Noctis

There is no logical explanation for why I liked this.. On an objective scale, there is nothing special about it.. It’s just a quiet, slice of life drama with a warm, reflective tone.. But the gentle pacing, rural setting, the subtle theme of healing and how can I not mention the irori?? The cooking scenes and the whole atmosphere created a soothing vibe that felt simple yet beautiful.. The drama doesn’t try to be flashy or overly dramatic but encourages us to slow down and go with its gentle rhythm..

The moment I realized how much I liked Alice-san Chi no Iroribata was when I finished it and immediately thought, I need to find more dramas like this..

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I watched A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You mainly because of Honda Kyoya.. But I ended up liking it way more than I expected.. It’s actually fun.. Their first interactions were so awkward that even I felt awkward watching.. But that’s the whole point right?? The story is about how they slowly navigate that awkwardness and get closer.. Considering they had never met before [ at least that’s what they believed at the time ] not even for their marriage, it made sense.. Honestly before watching, I thought Yoshine Kyoko was a miscast.. But after finishing, I can say she was perfect for the role.. Her chemistry with the ML was amazing..

I hate misunderstandings in dramas, especially when writers use them just to create angst while treating open communication like it’s some kind of disease.. But here their relationship feels healthy.. Even when there were misunderstandings or poor communication, they didn’t drag it out.. Instead they realized their mistakes and talked things through properly.. And honestly, their misunderstandings were just silly things, but fun to watch..

Special mention to the supporting cast, they all did a really good job.. The second couple’s story was good and enjoyable to watch.. I especially liked Yamamoto Maika, she was great here.. It actually took me a while to realize she was also in Marriage is Difficult for a Ninja, she was good in that one too.. I couldn’t find any other dramas of hers that I would want to watch, but hopefully there will be more in the future.. I also appreciated how the FL’s family genuinely cared for the ML.. And the final episode was satisfying to watch..

There were drawbacks too.. For one, the budget.. It was obviously low.. From the costumes to the CGI, everything felt a bit underwhelming.. But I guess the story made up for it..

Overall, it was a good watch.. A simple slice of life love story.. It’s just two genuinely pure people navigating their way through marriage, falling in love and being silly along the way.. It really shows how love is built through those small, seemingly meaningless moments we share together..

P.S. This drama for some reason reminded me of My Happy Marriage.. It's time for a rewatch I guess..

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Yup.. Just Another Propaganda Drama..

Well I have no idea why I watched this now.. I have plenty of other dramas on my list that I am dying to get to.. But somehow I ended up checking my watchlist, saw this title and decided to watch it.. Maybe I just wanted something different or maybe I wasn’t in the mood for anything too intense.. I went in without any expectations.. Because well it’s Jin Han as the ML for starters and the teaser already screamed low budget production..

Everything in this drama looks and feels so amateurish.. No joke, every five minutes there was propaganda being pushed.. This was an outright propaganda drama.. No doubt about it..

I spent most of the drama bored but not hating it.. I liked the main leads and their relationship.. It was nice to see a couple that’s actually mature.. They had their flaws but I wasn’t disappointed.. I just wish they had skipped the whole “we have to break up because my job is dangerous and I might die” thing.. Like what were you doing before getting into the relationship and making the girl fall for you?? Anyway, it gets solved soon.. So thats that..

The other parts in the drama.. Be it military drills, underwater activities or similar stuff were just so poorly poorly executed.. It’s obvious they didn’t hire a proper consultant.. Everything felt completely out of touch with reality.. Forget about the sloppy gunfights, have they even heard of suppressors?? It felt like they were either allergic to them or had no idea they existed.. How do you go on a stealth mission and not use suppressed weapons?? it feels like they didnt even hire a Military advisor..

I don’t want to be too hard on the actors.. They worked with what they had and most of them did a decent job.. The real problem was that the drama lacked a strong antagonist.. They were so weak, you could almost say there wasn’t one at all.. And the SML.. I really can’t stand characters like that.. The ones who act all righteous and saint like but can’t handle rejection.. Like how do you ask a girl who is already in a relationship to be with you and then ask her not to reject your proposal?? The guy didn’t even back off after she told him she’s engaged.. Seriously??

