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One of my new all time favorites. Loved every minute and sad when it ended.

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic Comedy with 12, 80 Minute Episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review.

Synopsis

Seo Mok ha (Park Eun bin) is a girl on a mission. Her dream is to meet her female idol who made it huge and came from her very same small hometown. If she can just impress her idol with her singing enough, she might get a chance at fame herself and be able to escape her physically abusive father. Kang Bo geol/Jung Ki ho (Chae Jong Hyeop and Moon Woo jin actors) at first thought Mokha was just a frivolous girl without a care. But her happy exterior holds that dark secret and he finds out she is suffering from abuse just as he is. With that common everyday horror, and no adults who believe and support them, he decides to help Mokha realize her dream by videoing, editing and even submitting her work to her idol for a competition. It works and Mokha has an appointment with her idol which is sure to change her life. To get to Seoul, the two plan to run away together but they are separated when their plan is discovered. One battered child is forced to remain on the island and Mokha makes a desperate leap off the ship to escape her abusive father. She comes to on a deserted island and spends 15 years as a castaway who is presumed dead before finally being rescued. She is now a 31 year old who has the social skills of someone in their teens. Is it too late for her to find her lost love and finally realize her dreams?

Review

This goes down as one of my all time favorites. My preference is happy ending, heartwarming romances and this checks all those boxes. I will rewatch this and highly recommend it for anyone that likes happy ending romance, idol stories, and friends to more. It has a dark beginning, with some severe domestic violence so a caution to anyone that might feel trauma from that. Those that do evil in this either get karma served or see the error of their ways.

Spoilers

I have seen other cases where the abuser is a police officer and that makes it really difficult for victims. I felt no sympathy when her father drowned after trying to get to her on the ferry. He may have led a sad life up to that point but others do and they do not abuse other people. I understand why she still felt sad but I was glad she quickly moved on.

I felt like her separation from Yoon Ranjoo (Kim Hiyo Jin) was unnecessarily long. I get that Ranjoo had trust issues but I thought it was unreasonable for her to not even listen.

The dynamics of the boy’s family and how sweet those relationships were made the show even better.A mother or father or other close family member is so much more than just the biology. I was glad the Prosecutor did not prosecute them for identity theft. They really had been through enough being abused and then hiding from, that monster.

I loved that it showed her finally with Kiho and singing for a huge audience.

#CastawayDiva

#ParkEunBin

#LeeARin

#LeeRe

#KimHyoJin

#HanDaIn

#SonYeRin

#ChaeJongHyeop

#MoonWooJin

#ChaHakYeon

#KangTaeUng

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1st half may be difficult for victims of bullying but the second half (revenge) makes it worth it

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022/2023 South Korean psychological thriller with revenge as a primary driver for the main character. There are 16, 47-72 minute episodes in two parts. The first part comprises the first eight episodes which is primarily where the revenge is set up. The last eight episodes center around enacting the revenge.


First I provide a unique synopsis then I review.

 
Synopsis


The entire story consists of multiple instances of true life bullying and revenge incidents. It is all based on true occurrences but not all of any one but rather elements of multiple true occurrences all melded into one. It is representational of the full range of bullying and provides an example of the most extreme cases. In this story, Moon Dong eun (Song Hye kyo) survived her school years most likely by dropping out of school at a critical moment to survive the bullies. Others that were targets of the same group of bullies were not so lucky. Her entire life after that is centered around earning enough money, and putting herself in the correct position to exact revenge on those that caused such suffering and misery. She bears the permanent physical and emotional scars of the actions of this bully group.  She becomes a teacher and steers the situation so she is assigned as the homeroom teacher of the leader of the bullies’, Park Yeon jin’s (Lim Ji yeon), daughter.  From that position, which puts her in close contact with her targets, she plays out her revenge. By fate or chance she meets Joo Yeo Jeong (Lee Do hyun) who falls in love with the troubled and mysterious Dong eun and offers to help her after seeing and learning the horrible things that were done to her. Kang Hyeon nam (Yeom Hye ran) is a housekeeper in the home of one of the subjects of Dong eun’s interest. Heyeon nam catches Dong Eun collecting and going through the garbage for clues and strikes a deal for mutual benefit. Dong eun is at first unwilling to accept the true friendship and caring from others as she is so damaged from her past. But as she widens her circle of supporters to help in punishing those who were not punished by the adults at the time, she begins to heal emotionally. Karma is coming to those that bullied helpless and innocent victims in the form of Dong eun. Can she survive her own revenge?

Review

This is hands down the best revenge show I have watched. For anyone that has been bullied or been in an environment where there are lots of bullies, this will definitely resonate. For me those parts were hard to watch because I am an empath to begin with but also because I was involved in a situation where I was minimally bullied where someone else was bullied so severely it drove them crazy and they wound up on drugs, out of their mind, and ran over a bunch of people on a sidewalk and they are now in prison. I did my best, when that was happening to protect that person but, as the show portrays, it is hard to effectively protect anyone when you are one of their targets. But that was not physical bullying like this show had where it was severe physical bullying with a psychological component.

