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You Will Root for the Undersog

Based on mixed reviews, I almost did not watch this. But then Park Seo Joon and IU were in it and I like them both a lot. I needed this one after watching The Whirlwind Girl 2 and being extremely frustrated because she was so wishy-washy with her sport and competing. I loved that they never gave up. They kept on trying. That to me is the spirit of athleticism. I should’ve known with Seo Joon in it that it would be good like that because he picks those sort of roles. And I should’ve just trusted him. It’s a quick watch. It’s only a couple of hours. I wish it would’ve been a series because it was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but they did a good job with it in movie form.

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It's a whine fest - world class athletes should have their head in the game

Review

6/10 is my rating. If you are a fan of Ji Chang Wook, you really shouldn't miss this one. He plays an excellent coach and tormented former top athlete. I kept seeing clips of him in this martial arts uniform which he wears quite well. I did not like this second one as well as the first. It continues the story but I thought they radically changed some aspects of the characters and the storyline and I wasn't a fan of the way they changed it. Am I sorry I watched it? No, I enjoyed many parts of it. Would I recommend it to others? Mainly those who watched the first, martial arts fans, and those that really like Ji Chang Wook. Rewatch value? Near zero for me.

Spoilers

Let me start by saying despite everything I still liked series, am glad I watched it as far as I did, but there are, in my opinion, a lot of problems which is probably why I don't see this turn up more on "what to watch lists."

It's not just that the changed the actress who played Bai Cao but the character changed as well. And not in a good way. She became less focused on the sport, more of a whiner, and I thought very selfish in many ways.

In the first season I really liked the Ru Bai character. He had the "there's no crying in baseball attitude" which is just what main girl needed because she literally had her head focused on just about anything but her sport. Ru Bai would get mad at her anytime he reason and focus wasn't for the love of the sport itself. That type of tough love coaching is just what this girl needed. Season 1 she spent most of her time only winning so her master would come see her. Which was frustrating. Season 2 it's just so that Rui Bai will come back, potentially from the dead I guess. Which is a great irony because he would have hated that. In fact, he would have disapproved of most of her behavior in the 2nd season. She totally disrespected the sport and he would have been "just quit" then.

Enter Coach An and at first he is also just what the doctor ordered. I am not going to coach you if you are only going to linger on someone who is no longer with us. Good. That is what she needed. Compete for the right reasons or not at all. He got her head back in the game. Finally. After a dozen or so episodes. Or so I thought, Then, the person who was trying to take out her knee gets injured. Why? Because she was training so hard to be able to injure main girl and punish her that one significant kick just about ended her. Okay. I get it. At first main girl thought it was her fault. Which was still ridiculous because you play competitive sports, especially something like martial arts or boxing, and you know injury is a possibility. Which is why, universally, deliberately trying to injure someone is not considered sportsman like conduct. But that family blamed everyone if their athlete was injured. Even if they were doing everything within the boundaries of the sport. Still main girl mired in that. She groveled to them. And, once again her head was completely out of the game. She even let her team mates lose and get beat up while she was over there being "punishing" herself for some imagined slight to the villain. And now Coach An is in love with her and just enabling all of her ridiculous guilt nonsense.

And Ting Hao. I loved him in the first series. He was a great 2nd guy but in this second he become overly forceful in his affection. Then, he blames her for his sister's outrageous behavior. He created that monster. Never made her take any personal responsibility. She could violate every rule of the sport and only be using it for revenge but that was okay. Even blamed main girl for stealing his sister's first love. Give me a break. He told his sister at one point give it up he has never liked you that way. But, now that he is anti Bai Cao suddenly she is the bad girl for "taking" his sister's crush. Dude you are just salty because she rejected you. Get over it. Quite whining. But oh, you are in good company half of the people in this show are huge whiners.

And why, every time main girl is confronted with a group of baddies does she forget she is a world class martial artist? That group of European toughs took her down way too easy. I didn't expect her to win but I did expect a good fight. And, whomever is with her, whichever top martial artist, also is suddenly completely helpless. So that leaves Bai Caio suddenly trying to defend her somewhat helpless self and another martial artist who is mysteriously completely helpless. I get a street fight is different than a controlled match but still. You can't even hurt them a little? And 2nd fight? You are so in your own head, feeling so sorry for your own self, you are just going to let your sister get beat? That is when I decided she was selfish. Selfish for letting everyone down and letting her hall go to ruin. Selfish for ignoring all the people that cared about her so she could go be sorry for herself and supposedly "punish" herself. And then selfish for letting them all fight to save the hall while she is playing Cinderella cleaning up after them.

Coach An. I loved the first part of the series coach. Tough and focused. He did need just a little softening. A little. Like maybe tell them why. That's all. Because our main girl still needs that tough love. You quit and she is all off doing everything but being a focused competitor. Literally someone needs to do it. Ru Bai is no longer around and everyone else is going to coddle her whiny butt. But, no, he goes mushy soft once he falls for her. Disappointing.

The girl was a siren but also an ice queen. I mean you have every eligible bachelor around you vying for your attention and you so obviously like some of them but you can't admit anything until they are literally dead or dying? That was very frustrating. I get it wasn't a romance but you are throwing romance in with so much potential but our girl is just cold as ice. Thaws a little here and there but mostly just cold. Which, if she had been focused on her sport I could have allowed a lot more. But she wasn't. She was always mired in some sort of self inflicted emotional misery. Such a waste of talent.

Tao Feng what the heck? He went completely Darth Vader. So he learns this big beef he had with Coach An was baseless. The kid he supposedly ended had a heart condition he was hiding and he was doing the right thing by making him quit. If anything Tao Feng contributed by helping him continue to train on the wheel. But no. It's your fault. So, he finally comes around on that. Learned anything? Nope. Blames main girl for his sister's injury when it was his sister who injured herself by over training. I lost all respect for his character. And that whole family. Grandpa. Was it worth it? It's just a game? Really? You were just having your granddaughter train like her life depended on it a couple of scenes ago. That entire family drove me nuts. They already practically destroyed one life because the mother is in a coma by her own martial arts mishap. So they blame her competitor. Destroy several lives there with that guilt. And let their hall just go away? That made no sense.

I did not watch the last couple of episodes. I was so frustrated I read episode reviews and learned she essentially rejects Coach An. It is bad enough when you have to experience lead girl break one person's heart but she just broke hearts all over the place. And it wasn't that she didn't like them she was just selfish and completely dishonest with herself. So, I had no desire to watch that. I also found out the last episodes are mainly flashbacks and many of the story lines are never fully resolved. The cincher though, was in the book she gets with Ting Hao. Rejects Coach An and gets with Ting Hao. What? Even knowing that is a possibility turned me completely off of watching the end. I rage quit it. Still irritated about it because it could have been good.

Synopsis

This is a 2016 continuation of the story of Whirlwind Girl. They are sequential and the story is threaded through both seasons. It would be possible to watch either solo, but parts of the continuous story would be missing. It is notable that the main character, Baicao is played by a new actress in this second season. There are 36, 40-minute episodes.

Baicao (An Yuexi) is coming to terms with the loss of her mentor. At the same time, she is trying to regain confidence after injuring an opponent. Her prospects turn around when Chang An (Ji Chang-wook), a brilliant and skilled Yuanwudao athlete begins coaching her. What started as a plan to use Baicao for revenge turned into a genuine desire to coach her to her ultimate success in the sport. As Chang An pushes the talented athletes to new limits a spark unites between the two. Fang Tinghao (Chen Xiang) hasn't given up his interest in Baicao and resents the new male presence in her life. Season 2 continues the story, but the rivalries have intensified, characters have matured, and the martial arts component is even stronger. Action, love and romance intertwine in the final tale of Baicao's rise in the sport she loves.

