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Worth The Watch
The title was what caught my attention at first since I enjoyed the kdrama Sell Your Haunted House. Haunted House For Sale has some similar elements but it's not the same story. If you'd prefer some details on the similarities, I have added spoiler free ones at the end.This series is about a woman working at a real estate agent who is asked to work on selling stigmatised properties (places where a death has occurred). The male lead who is undecided on what to do in life decides to join her team. One thing he doesn't mention is that he can see ghosts.
The series has a decent mystery element introduced along with multiple cases attached to each property visited. As a horror, the show is very mild. The CGI effects are alright. The main selling point is the plot and the characters. The leads do a great job portraying the characters. Didn't feel bored at any point. The OST is lovely. There is some romance but it is not the focus of the show. Don't let this be your main reason for watching or it might feel disappointing.
If you'd like to know how it's similar to Sell Your Haunted House, the female lead in both are the main character and both are the serious type, the male leads are more jovial and the mediums, we learn about each ghost and in both series there is a mystery surrounding a parent of the FL. There is also a similar CGI effect in both which I found interesting. SYHH is probably a bigger and better production so it's definitely a better show in terms of CGI and horror as well as the plot development but HHFS is quite entertaining and hopefully the kdrama fans will enjoy this one as well.
Whether you've seen the kdrama or not, I hope everyone gives this series a shot.
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Slow-moving and sparse
Lies Hidden In My Garden started off on a strong note. It even had a good build-up when it came to the suspense and a couple of decent plot twists. But when you look at it by the end, you are left feeling underwhelmed.The story begins in a luxurious home where the husband is a doctor, the wife is a house-wife and they have a teenage son. They moved from the city into a suburb because the wife is unwell due to her dealing with her sister's untimely death. One day, the wife starts to smell a strange stench which her husband denies smelling.
On the flip side, there is another wife who lives in a shabby apartment with her abusive husband. She is pregnant. Her husband decides to take her to the doctor's house one day and meets with his wife. One the way to the house, she notices a phone in her husband's car with a bejeweled floral case that he attempts to hide. On arrival, from the car, she notices that both she and the doctor's wife wear the same scarf.
The issue with the plot began when it started to drag it's heels midway. There are literal moments of silence and slow responses and just staring. The reason being, there isn't much to the story. And despite that, questions were left unanswered such as the scarves both wives wore and the doctor's wife's sister's death. Why was she killed?
The ending was not amazing though the cinematography is. But visuals alone do not make for a great drama. I feel a bit misled. Still it has it's good moments and there is character development shown with the doctor's wife. I also enjoyed the mother and son's relationship even though it wasn't explored in great detail. I also appreciated the neighbour's character and the story behind her husband's death. All the actors also portrayed their characters well and created the much needed drama.
It's an intense series yet lacking. Good for a one time watch.
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Pulls at your heart strings
A slice of life drama that almost doesn't feel as one so it's perfect for those who dislike this kind of genre or feel like it won't appeal to you. You'll be surprised!The story is about a mother who first loses her husband and farm and raises her son alone is then forced to look after her adult son all over again when an accident not only debilitates him physically but also sends him into his childhood mentally. This plot might feel depressing but the beautiful way in which it is presented, it actually has more light moments than you would expect. And one of the reasons is the naughty twins and their little interaction with Kang Ho. The series is not trying to get you to cry but to show how people live and enjoy life despite their circumstances. We also get two unlikely funny characters that work for the bad guy and their scenes make you laugh.
As the title suggests, there are many moments where you feel that Kang Ho's mother is horrible to her son, both during his childhood and when he is unwell. But you also understand why she is the way she is. And with their interactions you understand the bond between these two characters which you fully feel towards the end of the show.
There is also a revenge plot taking place but it is not the focus of the series. It's just enough to keep you hooked till the end. Though there isn't much romance, you certainly won't be starved.
I picked up The Good Bad Mother for Lee Do Hyun and am glad I did. The show is quite uplifting and beautiful. I have not yet been disappointed by the project Lee Do Hyun picked that I chose to watch. He manages to become each character in such a perfect way. A man of many many talents! So if for no one else, watch it for his portrayal.