The acting in this is phenomenal by both those playing the bullies, the victims and just everyone. It does roughly follow where the first eight episodes (first half) sets the stage and tells about the past, and the final eight are focused on the revenge aspects. I delayed watching it because I wasn’t sure how well I could take watching the severe bullying, as when something like that happens to you it is not something you ever fully forget or recover from, so I thought it might be too emotionally upsetting for me. But it is just mainly those first episodes and the way she gets her revenge is so satisfying.

 
In sum, I highly recommend this for anyone that likes the revenge trope. I would rewatch it readily if it was on as there is a lot of depth to it

Spoilers

The main detractors for me were some unnecessary things people did. I think what I liked the least was that the main bullies’ spouse, who had been a very likable character nearly to the end, wound up murdering his wife’s lover. The guy was a part of the bully group, and had done some horrible things, but that did not excuse him pushing him, now blind, off a building into a vat of cement. I did not want to see the little girl with her murderous mom, psychotic grandmother, nor her sociopath father and thought I would be glad to see her going with the father she grew up with, but he did that and I was like great she is still being raised by a murderer. I know they were alluding that he did it so the real dad would not continue to bother them, but that is no excuse to murder someone.

The other senseless murder was when the girl that was the main bullies’ assistant, finished off the injured, long haired, boy bully. It showed he had raped her and they all were obviously still bullying her, but murdering him by making that final blow took her from a sympathetic character to a person willing to murder someone when they were helpless. If he had been actively attacking her again I could have sympathized but it was not an act of self defense at that moment. It did not feel as good that the main bully went down framed with a murder she may not have committed. They were trying for an even deeper revenge, because of the irony that she is serving time for a murder one of her victims committed, but I thought there was plenty of opportunity for her to go down for the murder without turning the victim into a murderer. And it is based on true events, not a record of true events, so it isn’t like that was the way it really happened.

The other detractor, for me, was Do Hyun’s suicide attempt at near the end. During the bullying, at her young age, it showed a suicide attempt and I think they were trying to show that suicide was always an option for her and now she accomplished her revenge why not? She herself should have known how much that would hurt Yeo jeong. I mean I would hope she would know how much that would hurt all of the friends she had, however reluctantly, developed. it is just such a selfish act I have a hard time sympathizing. And, if she had gone through with it, it would have reversed a lot of her revenge as her main bully would have used it as a way to vindicate some of her actions. Like see “she was always like that.” I unfortunately know that is likely how that would play out as I spoke with the bully that drove the girl crazy and to prison and asked her about that incident and she pretty said “I know isn’t she crazy?” It was apparent from the very gleeful way she said it, that she was pleased with the outcome and did not feel any personal responsibility for the end result. That bully group destroyed one life and was, in my opinion, partially responsible for the death and injury that person that was bullied caused.

It would have been nice to have seen the main couple together longer than just the tail end of the last episode. Some say the romance element was completely unnecessary but I enjoyed the angel that two people with psychological scars can find healing in each other.

I think they left it open for another season by showing the male and female lead enter the prison where it was apparent they planned to exact revenge against the person who murdered the male lead’s father. And that wasn’t a bad way to end it. It didn’t wrap up that particular piece but that was okay because it wasn’t what we were there for anyway. Streaming platforms like to keep the piggy banks open and often end things very unclear. In this case that one piece was not even completely unclear. We know enough about our main girl by now that we can be sure she will help him get his full revenge.

#SongHyeKyo

#TheGlory

#LimJiYeon

#LeeDoHyun

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Revenge is just best served (cold, hot or whatever) as karma has its hands full

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean romance, revenge drama with 12, 70 minute episodes. It is based on a popular web novel of the same name.

First I provide a unique synopsis then Review

Synopsis

Han Yi-joo (Jung Yoo-min) is engaged to marry her childhood friend, Yoo Se-hyuk (Oh Seung-yoon), whom she grew to love. She is the eldest adopted daughter of a family that is low level wealthy with one of their family endeavors being art. Her cold, mostly uncaring of her adoptive mother, Lee Jung-hye (Lee Min young) has made Yi joo’s life miserable yet she still seeks her approval. To gain her mother’s favor, Yi-joo learned to perfectly imitate famous as the standard her mother set to measure her ability. Yi joo’s world crashes down when she learns her mother was passing her imitations iff as authentic and seeks to frame her and that her fiancé was only using her. Emotionally devastated she gets in a near fatal car crash. As she lay dying she wishes for a chance to do it over and get revenge on those who wronged her. Seo Do-guk (Sung Hoon) Is the man her evil younger sister had her talons in and he discovers her duplicity early on, and also the depth of the evil Yi Joo’s family is perpetrating against her.

