How could you not watch this? How could I not write about this? Oh, my heart, my damn heart is in tatters and in a beautifully happy and sad way.
Like pretty much everyone here, I knew about this drama when it first came out, due to all the hype. However, felt it simply wasn't for me. Fast forward 7-years, and something in me told me to watch it. They really need to change the bio on this drama, it simply doesn't give it justice as to what the feel and nature of the story actually is. Believe me, this drama's synopsis does NOT in any way match what you're viewing. It's just so, so, so much more.
I laughed, I really fucking laughed. However, I also found myself shedding a tear, something I've never done in a Korean drama. The writing is clever, so very clever. The characters both nuanced, complex, deep, dark and most importantly loving. However, for all, at their core was truly, beautiful, beautiful hearts, in what was broken humans having to deal with a life so outside their normal existence.
Je-Hyeok's character was so multi-layered. I adored him. Simple minded, as his girlfriend said, sums him up beautifully. He may have been simple-minded, but damn, was that man intelligent, eloquent and most importantly for me, so utterly selfless and in touch with human beings and human nature. I absolutely loved how he portrayed Je-Hyeok. What a sublime, believable performance as an actor. I felt his pain, anger, frustrations, heartbreak, happiness, joy and utter love and anguish for his fellow convicts, prison wardens and when he finally realised he'd taken Ji-Ho's love for granted. That girl so knew how to play her man to make him realise throughout their relationship, he'd taken her love for granted. But boy, did she know her man and have his back. They are the epitome, for me, of what makes a great couple and longevity in a relationship. I felt their love.
Like everyone, I honestly don't understand the path the writer and director took with Looney. WHY? I can only think that South Korea continues and remains so fucking homophobic, that they couldn't give a gay man a happy ending. It didn't make any sense to my brain. In fact, his final demise was utterly senseless to the storytelling. Looney had gone dry turkey for months. Why choose this demise for him? Punishment around taking drugs and being gay, over being a murderer and rapist is how we are left to think South Korea chooses to punish those who truly try to change their lives through drug addiction. How sad, how very sad indeed that they still fail to recognise mental illness as an illness and not a weakness. How nice would it have been for 1) His lover and parents to meet him at the prison door with Tofu and then 2) Take him to a drug rehabilitation unit. That makes total sense to my brain - not this shitshow of an unnecessary ending for him. Damn, damn, damn, what a phenomenal actor Looney was in this role. Utterly sublime, captivating and believable.
However, in conclusion, I both laughed and cried. This series was an utter surprise and delight for me and my senses. Yes, I'll re-watch. Damn, I'll definitely re-watch. It's a 9.5/10 for me and they lost a point for how very, very, badly they ended up portraying Looney's character and simply because, it was an opportunity MASSIVELY LOST!
For me, it's a 9.5/10 and if you know me, that's very high praise indeed.
How could you not watch this? How could I not write about this? Oh, my heart, my damn heart is in tatters and in a beautifully happy and sad way.
Like pretty much everyone here, I knew about this drama when it first came out, due to all the hype. However, felt it simply wasn't for me. Fast forward 7-years, and something in me told me to watch it. They really need to change the bio on this drama, it simply doesn't give it justice as to what the feel and nature of the story actually is. Believe me, this drama's synopsis does NOT in any way match what you're viewing. It's just so, so, so much more.
I laughed, I really fucking laughed. However, I also found myself shedding a tear, something I've never done in a Korean drama. The writing is clever, so very clever. The characters both nuanced, complex, deep, dark and most importantly loving. However, for all, at their core was truly, beautiful, beautiful hearts, in what was broken humans having to deal with a life so outside their normal existence.
Je-Hyeok's character was so multi-layered. I adored him. Simple minded, as his girlfriend said, sums him up beautifully. He may have been simple-minded, but damn, was that man intelligent, eloquent and most importantly for me, so utterly selfless and in touch with human beings and human nature. I absolutely loved how he portrayed Je-Hyeok. What a sublime, believable performance as an actor. I felt his pain, anger, frustrations, heartbreak, happiness, joy and utter love and anguish for his fellow convicts, prison wardens and when he finally realised he'd taken Ji-Ho's love for granted. That girl so knew how to play her man to make him realise throughout their relationship, he'd taken her love for granted. But boy, did she know her man and have his back. They are the epitome, for me, of what makes a great couple and longevity in a relationship. I felt their love.