Overall, this feels more like a propaganda drama made to appease a certain section of people, you know, if you know.. It’s a shame, because there is some substance here.. If only they had used it properly.. My suggestion?? Watch it only if you have a lot of time to kill or if you are into this kind of drama..

P.S. Jin Han really needs a better agency.. Someone who actually understands his strengths and picks roles that suit him.. Because honestly I don’t think even Jin Han is the best at choosing for himself.. I have seen actors far worse than him get lead roles in dramas with good scripts..

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I am not exactly sure why this didn’t impress me more.. Maybe it was the blunt way they tore down the ML’s character or maybe it was just my disbelief at the direction the script chose to take.. Either way I just wish I could have loved this more.. I admit giving this a 7.5 might feel a bit unfair but that score reflects my personal distaste more than the drama’s quality.. By the end I couldn’t help but ask myself “Why did the writer choose to butcher the second half like that?”.. When I think about what this drama took away and how it treated the character Yin Zheng till the end, I honestly wonder what the point of it all was..

Her constant pushing him away just went on for far too long.. By ep 22, I honestly felt like skipping through it.. He worked too hard to win her affection.. Well she already loved him, yet his reassurances were never enough for her.. At first it was fine, but after a while it felt like they should just divorce and let her go back like she wanted.. Forty eps were just too many, with a lot of unnecessary subplots that didn’t really add much.. The first half was okay.. There was comedy, story development and it all flowed well.. But then it dragged and I got tired of the repetitive plot..

If you notice, almost all the male characters in this drama were problematic.. Power hungry, sex obsessed, spineless or just plain pathetic.. That’s pretty much what most of them were like.. On the other hand, the female characters were all good.. There wasn’t a single one you could really criticize and I liked that.. It felt different from other dramas.. But turning the flaws and pain of the male characters into comedy felt a bit hypocritical..

Especially with how the ML was treated.. I really felt his character deserved more.. After all he went through it always seemed like he was the one putting in all the effort, while she never truly matched it.. Even His father in law belittle him.. Till the end of the drama it felt more like he made all the efforts in the relationship.. In the finale, while everyone else stayed with family she chose to go for business, even though it was his birthday and she still hadn’t told him she was pregnant.. She arrived late with noodles for him and somehow that was supposed to be enough?? I really don’t understand why the writer ended it that way.. And I also hated the jealousy part.. Seriously, the crown prince jealous of a chef?? A nobody?? What was the writer even thinking..

Overall it was insanely forgettable even though it had some solid performances.. By the end I was very disappointed.. The second half was a rather underwhelming snore.. If you are watching for the romance, just skip to the last 10–12 episodes.. But if you are here for the sisterhood, then you will probably enjoy it a lot more..

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It Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Good..

This was quite the watch honestly.. It was an entertaining experience filled with a good cast.. I found the storyline to be interesting even though it's not unique.. At first glance I thought this drama would tread the familiar path of fantasy and romance.. But no, it pulled me into a story more captivating than I expected.. And It came with a well defined theme and had effective visuals.. The drama never felt lagging yet not overly frenetic either..

It’s honestly hard to believe that some people called this boring or even called it a copy of Goblin, Doom at Your Service and whatnot.. No offense, but how can anyone seriously say it resembles those dramas?? other than sharing the same fantasy genre?? What exactly is it similar to?? It really feels like people judged this one before even giving it a proper chance.. The hate it’s getting has nothing to do with the actors, their performances or the drama itself..

The breaking of the fourth wall and the mention of Marvel and Disney were a nice touch.. I liked it.. It was funny..

The acting in this show is pretty great, that much is obvious.. The most captivating part of the drama was easily Suzy.. Her performance as what many called her, a psychopath was nothing short of brilliant.. Not only is she so pretty, she also carries the emotional weight of the protagonist effortlessly.. She portrays the many facets of Ki Ga Yeong’s complex personality while making her so likable.. Kim Woo Bin, on the other hand has a slightly easier role as the witty mythical character Genie.. Still, he manages to add depth and nuance to his portrayal.. They both share an effortless chemistry and for a fantasy based drama, their romance feels nothing short of sublime..