#TheWhirlwindGirl2 #JiChangWook #ChangXiang #AnYeuxi

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Liked it more than I expected to. It is exciting watching her skills build

9/10 is my rating. Worth watching? I think so. Especially if you are looking for something a little different. It has a strong focus on this fictitious form of martial arts. A slice of martial arts life. There are some romantic moments, but it really isn't a romance per se. So, if you are looking for romance you might be disappointed because there is not a happily ever after. It's more like the typical romantic moments that occur in a coming of age. There is a love square (not a triangle as there are three that like main girl) but the girl is more focused on becoming a force to reckon with than spending her time chasing boys. She does a little of it, but not a lot. For me I appreciated those little sprinkles of romance, it kept it interesting.

If you don't do sad but are okay if you are prepared you might want to look at my spoiler section. Just to be prepared. For me I am okay sometimes with sad if I know what to expect. This season is not on balance sad but there is some sad in it.

I found her a little annoying at times in the beginning. She was completely stuck on an idea to the exclusion of all else. Loyal to an actual fault. But, she grew beyond that so if you can stick with it she does mature and undergo character growth.

The martial arts is loosely based on taekwondo but it states, up front, it is fictitious. I saw where there was some criticism of the martial arts that it was over the top and they did some things that weren't entirely possible. If you have watched "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" or any of the other numerous Chinese martial arts media, you won't be super surprised by the moments when an aerial is exaggerated, or the action is comedically paused or drawn out. I actually enjoyed that. But, martial arts purest may not like that. Again, knowing what to expect is the key.

I have seen quite a few sites that recommend The Whirlwind Girl 2 as if 1 does not even exist. And I didn't get that focus. I thought maybe they stood completely independently and 2 was recommended in Korean Drama circles because Ji Chang Wook is in the second season but not the first. And I do think that is the case because there is a story that starts in the first and runs through the second and I think you will get a deeper dive and more insight on the story if you watch both in order. A little more than that even though, you would likely be confused in the beginning of the 2nd season if you hadn't watched the first.

Overall, I enjoyed this. But I think that was mainly knowing what to expect with the romance, martial arts, and knowing what the sad consisted of. I like seeing men or women go from not being very strong to a force to be reconned with. I would recommend it to anyone that likes martial arts elements with the caveat that they do exaggerate elements. I may watch it again at some time in the distant future and wouldn't turn it off or change channels if someone else was watching it.



Spoilers

This is like a martial arts campus/world. They live together as a team in these whole houses and you battle for your team. It reminded me of Harry Potter houses in a weird way. But it is a rather unique set up the way the teams are organized and how, if you are in that particular "house" you live and breathe with that team.

Don't get too attached to Ru Bai as it ends with a lot of uncertainty if he is alive or dead. So, you might grow to really like him because he becomes such great support for main girl. He tells her all the right things at the right moments and does so much behind the scenes to help her succeed. But, in the end, he collapses when she is competing, and she never effectively sees him again. Even in the 2nd season. So, if you are impacted by sad but are okay with preparation, don't get attached to him. That is one of the things I didn't like. They were so nebulous as to what happened to him. And it seemed totally unnecessary to have him possibly die. I think they wanted the whole "he would die for her" to the extreme.

If you don't want to get frustrated with the main girl realize she is absolutely loyal to a fault and that will become a strength later. You will have to put up with her whining about "her master" in the early episodes. And be like okay enough already just get over it and move on. He even wants you to. But, loyalty is an important trait in martial arts team type sports.

Three of the men/boys like her. I have to say, of the three I liked the rich/bad boy the most, Fang Ting Hao. When he gave her the phone and then called a car for her when she was lost...that was the sweetest thing. I mean it is hard to compare to some of the things Rui Bai did but one of the most frustrating things with Rui Bai to me is how he acted indifferent and never told her anything. Ting Hao was all in. The only drawback with him to me was he coddled his little sister, and she was a spoiled, wicked brat.

If the 2nd season would not have already been out, I would have really been frustrated with the ending. It just ends. She is about to go into a match with her biggest rival and Rui Bai collapses then it just ends. Abruptly. I even had to go back and make sure there weren't more episodes I didn't know about. And when the 2nd season first picks up there isn't a smooth transition from 1 to 2. They don't talk about the ending of 1 and what happened until some 10s of minutes have passed in the first episode. It was a bit odd.

Scroll down for a unique synopsis

Synopsis

This is a 2015 Chinese martial arts romance with 32, 45-minute episodes. Alternatively known under the title Tornado Girl. Series is based on a novel.

Qi Baicao (Hu Bingqing) became an orphan after losing both of her parents in a fire. She was adopted by Qu Xiangnan (Vincent Jiao) who was a former world champion who quit the sport after being accused of doping. Baico, who always had a love of Yuanwudao, starts as a white belt but with passion and discipline becomes a competitive athlete with the nickname "whirlwind girl." In order to take back the pride for her town (the origin place of the fictitious martial art Yuanwudao which most closely resembles the real art taekwondo), and clear her mentor's name, she is determined to excel at the sport. Her main trainer, Ruo Bai (Yang Yang) is secretly in love with her and she has Yu Chuyuan (Bai Jingting) a medic, and Fan Tinghao (Chen Xiang) who are also admirers. And the three boys/men interested in her are very different in character. But she has rich interactions with each that are a part of her journey in martial arts. There is a heavier focus on martial arts than romance in this one, but it has a lot of exciting matches like a face-off with rival Fang Tingyi (Zhao Yuannuan), Tinghao’s sister. As Baicao rises in the ranks she begins to learn more about her mentor's fall from grace. This is a coming of age feel good drama with an emphasis on the athletic aspect of the main character.

#WhirlwindGirl #TornadoGirl #ZhaoYuannuan #ChenXiang #VincentJia #Hu Bingqing

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Lots of loose ends; the ending was set up for another season

Review

8.5/10 is my rating. Overall I really liked this and would highly recommend it. My main disappointment is just that it, in my opinion, ends with a lot of loose ends because it is obvious they were planning for another season. I do not personally like when they do that because, with streaming platforms, there is no guarantee there will be another season. Also, for me, I watch so many dramas that if the other season does not come out quickly I will have to rewatch the first season. It is really intensely focused on the mother-daughter relationship. The romances are more of an aside. So, I wouldn't recommend it strictly for the romance aspect more for family dynamics and slice of life.

Spoilers

The mother could be extremely selfish. She did not encourage the relationship between the daughter and the father which I thought was very wrong. If she had done it because she thought it would be harmful it would be one thing, but her motivation seemed very selfish. I started out really liking the mother as a free spirit but then, as the series progressed and she did many things (like locking her daughter out or stealing her underwear when she was angry) I liked her less. And that might be my personal bias as I have a relative that she very much reminded me of. It is real though. There are mothers like that.

The daughter not desiring any relationship with the father did not make sense to me. She seemed as if she always wanted that and then this nice person comes along and wants to be in her life and she just refuses.

I thought the series would show how the mom and daughter had this co-dependent relationship that was unhealthy and it would evolve into a much healthier situation. But it didn't seem to go that way. They did not change a whole lot through the course of this first season. It may be one thing they are setting up for future seasons but it didn't happen in this first one. That was disappointing.

Neither romance fully took off. It was clear the mom and dad would likely stay together. But the daughter and "senior" had that one night then he said never mind and she decides to go off on some long journey. They had their touching I will miss you and I will wait for you moment but, come on, that is all we get? Another one where i think they were setting it up for a second season.

