kara

Acting was phenomenal

I’ll start by saying that all three female lead actresses absolutely crushed it. The ensemble was solid. However, their roles needed to be executed perfectly and thankfully, they delivered, both in terms of acting and chemistry. The dynamics between the leads and their love interests were strong and interesting. Surprisingly, I enjoyed all the kids-centered subplots. For once, these were useful and helped to move story forward. My biggest issue lies with the writing of the third couple, who, for some odd reason, ended up together. If you’ve finished the series, you know exactly who I’m talking about. That man needed therapy, not the tired “love fixes all” trope to excuse his deeply unhealthy obsessions with dolls. Don't even get me started on them having a child (pro-life propaganda spotted).
Overall, it was nice to see another female centered slice of life drama, since we don’t get many of these in a year.

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it's cute

I'll admit, I was drawn to watch this film because of the hype. No need to beat around the bush, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The acting is fine, but the storytelling is the real issue. honestly, I can't blame the audience. The hype probably came from the lack of strong k-dramas/k-films this year. it reminded me of the c-19 era when everyone was suddenly releasing good music, simply because people were hungry for something to hold on to. However, I’m not the kind of person who can survive on crumbs; I need a full meal. This plot has been done hundreds times in other EA films, (especially in China and Japan), where seems to be a strange obsession with killing off characters in romance films. Within the first ten minutes, I guessed the entire story arc, and I haven’t done that in a while.

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mothers are mothering

This drama really surprised me with how good it was. The best way to describe it is: a hidden gem. It feels like an oasis in the desert (current kdrama landscape). the number of female-centered dramas seems to be decreasing every year like the population of pandas, and I find myself hunting for them more and more. this drama's strengths are strong leading ladies, solid storytelling, and high rewatch value which most of the dramas lack nowadays.
i recommend this to anyone who enjoys the mystery genre with a little bit of slice-of-life.
personally, i'm already looking forward to confirmed season 2.

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weirdly addicting

when i started this drama, i thought that i wouldn't like this drama but i grew quite fond of it (to drop it). the setting was unlikely to average jdrama. this story is centered around two women: imai natsu who accidentally inherited a huge sum of money as a care taker, and motomiya mitsuko who is helping her to gain leading role over the company. the story ends on a good note for both of the leads. now, one thing that bothered throughout the series was camera work and whatever kind yellow filter they were using. if there are more than two people on the scene this japanese style directing doesn't work. in my opinion, acting was the highlight of the series, especially the leads. the major issue that i have with writing were the lack of intelligence of some characters (natsu has the intelligence of a four year old), and poorly executed plot twists (that also might've been on director). regardless of everything, i couldn't look away.

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one of the best drama releases this year

this is what happens when you give great actors a great script. everything from the first episode until the last episode was thought through. also, i really liked that the divorce cases were portrayed realistically [court cases can last long and are often messy].
the only complaints i have are regarding two story lines. first, CEG forcing her daughter to interact with her dad, which felt out of character for her. secondly, the whole one sided crush trope between EG and UJ. it's as if writers threw it in the first episodes, but didn't know what to do with it in the final episode. overall, it's a great watch, and i'm thankful to whoever thought casting jang nara and nam jihyun as leading ladies.
PS: if you're a romcom enjoyer, you've come to the wrong place

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surprisingly good

it was on my planned to watch list for quite some time, so i'm glad that i finally watched it. this drama's strongest point is the bond between the women from different backgrounds. currently, a lot of kdramas are struggling with portraying friendship between 3 women without one of them becoming more of a supporting character. another thing ,which i loved about this drama is that comedy isn't forced (despite it being an older drama). it's all thanks to the great acting by three leading ladies and storytelling. this drama def isn't for hopeless romantics, but slice of life enjoyers. the moral of the story is finding OWN way in life, despite age

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the chemistry was chemistrying ... but

let me start by saying that alice ko and jasper liu are both fantastic actors. they delivered solid performances and did nothing wrong. in fact, their chemistry was the glue that held this series together. unfortunately, the writing was the show's biggest flaw. the decision to focus on emotional cheating, a messy marriage, and a pushy mother-in-law as central themes had potential, but the execution fell flat. additionally, the "plot twist" was underwhelming, and the characters showed little to no growth until the very last scene, which left me disappointed. however, i hope alice ko and jasper liu won't be discouraged to on make another drama together.

