Kim MC

Underwhelming

I realize that my review is in the minority, and please, for those who love this drama, don't take offense. I adored Lee Jun Ho in "The Red Sleeve" and view him as a multi-talented entertainer. Im Yoon Ah is also a standout performer, and when I saw this coming out, it was on my watchlist from day one. My particular disgruntled opinion of this drama comes from the writing. The story arc between sister and brother was not explained well and the main FL's ex-boyfriend was unnecessary. There is also a Cinderella approach with Cheon Sa Rang with a feminist twist of "I want to do it myself," that miraculously came with grandma's savings. Really? The class distinction between the two leads was glossed over, and the character development between the two could have started with them finding a common ground between their social statuses. Instead, their noble characters made them fly above. I give it a solid 7 for the acting, total cast, and production. For the rest, I would gently urge the writers to pen a more interesting tale for the viewer. Without that, I hit fast forward a lot.

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Who we are and how we got there

I work with kids from adolescence to eighteen years of age. To sit and listen to about half of this populated group is to hear the hurt....my dad is in rehab, my mom's boyfriend beats her up and we hide. The stories are endless and sometimes, by the time these kids are eighteen, they lose the light in their eyes. Each year, each unforeseen and tormenting circumstance results in hope fading. This drama was the best I've watched at the portrayal of anger, ambivalence and abuse from the trusted caretaker to a child and how these events shape who they are in their journey.

Korean actors never cease to amaze me because I cannot see where the actor ends and the character begins and especially in these eight episodes. Park Ji Hoon, Choi Hyun Wook and Hong Kyung seamlessly show each facet of emotional turmoil they are going through and even though I'm not a fan of violence, the fight scenes were so realistic that I went to check the behind the scenes to make sure the actors were okay. Shin Seung Ho has a small but impactful part in this and in my opinion, lights up the screen in both "Alchemy of Souls" and "Weak Hero Class 1". He will be one to watch out for in 2023.

As for the other three actors mentioned above, flawless performances from all even down to their micro expressions. The weak and strong intertwining for the sake of friendship, the weak and the flawed holding onto each other for dominance, every bit of this is told in a way that won't let the viewer go. Simply amazing.

The only thing I marked slightly below perfection is in rewatch value. To see each character's torment is something I cannot tear myself away from in the first viewing but to go down this emotional rabbit hole a second time this soon would be too much. It's that good, that precise, that realistic to life. I have fingers crossed there is a season 2 to show where the path leads next.

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For the love of a nation, a court, a people....and for the love of a woman

King Jeongjo starts off as a prince of a kingdom in peril and is the wrathful recipient of a grandfather's love through punishment. During it all, there is Deok Im, the court lady who loves at a distance and protects the prince with every moment she can.

Deok Im turns down the prince's multiple attempts at making her his concubine because she values freedom from the court and dislikes the thought of sharing a husband with a nation. Ultimately, she chooses to become his and lives a life that is far from the sparkling princess narrative. Her trepidation to share the love of a husband is human and all too well understood; from the historical point of view, the King lamented her passing and recorded a pained narrative about missing the only woman he loved.

This drama is based on an extremely rich historical story but the drama's narration, directing and acting are flawless. I didn't understand Lee Se Young's portrayal of Deok Im in the first couple of episodes and I'm not sure if she was slowly embodying the character or if it was me getting used to her in the part, but by episode 3, I could not imagine another actress's portrayal. Lee Jun Ho in the role of King Jeongjo, allowed him to display a kaleidoscope of emotions as the prince who endures, as the man and king who must put a nation before any one person. The entire main cast is riveting onscreen but a special shout-out to the secondary character portrayals by Lee Deok Hwa (King Yeongjo) and Kang Hoon (Hong Deok Ro). I felt as if I visually accompanied lives unfolding and cried like a three year old at the end.

This has to be one of the best historical dramas I've witnessed and definitely will be re-watched multiple times. It's just that good and the story is that hard to let go of.

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A perfected ribbon of words, acting and production that winds it's way into your heart

I've watched every episode atleast once, reviewed several episodes and read almost 17 thousand messages about this drama. It is perfection. This story turns a mirror and magically reflects a portion of each viewer's life and I found myself, especially towards the latter half, letting an emotional tide wash over me, fill me and then had the ability to let a few memories and emotions wash away. If you watch it, be prepared to have an emotional journey all the way to the end. As far as acting, the entire cast deserves credit and there is not enough space allowed for a dissertation on each. Each person in a roll became that roll and blurred my viewing lines as to where the acting began and the person portraying the roll ended. The absolutely worst part of "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" is the fact that it ended but now, I'll now watch it again, slowly, and crawl over the details first missed.