Like everyone, I honestly don't understand the path the writer and director took with Looney. WHY? I can only think that South Korea continues and remains so fucking homophobic, that they couldn't give a gay man a happy ending. It didn't make any sense to my brain. In fact, his final demise was utterly senseless to the storytelling. Looney had gone dry turkey for months. Why choose this demise for him? Punishment around taking drugs and being gay, over being a murderer and rapist is how we are left to think South Korea chooses to punish those who truly try to change their lives through drug addiction. How sad, how very sad indeed that they still fail to recognise mental illness as an illness and not a weakness. How nice would it have been for 1) His lover and parents to meet him at the prison door with Tofu and then 2) Take him to a drug rehabilitation unit. That makes total sense to my brain - not this shitshow of an unnecessary ending for him. Damn, damn, damn, what a phenomenal actor Looney was in this role. Utterly sublime, captivating and believable.
However, in conclusion, I both laughed and cried. This series was an utter surprise and delight for me and my senses. Yes, I'll re-watch. Damn, I'll definitely re-watch. It's a 9.5/10 for me and they lost a point for how very, very, badly they ended up portraying Looney's character and simply because, it was an opportunity MASSIVELY LOST!
For me, it's a 9.5/10 and if you know me, that's very high praise indeed.
Taiwan, Taiwan. What on earth was going on with this drama!? That was beyond painful viewing from start to finish. It felt like I was watching a drama created by a teenage Wattpad writer. The cliches were seriously over-the-top and made for cringeworthy viewing. The constant inner dialogue as with most of the episodes, so repetitive and don't even get me started on the endless reel of philosophical babble. There simply wasn't enough of a story narrative or depth for this drama to not become tedious.
Liu Li's character as a 'supposed' famous writer of two renowned love stories, was completely unbelievable. The character was utterly clueless and beyond childish when it came to love, so how did he manage to write two best-selling novels? This made absolutely no sense.
I don't think it has any re-watch value. It's a 1.5/10 for me and that's for the food.
What a lovely episode. This drama continues to surprise and delight me. That scene between Toki and Sahara at the river, was beautifully scripted, with stunning cinematography. I defy anyone not to be drawn to Toki's personality, he's just so adorable, with such a thoughtful heart. I find myself mesmerised by his beautiful skin tone. The cream and orange tones against his blonde hair, I find stunning. I also like the simple honesty of the narrative - no ridiculous misunderstandings for narrative sake. So looking forward to next week.
What a lovely first episode. Beauty and the geek! Delightful and interesting coupling. Don't even get me started on the food. Oh, the food! Already, it gives me all the vibes the travesty that was Naked Dining should have been but sadly couldn't deliver. Looking forward to next week.
Like most reviewers, it took me a long, long time to finally commit to watching this drama, although my brain told me it would be good. I think it was because I thought the ML came across, in reviews, as a psychopathic killer and I didn't like the fact that our supposed 'clever' FL was going to be taken on a dark ride into the unknown. My thought process thought it didn't make for a happy ending and I like a happy ending. However, something in me recently decided to watch, mainly because of its great reviews both here and on Viki.
Firstly, I'll never be able to hear the words "I'm curious," "I'm frustrated", without thinking about this drama. Honestly, if you counted how many times the statement, "I'm curious" was mentioned in the drama, it would blow your mind. I'm going for at least 20 times.
It's been a long time since I've given a drama a 10/10 and this one deserves it. To say it takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions would be an understatement. That's what it is. A rollercoaster ride of emotions. I especially liked that our ML doesn't, yet does sublimely feel so many emotions and I found myself feeling his emotions throughout the entire drama. Our FL totally understood her man and had his back throughout - loved this. She's sharp. She's intelligent. Totally fierce. She epitomised everything that true love is. Whoever cast these two together did a great job. I felt it.
For me, a great drama is about clever writing and chemistry between our leads. The writing of this drama is so damn clever. It's tight. No angst for angst sake, but because it makes total sense to the script and narrative of the story. The FL's love brought immense chemistry to the drama. Bravo.
Yet another weak script from Thailand. There was no depth to this story, to the point where it’s actually forgettable. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Ohm and Peach. It’s a shame Ohm has been typecast, as I remain unconvinced he can act. For me, Poom was the star of this drama. It’s a 3/10 for me and I won’t be re-watching.
This series feels like I’m watching a drama made by a 16 year old Wattpad writer. The script is childish, bearing on laughable and the acting, just borderline ok.