Introducing the grandparents did not make complete sense either. They were on the brink of becoming a complete family, they pulled their jerk move, then there was zero resolution or reconciliation. It is hard to picture a Korean family operating like that. Based on everything else I have seen their culture doesn't tend to write the elders off that easy. But that is another situation that seemed set up for something in the future. Maybe it will be picked back up in a 2nd season but having it be so transitory did not make sense in the context of a relatively short first season.

Scroll down for a Unique Synopsis

Synopsis

This is a 2023 South Korean romantic comedy drama that centers on the relationship between a mother and daughter. There are 12, 60 minute episodes.

Kim Eun-mi (Jeon Hye-jin) became pregnant with her daughter Jin-hee when she was still in high school. Surprisingly she elected to raise her daughter herself as even as a grown woman she remains very free spirited. To support her daughter she became a physical therapist and is much sought after at the clinic where she works. Kim Jin-hee (Choi Soo-young) is the opposite of her mother she is mature and calm is often the stabilizing influence in their household keeping her boisterous mother out of trouble. Jin-hee was a lieutenant at her previous station but got caught in a situation where an influential criminal got in trouble and she took the fall. She was temporarily demoted (1 year) and sent to serve at a new precinct under Eun Jae-won (Park Sung-hoon) a man who she has a not so good past with who thinks she is only book smart. An ear, nose and throat doctor Park Jin-hong (Ahn Jae-wook) emerges and it turns out he is Jin-hee's father who abandoned the two women when Eun-mi became pregnant. The story centers around the troubled relationship between the mother and daughter as they learned to understand each other. Romance is right around the corner for both women.

#NotOthers #JeonHyeJin #ChoiSooYoung #AhnJaeWook #ParkSungHoon

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Trying for "The Office" vibe but most of the jokes fell flat for me

8/10 is my rating. It was good, amusing at times, but not great. Worth watching if you don't have something more engaging to watch. I think I would have liked it more if I understood some of the jokes which are deeply rooted in Korean culture. There were whole scenes where they were doing a play on words and it was supposed to be funny but it fell flat for me as I did not understand it. I also felt like the chemistry with the main couple was "off." And the second couple, she friend zoned him and it never went anywhere. I think they were trying for "The Office" vibe and it just didn't work the same for someone not in that culture. I liked it. Was entertained for most of the series. I recommend it for anyone that wants something more comedic than anything else. For the romance and office life I would not give a strong recommendation. There are much better romances and slice of office life dramas available. I wouldn't rewatch it.

Spoilers

Polyamory is sure being put in a lot of dramas these days. Maybe others might see it in a favorable light but not me. I am of a generation where that was considered cheating or two timing so I am not interested in that element. I would prefer it wasn't in dramas I watch but it was such a minor part of this one it really didn't matter much.

I did not like how incapable he was. I wanted him to come into his own or something but he never really did. Which made it less believable, to me, that someone highly capable like her would be attracted to him. It made their relationship seem unbalanced.

I have seen this mentioned several times on lists of dramas people enjoyed. But inconsistently. Like it does not come up every time or even most the time. And I can see why. If the jokes fall flat for someone, as they did for me, then it would be less enjoyable.

Synopsis

This is a 2022 South Korean Workplace Comedy Romance Drama with 12, 45 minute episodes.

Lee Sang-sik (Kwak Dong-yeon) is an overly enthusiastic junior employee who is always messing things up and causing issues for his supervisor Cha Na-rae (Ko Sung-hee), While she is really tied of cleaning up his messes she realizes he is actually a very nice person. She doesn't mean to get involved in his personal life until she realizes he is being used by the woman he has been crushing on for years. Mo Hae-young (Lee So-hee) is not romantically interested in Sang-ik, but is instead stringing him along to get him to do tedious things for her. Na-rae cannot stand that her subordinate is being played in such a manner and decides to help him. Since they are neighbors she finds herself involved in his life way more than she originally wants to be. However, as the two get to know each other both inside and outside of work they develop feelings for each other. This series is a comedic look at office life with a healthy dose of romance thrown in.

#GausElectronics #KwakDongYeon #KoSungHee #LeeSoHee

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Landed toward the top of my least favorite list

6/10 is my rating


Review

Overall, I would just say don’t waste your time. I mean, maybe if you have absolutely nothing to watch and you’ve watched everything else remotely good and you have low expectations. Then by all means give it a whirl. But I found everything that other reviewers had to say bad about it was true. It was slow. The leads lacked chemistry. Both romances were very luke warm, and there wasn’t much content beyond just they worked in a hotel. Just not my cup of tea. I wouldn’t recommend it. I would not watch it again and if it was on because somebody else was watching it, I would probably go somewhere else to watch something else. Just aboit anything else. Some of the ones that I found bad look better in comparison. I would put this pretty close to the bottom of my list in terms of wrinkled order of what I liked. I set a six only because the first half of it was watchable and even a little enjoyable, but I felt like it was completely ruined by the last half and the icing on the horrible cake was the separation trope. We should have.

Spoilers

I had seen a lot of the poor reviews before watching this so I cannot claim I was not warned. I thought they just did not like simple, strqight forward cookie cutter romance. Which every once in awhile I do not mind, And the first half of this I thought “oh they were wrong.” But then the next half hit and not only were they not wrong, but they might’ve been a bit too generous. My main complaint with it is there wasn’t any chemistry between the leads. He seemed very cold the whole way through and there wasn’t a lot between them that would’ve really made them like each other. He was bossy with her. I know he was her boss, but usually the boss becomes less bossy after they start a romantic relationship. The separation trope was really annoying in this one because they didn’t even feel that bonded anyway and then she’s like I’m going off to improve myself and she just leaves her grandma who has dementia or Alzheimer’s and she doesn’t even know if she’ll be OK when she gets back. That was unlike her character uo to that point. Also they did this whole thing on her and her mother only for her not to forgive her mother anyway. Honestly, after the one I just watched with one of the most horrible mothers practically of all time yes it was bad that she left her, but she left her with somebody that she knew she would be OK with And so I thought if they were gonna put this whole storyline in, maybe she would reunite but no. I get it was supposed to be healing for her to let it go but come on. If you are going that route you don’t need all that time. I wish I had that time back because I just didn’t enjoy it. I watched it all the way to the end although in the very last episode, I fast-forwarded through all the flashbacks and stuff because seeing it once was actually too much. Then there was the second couple and that was another case where there was zero chemistry between them it made no sense they got together. They were just like well they rejected us so let’s just hang out. Her ignoring him then being in that ugly dress with that weird hair poece in fromt if the ugly tree was not romantic. I mean I think they tried for some weird feminist thing where she did the fall catch almost kiss and all that with him then she proposed first. But it did not work for me. Inwas still stuck in the fact she ghosted hm, shows up and ignores him then does this completely awkward proposal.

Synopsis

This is a 2025 Chinese romantic comedy with 20, 40 minute episodes. Alternate titles are My Super Five Star Girlfriend and Wo De Cha Ping Nv You

Yi Ran (Lu Yang Yang) does a lot of odd jobs to support herself. When she isn't acting as an extra or minor support role, she is running errands or doing any manner of other temporary jobs. A passion for her is to review businesses to let others know her honest impression. When a friend gifts her a stay at a five star hotel, she has less than a stellar stay due to a rude employee. Xiao Mu Cheng (Xing Zhao Lin) is a chaebol heir to the hotel but no one knows that. To his staff his is simply the hotel's director and face of their luxury hotel that ensures their business stays profitable. He tracks Yi Ran down and convinces her to work for him as an in house reviewer. His plan is to give her the most luxurious experience so she will change her opinion and write a positive review. They are two very opposite people Xiao Mu is very proper and exudes charm and grace while Yi Ran is boisterous and one-of-a-kind. As the two work adjacent, they develop feelings for each other. Will the stiff hotelier and down to earth blogger find love with each other?

