Freespirit1221

A beautiful series - Very relatable

Finally able to watch the whole series after 3 years, and I think this is the perfect time for me.

This is a really beautiful series. Macbeth is really the best thing to ever exist. It's a beautiful journey, and definitely meaningful. And every beautiful journey has to come to an end. It’s sad but it is how life is.

The story feels so real and complete, and the cast is perfectly casted. All of them nailed their roles. There is no big plot twist or no villain in this slice of life series. I really love that. I also love that they don’t romanticize the relationship between the waitress (Rihoko) and the screenwriter of the comedy trio (Haruto) at the end. This series really feels like a big hug to me. It warms my heart and gives me more strength to keep up with this life.

I relate so much with the story and see myself in every character’s story, as someone who also in their late 20s and struggling with life, failures, career crisis, isolation, mental illness and more. Personally there were times I also locked myself up in the room and isolated myself from the outside world, just like Rihoko and Haruto's older brother in this series. It feels like a wasteful time to other people, but it is a necessary period for me to reflect on myself and dig deeper into my soul. My whole life might also feel like a failure to other people, but to me everything I have done is meaningful, and it happens for a reason, and it makes me who I am today. Now I also need the courage to give up on something and figure out what I'm going to do next with my life. I am very grateful to my family, friends and the ones who I have met and have stayed by my side and helped me through the darkest times of my life.

Whoever is reading this, I hope you have a wonderful day. You are trying your best and that's enough. You are living in the best moment of your life.

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Not really what I expected

It was supposedly a cute movie about love and marriage but I can't stand the message.

So the male lead's almost-an-affair is nothing to be revealed? And it's considered as a normal behavior? I thought it would cause a scene between the main couple.

This man is such a jerk to me, for being over-jealous towards for no clear reason, just him being so childish and possessive, and for taking her as a bad inspiration to write poems, for ignoring her, and worst, for letting his jerks aka so-called friends embarass her and not protecting her.

I really don't think the ending is a happy ending for the female lead. She deserves so much better.

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A lighthearted series with top-notch chemistry and cinematography

"When do people love the other 100%? It is not when I love you more than I love myself, but only when I truly like myself and believe in myself, that I can love you wholehearted and truly."

"Follow the wind. In this world, there are many things that we cannot control. Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Strive hard when it's time to fight for something. As for the outcome, we can only make a wish to the wind. If we make a wish to the wind, the bamboo dragonfly might fly back to us. Although many things are beyond our control, if we leave a bit to heaven, it might bring us a little surprise."

"It lies in his nature. As long as he knows where he's from and who he is, he can unify his heart and mind and eventually achieve success. That's the universal law."

I relate to these messages so much. That's why I give this series a 10 out of 10 out of enjoyment and satisfaction, although some parts are quite predictable and the ending isn't what I expected. It felt a little bit rushed. I will be so happy if they make a season 2 or a special episode. I would like to see the leads' love story in real life, as well as the happy ending for all the characters in the novel.

This is a lighthearted series with beautiful heartfelt messages, not just about romantic love, but also about human bonding and relationships as well. The best thing about romance in this series is that there is no love triangle, but there are two separate couples instead. I love both the leads' and the second leads' love stories and they all have top-notch chemistry. There are not many physical intimacy scenes between the leads but I can feel their chemistry through the screen every single time!

In my opinion, the main theme of this series is about found family and human bonding, self-love and self-discovery. We have five people that aren't related by blood but they stay together under the same roof, and consider themselves as a part of a family. The two couples are not just each other's lovers, but also each other's best friend, and soulmate .Together, their love and trust towards each other grow bigger and bigger day by day. "The Four Heroes of the Bamboo Forest" is the best found family in a Chinese drama that I've watched recently. They are an unbreakable team! And the little bamboo demon Cui Cui is freaking adorable!

Other great things of this series are its beautiful cinematography, visual effects, costumes and soundtrack music. Although it's a fantasy world, it doesn't feel fake at all. Every song touches my soul every time I listen to them throughout the series. They fit perfectly with the scenes they appear in. The characters' costumes are bright and colorful, and suit each other's personality.