It's been a very long time for me that an Asian drama has left me feeling this way! This drama touches my heart on a whole different level. I'm a harsh critic. However, I own that, because I think I'm factual in my feedback. This drama. This drama, is beyond, beyond, beautiful in my mind. The dialogue between our two leads blows my mind. So thoughtful and beautifully written. The silence between them I find mesmerising. No words needed.
Cha Jin Woo was made for this role. I feel it was actually written for him. What an actor, damn, this man nails his character. I feel him. His eyes showcase all his feelings to me. I adore his lacklustre movements. His body language. His on-screen presence is palpable.
Don't even get me started on our FL. She's awesome. She rocks. Damn, if I was a lesbian, I'd be a relentless flirt after her love!! #JustSaying. The way the writer has written her character is so refreshing, when over 90% of K-dramas always have the ML chasing the female. How lovely is it to actually see a beautiful, subtle, not in your face FL go after her man? Love it. For me, at this point, her character is stunningly written and one I can massively relate to. Such a beautiful, beautiful, thoughtful heart.
I find myself loving this drama so damn much. It really is that good. Beautiful writing. Beautiful storytelling. Beautiful directing. Beautiful cinematography. Off-the-scale chemistry between our leads.
In a nutshell, a truly beautiful, thought provoking drama.
Like pretty much everyone here, I knew about this drama when it first came out, due to all the hype. However, felt it simply wasn't for me. Fast forward 7-years, and something in me told me to watch it. They really need to change the bio on this drama, it simply doesn't give it justice as to what the feel and nature of the story actually is. Believe me, this drama's synopsis does NOT in any way match what you're viewing. It's just so, so, so much more.
I laughed, I really fucking laughed. However, I also found myself shedding a tear, something I've never done in a Korean drama. The writing is clever, so very clever. The characters both nuanced, complex, deep, dark and most importantly loving. However, for all, at their core was truly, beautiful, beautiful hearts, in what was broken humans having to deal with a life so outside their normal existence.
Je-Hyeok's character was so multi-layered. I adored him. Simple minded, as his girlfriend said, sums him up beautifully. He may have been simple-minded, but damn, was that man intelligent, eloquent and most importantly for me, so utterly selfless and in touch with human beings and human nature. I absolutely loved how he portrayed Je-Hyeok. What a sublime, believable performance as an actor. I felt his pain, anger, frustrations, heartbreak, happiness, joy and utter love and anguish for his fellow convicts, prison wardens and when he finally realised he'd taken Ji-Ho's love for granted. That girl so knew how to play her man to make him realise throughout their relationship, he'd taken her love for granted. But boy, did she know her man and have his back. They are the epitome, for me, of what makes a great couple and longevity in a relationship. I felt their love.
Like everyone, I honestly don't understand the path the writer and director took with Looney. WHY? I can only think that South Korea continues and remains so fucking homophobic, that they couldn't give a gay man a happy ending. It didn't make any sense to my brain. In fact, his final demise was utterly senseless to the storytelling. Looney had gone dry turkey for months. Why choose this demise for him? Punishment around taking drugs and being gay, over being a murderer and rapist is how we are left to think South Korea chooses to punish those who truly try to change their lives through drug addiction. How sad, how very sad indeed that they still fail to recognise mental illness as an illness and not a weakness. How nice would it have been for 1) His lover and parents to meet him at the prison door with Tofu and then 2) Take him to a drug rehabilitation unit. That makes total sense to my brain - not this shitshow of an unnecessary ending for him. Damn, damn, damn, what a phenomenal actor Looney was in this role. Utterly sublime, captivating and believable.
However, in conclusion, I both laughed and cried. This series was an utter surprise and delight for me and my senses. Yes, I'll re-watch. Damn, I'll definitely re-watch. It's a 9.5/10 for me and they lost a point for how very, very, badly they ended up portraying Looney's character and simply because, it was an opportunity MASSIVELY LOST!
For me, it's a 9.5/10 and if you know me, that's very high praise indeed.
Like pretty much everyone here, I knew about this drama when it first came out, due to all the hype. However, felt it simply wasn't for me. Fast forward 7-years, and something in me told me to watch it. They really need to change the bio on this drama, it simply doesn't give it justice as to what the feel and nature of the story actually is. Believe me, this drama's synopsis does NOT in any way match what you're viewing. It's just so, so, so much more.