Review

If you are a fan of revenge dramas this fits that bill while also having a really sweet romances woven through. It ends well and happy.

Spoilers

The evil step mom in this is so thoroughly evil it is hard to imagine what she wouldn’t do. Not only does she abuse and poison Yi joo, she contracts to have people murdered, holds an artist in captivity to have him paint and sell his art, and drugs her husband.

I liked Donguk’s mother, grandmother and sister. They were solidly on Yi Joo’s side when they discovered what her adopted mom had done to her. Jung hye’s cold demeanor and evil plots were like a blend of “Flowers in the attic” and “Mommy Dearest” level evil mother. It was satisfying when she was taken down.

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Does he really mean it?

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Japanese romance series with 8, 23 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Kawai Yoshiko (Sakurako Ohara)had a clear life plan, originally she wanted to get Married at 26 then have her first child by 27 and her second child at 29. During her three year relationship, she adjusted when it was clear there wouldn’t be a quick proposal. What she didn’t account for was breaking up from a long term relationship with 30 year old birthday approaching. She was broken hearted enough that when she ran into her work colleague, Yuuki Masaomi (Genta Matsuda) on the way home, she poured her heart out to him. To her surprise, Yuki declares he will marry her the day before her 30th birthday if she doesn’t find someone. Yoshiko thinks he is only saying that to comfort her and because he is confident she will find someone in the two years before she turns 30. He doesn't really want to marry her. Or does he?

Review

This is a very cute, straight forward romance with a happy ending.

Spoilers

I was glad she did not get back together with her ex. I thought they were headed for that but was really glad it did not materialize.

There was a separation, which I usually find annoying, but the way it came up, and how it played out, made sense.

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Neither are perfect but they are perfect for each other

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 Chinese romantic comedy drama with 24, 45 minute episodes.

First I will provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Zhang Si Zian (Wei Zhe Ming) is a genius level math professor who is handsome, wealthy and generally seems to have it all. His personality is on the coldly logical side and his emotional intelligence is only slightly better than a robot. Yun Shu (Xu Ruo Han) Is almost the direct opposite she is so warm, calm and caring that she is easily swindled. She has to work hard for academic success. A series of unfortunate events for Yun Shu leads her to rely on Si Zian for a place to live. Si Zian’s grandfather meets Yun Shun in a chance encounter and thinks this ray of sunshine would be the perfect match for his grandson who lacks warmth in his life. Now that Yun Shu is no longer a student, they have no reason not to please Si Zian’s terminally ill grandfather’s wish and strike a deal for a secret comtract marriage. What they find is grandfather may have had it right about them all along, they balance each other beautifully. But love that starts under such unusual circumstances is never easy and the two must decide if they want their comtract to become the real deal.

Review

This is a well paced, relatively straight forward plot, with a lot if really engaging characters.
The way the lead couple compliment each other makes it easy to see why they would fall in love. When she thinks she is not right because rhey are too different the grandfather says two parallel lines never intersect. That was such a profound and brilliant way to state it. Being too different can be a problem if it is not complimentary but being exactly the same can be boring. I like that having the Male Lead’s support made her absolutely flourish. And the grandfather as the match maker was cute! He fell in love with her as a granddaughter candidate and knew she was perfect for his grandson who needed someone sweet and warm to offset his cooly logical personality. It ended happy and all major story lines were wrapped up.

Spoilers
Practically perfect but it did end with some question marks. Did the grandfather ever go for treatment? Was the reconciliation of her two best friends as a couple successful? What happened with her webtoon career because it was taking off then she did not go abroad so how bad was it derailed? It would have been good to see her sister and her actor boyfriend fully together. It ended with him on relationship “probation.”

#PerfectandCasual
#WeiZheMing
#XuRuoHan

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Chaotic plot that misses at everything (comedy, romance, thriller, mystery)