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Watch for the character Jayden Lee
I can honestly say I enjoyed the start and the end of the series the most. The show slows down a bit towards the middle albeit I won't say that it's bad but at didn't excite me during those times and I was not eagerly awaiting the next episode.Basic plot summary:
Han Yihan is a cardiothoracic surgeon and an exceptional one at that. Unfortunately for him, the head of the hospital uses him for his son's ghost doctor secretly when he is in trouble in the operating room. One day a patient that Han Yihan operated on tragically dies the next morning due to questionable circumstances. The hospital decides to place the entire blame on Yihan under the accusation of medical negligence. With no one on his side and no proof, he is forced to accept blame and his medical license is revoked. 4 years later he emerges as a lawyer who specialises in medical malpractice. This is where our story truly begins.
Review:
The plot has a very strong start but the story might seem a little cliche as revenge dramas go. But, the true hero of the story is this mysterious character by the name of Jayden Lee who adds unpredictability and spice into the show. Where Han Yihan's seriousness and lack of charisma can lead to detachment from the character and the female lead (prosecutor) leaves much to be desired, Jayden brings drama and suspense. No one really knows or understands his motives. Is he a good guy? Is he pretending? And it is also because of him and the dilemma that he adds that you feel more supportive towards Han Yihan.
There is no real romance in this drama from the main leads but Jayden and the second female lead, Im Yoona, have a fun chemistry. Add some jealousy to the mix.
I won't give away the finale but the last two episodes, in my opinion, were edge of the seat entertaining. And that is part of the reason why I am willing to give this show a 9. Shows like these deserve an ending on a high note.
I don't usually comment on the OST, but Freedom is a nice exciting track. I enjoyed it. Didn't listen to the others.
Regarding rewatch value, I would probably speed watch the show or select some of the major episodes to watch. It's not that high on my priority list. Then again there has only been one revenge drama I've seen twice and that is Taxi Driver which I love and there aren't many shows I would actually watch as of now. I would still recommend Doctor Lawyer at least once for Jayden Lee.
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This review may contain spoilers
Magic, mystery and plenty of music
The series reminded me of the musical Mary Poppins but instead of a nanny, Yoon Ah Yi meets a mysterious magician who keeps trying to get her to believe in magic whenever she's at her lowest thereby alleviating a little bit of her misery.Yoon Ah Yi is a highschool student struggling to look after herself and her younger sister after her parents abandoned them when they were children due to debt. Ah Yi is a meek child who longs for the return of her parents or to grow up. Due to having no guardian in her life, she is forced to work odd jobs while trying to do her best at school. In trying to pay the rent and provide for herself and her sister, she lands herself in trouble and makes uncomfortable deals.
The positives:
- Her classmate and also the topper, Na Il Deung, begins to have feelings for Ah Yi but finds it difficult to express them. Those moments and the ups and downs of their relationship is interesting with cute moments.
- The magic depicted has both stage level magic and fantastical elements. So when the magician asks, "do you believe in magic", you want to believe him.
- The mystery element added as a side plot is intriguing.
- Unlike Mary Poppins, there are some very nasty natures of people depicted and it's very realistic and a contrasting element.
- Several good messages are shared throughout the series especially the end.
The negatives:
- The story slows down several times throughout the show. Some episodes have a lot happening and are enjoyable but other episodes seem to be dragging.
- I generally enjoy the soundtrack of shows. Unfortunately didn't enjoy this one as it's quite slow and brings the story to a standstill many times and I had to skip ahead.
- The idea that parents can simply abandon their young children and leave them to fend for themselves in their home is infuriating. There is no explanation how Yoon Ah Yi survived all these years. She seemed under 10 years of age and her sister might have been 3-4 years old. It was bizarre storyline.
- There is no explanation of what happened to the mother.
- Bella, the parrot. Watch till the end to understand why.
Overall, I liked the drama but with so many dramas releasing, I would probably not come to this one except maybe to parts of the last episode as I enjoyed some of the dialogues. Very meaningful.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Journey To Boredom
When I started this show, it was the second most popular airing cdrama so I had high expectations. I enjoy wuxia dramas a lot and can even binge in 3 days but this one, I struggled to complete ,taking a month!The series starts off well with the ML, a writer, who ends up in the story he was taking "inspiration" from. The system that drags him inside refuses to let him use cheat codes to gain strength and he has to complete certain steps first. Initially, ML and his friends added fun and humour to the drama when they were travelling places and dishing out justice to members of the power gang. But soon after everything went to hell starting with ML's parents being in danger.
ML's older brothers were the most annoying characters in this drama. I literally wanted someone to punch them hard in the middleof the series. They were dragging the plot of breaking down the ML and making him suffer for several episodes. And I just couldn't give a damn. There was no emotional connection formed with any of the characters. At some point in the show, ML also destroys the system that pulled him in and defeats the whole transmigration purpose of the story. It just becomes a regular historical fantasy. That took away all the potential for fun as the ML also forgot or stopped caring that he was just inside a story and the story became overly serious.