#thequirkyandthecharming #LuYangYang #XingZhaoLin

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Bored 3/4 way in; spotlight shift from ML and he was the most interesting one

8/10os my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean romance and crime drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

First, I provide a unique synopsis then review. I provide the synopsis because I find, when I’m looking for a show to watch, some of the synopses do not describe the series very well. So, a unique synopsis is intended to provide another perspective. If you aren’t interested in the synopsis scroll down, the review is labeled.


Synopsis


Kang Seon-ho (JungJinYoung) was orphaned at a young age so when the man who raised him as his son, Yoon Taek-Il (Oh Man-seok), was diagnosed with cancer and needed an expensive operation, he was willing to do about anything to get the life saving surgery for his father. He had neen working in online forums with Yoo Dong-man (Chae Tae-hyun), a 20 year homicide and cyber crime investigator trying to bring down a gambling ring. The detective and Seon-ho developed a friendly relationship and the young man provided invaluable help with cyber crimes. Seon-ha, at the urging of his friend/brother Yoon Seung-beom {Choi Woo-sung), decides to hack the illegal gambler’s account and redirect the funds to their own account. They think it is like Robin Hood, stealing from the criminals to use the money for the surgery to save their dad’s life. But detective Yoo does not see any nobility in the action when he tracks the young cyber criminals down. When their father begs the detective to look the other way, he takes mercy but he gets demoted for it. Not realizing the young man is his online friend/helper the detective tells the young man he better never appear before him again. But it turns out he will see the young man again as he is sent to instruct at the National Police Academy the very place Seon-ho is determined to get in. Seon-ho wants to become a police officer to make his adopted dad proud but also because the girl he loved at first sight, Oh Kang-hee (Krystal Jung), who is pursuing her dream of becoming a police officer, is there.

Review

If you’re looking for a good slice of life police Academy and/or crime drama, it is good for that. I would say it’s just OK on the romance scale at least in my opinion it was very laggy about 3/4 of the way through. I was a little bored the ending was on the softer side. If anyone likes things completely unwell wrapped up, I would not seek out to watch it again I didn’t completely dislike it, but I certainly wasn’t in love with it enough to rewatch it.

Spoilers

At first, I really liked the female lead character. She was very determined and driven and I thought that were,great characteristics for the lea. Until she tattoed on her fellow police offocers because she was afraid ML would be hurt, And thn, when he got in trouble and she broke up with him when he really wasn’t doing anything, but working on a case trying to bring down that gambling ring I changed my opinion of her then too, He even helped her mother out, and she just broke up with him because it was too hard. That made me very disappointed in that character and I wasn’t that into them even getting back together if you can’t be with somebody when some of the chips are down and it is not completely their fault then I’m not sure you’re made for each other. I really liked the male lead character. I thought he was very sweet to a fault and that’s part of how he got himself in trouble in the first place.

I was extremely disappointed when they made it to where the male lead character did not graduate with the rest of the class. It was weird and awkward that he was starting over and we were supposed to celebrate the rest of their graduation. I never understood why the things he did (other than the stealing) was so bad. Cyber hacking is a skill that’s embraced in a lot of other countries including the United States so I didn’t understand why the police force wasn’t using him for cyber crimes. He was never recognized or appreciated for essentially bringing that whole gambling ring down single-handedly, and they never really showed that that gambling ring was completely dissolved. When he came back, they treated him like a junior, which was weird because he was a more skilled investigator than any of them. I thought it was a serious failure in the story and that was one of the things that made me not like it very well.

I thought second guy was too pushy when she told him clearly she wasn’t interested. And the bracelet incident was really dishonest on his part. She didn’t handle it. Well either she acted like it was weird. That mean guy was upset that she was wearing the other guy‘s bracelet. When anybody would’ve assumed that she wore it because she liked it. Knew who gave it to her and was leaving the other guy on I thought her friendship with him was a little too friendly for having a boyfriend.

I did not care about any of the second relationships either. The mainly detective and professor who is friends with the male lead in the other professor was OK, but there just wasn’t that much there, especially after he suspected her of being involved in the gambling ring.

#PoliceUiversity #ChaeTaeHyun. #JungJinYoung. #KrystalJung #YoonTaekIl #YoonSeungBeom

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I wanted more romance. It tap,danced around

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean workplace romance drama with 16, 62-76 minute episodes.

First, I provide a unique synopsis then review. I provide the synopsis because I find, when I’m looking for a show to watch, some of the synopses do not describe the series very well. So, unique synopsis is intended to provide another perspective. If you aren’t interested in the synopsis scroll down, the review is labeled.

Synopsis

On Ma-eum (Kim Se-jeong) is ready to move on to other opportunities after being injured during her quest toward Olympic glory in Judo. When Ma-eum decides to chart another path pursuing her dream job as a webtoon editor, she must hide it from her Judo coach father On Gi-bong (Ko Chang-seok). Ma-eum’s father thought they were just waiting for the injury to heal so she could get back to Judo. Having put all of of her energy into getting the job of her dreams she is not about to return to Judi which had taken such a tremendous toll on her body. But Ma-eum is facing a tremendous challenge as a webtoon editor as she doesn’t have traditional qualifications. But the determined young woman is not about to give up on her dream that easy. Her career in Webtoon creation could be short-lived though because the branch she works for is part of a larger company that is about to eliminate the webtoon platform as it is losing money. She got her chance because the leader of the branch took a liking to Ma-eum when she worked security and was willing to take a chance on her as a trainee web editor. So it is unlikely if this branch goes down that she could get another job with another webtoon company. But, when she first starts out, the fact that Ma-eun is a super fan of webtoons means she has to scale herself back from fan girling on all of the clients/authors they work with. Her over enthusiasm at first causes her mentor, Seok Ji-hyung (Choi Daniel) to scold her to be more professional and leave her own interest out of her interactions. But what seems to be a weakness at first turns out to be a strength in that she understands the authors on a deeper level. In fact, Ma-eun’s particular fan girl mojo just might be what was needed to help save the webtoon branch. Ma-eun’s wins over all the other project managers and editors with her magnanimous, personality, and boundless energy. Goo Jun-yeong (Nam Yoon-su) was hired at the same time as Ma-eum with outstanding credentials and at first cannot understand how Ma-eun is so successful while he is struggling. That is until he himself starts to fall for her charms. Can one outstanding employee save the drowning webtoon branch? Will the two opposite in personality newbies find the other half in each other?

Review

I enjoyed this start to finish even though it was not fully what I expected. I thought it would be more focused on the romance with the Webtoon platform as a backdrop, but it is actually the other way around. In terms of slice of life, it does an above average job of that. You get a deep look at how Webtoon platforms identify, support, develop and manage the artists they work with. But, if you are after a romance, you will get some of it with this but not for those of us that want the happily ever after full suite. There is a love triangle. Lots of romantic tension. But I see where other reviewers said it is like they left it open for a second season on some of those plot points. I am glad I watched it, feel like I know more about the making of the sausage with Webtoons and would recommend it to others. I might watch it again but only if someone else had it on.

