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6
Entertaining Watch
Okay... So.... Did I guess a bit of the plans of the villains before it happened? Yes. Now, I don't know if that means the drama was predictable or I need to be locked away in an asylum and have the key thrown away. đź‘€Still with guessing a few things here and there, I found the show was quite enjoyable. There were quite a few scenes, which I will not mention, that gave me goosebumps, even in this 101 F degree weather. These were there to bring out an emotional response from the viewers and they really got me. Especially, when pairing the scenes with background music they used. I cried, squealed, raged a lot, and clapped like a seal while watching this drama.
I thoroughly enjoyed Zhang Yun Long portrayal of Xu Tong Sheng. I was happy to discover Dai Xu and loved short fuse Shen Ye. The way Dai Xu performed in some scenes left me breathless and full of anticipation for what he was going to say next. And if you haven't noticed, I was obsessed with both characters. This was the first Elvira Cai drama I finished. For the most part, I liked Jin Chun, her character, but Jin Chun and I need to talk about some things. Anywho, some things were questionable about the drama. It also dragged a little bit from like mid episode 34 until the start of episode 37. This makes me feel the drama could have been shorter. Additionally, I found strange how ZYL and DX had so many scenes where they were apart. I kept joking that it was because "they were both being divas and didn't get along" so they had to film separately most of the time. LOL
The ending left me in disbelief. It was definitely not the way I would have ended the show. I rated it 8.5/10 because despite its flaws, I was entertained and invested, except for those 2.5 episodes towards the end.
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I don't know about anyone else, but the reason I started watching this drama was Kim Hee Chul. Yes, I know he's not a good actor. BUT he's one of my two biases in Super Junior (Si Won being the other). He's also the reason why I even gave the group a second chance. "Sorry, sorry" is just not my thing... Sorry! Not really. I also like Lee Soon Jae, I think he's one amazing veteran actor.To my surprise, "Flower Granpa" was really funny. I enjoyed it so much that I went through the first seven episodes really fast. The premise was also interesting and I liked that all the grandpas had their own concepts. I called them "grumpy grandpa", "cute grandpa", and... "delusional grandpa". And while Hee Chul and Lee Soon Jae were the main driving force which made me watch this drama, I ended up loving "cute grandpa" Kang Seuki the most. Although, it was kind of hard watching a grown man, who is old enough to be my father, around so much... pink. Did I just show my age? Jijiji.
But as it was nearing the ending episodes, it kind of went down a small hill. The story got rushed. The things Lee Joon Hyuk, grumpy grandpa, started to do made no sense at all. I mean, come on! He's supposed to be a smart police detective! I can't really say much more without adding a plethora of spoilers. Another thing which bothered me was the "main villain". Although I have nothing against the actor who played him, I thought he was too mellow. He didn't give me that "I'm a mastermind" vibe. I just wanted to smack him over the head and tell him to "straighten up" as if he was a teen misbehaving. I just couldn't buy him as a villain. *shrugs*
Although I thought "Flower Grandpa Investigation Unit" was really light and funny at first and I really enjoyed it, I have to say I was somewhat of disappointed with its last episodes. It became too over-dramatic and rushed.
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Underwhelming
At the beginning, the story had great potential, but sadly it never reached it. The storytelling was flat and lackluster when it had the makings to be gripping. The female lead had mostly one expression. This mostly made me want to go in through the screen and rearrange her features as I taught her "This is being sad" or This is angry". I have watched the male lead before and while I liked him in Mystic Pop-Up Bar, I was not particularly impressed by his dual portrayal here. However, he was not as insufferable as the female lead. It would have helped if their couple scenes had an ounce of chemistry, but the only sparks flying in this drama came from lightning. Initially, I also enjoyed the interactions between the king and the imugi, but even this got old soon.The show was underdeveloped which led to an underwhelming result. Luckily, Kim Ji Hoon was there to carry the show on his back and show us how it's supposed to be done. This show did not need 16 episodes.
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Not All that Glitters Is Gold
Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact wows viewers with rich, vibrant colors, gorgeous CGI, an emotional and addicting OST, a beautiful cast, and…that’s it.While I was hesitant to start this installment because I am not a fan of Gong Jun’s acting, I was highly anticipating the Fox Spirit Matchmaker series as a whole since many of my favorites are part of the cast across all three installments. Who would have thought Gong Jun was going to be the least of my problems when it comes to this show? Certainly not me. The story is slow and tedious to get through. I had serious issues staying awake through most of the episodes unless I was multitasking. The villains were a joke. Their actions are repetitive and tiring. I hated them not because of their villainous nature, I love extra villainous villains, but because I was tired of watching them.