The cameo cast was absolutely dreamy, but their potential wasn’t fully utilized.. I especially wish the costume for Song Hye Kyo had been better.. Something about it just felt off.. With how beautiful she is, they could have made her look even more stunning but instead went for a rather dull look.. Honestly a bit disappointing..

The supporting cast was good too.. Steve Noh as Ejlael was exceptional.. I really hope he gets more opportunities as a male lead in the future.. He definitely doesn’t deserve to be stuck playing second lead roles.. He is clearly underutilized in the KDrama industry.. I understood why Ahn Eun Jin was cast in that particular role the moment she appeared, she was genuinely convincing.. Sade and I Rem deserve special mentions as well.. As for Choi Min Ji, I understood her importance to Ki Ga Yeong and her emotional connection but her character arc included elements that felt unnecessary.. Her feelings for the younger version of the grandma were honestly uncomfortable to watch, that part added nothing meaningful to the story..

Some parts of the CGI were definitely weak, but that Jaguar sequence in ep12 was just superb.. The fight between Ejlael and Genie felt a bit underwhelming at first, maybe because of all the CGI, but then I rewatched it on my not so small TV and realized, ah, this is how it was meant to be watched.. Nothing extraordinary but still pretty good overall..

Overall, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but for me, it certainly was.. Even if all the mythical and fantastical layers were stripped away, the drama would still remain a visual treasure.. It’s not exactly the drama I wanted it to be, but that doesn’t make it bad.. It’s a fine piece of work with beautiful filmmaking and at its peaks, it truly soars.. In the end what remains in my view is not a perfect drama, but an imperfectly beautiful one.. I am glad my Uncontrollably Fond couple got a happy ending, even if it’s in another story, another life..

P.S. KDrama writers really need to start being more cautious when dealing with sensitive topics and characters.. They are becoming a bit too casual with things that can easily hurt sentiments..

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Trigger is a story about what happens when stress, inequality and buried trauma collide with easy access to guns.. But it’s not just about the weapons, it’s about what drives someone to reach for one in the first place.. When grief, injustice and silence build up over time, anyone can reach a breaking point.. It’s less about who’s holding the gun and more about what pushed them there.. Trigger explores a bold and unsettling scenario.. How quickly chaos spreads once a long standing taboo is shattered.. I liked how the main leads are shaped by their contrasting beliefs and personalities.. They are people on opposite ends of a moral line..

I think the drama presents a really interesting moral dilemma and plays it out in a provocative way.. The concept itself is terrifying.. What Trigger does well is show the darker side of human nature and what people are capable of when pushed too far.. And honestly the scariest part wasn’t the drama itself, it was the thought that something like this could actually happen.. Hopefully it never will.. Right?

" If you want to be loved.. Always wear a smile.. "

Both MLs were great.. Kim Nam Gil really stood out.. His action scenes had an aura that's undeniable and everything he did felt natural.. Him with a gun was too good, looked professional.. Kim Young Kwang as Moon Baek was menacing.. I really liked his character.. He was quite good as the antagonist, bringing a Joker like joy to his madness.. But his English accent was a letdown.. I think he could have worked on it more.. It didn’t feel convincing..

" I want to live in a utopia of equality where everyone owns a gun."

I liked how they paced the first episode.. Slowly building the world and introducing the characters.. By the end of it, it was intriguing enough to keep you going.. Its 10 episode length is both a blessing and a curse.. It’s a fairly breezy watch and doesn’t feel draggy but because of that, the story ends up feeling a bit underdeveloped.. We don’t really get much characterization for anyone besides Lee Do and Moon Baek.. Some characters completely disappeared by the end and I am not sure why.. They could have been used better.. Especially during that riot scene..

Not saying this was the right way to handle things.. But people do need to be held responsible for their words and actions.. You can’t just go around hurting others and get away with it.. There has to be consequences.. Is it really that hard to treat people with basic decency?? I felt like the message of the drama is clear, Be Good To Others..