Spoilers

I liked learning more about the rigors in the Webtoon world. The artists do really become slaves to their art and are producing a product. My daughter is an award-winning artist and had dabbled with online comics. She had a lot of interest in her work, so I asked her why she did not more actively pursue that to make money. I thought she could enter some contests and see if she could get signed or whatever. She told me that it is basically an artist mill. That it becomes miserable for the artists. This helped me to see a little more what she was talking about. I could see where the art would lose its joy.

I know it's a cultural, but it really bothered me that that the other newbie, Jun-yeong blamed all of the long timer Webtoon colleagues at NEON for his sister's accidental death. Yes, they let her go when she was a contractor but when a business is basically ready to go bankrupt or get bought out, contract positions are always the first to go. They did not do anything unusual. The loose association was she was out on the road early because she no longer had the Webtoon job, but it is not fair to blame others for that accident. So, that was a little frustrating. But I find it to be frequent in Korean dramas so there must be something to that indirect blame.

They danced around the romance so much, as someone who is in need of romance, I found it frustrating. She seemed to have a lot of romantic tension with the Senior Editor (her superior). I am glad they did not go that route because there felt like a huge age gap just in terms of where they were at maturity wise in the scheme of life. But, he definitely liked her like that and wound up letting go when he realized how much PD Goo liked her and that she seemed to like him back (even though she was not admitting it to herself). Which is why the soft ending with them was so frustrating. He finally confessed and she is thinking about it and they just leave it there. It was a very soft, unfinished ending to their story.

There was also the assistant web artist who really was very good and with some guidance could likely have made it. But he quit after ten years, is still around helping everyone out, but they don't do anything to advance him. I was disappointed we didn't get to see him finally make it. He said he had another dream, but we didn't even get to know what that was.



#TodaysWebtoon #KimJeSeong #ChoiDaniel #KoChangSeok #NamYoonSu

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A lbit of “Good Morning Call” vibes in the cold way ML sometimes interacts with FL

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean romance drama with 16, ~60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review. I provide a synopsis as many series do not have a descriptive enough synopsis to really tell you what it is about to help decide to watch or not. The review is labeled as such so you can scroll to that if not interested in synopsis.

Synopsis

Lee Jung-joo (Kang So ra) and Baek Gun-woo (Yoo Yeon seok) met when they were 19, on their shared birthday, when Jung joo erroneously thought Gun woo was her twin. This established a connection between the two who jokingly agreed that she would go on to be cool and he would go from the golden boy to straying from the path. If they met in the future there was a joke about them falling for each other. Things did not follow a glittery path for Jung joo and she finds herself back on Jeju aIsland, where they first met after losing her house, her boyfriend and her job. Baek Gun-woo is a chef at the restaurant he owns “Warm and Cozy” which is adjacent to the fallen down house Jung goo was straddled with. Fate continually throws the two together and the small spark that ignited all those years before develops into love.


Review

It is a typical romance of about a decade ago. In that era, the female lead character often puts up with a lot more coldness and indifference and still comes back for more. If you put it in that context, this is a cute and heart warming romance.

Spoilers

I comtinually had to remind myself of the era as she took a lot from him as he showed continual preference for a woman that treated him horribly. At one point he said he knew the woman he had bought the restaurant for was not a very nice person. He said he liked her because she told him his mom was nit bad in the way she was with men. I thought the girl he liked was a complete jerk and loved it when the female lead told her to quit lying and pushed her out of the room. She never grew as a character and was always just an awful, lying, scheming, good digging brat.

The male lead’s father taking the rap for the mother’s crime was sad. It was sad because the father and son never reunited.Which was pointless.

It ended well. With them together, i felt like the situation with the dad was not well wrapped up but it was a minor point.

#WarmandCozy. #KangSoRa #YooYeonSeok

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Heart warming family drama with multiple feel good light romances

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean coming of age family romance drama with 16, 60-70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Yoon Jeong-jae (Choi Won-young) is a widower who is raising his young daughter, Yoon Ju-won (Jung Chae-yeon) by himself. He owns and operates a noodle shop to support them both and often provides food to friends and neighbors as a way to show he cares. Because of his kind nature kids are drawn to him as the perfect father figure. He knows that his precious daughter, Ju won, wishes to have a sibling, particularly a brother. The perfect oppa candidate moves in upstairs and the lively and engaging Ju won sets out to win him over as her brother like figure. But the young boy, Kim San-ha (Hwang In-youp) is leading a tragic life with parents who always fight, his mother who leaves, and a sister who died too young. Still Ju won's bubbly determination wears him down and he becomes a regular at Ju won's house. When San-ha's mother leaves, his father, Kim Dae-wook (Choi Moo Sung) is also drawn into the warm family environment Jeong jae provides. Jeong-jae is such an excellent father figure he winds up taking in the child, Kang Hae-jun (Bae Hyun sung) who was also abandoned by has mother and who he only knew of through a brief blind date encounter with his mother. This group forms a family of their own choosing who is all knitted together by Ju won who doesn't allow any of the to feel left out. This is a heart warming story of people who form a strong bond despite many of them not being blood related.

Review

This is a very heartwarming family drama. I watched the Chinese version, Go Ahead, first, and it was an excellent series, but I think the Korean version subtly improved upon it. I believe you could watch either version and still get the same basic story. I liked it enough that I fully enjoyed watching both versions. If you like family dramas, slice-of-life themes, adoption or fostering stories, or if you're just a fan of romance anytime, I highly recommend this one. It's well-acted, with great chemistry between the leads, and everything wraps up nicely.

Spoilers

I liked that the South Korean version didn't focus as much on the time the male lead (ML) character spent with his abusive mother. What I didn't like about either version, though, was the concept that the mother deserved any level of forgiveness just because she was sad or because she was his mother. What she did to him was abuse. With some training in psychology, her behavior closely resembles Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The ML's relationship with his mother was characteristic of a relationship with someone who has BPD-nothing was ever calm. On one hand, she adored him so much that she wanted him around her to the point of desperation, but she was always accusing him of things, getting angry with him for things that weren't even his fault, and being jealous of every relationship he had. She bullied him and manipulated him to stay with her. Many people with BPD have a Jekyll and Hyde personality, where they seem to have two distinct personalities. But with BPD, they flow between these personalities throughout the day. It is part of their personality to be so toxic and volatile. Having dealt with someone with this type of personality, I can say they are extremely hard to be around. I don't think their actions are any more excusable than those of a sociopath. So, I wasn't a fan of the fact that the story wanted us to accept and forgive her actions.

The romance was very believable. It was clear that the male lead never fully saw her as a sister, as he resisted whenever she brought up the idea of changing their names to make them the same. They weren't biologically related, so I thought their relationship was perfectly fine.

I loved the dads. One dad was so nurturing, and the other was a quiet strength. Any kids raised in that environment would thrive. They had all the love and support they would ever need. However, having worked with foster kids, I know they still long for their biological parents. No matter how good the family environment, there is always some level of yearning for biological parents, even if those parents were abusive. It can be heartbreaking, and I thought the series portrayed that well.