6.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean mystery romance drama with 18, 63 minute episodes.
First I will provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis
Nam Han-joon (Seo In-guk) was a profiler but is now a faux shaman who always delivers results for his wealthy clients. While he pretends his knowledge is from Shamanistic ability it really stems from above average investigative work. Key to his success is his unhygienic sister who just so happens to be an expert hacker and was formerly a member of the national intelligence service. Gong Su-cheol (Kwak Si-yang) is also onboard with Han-joon’s schemes and helps in not only the investigative aspects but also uses strong arm techniques when the situation requires. The other swindler team member is Jo Na-dan (Baek Seo-hoo) who helps in a variety of capacities on the cases but primarily focuses on actual café operations. Han Jae-hui (Oh Yeon-Seo) who heads up the Dauen Police force is not amused by Han-joon’s antics. The police think the Shaman team’s ability to always be one step ahead is suspicious.
Review
The story was absolute chaos. One of the few I have experienced where there is all this action and things going on but it made me completely bored. They called Jae-hui ”the ghost” which would make you think she had supernatural powers but she did not. Han-joon plays at behind a shaman and I thought perhaps it would turn out he had some ability but he did not. The chemistry was off. I just could not see them together romantically. The killer was predictable. I would no watch this again and only recommend it to die hard In-guk fans as it is a unique role for him and he carries it off as good as anyone could have.
Spoilers*
I think this was a miss in everything it tried for. There was potential for a supernatural element in her name ”the ghost” and in his role as Shaman. Instead they would have these sort of fade to black moments when she was about to give bad guys a beat down but it really meant nothing and just made it silly. She was supposed to be some super detective but her and her team couldn’t solve their way out of a box. They were always a step behind Han-joon’s team whose plans seemed to fall apart and backfire as often as not. His shaman ability was all a sham and it turned out he was just very intuitive and had his people working behind the scenes and feeding him information. It was supposed to be funny when he went into shaman mode because you knew it was an act but I just founded it cringy. It made no sense that he was good enough at martial arts when he was an officer to train others but in most of the physical conflicts he was getting bested. It wanted to be a comedy but the situations were not very comedic and it wound up being over the top, three stooges like, cheesy. You don’t even find out who the killer is until the last few episodes and that is when he really goes on a spree. Would have been more interesting if those cases had occurred earlier. Jae-hui spent so much of the story being harsh to Han-joon because she blamed him for her brother’s death that it killed any chemistry as it was hard to envision him falling for someone that acted so hostile. They all were so inept and none of their plans worked out completely. His shamanic situations were meant to be comical but they fell short. Several of the characters are hit in the head so much you would expect serious head injury but it is shrugged off like no big deal. I like In-guk and think he is a talented actor and that is what kept me watching.

#CafeMinamdang
#SeoInGuk
#OhYeonSeo
#KwakSiYang
#KangMiNa
#KwonSooHyun

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Refreshingly wholesome reality dating

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean reality dating show with 8, 57-68 minute episodes.

First I will provide a synopsis then a review

Synopsis

To start, 5 men and 4 women are brought to an island, called inferno, to live for 9 days while interacting with each other and potentially forming romantic attachments. The island they are on is primitive and they sleep in dorm like tents, the males in one tent and the females in another. Food is brought in but in limited variety and they have to transport water from a distance. Their restroom facilities are camping style. So they are basically glamping. Periodically there are competitions among the men or women where winners get to select a date. Those that select each other or are picked for dates get to go for the evening to another island called Paradise where they stay in luxury hotel suites, get to order off a gourmet menu and can spend time getting to know each other on a one on one basis. About five episodes in new participants are added with 2 more females and 1 more male which really mixes things up.

Review
I was not sure I would like this show format but find it very compelling and see why it is so popular.I should not be surprised as the relationships have the innocent and wholesome nature I have come to appreciate so much in South Korean culture. Similar American shows are trashy and over sexualized but this was true to the sweet, slower paced interactions I have observed from dramas where full sexual encounters are rare and mostly among those headed for marriage. In this, even though it is a dating show, skin ship is a big deal. Fans of survivor will get some of those vibes. Others say it also has Bachelor/Bachelorette aspects but I can't speak to that as I have not watched that show. They are well fed and have shelter and food so it is not equivalent to survivor but the deserted island and having to carry water has echoes of survivor. The rules for inferno are they cannot ask age or occupation but they can try to "charm" the others and reveal their personalities. It seems the show keeps them busy though as you don't see them spending much time with the opposite sex on Inferno outside of community dinners and brief meetings in the evening. On Paradise not only are they treated to luxury for food and lodging, they can ask each other age and occupation. I watched "Love is for Suckers" prior to this and notice, although I have never seen it explicitly stated, that series used this reality show as inspiration for the reality dating show in that romantic comedy series and even mirrored some of the participants' personalities and occupations. And the commentator/host for singles inferno plays the female lead in "Love is for Suckers." If you watch both you will see those parallels.

The commentators are a very engaging part of the show. I find what they comment on about what is going on with the singles on the island is often very similar to what I am thinking. It is like sharing the 4th wall and it is really a neat addition to the show to have a group of commentators.

*spoilers

I was disappointed Choi Si-hun could not see through Song Ji-a and was one of the three men vying for her attention in the end. To me Ji-a enjoyed the male attention and would string them along even if she had no intention of dating them. Kim Hyeon-joo said, when he returned from a date with Ji-a that there were good things and bad things about her but when Si-hun went ga ga over her suddenly Si-hun forgot those things he did not like and he was all in. Then, when Cha Hyun-swung shows up and us also into Ji-a it suddenly becomes a competition and she is the trophy. There were better options for him even he seemed very enamored when he spoke with Ahn Ye-Won and they had some cute chemistry but then he decided he would rather diss his friend and go for Ji-a. My daughter said Ji-a was just a “basic beotch” and I get that. Under her caked on makeup, her eyelashes would “stick” sometimes her makeup was so heavy, and false everything there was not much substance to her personality and she was cruel to string the men along and to the other women who may have been interested in the men she had no intention to pursue anything with. Still they all sort of made their own bed. I did not like that Ji-a demeaned Si-hun by calling him puppy but he was the one that said pick me and I will do whatever, I think it was scripted because I think given a completely free choi ce she would have chosen Hyun-seung because she was so obviously into him. I also think she was set up to be the villian and the show manipulated that. These shows are always a little bit reality and a lot of manipulation, careful editing and some scripting.