The other characters were merely existing. The FL was good and had chemistry with the ML but they wouldn't let her shine too much because the show had to revolve around the ML. I was starting to love another grey character - Liu Sui Feng and they made him utterly useless as well. The whole time I was curious about the ML's doppleganger and wondering if they were the same person and again, that angle was just so boring. The director just wanted to find ways to make the ML shine and in doing so, all other characters fell flat.
Initially the show introduces the power gang which is terrorising the martial arts world and all the people and were thus the bad guys for harming so many innocent people. But by the end, they made the power gang's leader and the other main lead the real good guys who were just trying to do things a different way. This 180 degree turn made no sense. Why were they harming so many people, stealing everyone's money, surrounding the ML's house and trapping them inside knowing they might starve, etc? Suddenly the leader (ML's other role) was said to be a good guy who never wanted to kill.
Also there are just so many characters who are introduced as powerful and just die soon after - again so that the ML can get their powers and be the ultimate baddie that no one can defeat. There is a scene where 8 masters are transferring their skills into the ML and the scene is so comical and not at all awe-inspiring. Made me wish we could download and upload knowledge the same way in real life.
The drama simply isn't worth watching unless maybe if you are a fan of Cheng Yi but I don't know if even his fans can enjoy this too much.
There are some great fight choreography scenes which normally I love but the show was just too boring for me to truly enjoy it. Fighting alone cannot save a show. Even the finale was not interesting and I actually fell asleep watching it. Had to wake up and start over in 2x. The ending was ok but by the end, I just did not care.
The OST is good but very repetitive.
Final conclusion, just skip it.
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A great sci-fi thriller!
Mobius is about the ML, Ding Qi, who experiences time differently compared to most people. On certain days of the year, his day restarts 5 times because of which he can often change things to his advantage. He chooses to work as a police officer and help solve crimes or rather prevent them. On loop days, the 5th loop is his final chance.The premise is used well and the show opens with a literal bang - an explosion in a bank during a robbery. The show instantly pulls you in with it's great visuals and a fast pace dive into the story including both the positives and negatives of a time loop. Bits of humour are also thrown in. Things are often not as simple as you'd think even with foresight. People are complex and a lot can change when even 1 thing is meddled with. This makes the show extremely interesting.
As the show goes on, we start to explore the cause of the time loops and a case of a biotech company owner being threatened. The case becomes about finding Squid - the person who is making threats and has already killed 2 people at Moma. However the mystery behind all the different characters add layers to the story making it seem much harder to solve. With every loop, Ding Qi learns new facts about how the puzzles fit together and a lot more lives are at stake.
The story and drama are all very interesting and the mystery intriguing and the show makes it worth the watch. The action is also quite good with several hand to hand combat scenes along with shoot outs. There is some romance but not really worth mentioning. I couldn't quite see the chemistry between the leads nor understood why the ML was particularly interested in the FL nor why she entertained him. The other officers were nice characters. No one in particular stood out though.
If we speak about the flaws, although they do explain why people perceive time loops, it doesn't explain the mechanisms. You just have to suspend belief for this aspect. It seems that the finding was incidental. There is also one character that triggered everything else but was left out of the ending. What happened to that person? They didn't really elaborate.
The show is still quite entertaining with great cinematography. It might require a bit of concentration though because if you miss certain moments, you might struggle to follow along. But it isn't that complicated that it would lead to frustration.
The OST for Mobius is also quite good. Definitely adds to the viewing experience. Worth the watch I would say!
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A complete package!
I loved watching Undercover High School so much! It was an absolute delight! The entire cast did a fantastic job and not just the main leads. I always love me a strong and smart female lead and Sua is definitely one along with being a compassionate person. Haesong is just too cool in every way. He has managed to portray action, comedy and deep emotions spectacularly. The team was just a delight. The students were also talented and bring life to the show. Loved the bromance and sismance. The chairwoman's character is also wonderfully portrayed and made a great villain.The most enjoyable moments for me were the action and comedy scenes. It is rare that I truly enjoy the comedy because everyone has their own niche preference of what makes them laugh. I believe Undercover High School's comedy would have mass appeal. It's subtle rather than over the top. There is both physical comedy as well as dialogues that will make you laugh.