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An important medical drama

Fast-paced, straightforward, intense, and full of comedy and action. It also has some emotional moments and the ending is perfect. The important major message is well-conveyed throughout the series. I hope that the series can help to change the world’s medical system for the better.

There are some parts which I find illogical and unrealistic but it’s fine. I think it’s the director’s intention. The main lead is built with the image of a superhero doctor with a great passion for saving his patients no matter what and with the best surgical skills, so it’s understandable that a few things about him are exaggerated. The only thing that annoys me a little bit is that they don’t wear helmets when riding a motorbike. And it doesn’t happen once. Call me a nitpicker, but as someone who rides motorbike every day, I would say it’s actually very dangerous to do that, not as cool as it looks.

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This is the best live-action musical series I have watched so far!

I always have a soft spot for musical films, especially films with classical music. I love classical music, and love the piano the most. So "Nodame Cantabile" is a perfect series for me. It makes me fall in love with classical music one more time and also gave me the motivation to start practicing the piano again. As a piano learner, I'm kind of like Nodame who does not read the music sheet very well. Of course I'm not as talented as Nodame. My level is quite basic. I just learnt it to play for fun, but paused for a long time because I don't have a piano with me, and the teacher forced me too much that made me stressed. So this time I'll buy a small piano and try to practice on my own while maybe looking for a more suitable piano teacher.

Anyway, "Nodame Cantabile" is so special and precious to me. I love every music performance throughout the series. I can feel the love for music in every character in the series. I love most of the characters, except the foreign Maestro character. He's just a perverted old man to me. The way he treats women is horrible, and I don't like his fake foreign look and accent either. I felt annoyed every time he appeared. However, as this is an old Japanese drama and as I love everything else and the music just touched my soul every single time, "Nodame Cantabile" is still a 100/10 series for me. I will re-watch it from time to time.

Besides music, this series is also special because of other reasons. I love our girl Nodame so much and also love her beloved senpai Chiaki. Nodame is so adorable, innocent but definitely not a stupid girl. She's a talented piano genius in disguise because of childhood traumas. Chiaki is also a genius with childhood traumas. I enjoyed watching Nodame and Chiaki's character development through each episode, and I loved the way they helped and supported each other in overcoming their own fears to find their real selves and discover their talents. Their romance is so pure, beautiful, and supportive, and it starts out of the love for music. I specially love the scene in the last episode where Nodame was talking about her dream of performing on the same stage with her senpai as a golden pair with full of excitement. Nodame is just too sweet and adorable! No wonder Chiaki hugs her from the back!

Also, they are so hilarious together. I enjoyed watching Chiaki's reactions and his facial expressions every time he's with Nodame lol. I laughed so much while watching them together. Of course I don't take the violence seriously. I understand that's the slapstick comedy style, as this series is adapted from a comedy manga.

Besides the leads, other characters are also very loveable. My other favorite characters are Mine and Kiyora. I love them as an individual character and love them as a couple as well. Their romance is also pure, beautiful and supportive and starts out of the love for music. Not only a wild and sensitive artist, Mine is also the best boyfriend and also the best buddy! While Kiyora is a strong ambitious and brave woman who dares to dream big and work hard to chase after her dream. She’s also a kind and supportive friend. It’s always nice to see this type of female character in a Japanese series.

Another thing that makes "Nodame Cantabile" so special to me is that there is no drama, no villain, no toxic love triangle, and no misunderstanding throughout the series. I just feel the absolute love for music from every character, as well as their desire and dreams, and their struggles while chasing their dreams. I can see myself in every character's struggle, and they also encourage me to face my fears to find my real self and follow my dreams. As how much Chiaki is grateful to his orchestra at the end of the series, I'm also grateful to "Nodame Cantabile" in the same way. I also feel like it's time to end a part of my life, and feel like it's the start of something new. I will move forward to a new journey and discover myself more in that journey. Although there are still fears, but I will stop doubting myself and start to believe in myself more. :)

There are still many more things to talk about this series but I'll stop now. I'm not sure if anyone will ever read this review but I wrote it to myself as the main purpose. Maybe it's a bit lengthy and boring to others. :)

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A non-toxic mature series for adults - Yoo Eun Ho is the greenest forest ever!