It seemed cruel when Si-hun acted like he was going to Kim Su-Min but merely thanked her then headed to join the other two professing their interest in Ji-a. That interaction also seemed scripted because he did not seem to be the type of person that would do something like that.

Moon Se-hoon and Shin Ji-yeon finally getting together was a highlight. His single focus on her was nearly a concerning obsession but tge fact that she did eventually reciprocate made me think there had been something there all along we simply did not see.

Oh Jin-taek and Kang So-yeon were a cute couple. It was a bit heart breaking in the beginning when he went to Paradise with Shin Ji-ye on rather than picking someone unlikely to pick him like So-Yeon did. Her strategy was not to get picked so she could stay back on inferno with Jin-taek. When he did not do the same she was hurt and jealous and eventually told him so. She did waver, after Jin-take went to Paradise with and seemed to lean toward Ji-yeon. So-yeon expressed feelings for Se-Hoon who many of the women found sweet and engaging. She even tried to convince him to consider someone other than Ji-yein and I was surprised that hurt his feelings. I think she was right. It is never good to be the one that loves someone more. Equal love is best. But Se-hoon’s laser focus on Ji-yeon had So-Yeon put aside any feelings she had for him and re-focus on clearing up the misunderstanding with Jin-taek. It was interesting to me that se-Hoon brought up So-yeon‘s confession on the last day as it made for an awkward moment. It was cute that So-yeon offered to have Jin-taek sleep in the same bed with her and he was beside himself with joy that she was going to let him sleep by her. He checked multiple times that it was okay. When he told the other guys they seemed surprised and envious. When he asked for the kiss on the cheek as a reward for winning their bowling match, it was so cute. Perfect examples of the wholesome innocence of South Korean dating.

As I see more and more South Korean shows produced and hosted on Western platforms I fervently hope they do not let Western “values” taint them. Many are turning their backs on Hollywood because it is way too sexualized, violent and vulgar. I hope the wholesomeness of South Korean shows does not change. I also like that they are not “woke“ and wish the social justice warriors never sink their tentacles in as it is literally ruining what little good remained in Western world shows. We love you all just the way you are.

Commentators/Hosts
Lee Da Hee- Model, singer, and actress
Cho Kyu-Hun - Actor and singer (idol). He is a member of Super Junior.
Hong Jin-Kyung - Model, comedian, singer and actress. She owns her own food company.
Jung Han-Hae - Rapper and singer.

Singles

Female participants
Shin Ji-yeon born March 26, 1997 (age 25) - she is a neuroscience major at the University of Toronto.
Kang So-yeon born May 23, 1988 (age 34) - she is a boxer and represents a brand of clothing. A former JYP/idol trainee.
Ahn Ye-won was born in 1995 (age 27–28) - she is a model and a fitness and Pilates instructor
Song Ji-a was born April 30, 1997 (age 25) - she is a YouTube beauty influencer/model
Kim Su-min was born December 10, 1998 (age 24) - she is a model for Advertisements
Seong Min-ji was born April 1, 1998 (age 24) - she models beauty products and apparel

Male participants

Kim Hyeon-joong was born November 26, 1994 (age 28) - he is a model and a fitness trainer
Moon Se-hun was born in 1995 (age 27–28) - he is a chef and owner of a Gangnam restaurant
Kim Jun-sik was born in 1994 (age 28–29) - Developed and represents a health food brand
Choi Si-hun was born October 27, 1992 (age 30) - Web series star and apparel brand representative
Oh Jin-taek was born in 1992 (age 30–31) - he is the CEO and founder of a tailor shop specializing in suits.
Cha Hyun-seung born May 2, 1991 (age 31) - he is a dancer who has danced with many singers/idols most notably a back up dancer for Sun-mi

#singlesinferno
#leedahee
#chokyuhun
#hongjinkyung
#junghanhae
#ahnyewon
#songjiya
#kimsumin
#seongminji
#kimhyeonjoong
#kangsoyeon
#shinjiyein
#moonsehun
#kimjunsik
#choisihun
#ohjintak
#chahyunseung

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A hidden gem - It's a solid romantic comedy with interesting elements

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic fantasy television drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. Also known as Jinx's lover.

