was very good, there is not really any romance here. Even though I appreciate the performance, the movie overall is not that groundbreaking.
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It felt like a long-winded journey, with not many satisfying twists.
Queen for Seven Days is adapted from a tragic Joseon legend, centers on the love triangle among King Yeonsangun (Lee Dong Gun) as the older brother of Crown Prince Jinseongdaegun (Yeon Woo Jin), and Shin Chae Kyung (Park Min Young) who becomes the Queen at some point, but seven days later is deposed by political rivals, exiled, and must live apart from the her loved ones.Music and direction were beautiful. The love triangle is written remarkably well, that even though it's convoluted with the palace intrigues, it still manage to pull me in emotionally and made me feeling conflicted between the two ships. The love and hate relationships among our three leads involves political marriage, separation, and heartbreaking family dynamic. Another thing I appreciate is
As it unfolds, the story and becomes more and more depressing. It felt like a long-winded journey, with not many satisfying twists. Sometimes I am tired of Chae Kyung’s decisions that put many people in danger, but it was so sad to see her inner conflict being the Queen. She got into many lose-lose situations and I understand she just wants to survive and protects her heart.
What turns me off a bit towards the end is the turn of events that felt overly dramatic *heartless me*. The arc of the Crown Prince is so frustrating too. Though it didn't end as epic as I thought it would be, I understand it is adapted from real history. Oh man... living in this era is like hell :(
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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Sword fights, love, friendship, and a mystery of whom shall claim the throne
First, the cinematography and sword fighting choreography are amazing. The story itself doesn't involved much emotions but it does hit the right beat. It kept me guessing without dragging plot points out.Secret Romantic Guesthouse’s highlight is its’ tight pacing, consistent writing, great characters, and plenty of lovable tropes! All leads and support characters have equal footing, so you can root for whoever you want to emotionally invest in. Palace politics are not dull; No overdose of ministers discussions!
Although I had bumps on the 2nd half and felt bored for the lukewarmth vibe doesn’t moved me emotionally; Overall, everything is wrapped up neatly at the end. I'd highly recommend it for something that's not too deep but not too superficial either.
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