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trying to please people with happy ending isn't always a good thing

when i started watching this series, i thought that they would make their break up make sense, and they would properly solve their issues. it didn't happen. instead, we got two episodes of fluff, and three episodes of present. i feel like the writer was just pushing CH and AJ's differences aside until the final scene was taking place for the viewers. CH felt random quilt over the break up in last episode for some reason. AJ neglected her until she packed her bags and left. It makes you wonder if they're going to fall into the same rabbit hole.
despite the writing flaws, this drama has definitely an excellent cast, and cinematography.

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bitter hell

this drama really had many loop holes, draggy plots, very dumb main characters despite their degrees, a villain from comic books (can't believe that writer let her get away without punishment for so long). two things that kept me watching were the two leading ladies: kim hee sun (also, her character was the one i was rooting for this whole series) and lee hyeyeong for their masterclass acting despite this horrendous script and cinematography which was so breathtaking. what made me extra bitter was the ending of NYW. i can't believe that writers made NYW give up her career for a suicidal psycho.
for people who are considering watching this please threw logic out of the window.

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Too cliche

It’s an easy and certainly boring watch, but for some odd reason I just couldn’t drop this drama. In all honesty, this should’ve been a nice limited series with 6 episodes, but instead we got 12 which mostly focused on the second male lead and female lead story line which lead to nowhere. Watching this series felt more like a chore than entertainment. Both main characters also fell into tired J-drama stereotypes: the woman with low self-esteem and the man who hides himself behind a cold exterior/ has a weird personality. If you’re thinking of watching this, don’t.

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could've should've ending ruined the last episodes of the series

i had to narrow down my ratings after seeing the last few episodes but overall it was an enjoyable watch. let me start with the strong suits of the drama that kept me watching:
- good acting by everyone from the main cast
- great cinematography
- interesting plot
- lovely support characters (i really liked that all characters had their own ambitions in this story . we even got flashbacks of their past which added a lot to the story)
- chemistry is out of this world
- moral of the story: don't trust men
- women were portrayed as smart people, especially XFF
now the things i didn't like that much:
- at some parts downplaying SA
- promoting it as an angsty romance (there was no angst since the beginning, only yearning)
- cheap cgi effects (but it's slowly becoming a trademark of a popular drama)
the biggest mistake writers ever made the messy ending of the show. they were trying to please core audience the book lovers and viewers at the same time. it ended up blowing up to their face
- SYR just offing himself after writers portrayed him as the obstacle
- WN's forced ab*rtion
- don't get me started on the battle scene where everyone got offed followed by peaceful epilogue of the leads

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might be triggering...

My Broken Mariko is a visually stunning Japanese film that explores complex themes like mental health, grief, and redemption. The story follows Tomoyo as she travels across Japan to deliver the ashes of her best friend, Mariko, amidst the struggles of her painful past.

Through the visually striking imagery and outstanding performances, the audience is transported into Tomoyo's emotionally-charged world.

The music is thoughtfully composed and helps to create a vivid atmosphere, heightening the emotional impact of each scene.

Overall, My Broken Mariko is a journey of self-discovery and redemption that serves as a reminder of the human capacity for resilience and the importance of accepting help from others. The main reason why I can't give it a higher rating is because it has a low rewatch value because of triggering themes.

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Warm as a hug

I saw insanely negative reviews and knew I had to step up my game. This drama was never meant for romance lovers. The romance was a subplot which blew out of proportion because of edits. The leads had barely five minutes of screen time together in the early episodes. What made this drama one of my favorites of the year was the overall vibe. It became my companion during one of the most stressful periods of my life. The real highlight was the ensemble cast. There were no weak links. The chemistry among the entire cast was amazing, and no one felt like the odd one out. I have a secret soft spot for 90s nostalgia bite Asian dramas, so this made me tune in. However, there were clear issues with the writing. I didn’t have the same problem others did with the story going in circles with Kang Tae Pung getting scammed seven days a week. That carefree behavior was in character. For me, the real stumbling block was O Mi Seon. Around the midpoint of the drama, her character became somewhat useless. It's as if her sole purpose was to be the love interest. Until almost the final episode, she never stepped out of her comfort zone neither in her professional ambitions nor in her personal relationships. This situation frustrated me, because she had so much potential early on, and Kim Min Ha is a great actress who deserved more than what the writing gave her work on.
In conclusion, if you’re into slice of life in the 90s with a touch of romance, this drama is meant for you.

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