While the side couples oozed chemistry even in the background, the main couple’s love story fell flat. I do not care that Yuechu was a sweet baby angel when he met the much older Tushan Hong Hong. Both Yuechu, and herself, never saw her as a mother figure. So, if I don’t have an issue with ancient gods who are thousands of years old falling head over heels over a human with their short lifespans, I did not have an issue with this. However, they lacked that addictive chemistry I love so much which makes me yearn for love even when I don’t really want it in real life. There were no real fighting scenes, it was all “hand choreography” as some members called it. Dull “hand choreography” at that. Even the last showdown was so… spiritless that it did not feel like there was ever a real build up or climax. In fact, I recently saw a lower budget drama and their fight scenes, while not the best, were still significantly better than Fox Spirit’s. The story simply lacked depth in every aspect, whether it was the plot, the characters, and relationships.
I’m hoping that because this installment flopped, despite it being highly anticipated and featuring many popular and highly coveted actors, it does not affect whether the other two will see the light of day or not. However, I hope it does serve as a learning lesson; not all that glitters is gold.
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The acting wasn't bad, I actually liked it, but the story was completely ordinary and it didn't hold my interest. The music doesn't really stick with you either.
The only scenes I truly remember are the ones DongHo from U-Kiss is in and I don't think that was what was meant to be remembered from this film.
I won't be re-watching this movie.
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This review may contain spoilers
Hmmm... How to start this? I had originally planned on starting before it ended airing so i could finish with "everyone else", but Park Min Young and all the spoilers flying around made me hesitate. But I finally got enough courage to watch it and I dramathoned it with all my might. Not because I was hooked and mesmerized but because my "real life" dongsaeng was.
Get your rotten gogumas ready because I think a lot won't like what I have to say. And that's ok.
The show, it was... Ok! I'll blame myself for not enjoying it as much as so many others seemed. I expected way too much from it because of all the praise it was receiving from my eonnis and other members and it didn't meet my expectations. I was even bored halfway through it and started to look for other things to do while "watching". So while my sister was excitedly yelling "DID YOU SEE THAT?" or cooing over the "real couple like acting", I was browsing through GR to see what else I could add to my already bloated reading list. Some might think I got bored because I basically just took breaks to sleep, but I once watched a 108 episode drama (it was only 35 minutes per episode, so it would equal like 54 episodes) in around 5 days and it never bored me.
The OST. It is pretty forgettable. I remember hating the music, but don't remember what it sounded like in the least. I, especially, hated the music choice they used for action scenes, it made those less exciting.
The acting. It was good, really good, for the most part. Park Min Young didn't even bother me... that much. And Ji Chang Wook keeps growing on me. Also, there were so many tearjerking moments in this drama, yet I didn't shed one single tear. It was upsetting to say the least. I'm a crybaby when it comes to dramas, yet... What happened? Good acting and touching moments, but I wasn't moved one bit. Well, that's not true. There was one moment that did shake me up a bit, but I still didn't cry.
The drama wasn't bad. If I hadn't fallen for the, I don't want to call it hype... The excitement most other viewers felt, I would have probably enjoyed it more, or maybe I wouldn't have. I'll never know.
I rated it an 8 because the acting wasn't bad, but I still feel I can go lower.
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"When did it all go wrong?"
As I write this, I still don’t know whether my tears are because of how it ended or because it ended. Lost is a thought provoking drama which took me on a road trip of feeling exploration. The writing, the acting, the cinematography, and OST are brilliant and complement each other to create the mood. I felt rage, I cried, I laughed, I side-eyed and all of this was just in the first episode. There was also an underlying sadness in the monologues and dialogues of the characters which made it all the more appealing to me since it felt relatable. "When did it all go wrong?" is a line which will forever haunt me. The drama, while not categorized as a romance, was definitely a slow burn and my heart fluttered every time the leads were together. This is because the leads’ chemistry was off the charts and they didn’t have to do much more than gaze at each other to make me swoon and make my heart beat crazily. I felt the longing and happiness they felt whenever they were together.One of the themes of this show IS cheating, and I usually do not get attached to characters who cheat. But, because of the way it was portrayed, it wasn't a quick and dirty rump in the hay, I was fine with it.