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Starts out mildly interesting then devolves into a bore fest

6/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy drama (includes mystery, thriller, suspense, crime and law elements) with 16, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review



Synopsis



Jo Yeon-joo (Honey Lee) is a slightly corrupt, mafia defeating, prosecutor who finds her life completely transformed after a significant head injury related to a car accident.  Because she has amnesia and doesn't remember who she is, when she is mistaken for her identical twin/doppelgänger, Kang Mi-na (also played by Honey Lee) she just goes with it.  Min-na's personality could not be different she is cold, demure and is the emotionally abused youngest daughter-in-law of a conglomerate group.  Her husband Han Seong-woon (Song Won-seok) married her as she does have ties to another conglomerate family so had the surface pedigree and came with business ties that made it a beneficial arranged marriage.  However, her married family treats her poorly as they believe she is an illegitimate child of her chaebol father.  The family is in for a rude awakening when "Min-na" is no longer demure or easily cowed after her injury.  Her cheating husband finds the new spin on his wife intriguing and starts to show interest in her romantically for the first time even willing to give up his mistress.  But, Seung-wook (Lee Sang-yoon) who was in line as an heir prior to the untimely death of his father, returns from the United States and wants to reclaim Mi-na who was his first love.  The two begin to independently unravel the mystery of the real Mi-na as well as the truth behind other events such as the death of Seung-wook's father.  In the process, Yeon-joo and Seung-wook begin to fall for each other. 



Review



If you are a fan of Honey Lee you might like it just to see her act in a role where she plays two characters and has a lot of action scenes. Like so many other reviewers I found this initially interesting but quickly found the story line to be slow and repetitive. The romance is lost in the fact that he is not interested in her romantically for a large part of the series. Most of the other characters are completely unlikable. I would not recommend this and would not rewatch it.



Spoilers



In the beginning of the series Yeon-joo/Mi-nah rightfully tells her doppelgänger’s family off. It was satisfying when Yeon-joo talked back forceably to Mi-nah’s monstrous mother-in-law, Seo Young-won (Na Young-hee). Mi-nah left and husd largely die to the non stop emotional abuse from the whole family but from the mother-in-law in particular. But, in the latter half she let her get away with her abuse far too often.



There was not a lot of chemistry nor romantic build up between Yeon-joo and Han Seung-wook/Alex Chang because he spent a large part of the series reflecting on, amd pining for Mi-na amd was slow to realize his current feelings for Yeon-joo.



The oldest sister-in-law, Han Seong-hye (Jin Seo-yeon) seemed okay at first but then it turned out she was a snobby psycho. It was disappointing because I thought ine person in that horrible family had been on Mi-na’s side. But no. She turned out to be the worste of the bunch.



It was kind of funny that Mi-Na’s cheating husband, Han Seong-woon (Somg Won-seok) winds up falling for the feisty Yeon-joo to the point he ditches Park So-yi (Park Jeong-hwa) but sad at the same time because he never cared about his actual wife.



The father-in-law, Han Young-sik (Jeon Kuk-hwan), was horrible to Mi-na until she became chairwoman of her family’s conglomerate. Then he was better to her but only because it suited his only very selfish interests.



Usually when there is uninteresting or unlikable main characters, there is at least some redeemable side characters. This one was not even propped up by likable second and side characters.



#OnetheWoman  #HoneyLee  #LeeSangYoon  #LeeHanee  #JinSeoYeon  #LeeWonKeun   #SongWonSeok

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Not a very likable female lead character. Has some unique aspects so worth the watch for that.

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romance drama with 10, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

This is a story told after the initial romance occurs with the main couple and we, as the viewer, start the story when our Cinderella decides to break up with the man of her dreams.  Ha Yoon-seo (Shin Hyun-been) is practical to a fault. When she rescued her brother and herself from a physically and emotionally abusive environment, she had to grow up and take responsibility at a very young age. She worked long hard hours to put herself and her brother through school and then worked her way up in her career to be a Team Leader/Manager at a major company.  While romance has never been her primary goal in life, she falls in love with a young man on her team, Seo Joo-won (Moon Sang-min), who she at first believes is simply an office worker.  When she finds out her boyfriend of a year and a half is actually the chaebol son of the chairwoman of her company, she decides the best course of action is just to end it.  So when she receives an offer of money from Joo-won's mother Kim Sun-joo (Jin Hee-kyung) to break up with and stay away from her son, Yoon-seo takes it.  The hard knocks of a difficult life have led Yoon-seo to believe there are no fairy tale endings.  Cinderella may be happy up to midnight but what happens later, say 2 AM, when the harsh reality that she was not raised to be a Princess will set in.  But, Joo-won believes in their love and isn't giving up easily. 

Review

I am not a fan of stories told in reverse and their romance was mostly told in flashbacks.  We start with the main part of their romance having already occured.  I could get past that if the story was compelling enough for me to overcome my dislike of stories told in that manner but, for me, this one did not.  A lot of reviewers have the criticism that this drags in spots and I had that experience as well.  Still it is not horrible and I think if you are a fan of the romance genre you would want to watch it.  But, for many, I don't think it would be one to watch again and again.

Spoilers

It ends happy with all the major plot points wrapped up. 

I found Yoon-seo an unlikable character for the majority of the show.  Breaking up with someone in the height of your relationship when everything seems to be going well is very hurtful.  And her "easing out" actually made it worse.  She says later, and I thought it all along, the way she did it had little to do with him and was more so she did not get hurt.  It was odd to have such a tragic character, that had gone through so much emotional hurt, be so cold to everyone around her.  Her push pull behavior was so frustrating.  I don't know how many times I was like just knock it off already.  You are just torturing him and yourself at this point.  Quit being a coward.  It's a relatively short series but I spent a significant portion of it so frustrated with the main character.  It almost made me stop watching it, but I was interested in the second couple enough to continue or I would not have stuck around for the final episodes where it became more interesting again.  My thinking on who she was and what she did completely changed in finding out the details of her childhood.  Knowing the full details of her past explained so much about why she acted as she did.  I would not want a mean mother-in-law if I escaped abuse as a child. I understood her a little more but it wasn't until almost the end of the series. I hoped I would like her more and I did a little but felt frustrated with her to the end when she didn't find any time to help him with the wedding preparations and it hurt his feelings.  She is with someone who is sweet and sensitive and her cold personality would likely continually hurt him.  So it was disappointing that basically she is still doing it. 

While the first half of the series nearly ruined it for me, the last half saved it.  I loved the second couple that had an arranged marriage, initially thought of themselves as business partners but fell in love anyway.  Seo Si-Won (Yoon Park) perfectly played the doting older brother.  His "freedom" in his boxer shorts provided a lot of comedic moments.  It was also amusing that he could be so spot on with his younger brother in terms of how to win Yoon-seo but so clueless in his own life.  There was a point in the series where I looked forward to the parts with Siwon and his wife, Lee Min-Jin (Sojin) far more than I did the main couple. 

I thought the 2nd guy, Leo Seong-Min (Lee Hyun-woo) was the perfect foil for the icy Yoon-seo.  And I loved that they all became friends in the end and that he loved her enough to let go of his chance and help her find her way back to Juwon. 

The character growth that allowed the three Ju-won, Si-won and their mother Sun-joo to come together with the two new family additions, Min-jin and Yun-seo was heart-warming.  And the fact that it turned out to be "Cinderella" who had a hand in weaving them all together was a full circle feel good scenario.

This is a highly flawed series with a weak start and middle but that ends strong enough to save the series a bit.  The late portion of the series is really what makes it worth the watch. 

#CinderellaAt2AM  #ShinHyunBeen  #MoonSangMin  #JinHeeKyung #YoonPark  #Sojin

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Cannot stand alone well (need to watch season 1 first) . Leaves room for a 3rd season

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean Science fiction, Horror, Thriller series with 43-56 minute episodes.