I love mature romance stories, with healthy relationships where nice people fall in love and treat each other right. This series is like that. Plus, I've watched Lee Joon Hyuk since her debut projects and it's really rare to see him be a male lead in a romance, and he's paired with Han Ji Min! Both are my beloved actors, so why can I miss out on this series?

"Love Scout" is a lighthearted slow-burn mature romance Kdrama where both the leads equally love and respect each other. I'm satisfied with it. The leads have great chemistry, while both second leads are very nice, and them ending up together is the best part. There's no toxic love triangle, no toxic ex coming back and meddling between the leads. And the ending is just perfect. I would feel awkward if they got married right away at the end but luckily it didn't happen, because it's not realistic in their situation.

Most of the characters are likeable. The leads are surrounded by kind-hearted and supportive people, except for the female lead’s business rivals who go shady against her. That is understandable, as our female lead Ji Yoon is a CEO. Being a businesswoman means you have a lot of rivals and have to go through hardships.

This is also a realistic office-themed and slice of life series with great messages about self-value, self-discovery, and what to prioritize in life. There is great career advice as well. I relate so much to the characters that want to quit and change jobs but they're still stuck in the same position because of the money and other things, or they don't know what is suitable for them. I wish Ji Yoon's company really existed so that I could register as their candidate.

Besides being a supportive partner to Ji Yoon, our male lead Eun Ho is also a role model as a loving and caring single father. His daughter is his first priority and he always tries to be with her when she needs him. It’s rare to see a single father like him in Kdramas. It's usual to see single mothers like this. That's another thing I love about the show. I hope it will help to break the stereotypes and help people realize that men can be a caring father too.

I love how Eun Ho talked about parenthood and said how his daughter had 'raised' him so that he could become a great person like he was at the moment. I also love what Ji Yoon told Byeol that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to love, that having both parents doesn't mean that you receive double love from them, but one parent loving you wholeheartedly is enough. I agree with this to the bone. This is actually quite a new concept in recent Asian series too, since a lot of Asian people still consider divorce as some kind of a crime and think that being a single parent is not good for the kids.

I also love the relationship between Eun Ho and the second female lead. I find it very interesting. Both are single parents and they are 'parenting friends' who help each other take care of the kids when the other is busy with other schedules. This is a new type of relationship recently and I think it's a beautiful platonic relationship in this modern society.

Another light of the show is the two little kids. They are just so adorable. Byeol is such a cutie pie! I love watching her father-daughter relationship with Eun Ho, and especially love her interactions with Ji Yoon as well.

There are only 2 little things I didn't like much about this series, but it didn't really affect my viewing experience in general:

+ First, why don't they just let the leads meet each other in a natural way when they are adults? Why do they have to add a traumatizing childhood past to make them be more like "destined to be together"? When I watched the episode that showed Ji Yoon's father had died in a fire accident, I really whispered to myself: "Please don't let the leads be related to each other through that accident". And what I had feared came true! The moment Eun Ho freaked out when hearing the sound of a fire truck, I knew right away that Ji Yoon's father had died while saving him. What happened next was quite predictable to me. After years of watching Kdramas, I'm too used to this situation. Luckily it didn't stir up any drama between the leads, and instead it gave them some space to reflect on themselves and their relationship. That's a great thing.

+ Second, why don't they just let the second female lead be a real single mother, instead of an aunt adopting her nephew as her own son? This situation is also quite familiar in Kdrama plots. I found it not very creative but it's not a big deal either. Anyway, as I've mentioned above, our second female lead is a nice person and kind at heart. I'm happy that she finally meets another great person who cherishes her. Although it was obvious that they would end up together from the beginning, it still felt nice to see their love growing through each episode. Besides the leads, their romance story is also slow-burn and mature.