From a darker perspective, many of the people who were killed deserved it?? And honestly, the one person who probably deserved some serious reckoning but didn’t die was Kang Seong Jun, the bully.. I just hope whatever happened has given him enough trauma and shook him enough to think twice for the rest of his life..

Bullying.. It’s something we have seen in so many Korean dramas and movies that it almost feels like a normal day to day thing over there.. And that’s what makes it even more disturbing.. You can’t help but wonder why is no one ever seriously punished or held accountable??

It was a bit disappointing how the show portrayed the Government as hopeless and the cops as completely tactless in the final ep.. Realistically you would expect the authorities to handle a situation like that much better.. I get that it’s a drama and things need to be exaggerated for impact.. But still it felt a bit too far fetched..

Like I said, the drama started off good stayed good all the way through.. Until the final episode.. That’s where it lost me.. The conclusion was not satisfying at all.. After everything that built up, it felt like the story ran out of steam right when it mattered most..

Overall, it’s an impressive drama with Kim Nam Gil delivering a stellar performance.. Is it perfect?? No.. But for me, the issues I had, some unrealistic scenes, a bit of awkward dialogue here and there.. Don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things..

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Most of the time while watching this, I was like this is so stupid but still totally enjoyed how absurd things were.. Honestly, the brand of humor here will decide whether someone enjoys this drama or not, but I am pretty sure most of us will... I was here to enjoy the stupid comedy, I wasn't looking for logic.. Do not come here seeking logic or sanity because in dramas like this, neither has any place.. Instead just enjoy the ride..

Non as Nishino Kanako was so much fun to watch.. Her comic behavior, attitude and expressions were all spot on.. She works perfectly as a comedic protagonist because she isn’t overpowered or overly confident, her strengths come gradually.. The absurdity of being an assassin paired with her somewhat gentle, awkward personality gives the story its charm.. She is the best example of a character who can balance the tension between ' this is ridiculous ' and ' I can see why she feels the way she does ' energy, which is hard to pull off but this story seems to manage.. She literally walks into a hitman agency while job hunting and just, rolls with it and somehow it works..

Sakurai, played by Fujigaya Taisuke is the classic ' grumpy senior with a soft heart ' character.. He seems allergic to emotions but secretly worries about her.. He is stoic, sharp but also there’s this faint warmth that we see when he is stuck babysitting Kanako.. Simply put he is that exhausted coworker who has seen too much.. Sakurai’s calm composure makes the show’s absurdity even funnier..

The assassinations done by Kanako?? Well It’s dark satire disguised as comedy.. The kind that makes you laugh one second and squirm the next, a weird mix of ' they kind of deserved it ' and ' wait, this is still murder '.. Her targets are the types you meet every day.. Toxic seniors at work, abusers and toxic humans, basically the kind of people who make you jokingly say “Ugh, I could kill them,” except in Kanako’s world, someone actually does..

Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable watch.. I had genuine fun watching some parts and others just made me go,
' Wow, this is dumb ' but in the best way.. The final episode was a letdown but the funny moments, the FL and her weird charm win out and my rating reflects that.. Shiawase Kanako no Koroshiya Seikatsu thrives on an absurd contrast, an everyday office worker trying to find meaning and work life balance, except work involves contract killings.. It was fun watching her discover her passion, it just happens to be murder..

P.S. I am not asking for much, just two or three more seasons of Kanako committing morally questionable murders with a smile.. Let Kanako keep killing her way through toxic people, please..

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Nothing much to say here.. The drama doesn’t bring anything fresh to the table.. Just the usual fantasy role swapping.. One character ends up in the past while the other takes her place in the future.. I actually liked how it started.. The first six episodes were good.. But after that, you could honestly just skip to the last two.. Episodes 7 to 10 felt like a drag and I genuinely hated a couple of scenes which served no real purpose other than making you question the FL’s character..

Acting wise, everyone did a decent job.. But still there weren’t any standout performances.. Just okay overall.. Loved the FL’s family.. And the FL herself was fun and chaotic to watch.. The couple was good.. Their chemistry was good.. Barring a couple of scenes, I think I liked pretty much everything else about them..