First I provide a Unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

The first season took place in 1945. Fast forward to 2024 (79 years later) and Yoon Chae-Ok (Han So-Hee) is working with a mysterious group of people who help locate missing persons. She thinks Master Jang (Park Seo-jun) is long departed and kept herself away, while he was alive, because of the creature inside she has barely learned to control. While pirsuing a missing person, Chae-ok (Han So-hee) encounters a man who she, at first thinks is Master Jang but how can that be? He looks exactly as he did 79 years before. But this man Jang Ho-Jae (Park Seo-jun), says he is not Master Jang and does not seem to recognize her at all. They decide to work together on cases since they have some of the same goals.

Review

It is exciting and definitely lets us know what happens with all the major characters and even some of the minor ones. It could not stand very well alone, you need the backstory from the 1st season for many of the events of the first season to make sense. I was not suprised it end with a cliff hanger. Many of the South Korean content that Netflix has does not follow the pattern of one season, sometimes two, that end very neatly. It was something I loved about South Korean series, that they did not drag it on across many seasons. So, there are all the elements there for this to go another season. It was good and they did delve into the romance more in this one. I would not consider it necessarily happy, but one would not expect something like this to be all round happy. If you watched the first season, I highly recommend this second as I feel it does add a lot of depth to the story. I don’t know if I would rewatch it as a lot depends on where the entire series ultimateldy goes and how it all ends up. I have never felt compelled to watch “Game of Thrones” again even though I enjoyed it while I was watching it because it ended so horribly in my opinion. So, I can’t say at this point if I would watch it again or not.

Spoilers

I really like Park Seo-jun as an actor. So I am drawn to things he is in anyway. He has not disappointed in this role. He is heroic and compassionate and yet tough and resolute.

There are so relatively few series like this so it is hard to be overly picky. My main critique is just the Netflix effect where they drag it on and there is no great assurance they will finish the story. It all has to do with how much money they make off it whether we will see the seasons that would finalize the story. Other than that it is very good for what it is. It has that other worldly science fiction and horror element that is more rare for series.

#GyeongseongCreature2 #GyeongseongCreatureTwo #HanSoHee. #ParkSeoJun

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My new favorite crown prince. Once he fell for her he did not waver.

9/10 os my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean coming of age historical romance with 18, 60 minute episodes. It is based in a web novel entitled “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds”.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.


Synopsis

Crown Prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo-Gum) is awash in palace intrigue as he navigates the dangerous waters of becoming a monarch. His journey is made better with his friendship with Hong Ra-on (Kim Yoo-jung) who serves as one of his few allys and offers loyal friendship. Most servants avoid extensive contact with Lee Yeong as he is mischievious amd has the unpredictable nature of someone whose interest center in music and art. a series of unfortunate events involving debt collectors and being sold into servitude lands Ra-on in the palce seving as a Eunich. Although Ra-on has pretended to be a male her whole life, this turns out to be her most dangerous and complex ruse. As the two start to fall for each other, can Lee Yeong see through Ra-ons guise to discover he is not engaged in a forbidden attraction? Will the reason Ra-on has pretended to be male be what keeps them apart?


Review

This is a must watch for romance fans.  It has that sort of slow burn romance that is so appealing.  One of my favorite tropes is where main guy is hard to win over but once he falls for the girl, that’s it.  You do have to put up with a lot of the typical politics in Josean era historical romance with the infighting for power.  But that just comes with the territory with historical romance.  It is well paced, the romance is believable, and there are enough interesting things that happen and mysterious back story to make it all flow nicely and remain engaging.  I highly recommend it and would watch it again.


Spoilers


It ends happy in the sense that the good overcomes evil and the couple wind up together.  I see what a lot of other reviewers said about it being very rushed.  To watch 18 episodes and only get to see them be fully together in the last tens of minutes is a bit disappointing but not enough to ruin it as a very good, superior even, historical romance.

For the longest time I could not get the total fixation with Park Bo Gum.  He is undeniably handsome and just has this air about him where he seems like a very kind person.  I got that.  But I hadn’t seen anything where his acting was beyond just really good.  But this showed me why people are so invested in him as an actor.  His portrayal of Lee Yeong was nothing short of masterful.  I think he is now my favorite Crown Prince.  He was playful in a spiteful I really hate this position that was thrust on me way.  I liked how loyal his character was to all of those he cared about and the people in general.  Every aspect of his acting was spot on and his expressions and even his body language were perfect for the role. It was such a highlight of his talent for really brining out the unique aspects of a character so that they felt real. Great acting makes you feel thankful.  I am very thankful to him for the magical journey he took me, as a viewer, on with this character. 

 

The only disappointment I had in the way the Lee Young’s character was portrayed was around his relationship with Jo Ha-Yeon (Chae Soo-Bin) who later became the Crown Princess.  Although I think it is true to life in a way, I still did not like it. She falls for him basically because he is handsome and debonaire.  And that is when she starts being clingy and manipulativ, both traits I really dislike in females.  I don’t know why he wasn’t annoyed when she followed him in the marketplace.  I did not like how arrogant and entitled she acted from their first encounter and how she continued to act that way even after she found out who he was.  He doesn’t ask her to accompany him, but she follows him and essentially puts him in more danger trying to protect her while fighting the masked ninjas that attacked them.  I liked when Lee Young was like stay out of my space but then, later, he does a reversal when she manipulates him into believing she is willing to be the Crown Princess just to help him.  As a position/title but not like his spouse.  And he falls for that.  Then she proceeds to invade his space as much as she wishes even bragging that because she is the Crown Princess they just let her in to wait for him.  When he was pushing her away, he clearly told her he was already in love with someone else, but she did not respect that at all.  I do not know why when she screwed up and winded up feeding him poison that didn’t get her deposed.  Like an idiot she guilted him into drinking some tonic they had been trying to get him to drink and he almost dies.  But she didn’t act remorseful about her role at all. And she did not get deposFor the longest time I could not get the total fixation with Park Bo Gum.  He is undeniably handsome and just has this air about him where he seems like a very kind person.  I got that.  But I hadn’t seen anything where his acting was beyond just really good.  But this showed me why people are so invested in him as an actor.  His portrayal of Lee Yeong was nothing short of masterful.  I think he is now my favorite Crown Prince.  He was playful in a spiteful I really hate this position that was thrust on me way.  I liked how loyal his character was to all of those he cared about and the people in general.  Every aspect of his acting was spot on and his expressions and even his body language were perfect for the role. It was such a highlight of his talent for really brining out the unique aspects of a character so that they felt real.

 

The only disappointment I had in the way the Lee Young’s character was portrayed was around his relationship with Jo Ha-Yeon (Chae Soo-Bin) who later became the Crown Princess.  Although I think it is true to life in a way, I still did not like.  She falls for him basically because he is handsome and debonaire.  And that is when she starts being clingy and manipulate, both traits I really dislike in females.  I don’t know why he wasn’t annoyed when she followed him in the marketplace.  I did not like how arrogant and entitled she acted from their first encounter and how she continued to act that way even after she found out who he was.  He doesn’t ask her to accompany him, but she follows him and essentially puts him in more danger trying to protect her while fighting the masked ninjas that attacked them.  I liked when Lee Young was like stay out of my space but then, later, he does a reversal when she manipulates him into believing she is willing to be the Crown Princess just to help him.  As a position/title but not like his spouse.  And he falls for that.  Then she proceeds to invade his space as much as she wishes even bragging that because she is the Crown Princess they just let her in to wait for him.  When he was pushing her away, he clearly told her he was already in love with someone else, but she did not respect that at all.  I do not know why when she screwed up and winded up feeding him poison that didn’t get her deposed.  Like an idiot she guilted him into drinking some tonic they had been trying to get him to drink and he almost dies.  But she didn’t act remorseful about her role at all.  And she did not suffer any repercussions for her role in nearly poisoning the Crown Prince.