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This drama had all the elements, in theory, to become one of my favorites. It's supernatural themed, it had action, and the effects while not mind blowing awesome were pretty decent. But it failed to make it into my top list of awesome dramas I just have to watch now!
The dialogue... It seemed like they were reading their lines from cue cards the writers were holding up for them. There was no feeling/emotion behind the lines. I just couldn't care less about what happened in each episode. While the action was alright, I felt sleepy all through out the drama. Which basically means the acting was definitely not good and the actors failed to make their characters come alive.
How can an action packed supernatural drama about a ghost seeing detective be so frigging boring?!?!?! How? It's just beyond me.
Also, the OST didn't help.
Oh, look! It was more than 2 sentences.
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This drama had a lot of negative comments, but I didn't let that deter me. The worst thing that could happen was that I would end up dropping it, something I'm certainly not shy about doing. But to my surprise the total opposite happened. Not only did I NOT drop it, it didn't even cross my mind once, I completely enjoyed myself.
At first, I had my "Tunnel Vision" superpower activated, that's an inside joke, so that I would focus on Aaron and not end up dropping it. I cannot stress this enough, I am a serial dropper. It doesn't really take much provocation for me to go on a dropping rampage. I also hated, and I mean HATED, Kuo Puff's character, Liang Liang, with an unbridled passion. There was not one good point that I could see about her character. And come on, that story... So cliched. But slowly, this all changed. It didn't just become about me satiating my Yan Aaron hunger. I actually started to like the drama. I really liked how it was done, even if they wasted too much time on Jia Yu. I would have just stuck her on a mental hospital and be done with her. Just sayin'. I loved some the characters, especially Kai Te (Kate), Alex, and Mie Mie. Although others, like Cheng Mama, there was something seriously wrong with this woman, and Qi Mama never grew on me.
Also, I don't know when and how Liang Liang just wormed her way into my good graces. It was so sudden that I only noticed when I found myself feeling upset over how she was being treated. I had to actually pause and digest this. I decided it was just best to shrug it off and accept it. And did I say Yan Aaron was hot and awesome in this? No? Well, he was. I even disliked and shook my fist at his character, Qi Yi, a few times in the last half of the drama.
This drama at times also made me feel a tiny bit bipolar. One second I was laughing till I coughed, the next I would be angry as heck, and the next I would be sobbing. I just couldn't get a hold of my emotions.
"Just You" was funny, fluffy, cuddly, and the remedy to my drama slump. Hence why I consider it one of my very guilty pleasures.
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The very beginning was interesting, so I was already thinking I was in for a treat, but ten, possibly 15, minutes into the film, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Yes, it was THAT slow! The best part of the film are the last 30-35 minutes of it.
Story: The story was interesting, I just wish they had done more with it. Or at least, made it more interesting.
Acting/Cast: It was sort of ok, but I didn't feel connected to them or like I cared about what was happening to them.
Music: It wasn't that great. There is one song which sounds beautiful, but the rest is not memorable.
Re-watch Value: I will not be re-watching this film in the near or distant future.
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I loved this drama from the very beginning. The characters were well written and made me feel sad, happy, angry with them when they were feeling it. The melo part of it didn't seem forced or over the top and fake. For me, it flowed naturally from the actors portraying these characters. The cute, "mushy" moments made me gush every single time. Even the minor ones were great. They brought comic relief when it was absolutely needed.
This drama felt like watching a movie the whole time. The directing and cinematography was excellent. I also loved the OST. I think it went perfectly with drama and it completely enhanced the feelings the actors were portraying. I didn't give it a full 10, only because Ha Na's incessant crying for a few episodes got a little too much for me. But who knows? I might change my mind and give it a full 10 later on since for me this was a great drama, complete with great directing and great touching music.
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"You Gave Me Everything"
At the beginning of the show, the drama was relatable because of the terrible father the female main lead, and her siblings, had. I thought, despite being interested in the story, it would be difficult to watch. However, I was able to put my own experiences to the side and fully immerse myself in the story unfolding before my eyes. The drama does an amazing job at bringing to life one of my favorites tropes: two broken souls finding and being able to comfort each other despite the darkness of their past traumas.The acting was phenomenal. Kim Young Kwang’s portrayal of Han Dong Jin, an empathetic soul who touches and crosses the line into loser territory, had my whole heart. Meanwhile, Lee Sung Kyung as Sim Woo Joo, a jaded and sometimes bitter soul who still manages to find compassion resonated with me deeply. Her apparent apathy for life and others, sometimes mirrored my own feelings. There were times, to my own surprise, that I found myself crying because of the excellent portrayal of the main leads. The supporting cast were not left behind as they also had their own stories and their own trauma to address. And there were some truly hateful characters, which speaks to how well these actors portrayed their characters. For a moment, I thought one of my most hated tropes, the obsessive second male lead, would rear its ugly head, but, thankfully, these were unfounded fears. It was really an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end.