Everything in this show is mature. I love it so much!

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A heartwarming medical and slice of life series

Such a beautiful story. I’m speechless!

It’s not just a medical series but a heartwarming picture of life and humanity. The romance feels so unique, natural and beautiful. The character development is great and the acting is really impressive! I love most of the characters in this series. And the ending is just amazing. It gives me a sense of fulfillment. But I wish it could last longer and show a little more scenes of Sanpei and Miyabi together. It ends way too soon!

There are only 3 things I don’t like much throughout the series:

+ They let a long-term brain patient (the female lead) drink beer like every day, and no one warns her about it. Alcohol is harmful to the brain, and the female lead has a serious brain disease, had brain surgery before and has to take medicine every day! This doesn’t make much sense to me. Maybe because they want to add some commercials for the beer product?

+ The hospital is such a big one but doesn’t seem to have many patients, as the doctors and nurses are quite chill and hang out at a familiar restaurant, drink beer and chitchat all the time. All the main doctors and nurses are there at the same time! Lol. And sometimes they all gather at one place in the hospital as well. I think it’s not very logical in a medical workplace. I do understand they want to show the great bonding the female lead has with the colleagues and how kind and helpful they are towards her. It just happens way too much. If the workplace weren’t a hospital, it would make more sense. :)

+ The creepy hospital chairman and his way of eating really pisses me off. It’s so painful for me to watch him eat, and he eats in almost every scene he appears. 😭

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I love spicy food but didn't enjoy it much

I know this is supposed to be an inspiring series for office workers to try their best and work hard at their job, but what's so wrong with wanting a work-life balance? To be honest, no one really wants to work. We work mostly for the money and the benefits it brings to us, right?

The character Ryusuke might appear as a lazy young person according to the propaganda all the companies have told us, but I think that's a wise thing to live like him. As long as I fulfill my tasks at work properly, I'm free to relax and live my life how I want to and nobody has the right to ask me such questions as 'what do you go to work for?'. Obviously it's because of money! Anyone who tells you that it's not is a hypocrite, and they are trying to gaslight and manipulate you to make you work harder than you should. If it's outside working hours, that's my business and please mind your own business and stop teaching me how to be more passionate about work. You don't live to work, but it's the opposite. I've been there and it's exhausted both my physical body and soul. I want to be more like Ryusuke and enjoy my life more. I'm trying to create a work-life balance for myself but it's not so easy. Seriously, I think it's one of the hardest things to do. Not many people can do that.

Another big thing I couldn't stand in this series is how it's propagated that carbohydrates are unhealthy to our body and bad for diets. That's kind of an eating disorder that might mislead a lot of people, especially young ladies, who want to stay skinny and think that's healthy.

As a person who loves spicy food, the only thing I like in this series is the spicy food and the philosophy behind why people are eating them. It sounds interesting and it makes sense, although I'm not sure if it's true in my case. Maybe it's true at some point, and it does feel refreshing after eating spicy food. However, I have to admit the food in the show doesn't look so spicy to me. Tabasco is not spicy at all and the food looks kind of pale. It still looks delicious though, and the way the characters eat even makes the food look tastier, but it just doesn't look spicy. I heard from a friend who's been living in Japan for a while that Japanese people can't really handle spicy food, and hot sauce in Japan tastes like ketchup. I hope I will visit Japan someday to try some spicy food there and clarify that. :)

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Not as great as Class 1, but still good enough

Not as great as Class 1 but it’s still a good watch for me. The acting from all the actors is great, especially Park Ji Hoon and Lee Jun Young. Their eyes and facial expressions are really impressive. Ryeoun's character, on the other hand, is not as badass as I expected.

The plot is not as deep and emotional as Class 1. There are too many characters while each of them has very little screen time to dig deeper into their own story. So it was quite confusing. I don’t really understand the motives for their actions.

It felt a little bit rushed, to get all the things sorted and fully unfolded. The friendship between the characters also felt a little bit lacking for me. They have some great moments together, but I didn’t feel their connection as deep as the trio in Class 1.