 

I don’t think there has been a 2nd male lead I have liked as much as I liked the Kim Yoon Sung (Jung Jinyoung) character in awhile.  Excellent acting.  His love and caring for the main girl was palpable.  The conflict he felt over his loyalty to his friend and family obligations was real.  He did so much for Ra-on and the Crown Prince behind the scenes and never felt the need to get the credit for it.  He was smart, and foiled so many plots.  I loved that character.

 

The other character I completely loved was Kim Bryung-yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon).  He was such an amazing martial artist and swordsman and such a loyal friend.  I was so happy he survived and that it was Yoon Sung that discovered he was still alive. 

 

I have been a fan of Kim Yoo-jung for quite some time. Perhaps it is her youth, but she brings such a whimsical feeling to every role.  When she smiles her whole face just lights up and it makes it so convincing why the men fall for her.  She is an amazing actress, and she was so good in this role.

 

I don’t think there has been a 2nd male lead I have liked as much as I liked the Kim Yoon Sung (Jung Jinyoung) character in awhile.  Excellent acting.  His love and caring for the main girl was palpable.  The conflict he felt over his loyalty to his friend and family obligations was real.  He did so much for Ra-on and the Crown Prince behind the scenes and never felt the need to get the credit for it.  He was smart, and foiled so many plots.  I loved that character.

 

The other character I completely loved was Kim Bryung-yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon).  He was such an amazing martial artist and swordsman and such a loyal friend.  I was so happy he survived and that it was Yoon Sung that discovered he was still alive. 

 

I have been a fan of Kim Yoo-jung for quite some time. Perhaps it is her youth, but she brings such a whimsical feeling to every role.  When she smiles her whole face just lights up and it makes it so convincing why the men fall for her.  She is an amazing actress, and she was so good in this role. 



They showed where Lee Young pardoned Ra-on for her “crime” (which to me is odd crime was basically being born the daughter of a rebel) so that she was able to live normally as a woman.  The Crown Princess basically had their relationship annulled.  So, he is free but there is no indication they will have any kind of public facing permanent relationship.  Knowing those royal positions, at least as they are portrayed in other historical dramas, he would normally have a wife and maybe some consorts or concubines.  But he is changing the rules so we don’t know what that means for him or for their relationship.



Ra-on’s father was supposed to be some super rebel.  Akin to the Star Wars rebels.  But he is seen talking to Kim about watching over ML.  They seem buddy, buddy but there is no clarity around what He supposedly has such dangerous ideology that everyone wants to know where his offspring is.  Some want to use her as a bargaining chip, but they made it seem as if she had some power to reunite and reenergize the rebels behind her.  But then they locate her and all they want to do is put her in hiding.  But not even good hiding.  She has lived her life pretending to be a man because they are looking for a woman.  But now they are looking for a woman that hides as a man and she goes incognito but then continues to hide as a man.  Seems like the best cover would have been as a woman.  And for cripes, change your name.  Don’t go by, in hiding, the very name of the individual they are looking for. 



The dad’s whole mystique became a nothing burger.  They find out he is alive, he has some strong words for the King, talks to the Crown Prince a couple of times, decides CP is how he wants things to be and that’s it. 

 

Huge missed opportunity in my mind to have FL be a strong swordsman super ninja.  In her circumstances, wouldn’t that have made sense?  And it sure would have been more entertaining than watching her stand there while whomever is protecting her is getting absolutely trashed.  I think the most I ever saw her do was kick a sword to the CP.  And she did try to get in front of second guy to block a sword.  But, her typical, was to stand there and just watch.  I mean tackle their legs or something.  You got teeth woman – bit them.  Throw dirt at them.  I don’t care.  But do something other than just watch the battle.  I mean she all but had popcorn. 

 

Why did 2nd guy die?  He was one of my favorite characters.  I wanted to see him join the light side.  Once evil grandpa was gone, he could have joined the CP as a trusted advisor.  But I guess the focus was on fulfilling the prophecy where one of them died young.  But come on, Kim was way more injured and he lived.  That was a bummer.  I really liked him. 

 

And we just don’t get to know about some characters.  Like the Little Princess.  Now that she told her story is she all better?  Talking?  Her boogeyman is now gone.  What about the baby princess?  She was recovered.  How is she doing?  And the fake prince.  What did they do with him?

 

Where did the king go?  ML’s father.  Did he retire?  I mean he doesn’t have a primary wife now.  She was deposed.  Did he finally get with his nice consort that ML liked who had the Little Princess? 



#LoveInTheMoonlight   #MoonlightDrawnByClouds  #ParkBoGum  #KimYooJung  #KwakDongYeon  #ChaeSooBin  #JungJinyoung

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Plot was chaotic. It could not decide what it wanted to be.

6/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean fantasy romance drama with, 16, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Cupid’s arrow never fails. So when Cupid, Cheon Sang-Hyuk (Jang Dong-yoon) accidently shoots himself, he falls in love with a human woman, Oh Baek-Ryeon (Im Jin ah;Nana), is a veteranarian who is so physically alluring men cannot helpbut fall in love with her. But due to a curse, or maybe just bad luck, every suitor has a close brush with death which causes them to leave her. But there is a much longer relationship between the two of them than either is at first aware. Can a human and a fairy find lasting love?

Review

Disappointing. I liked so many elements of this. Liked the premise, am a fan of Jang Dong-yoon, like serial killer stories, always up for romance and find supernatural interesting. But the plot was all over the place chaotic. It was like it could not decide which one of those things it wanted to be. It was okay, not completely unwatchable but with so many better choices out there it ranks low on my list. I would not seek it out nor sit down and watch it if someone else was. I do not recommend it.

Spoilers

It ends happy in the sense the main couple get together. They even give a little after story to show they had kids and remained happy.

I liked Dong yoon’s acting. He is a great actor. I thought he made a great Cupid and a detective.

Nana’s acting was fine I just disliked the character she played. I do not like overly clingy females it is cringy. And she was super clingy. When she let the serial killer trick her I could not believe someone bright enough to be a skilled veterinarian could be that stupid. It did not fit the character. Then she gets a brain injury and just acts weirder than her normal weird.

I thought it was going to be a movie about cupid and it was sometimes. Sometimes they do the cupid thing. Then oh wait it is a serial killer thing. Oops it is reincarnation story. All of the could have worked together but the writing did not accomplish that.

Her friend An Do-ra (Gong Min Jeung), falls for the weird cupid. Then weird cupid disappears but then reappears but they don’t get back together. So why did we spend so much time on their odd relationship? And if he knows he might disappear why does he not pay up front? It was also not credible that she believed he was a Cupid so quick. That whole part of the story seemed unnecessary.

Why did the other cupids hang out with main guy? He dissolves, they all dissolve, then he comes back and so do they. What is their role with him? Never fully explained. Will the one fairy quit being a dog?

The serial killer story was interesting but it was an awkward fit with the rest of the plot.

It was a show that could have been good but wasn’t because of a chaotic script. It would shift and be all about the serial killer, then hard shift and he is on the roof shooting Cupid errors, then it’s date time. It was weird. It was like they could not decide if it was a serial killer show, supernatural story or a romance and they did not blend them well or otherwise all of that could have worked.

The whole she is my woman and he is my man was just strange. I do not know many couples that refer to their significant other that way. It seems territorial like you own the person. Do not like those terms and I am not a feminist.

#MyManIsCupid. #JandDingYoon. #ImJinAh. #GongMinJeung

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