I will first provide a synopsis then review/comments after

Synopsis
Seon Seul-bi (Seohyun) has been shut away from the world along with her mother Lee Mi-soo (Yoon Ji-hye) for her entire 20 years. She lived in such isolation that she knows little of how the outside world works. The Chairman who is keeping Seul-bi and her mother isolated believes he is doing it to protect them and others from their negative energy. The women come from a long line of Shamans who used to advise kings but their history combines fortune and misfortune simultaneously. As such they, and those before them, have been both revered and feared. Mi soo has been no different, the Chairman has utilized her shaministic skills to further his business interests but has kept his distance despite having some romantic involvement. Seon Sam-joong (Jun Kwang-ryul), the chairman, is a redeemable villian and it is apparent there is way more to the story of his relationship with Mi soo and his reasons for locking them away. Gong Soo-kwang / Go Myung-sung (Na In-Woo) meets Seul-bi when she escapes into the city and determines he is her Prince. Something about the vulnerable girl sets off his protective nature. What can all these complex characters learn of and from each other? Is there a place in the world for someone that has such power or is the best for all concerned for the shamans to remain in isolation? What happened in the past and what does the future hold?

Review/comments

I loved Seul-bi as do most of the characters in the series. She has a child like innocence and yet is both highly intelligent and extremely caring and compassionate. In the first part, the parallels to the little mermaid were intentional and unmistakeable. Common objects were fascinating to her because she had never seen nor used them. I had a harder time with Soo-kwang because he was very harsh with Seul-bi. I felt like he would shower her with affection then turn his back on her for things that were out of her control. Some of it was cultural I know, the whole "sins of your father" angle, but I still had a very hard time with his emotionally abusive behavior at one point in the series.

*Spoilers. For the most part this was very enjoyable and I would have rated it much higher but for some aspects that I felt were unfinished or unnecessary. I really dislike the amnesia trope. It was a little more palatable in this one because using her power caused the amnesia. Still it felt like she was starting all over with all the relationships she had which made it feel like the first 14 or 15 episodes were a waste. Her mother died and, because she didn't remember anything, there wasn't a lot of mention of that. She had just developed a relationship with her father but he simply disappeared off the radar. Her relationship with the market people was different because she didn't remember the time they spent together. They alluded that she might be getting her memory back when her child said mom knew where all the characters were which is something from her past, but it wasn't definitive. The concept that the business had been built through the efforts of the female shamans therefor the only way to get rid of the "curse" and allow her to live a normal life was to dissolve that business seemed ike a complete waste. I also felt like, because she lived her first 20 years with no freedom, she should have had all the advantages of the wealth that had been accumlated to live the next portion of her life free and with the benefit of everything that had been gained from the sacrifice. It felt like the Aunt was just being spiteful over her sister's death in wanting the company to dissolve. We joked half way through when we suspected that she was actually the Chairman's daughter, and when her brother was expressing romantic interest, that there would be a Luke and Princess Leia like moment when they said something like "somehow I knew, somehow I always knew" and it was a bit like that. Her brother was like those feelings I had for you must have been because you were my sister. It was a bit amusing because the parallel for Star Wars fans was obvious. It was the only way I would have felt okay with her not choosing 2nd guy. Because he was awesome. Lead guy lost my support when he was blaming her for his mother's death and being so cold to her. I loved her abilities. She was a force to be reconed with but never used it in an evil way. So, I thought, for me a more preferable outcome would have been if all that negative energy nonsense wound up not being true in her case and that she was able to continue to help people. But they had to do away with the magic for some reason so she could be an ordinary person. I didn't hate it but it would have been even better for me if she had been able to retain her amazing abilities.

Overall I highly recommend this. There are a few detractors but the overall story is interesting, unique, and compelling.

#JinxedAtFirst
#seulbi
#NaInWoo
#SeoHyun
#TrueVisions
#Na-Inwoo

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Unique twist on famous and "ordinary" - I thought it was cute

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute episodes

Reporter Lee Geun-young (Choi Soo-young) does not realize just how bad her night can get when she sets out to get a story on a top star. After meeting her boyfriend for what was supposed to be a romantic evening but turns out to be a birds eye view of his cheating romance with a man, a series of events leads her to getting on the bad side of top star, Hoo Joon (Choi Tae-joon). Forgetting how powerful and influential his opinion can be, Hoo Joon gets Geun-young fired. With a lot of time on her hands Geun-young sets out to let everyone know this not so charming side of Hoo Joon and proclaims herself his anti fan. A reality show finds the animosity of the two intriguing and a show is developed around this anti fan marrying the top star and the two living together. During filming both pretend to get along but when they think the cameras are off - the true hilarity begins. Can two people who got off to such a rough start learn the true nature of the other and will this anti-van become a convert?