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Kahoko and Hajime are really cute, but I don't like the concept of family in this drama

The only two things I love in this series are Kahoko and Hajime, and them as a couple is the cutest thing ever! Unfortunately, they didn't get enough screentime, as this is a family drama, and that's what I dislike about this drama.

Except for those two, I find all of other characters so annoying, especially Kahoko's mom. I couldn't stand her and there were too many scenes of her!

I don't like the concept of "family is family, we should stick together no matter what". As a person who grew up in a dysfunctional family, I think it's not really that necessary to stick to your family members if they hurt you, and it's totally fine to cut off with toxic blood-related family members.

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Silly plot and illegal romance

I gave this 5.5 out of 10, because I love the main cast. Also, most of the supporting characters are quite good and enjoyable people, except for the Geisha lady and the cheating husband. I specially like the grandmother and the male housekeeper, and the female employee who is close to the female lead.

I’m okay with the 10 year age gap but please at least make the male lead 1 or 2 years older. He’s underage and immature. The romance in this series is illegal lol. If anyone disliked them and reported them to the police, the female lead would be arrested. Also, the plot is dumb and annoying too.

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A litter bit disappointing, but the couple is still adorable

The only good thing I want to see is the interaction between Buchou and Hotaru as a lovey-dovey newly married couple, and I believe other viewers watch the movie because of that too.

However, the movie’s main focus is around some kind of a stranger woman that I don’t even bother to remember her name, and couldn’t care less about her story. She and also all other characters are annoying, and she is the worst, and the plot is weird and stupid. The movie is supposed to be their honeymoon trip, but then it’s ruined for someone not important and not relevant at all. It would be okay for me if they put the woman's story as a very side plot, not playin a big role in the plot like how it is. It just doesn't make sense.

I still give it 6 out of 10 just because of the moments between Hotaru and Buchou. They are still sweet, adorable and funny as before. It's finally a happy ending for their love story, although I expect to learn more after that. I want to see their baby!!

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Great chemistry but a few things feel unrealistic

In general, it's a great love story. The chemistry of the main couple is no joke. I can feel love all in the air when the two are together. And the boy is just so adorable. ^^

However, there are a few things that feel unrealistic in this series. For examples:

1. The female lead seems too talented and confident to exist. How can she just attend a company as an ordinary employee and get promoted so fast to a manager within only 2 years, when she's a single mom and her son even has a heart disease? It means she would have to worry about him, take care of him and stay at the hospital all day every now and then. Of course she can ask her neighbor doctor to take care of him but that's the thing that feels not real. Doctors are busy all day and have no fixed fee time, and as a mom, she would worry a lot about his son when she's sick. Heart disease is definitely not a joke.

2. The serious heart disease doesn't feel so serious. The male lead can drink some beer, run around all day with the female lead, while running is tiring even for a normal person.

3. The kids at the kindergarten were so mean to the son of the couple and his teachers did nothing to protect him. When he had a big heart surgery, instead of cheering him up, the kids called him a monster and bullied him, while the teachers just ignored it, and the female lead also did nothing to protect his son. As a mother, the female lead also didn't protect him in some other cases. It doesn’t feel right to me.

Also, the supporting couples feel a bit forced, and I don't feel any chemistry between their characters. One couple is just about physical intimacy, and the other has a better story (the doctor and the ballerina) and quite entertaining, but it still feels a bit forced.

Besides, about the brother of the dead mutual friend of the main couple, he's not a kid anymore, yet immediately wrongly blamed the female lead for his sister's death just by listening to the passengers of the bus who were all traumatized in the accident? And he blamed a passenger instead of the bus driver? Normally people usually blame the bus driver first before everyone else in similar cases.