I would have rated this an 8 because it was enjoyable overall.. But one scene in particular irked me.. The FL lets another guy sleep on her lap.. And she falls asleep too.. This is the same guy the ML has issues with and had clearly told her to stay away from.. It felt completely out of place for a character who had been shown as deeply dedicated to the person she loves.. I mean imagine what would have happened if the ML had seen that?? I know it probably shouldn’t cloud my judgment but I can’t help it, it does.. Still the drama is worth watching if you can overlook a stretch of draggy plot.. For me?? Meh.. Overall a one time watch when there’s nothing better to do..

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How Do You Say Unforgettable in Chinese??

I waited quite a while for this drama.. Due to several delays, it kept getting pushed back.. But it was finally released.. When you see Allen Ren in the cast, you know you are in for a performance that's worth the wait.. The Demon Hunter’s Romance also marks the return of Song Zu Er.. Her drama Legally Romance is one of my favorites.. I am glad to see her back..

The drama’s strength lies in the chemistry between the leads.. You can feel it right from episode 1.. The first few episodes really set a high benchmark with the music and visuals.. And just like that it became twice as interesting.. The world building was done exceptionally well.. The cinematography, costumes and CGI were all solid..

The Mirror Demon arc was good.. I really liked how it explored themes of obsession with beauty and immortality..

The Puppet Demon arc was my favorite.. I absolutely loved episode 15.. Especially the first time we see him use the fire sword.. It was intense and thrilling.. I just wish the final fight scene had been a bit longer because it was really good..

The Puppet Demon Feng Wu Niang was eerie and special appreciation to Zhang Zi Xin who played that role to perfection.. Her performance was downright chilling.. This arc sort of amplifies XuanYe and BanXia's chemistry and highlights their unspoken feelings.. The whole resort setting was gorgeous, all shadowy and haunting.. And the music for this whole arc was just too good.. This arc has everything that makes the drama addictive.. For me Its the moment the show truly hits its stride..

The Painting Demon Arc was equally good even though it didnt have the same intensity like the previous arcs.. I think this arc was more about the emotional depth and strengthening the main couple's feelings for each other.. As she falls for him again and again even without her memories.. The twist about the demon and actual creator of the painting being right beside them was a nice touch..

This arc poses an interesting question.. Is a perfect, repeating moment heaven or hell??

The final arc, Who am I?? was good until the last 15 mins.. The whole arc screamed tragedy and pain.. Honestly there were lot of dumb things done by both the main leads.. She should have told him about his demon identity sooner.. And he for God's sake should have talked to her and his friends before rushing off to the underground city to confront his uncle.. That was stupid.. I understand he wanted everyone to be safe but what did he think?? They will just let him go die alone.. They could have made a proper plan and defeated his uncle together instead of going in blindly.. And that to me, is what led to their deaths..

Now.. The ending.. This drama had no right to be a sad ending.. None at all.. It deserved a happy ending.. He literally said
" No matter what plans i make, I will always include you in them" in ep 32..
And..
" Dont worry.. no matter what happens.. I will always be with you.. " in Ep 33..

And he just goes off after that perfect reunion?? Honestly no way this was supposed to be a sad ending.. And that Mr. Fu telling her to Go after him after she regains her memories.. What was the need for that then?? It was setup to be a completely satisfying happy ending.. They knew the audience wouldn’t be okay with this but they just didn’t care.. There were so many ways to write a better ending.. I heard its iQIYI who forced the change from a happy ending to a sad one.. Well, iQIYI can go to hell..

There are rumors about a second season but nothing has been confirmed yet.. Fingers crossed for a direct sequel.. We definitely need one after that ending..

Overall it was a banger of a drama.. Flaws and all, I absolutely loved it.. The firefly scene was beautiful.. Reminded me of Alchemy of Souls Season 2.. Her little nod acknowledging his help was a really nice moment.. Their romance progress felt so natural and their chemistry was exceptional.. Now give us that season 2..

P.S.. I don’t know if its just me but the drama had an uncanny resemblance to Tale of the Nine Tailed..

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