The plot itself is simple yet perfect. An NIS agent is on the mission to find the rumoured hidden treasure at a high school. In order to access the premises, he has to disguise himself as a student and face challenges that other students also deal with in high school. They do not waste time with him solely building inter-student relations. It very much revolves around his mission and introduces various characters in the process.
One can also get a taste of multiple genres like mystery, horror, historical, youth, besides action and comedy. As for the romance, it is mostly in the form of acts of service and bucket loads of chemistry. I would hope people still watch it for the cuteness of the two leads.
The show has great pacing and not a single moment is boring. I would probably watch this show all over again which is extremely rare for me to do!
Perhaps the OST is the only thing that didn't stand out for me (maybe because I was so immersed in the series) but I didn't dislike it either. So overall the show is a 9.5/10! Highly recommend it!
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Action, Rage and Friendships
What a powerful series! I heard of it only a week prior to it's release and when I started watching, I couldn't stop. I binged the whole show in one sitting!Don't be put off by the bullying and high school storyline. This is more than the average revenge drama. There are many layers to our 3 main characters. The story revolves around 3 students, one is a studious kid, the other sleeps through most of his classes and an excellent fighter and the last a transfer student. The three end up forming a deep bond over the harassment by their class bullies. I found myself cheering for them with every obstacle that they encountered. The action scenes are incredible. Some are a little gruesome. You really have to wonder if bullying in Korean schools really as bad as the claims are.
The show is not all dark. It has it's sweet moments as well as moments that make you sit at the edge of your seat in excitement.
I genuinely loved the series but I have to deduct 0.5 simply because of what happened at the end. It was extremely frustrating and upsetting for me to watch.
The acting of all the actors (including bullies) is simply top notch. Although there were a few times when I felt like the storyline defining the characters was a bit extreme. I didn't pay much attention to the music but whatever I did hear, it was quite enjoyable. I hope people give this series a try and I hope you will be pleasantly surprised just like I was.
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Not much content in the story till the end
When I first started watching, I really enjoyed the show. Finally a couple that was more mature and not acting silly. Then they introduced the second couple who started acting like children. Can't stand them together. Also there doesn't seem much to the story. No progress episode to episode means they have left everything for the last or last 2 episodes.To be honest, I don't really care much for the main couple's slow burn romance either. I do like all the cast members as individuals. However, the romance is not depicted well. Only the last few episodes of their romance was decent.
Another frustrating aspect was that the detective brother keeps preventing the female lead from remembering anything or doing anything. Nor does he do anything. I didn't understand why. The female detective is so underutilised.
I'm glad this is only 12 episodes long but perhaps the story could have been wound up in 6 - 8. After the first 4 episodes, it would be better to just skip to episode 10. Story picks up from there and gets a bit interesting.
The drama is okay for a one time watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great start with an unintentionally funny (derogatory) ending
S Line is going to be another show to fade into obscurity because of a disastrous finale. But before I talk about the good and the bad, I ought to warn you - this show has several triggers.Depiction of self-harm, rape of a dying man, suggestion of gang rape and child sexual assault, school bullying and violence, to name some off the top of my head. Everyone has different tolerance levels so I would suggest to read about their depictions. There is also female nudity and depiction of sex.
What I liked:
The concept of S Line was quite unique and I was certainly intrigued. I went in blind so every revelation was a surprise including what S Line means. Nonetheless, the mystery was great (until it wasn't).
The characters were great and I enjoyed the introduction of the glasses and what it meant for each character. Although, most used it in a similar fashion.
A certain reveal in episode 5 was shocking but also exposed the realities of the world.
In episode 6, there is like a split dimension which was cool for a brief moment.
The opening theme song sets the perfectly dark mood for the show.
The actors did a decent job. I like Arin's character the most. Lee SooHyuk's was interesting too.
What I disliked:
Death of a certain character. The reason I dislike it is because they don't reveal if it was an accident or caused by something or someone else. I don't know how it drives the plot forward. Did they really need to be killed off? Bizarre.
My biggest gripe is with the 6th episode which let the entire series down. I don't have answers to (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD LISTED AS POINTS):
- Who was Gyu Jin? And who is Hyeon Hop?
- Who were those people dressed like cult members?
- Why was another dimension created and why was Ji Uk a part of it? Were those people really killed?
- Where was Hyeon Hop's mother all this time?
So episode6 not only made me wonder what on Earth was happening but also laugh out loud at the way scenes were depicted. It felt like the episode was inspired from Dr. Strange and a bunch of sci-fi and cult films and not in a good way because things where all over the place! Post-reveal world was also quite silly. You can't expect things to be that calm.