*spoiler alert. I wondered how this could be depicted in a believable way that they would be in contact enough that they would get married. As I watched it and discovered how and why she became his anti-fan and that they were not really married but that was the premise of the reality show - it made a lot more sense. The romance that developed between the two was perfectly paced and very believable. The "side couples" those romances were not very interesting. The show editor/producers alluded to a connection they had before and that they were reunited in the making of the reality show. So they seemed to "fall into" a romance rather quickly and, since we did not see it develop, I had little interest in their connection. Those relationships could have been left out and would not have been missed. I think she had a talent for acting so it would have been nice to see her product after the reality show ended. I wanted to see her succeed. I enjoyed this start to finish and highly recommend it.

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Very good supernatural drama

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean, comedic Fantasy Paranormal television drama wit 16, 70 minute episodes.

Oh In-beom (Jung Yong-hwa). makes his living by conning people into thinking he is an academic paranormal researcher with the ability to utilize equipment to repel ghosts. He does not realize he has genuine supernatural abilities until he crosses paths with someone who uses her abilities for genuine business. Hong Ji-ah (Jang Na-ra) exorcises ghosts to rid real estate of ghosts in order to increase the value and sell otherwise untouchable properties for their customers. She also has the vengeful spirit of her own mother that is in her home/office which she has been unable to exorcise and hopes that In-beom's enhanced medium abilities will lead to her finally being able to send her mom on to the afterlife. While working current cases, Hong Ji-ah and Oh In-beom work to solve the mystery behind her mother and his uncle's deaths years ago.

Spoiler alert* I really like this as a fan of the supernatural genre. There were a lot of unique aspects of the vengeful spirit, exorcist, and medium that I have not seen in any other series. The medium had to be a virgin so that was an interesting aspect and foreshadowed that there might not be a romance. The Ji-Ah character reminded me of either Wednesday from the Adam's family or perhaps Morticia herself. She also reminded me of Ko Moon-Young from "It's Okay to Not Be Okay". At the same time, the character was uniquely different. She was strong both physically and mentally strong yet had some psychological trauma from an event that happened in her youth. In-beom started as a con man pretending to rid people of ghosts he had created. That is how the two crossed paths. However, once he starts working with Ji-ah he quit conning people and was revealed to be a very empathetic character. The cases themselves were very interesting and, like "6th sense", part of the process was determining what motivated the ghost to be vengeful. The mystery that tied them together was also intriguing and kept me guessing until near the end. As a romantic I really loved the synergy between the male and female lead's characters and was disappointed that they did not wind up together in the end. She also loses her power and goes on a "find me" one year trip to rediscover her power and I just find it unnecessary. Then she comes back and they go right back to what they were doing as if nothing had happened. It leaves it open for another season but, at the same time, I was disappointed not to get to see them together as a couple. But it ended well, with everything wrapped up to the point where it did not feel unfinished. It was very good and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys the supernatural series.

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Much more depth to the story than I expected

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2020/2021 South Korean television drama with 16, 73 minute episodes.

Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young), feels like she was cursed as the only ugly child among her siblings. As somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy her vision of herself and lack of confidence has led to bullying at school and less than kind comments even at home. Looking for a solution she stumbles upon internet makeup videos and learns to expertly hide her cosmetic flaws just Asher family moves and she transfers schools. The makeup enhances what is Ju-kyung’s underlying beauty and her new schoolmates think she is beautiful, like a goddess. Her newfound confidence is fragile and she is determined no one at her new school ever see her bare face. A mutual love of heavy metal type music and horror comics leads Ju-kyung and her extraordinarily handsome classmate, Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo), to cross paths when Ju-kyung is not wearing makeup. Ju-kyung is convinced that the difference is dramatic enough Su-ho will not connect the Goddess with the ugly duckling she thinks she is without makeup. It is not long though before Su-oh realizes it is the same girl and Ju-kyung strikes a bargain with Su-oh to keep her secret. Su-ho and his former friend Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-yeop) had a falling out over a tragic incident in their past. At first Seo-jun pays attention to Ju-kyung to bother Su-oh but soon discovers he also likes the beautiful and sweet
Ju-kyung. The boys grow closer as they rival each other for the girl’s attention and begin to learn about and resolve issues from their past. Will Ju-kyung realize her true potential and gain confidence even without makeup?

I absolutely loved this drama, every minute of it. The casting was near perfect as they looked so much like the Manga characters. There was a strong social message about bullying and the detrimental effects on self esteem. I liked how she found solace in the transformative power of make-up. I would have happily had her end up with either 1st or second guy. I loved her sister and her confident p, go for it, tomboy attitude. The way her little brother and her constantly teased, scuffled and irritated each other but, when the chips were down, they were the first to jump to their siblings defense. Su-ho was handsome and popular and seemed to have it all but his mother died at a young age and a misunderstanding had him estranged from his famous father. Su-ho and Seo-jun and Su-ho used to be friends but a tragic event caused a seemingly insurmountable rift to form between the two friends. It also explored the very deep topic of suicide and the lasting impact it has on the loved ones of the person who ended their own life. Love and friendship builds up Ju-kyung to the point she is no longer afraid of the bullies nor her unmade up face. I did not follow the web too but my daughter explained and showed me relevant parts. She said it was a perfect balance of following the Webtoon to capture what made it a success while departing, as needed, to make it work wel, in a shorter format. I highly recommend this wonderful drama!