I laughed, I really fucking laughed. However, I also found myself shedding a tear, something I've never done in a Korean drama. The writing is clever, so very clever. The characters both nuanced, complex, deep, dark and most importantly loving. However, for all, at their core was truly, beautiful, beautiful hearts, in what was broken humans having to deal with a life so outside their normal existence.
Je-Hyeok's character was so multi-layered. I adored him. Simple minded, as his girlfriend said, sums him up beautifully. He may have been simple-minded, but damn, was that man intelligent, eloquent and most importantly for me, so utterly selfless and in touch with human beings and human nature. I absolutely loved how he portrayed Je-Hyeok. What a sublime, believable performance as an actor. I felt his pain, anger, frustrations, heartbreak, happiness, joy and utter love and anguish for his fellow convicts, prison wardens and when he finally realised he'd taken Ji-Ho's love for granted. That girl so knew how to play her man to make him realise throughout their relationship, he'd taken her love for granted. But boy, did she know her man and have his back. They are the epitome, for me, of what makes a great couple and longevity in a relationship. I felt their love.
Like everyone, I honestly don't understand the path the writer and director took with Looney. WHY? I can only think that South Korea continues and remains so fucking homophobic, that they couldn't give a gay man a happy ending. It didn't make any sense to my brain. In fact, his final demise was utterly senseless to the storytelling. Looney had gone dry turkey for months. Why choose this demise for him? Punishment around taking drugs and being gay, over being a murderer and rapist is how we are left to think South Korea chooses to punish those who truly try to change their lives through drug addiction. How sad, how very sad indeed that they still fail to recognise mental illness as an illness and not a weakness. How nice would it have been for 1) His lover and parents to meet him at the prison door with Tofu and then 2) Take him to a drug rehabilitation unit. That makes total sense to my brain - not this shitshow of an unnecessary ending for him. Damn, damn, damn, what a phenomenal actor Looney was in this role. Utterly sublime, captivating and believable.
However, in conclusion, I both laughed and cried. This series was an utter surprise and delight for me and my senses. Yes, I'll re-watch. Damn, I'll definitely re-watch. It's a 9.5/10 for me and they lost a point for how very, very, badly they ended up portraying Looney's character and simply because, it was an opportunity MASSIVELY LOST!
For me, it's a 9.5/10 and if you know me, that's very high praise indeed.
Liu Li's character as a 'supposed' famous writer of two renowned love stories, was completely unbelievable. The character was utterly clueless and beyond childish when it came to love, so how did he manage to write two best-selling novels? This made absolutely no sense.
I don't think it has any re-watch value. It's a 1.5/10 for me and that's for the food.
Firstly, I'll never be able to hear the words "I'm curious," "I'm frustrated", without thinking about this drama. Honestly, if you counted how many times the statement, "I'm curious" was mentioned in the drama, it would blow your mind. I'm going for at least 20 times.
It's been a long time since I've given a drama a 10/10 and this one deserves it. To say it takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions would be an understatement. That's what it is. A rollercoaster ride of emotions. I especially liked that our ML doesn't, yet does sublimely feel so many emotions and I found myself feeling his emotions throughout the entire drama. Our FL totally understood her man and had his back throughout - loved this. She's sharp. She's intelligent. Totally fierce. She epitomised everything that true love is. Whoever cast these two together did a great job. I felt it.
For me, a great drama is about clever writing and chemistry between our leads. The writing of this drama is so damn clever. It's tight. No angst for angst sake, but because it makes total sense to the script and narrative of the story. The FL's love brought immense chemistry to the drama. Bravo.
Cha Jin Woo was made for this role. I feel it was actually written for him. What an actor, damn, this man nails his character. I feel him. His eyes showcase all his feelings to me. I adore his lacklustre movements. His body language. His on-screen presence is palpable.
Don't even get me started on our FL. She's awesome. She rocks. Damn, if I was a lesbian, I'd be a relentless flirt after her love!! #JustSaying. The way the writer has written her character is so refreshing, when over 90% of K-dramas always have the ML chasing the female. How lovely is it to actually see a beautiful, subtle, not in your face FL go after her man? Love it. For me, at this point, her character is stunningly written and one I can massively relate to. Such a beautiful, beautiful, thoughtful heart.
I find myself loving this drama so damn much. It really is that good. Beautiful writing. Beautiful storytelling. Beautiful directing. Beautiful cinematography. Off-the-scale chemistry between our leads.
In a nutshell, a truly beautiful, thought provoking drama.