The drama had a great script, performances, and cinematography accompanied by a moving and fitting OST.
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More Gruesome than Scary
I watched Tarot as the anthology entry for one of the challenges I am working for 2025. In all honesty, I chose it because it was short, both in episode count and episode run time. Needless to say, I was expecting nothing from it. So, when I say I was pleasantly surprised it's an understatement. Tell me why this was so darned good? Or at least, it was for me.The episodes are a mix of suspense and gore. The stories all stay suspenseful, but the amount of gore varies from story to story with some not having any at all. So, if blood, murder, and body parts are not your thing, I would say this is not for you. Overall, I really enjoyed six of the stories, and loved how even if they were not related completely elements, like the tarot cards, the locker, the chunks of hair, weaved them together. The fifth story/episode was the least enjoyable for me. Still, I ended up wanting the episodes to be longer just so the stories could be a little more fleshed out. The mood of the stories is very dark and the pace can be slow at time, but I thought this helped in building anticipation and the dark ambience of the stories.
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Spoiler: Blood Free is not blood free.
Spoiler: Blood Free is not blood free. This is an action packed show in which blood gushes out at every opportunity whether it's from bullet or knife wounds, being bombed or being punched. It touches upon controversial topics of bioengineered food and organs and the ethical dilemmas that come with this. Is it for the benefit of humanity, is it for a quick profit, or is it for a more nefarious reason? The show was thrilling and it kept me engaged through most of it. The acting was great, for the most part, Ju Ji Hoon and Han Hyo Joo portrayed their characters extremely well. As does most of the supporting cast. However, Jun Suk Ho has a tendency to produce exaggerated expressions and mannerisms which took me out of the story during his scenes multiple times. This actor has a tendency to do this. I was watching another drama he was cast in alongside BF and his acting is also exaggerated there. The ending hints at a possible second season, much to my dismay, but I can just tie the loose ends in my head even if the second season is not produced.Was this review helpful to you?
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An Easily Forgettable One
I watched this show because I am trying to complete a 2024 challenge and I had previously watched Takahashi Fumiya in a movie. I didn't have high hopes going into it. I am honestly glad I didn't.I believe that if the drama had been just about a coming of age story of seven young adults trying to make a name for themselves in the already over-saturated idol industry, it would have been a better story than what I got. However, as with many other dramas regardless of the country they were produced in, they tried to squeeze in romance where it doesn't belong. The romance aspect of the show was awkward and underdeveloped and it seemed to be used as a catalyst to make Dan realize there was more to life than the group and so he would rethink his attitude towards the wants and needs of his fellow bandmates. Since you know, now he has aspirations outside of the group. Asuka, the object of Dan's affection, had been Dan's high school teacher before she burnt herself out with her people pleasing behavior and then she was their housemother. Because of this, it was difficult for me to see her as anything else than their mentor. Hence, the little bit of randomly shoved in romance scenes were difficult to swallow. Why does there always need to be romance? Why?
The characters were superficial, but the acting was decent enough for me to be able to sit through the whole thing. My biggest gripe when it referred to the characters was Asuka. She like many other female leads in J-dramas I have watched, was irritating due to their pathetic and people pleasing disposition. However, despite my dislike for her character, Honda's acting was also decent. If you learn one thing from this drama, I hope it is how to say "NO". The one surprise (at least for me) and that I enjoyed was that there were quite a few gay characters in the show.
The songs were mellow, generic, made to sound pretty, and so even the worst of singers could sing it without too much effort. The last song they sang sounded terrible which is why I believe they were made this way for the non-singers. Because of this, t lacked any emotional impact. Additionally, the choreography did not seem to match the mood of the music.
Despite this drama being fairly short, I watched it in just one day, I will not watch it again. So, it has a very low rewatch value for me. These are my thoughts about the drama, the review is not made to convince anyone to watch it or not. If you enjoyed it, good for you. If you want to watch it, go ahead. Decide for yourself if it's worth your time or not.
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