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Slow in parts but still good

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean action drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Oh Yeon-Joo (Han hyo-Joo) is a resident physician with a famous cartoonist as her father. Yeon-Joo's father authors a very popular Korean webtoon titled "W". Many women are half in love with the dashing and charismatic lead in the webtoon, Kang Chul (Lee Jong-suk). Oh Yeon-Joo is not immune to the charm of the webtoon character and when she finds herself pulled into the webtoon world as the savior of Kang Chul, her interest in him grows. Kang Chul was an Olympic shooter whose entire family was shot in cold blood and he was the prime suspect and spent years in prison after being falsely accused of the crime by an overzealous prosecutor with political aspirations. He is eventually acquitted on legal technicalities and goes on to become the rich and powerful CEO of a company. He also fights crime through an organization he established during his quest to find the real killer of his family. The two worlds start to collide as the artist's tablet becomes a portal between the two worlds.

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Male lead is very flat emotionally almost robotic

7/10 is my rating. This 2017 Taiwanese drama spans 16 episodes. It centers around two teachers who are polar opposites in both their approach to teaching as well as life. They do not know it but they are tied by mysterious events from their past which left Wang Qiang Da (Yen Tsao) fatherless and the female lead, Wang Qiang Wei (played by Amanda Chou) an orphan. As their relationship develops and they come together on common ground - the circumstances of their past threaten to tear them apart

Spoiler 🚨 . I really wanted to like this one as it had all the elements I appreciate in Asian dramas - romance, mystery, love triangles, friendships, bromances but I just could not buy that such a vivacious and engaging character as the female lead would fall for a math teacher with about as much personality as some of the robots in the Star Trek series. I get the whole opposites attract thing and he did change both in looks and behavior over the series but she actually fell for him prior to that. It is not unwatchable - definitely had its moments, I just would not rate it very high compared to some of the more outstanding dramas I have watched.

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Great Slice of Life drama

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean television drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.
Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) is a software application chief developer who is very talented in his field. He is practically emotionless - it would have been easy to convince me he was a robot. Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min) is opposite in almost every way. She is a hard working assistant drama writer who finds herself without a place when her younger brother gets a woman pregnant, marries, and takes over the house they occupied together. Ji-ho spends some time couch surfing until a friend tells her about someone in need of a housemate. Se-hee and Ji-ho do not, at first, realize they are opposite sex - there assumption was those that recommended the co-habit knew their gender and paired accordingly. Having completely different schedules it is some time before they realize and, given the conservative nature of the culture - part ways. Ji-ho finds herself in undesirable housing circumstances and constantly migrates back to the environment where she felt most safe - Se-hee's house. They develop a friendship of sorts and Se-hee approaches Ji-ho with the idea of a tenant/landlord relationship in the form of a two-year contract marriage. Their friends and family believe it to be real and soon the two start to develop real feelings for each other. But something in Se-hee's past keeps him from getting close, to anyone. Will their love find a way before it is too late? Ji-ho has two close female friends who also have their trials with life and love. Their side stories are as entertaining to watch as the main story.

Spoiler 🚨 When I first started watching this is was hard for me to understand why it rated so high on other sites. As the story developed I quickly understood why the story was so entertaining and compelling. As we lean more about each of the very complex characters, their behavior starts to seem much more real and genuine. The deep relationships that develop also make sense over time. I really liked this as a sort of slice of life of those in their 30s and 40s and the struggles that occur when life does not play out the way you envisioned.

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A cute, well acted, well written story

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean tv drama spanning 32, ~30 minute, episodes. It is also known as "Still Seventeen". Gong Woo-jin (Yang Se-jong) is a reclusive 30-year-old man who has closed himself off from others. A tragic event has left him unhappy and emotionally distant. Thirty years before he transformed from a happy teenager who easily smiled to a depressed and withdrawn person who no longer felt he had a right to smile. Woo Seo-ri (Shin Hye-sun) at 17 was a talented musician and a mystery girl whom teen aged Woo-Jin had a crush on. Seo-ri’. Thirteen years later, she wakes up from her coma. Her mental age is still that of a 17-year-old, but she is now 30-years-old. Gong Woo-jin and Woo Seo-ri get involved with each other and fall in love.

Spoiler 🚨 Everything about this was perfect in my book. The plot was believable and interesting. The love story was beyond cute and heart warming. And it ended really well. I would not change a thing. Highly recommend this wonderful feel good romance.

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