There are a few more things that are on my nerves but I'll stop it here. As I enjoy watching the main couple together and the boy is adorable, I still like this series. :)

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A beautiful masterpiece - Best Kdrama of 2025 so far

"When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a beautiful heart-warming series. It touches different aspects of life and implies beautiful messages in each episode throughout the series. It's also a powerful feminist Kdrama. I can see myself, my mother's and my grandmother's life in this series. I am forever grateful to all the women in previous generations. They have been through a lot of hardships and battles so that we can live in a world that we are today. It's also a beautiful tribute to our grandparents' lives who have sacrificed a lot for a better life for their future generations.

Another thing that makes this series so special is that it's inspired by a real life story. Gwan-sik and Sun-ae's love story really exists in this world. It gives me hope and strengthens my trust in love and humanity. This series also raises my standards higher and encourages me to love myself more and to follow my dreams. It encourages me to stop torturing myself and let go of something that's hurt me so much for a long time, even though I've wanted it and liked it a lot. There is a stage of my life that I need to end so that I can move forwards into a new stage.

I love how the series is divided into 4 volumes, like how a person's life is divided into 4 stages. We all live in a cycle of 4 seasons in our life: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. We experience both great joy and deep sorrow. Everything in our life happens for a reason and each season teaches us a lesson we need to learn. Afterall, we will live, no matter what. This beautiful message really touches my soul, as there were times I really wanted to end my life, but now I'm grateful that I'm still alive and able to breathe.

I really enjoyed the loving daughter-father relationship between Gwan-sik and Geum-myeong. I am not lucky enough to have a great father like Gwan-sik to Geum-myeong. My Asian father chose to be a good son, while my father's mother and siblings hate and look down on my mom for being a little poorer than them. Although my mother has done a lot of things for her in-law's family, they take it for granted and torture her a lot. My father is quite an absent father, and he looks down on me and my mom because we are women. Now I have a very awkward relationship with him. Everytime I watch or read a story with a loving husband and father like in this series, there is a very indescribable feeling rising in my heart.

I think of my grandmother (my mother's mother) a lot while watching this series. At her funeral, when others were praising her about how great she was as a devoted mother and grandmother, I thought her life was so miserable and cried. She was devoted to her husband and children all her life, and she was a mother whose 4 children passed away at young ages. Her husband passed away many years before her too. She never wanted to hold any celebrations when she reached 70, 80, and even 90 or didn't want to receive any rewards. My mom said she blamed herself for the death of her children, thinking that she could live a long lifetime because she stole her children's years of life. I couldn't imagine how much pain she had to endure when she was alive. My heart aches everytime I think of her life, and my mother's life too. My grandmother was a wonderful woman. My mom told me she was the most talented daughter in her family, and so did my mom. Both of them were the breadwinner of their family and also great at a lot of things. My mom expects me to be great too, and I used to feel so stressed comparing myself to them, but at the same time I swore to myself to never live like them. I also told my mom that, like how Geum-myeong told Ae Sun in a scene in episode 4. However, also thanks to that scene, now I think of my grandmother and mother's life in a more positive way, when Ae Sun told Geum-myeong: "You're right. Don't live the life I lived. But you know, I found happiness in my own way. There was sunshine in my life too. I've had so many picture-perfect moments. I just want you to acknowledge that my life was worthwhile too." I'm still trying to break the cycle of generational trauma, but I will never underestimate their lives again.

I can see myself in Geum-myeong in her relationship with her mother. I bicker a lot with my mom. There is a big age gap and generation gap between us, so we have different perspectives about life. There are times we hurt each other with words, but we also have great moments together, and there were times my mom used the whole world to me. My mom also told me she used to bicker a lot with my grandmother too, and she was also considered quite a rebellious daughter when she was young, like me. So basically my mom gave birth to a daughter who is exactly like her. Children are the mirrors of their parents. This message is perfectly portrayed throughout the series. Just like how Ae Sun’s mom and Ae Sun herself try their best to improve their daughter's life, I understand that my mom also tries to improve my life. I'm going to live a happy life so that my mom can be proud, and so that my future daughter can live a better life too.

I'm definitely going to re-watch "When Life Gives You Tangerines" with my mom! I think she will think of her mother a lot too. I'm sure she will cry a lot but it's going to be a good cry.

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