Not only were the main characters involved not explained. We also didn't get any reason deeper than "because people want to know" which is quite lame. It ruined the whole show and makes you wonder if a follow up season could possibly fix this garbage ending.
Since it has 6 episodes, it can be watched provided you don't get too irritated by the ending. For a decent 5 episodes, I'm handing it a generous 7 star rating.
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This review may contain spoilers
Enlightening and Enjoyable
Apart from a few episodes in between around the earthquake where the story feels a bit slow, the show as a whole was amazing and worth watching till the end.Keeping this review simple, I'll list out some of the highlights of this show for me:
1. The firefighting was what attracted me to the show as there are not many shows that cover this line of work (The First Responders kdrama also do an excellent job). The show detailed all kinds of rescue work that firefighters are involved in and the kind of equipment and techniques used in their missions along with use of technology making it quite fascinating.
2. The romance plot is a bit of a slow burn but was also an interesting addition to the show. Highlighting the professional and personal lives of both the main leads and how they maintain a balance as well as how one impacts the other giving a well rounded idea of both characters.
3. The strict mother plot also gives another interesting perspective to Asian families and how even adults are forced to juggle between independence and not upsetting their parents with their personal decisions.
4. The portrayals by the actors were interesting and memorable. I also noticed that the female lead would change her mannerisms while at work, dealing with her mother and her boyfriend. While at work she was strong, reserved and unflinching. With her mother, she was quiet and timid. And later with her boyfriend, she was happy and almost child-like and carefree. I loved all these sides to her and the actress did a very realistic job with it. Similarly, the male lead was strict and stern at work, unwavering almost as the leader who is responsible for everyone's safety but with the female lead, he was protective, caring and playful in the latter half of the series. Even when they were trying to hide their affection for each other, they had moments where they let down their guards.
5. Each cast member also had some part to play in the story and made it quite a strong performance and an outstanding series. The sister, the firefighters and the medical staff added a bit of comedy and fun so it was not as serious as one might believe.
I don't have too many complaints.
1. Somewhere in between the show was a little slow so I wish that was cut shorter and other scenes that were cut out were added back instead.
2. No wedding scene. Though it's not a big issue but I would have liked to see that.
3. The second male lead (portrayed by Vin Zhang) had a very short role.
4. I wish we could have seen Da Peng and Dr. Li Nan's story move forward. That was disappointing.
The series also has lovely, soothing OST. I hope more viewers give this series a try. It's certainly worth your time.
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Charming, great acting, an exciting journey!
Despite having watched the kdrama and knowing the entire plot, this was quite entertaining and fun to watch. That should speak for itself. The story moves pretty quickly right from episode 1 and also builds each character up quite well.Every actor performed well and personally I found the Japanese version quite charming. The female lead was quite impressive with the two different personalities she portrayed. The female in the negative role also performs exceptionally well. There are moments where you can feel her pain as well and what led to her being the way she is. This is important since not many villains get a backstory but it adds so many layers to a character and why they act the way they do.
So even if you have watched the Korean version, it's well worth your time to give this a shot as well. Plus it is always fun to see a woman stand up for herself and her happiness.
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Cute and Hilarious
I never expected to laugh so much. Head Over Heels was truly a joy to watch! I was entertained from start to ep 11. Ep 12 was all right so I took off half a point. But the last scene (extra credit) was also fun.I also had serious second lead syndrome. He was truly such a caring friend. The trio were a blast together! And one of the funniest episode of the drama was the two boys together.
Normally I wouldn't rate a school romance so highly. The characters really were wonderful. I was a bit mislead into thinking the plot will go down the horror route or suddenly become sad but fortunately, it kept it's light nature.
The OST is nice too. Need to look up the song. And the opening theme is quite beautiful.
I definitely recommend this one especially if you need to uplift your mood!
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Lives up to it's name
The show gives you exactly what it is titled - a feud and it comes with several twists and turns! I enjoyed the pacing of most episodes and the story was captivating. I watched for Bai Lu and what a great job she did in this! In fact, Feud is fu.l of very strong female charactefs which is wonderful to see.Although there are few points which I felt were plot holes, it was quite entertaining to watch. I loved the fights and special effects. The side characters have also portrayed their characters exceptionally.
The theme song is quite peaceful. The sets and costume designs are excellent.
Feud is fun and binge-worthy!
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