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Perfect Escape

I started watching this drama because of the competition; there just wasn't a whole lot to watch when this started. After viewing the first couple of episodes, I became hooked and / or obsessed with every aspect of this production.

I'd like to break this review down into categories and the first is writing / directing / and production. A blended comedy has to be the hardest genre to write and maintain at a certain pace. I laughed on every single episode except the ending and found myself willingly transported to a snapshot of Joseon history. Everything about this drama is well rounded, but the director and writing staff should be awarded an Oscar because the pace, setting, dialogue and costumes are vividly brilliant. I felt like a first person spectator in fictional Korean and it was magic.

The next category that deserves gushing appraisal is the acting. Shin Hye Sun plays two characters in this drama, Kim So Yong and Jang Bong Hwan. What is absolutely crazy about her acting is that each persona seems to be portrayed by different actresses. When she is Jang Bong Hwan, the screen absolutely lights up like fireworks. Opposite her is Jang Bong Hwan as King Cheoljong. His acting in "Mr. Queen" is understated, deliberate and brilliant. The King's character is somewhat of a chameleon and the way he undertakes the role would leave a lesser actor in the dust beside of Kim So Yong. He is dynamically perfect across from whomever he shares the screen with and I became an instant fan. Last but not least are the rest of the cast that fill out the narrative in such a way that each could have been the center of the story: the Grand Queen, Kim Jwa Geun, Kim Byung In, Royal Chef, Hong Yeon, Court Lady Choi and many more were brought to life with mastering care by their portrayer. I wish there could be an emoji inserted of a standing applause audience because they deserve that and so much more.

My least favorite part of this drama was the ending. Throughout all episodes, King Cheoljong organically falls in love with Mr. Queen; he/she is unruly, abrasive, brilliant and uniquely in the moment. Mr. Queen is the only character who with no hidden agenda and that draws Cheoljong in like the proverbial moth to the flame. He has spent his life being surrounded by people using him and the first forced interactions between the two become compelling moments later. By the end, he lights up when Mr. Queen is near, terrorized when she's hurt. Both actors make you feel as if they would rather not breath if the other is not close by and this is why I think the ending was slightly (just slightly) lackluster. Jang Bong Hwan is thrown into the future, Kim So Yong once again inhabits her body alone and the King and she live happily ever after, crazily in love. The writers probably pieced together the best ending possible with restrictions placed upon them. But, as a viewer, I found Kim So Yong, alone in her body, a lackluster character. She was very much written correctly for her time but after watching the story of Mr. Queen, I missed this character desperately in the end. I would imagine the King did also.

My last point is a big thank you to all for highlighting the life of a real person, that of King Cheoljong of Joseon. Grabbed and placed as a Joseon puppet king by the Kim Clan, he tried his best, with strings tying him, to help the common person in a decidedly corrupt monarchy. Thanks to YouTube, I found out that he was a flawed but caring king and I'm glad that a posthumous heroic ending was written for him, albeit in fiction. The dark and true machinations of the Andong Kim clan were brought to light and I cannot imagine how happy he must be in the afterlife. History is usually written by the victors to shame those defeated and through this drama, a once obscure King now enjoys a posthumous second life. A truly fitting ending.

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This is a must see drama!

This is a drama about family, and all families are comprised of the good, the bad and yes, the ugly. It shows the consequences and damage of those who have been left selfishly behind and the jarring reality of children growing into adults who are left the task of putting the missing emotional jigsaw pieces back together.

To start with, let's talk actors. I adore the three main leads: Seven Tan, Song Wei Long and Steven Zhang and they very much embody their characters to the point I can't tell acting from the real person. Tu Song Yan and Zhang Xi Lin as the two father's defy description; they are just that masterful at acting and this cast together with the script and direction has become my favorite drama to date. They pull off the impossible and that's to portray true life in the most engaged way. They are a real reflection of people, which is a rare quality in any script.

My favorite couple of all time are also the two dads and thank you, thank you! screenwriter for showing us the dynamics of being a part of a family of mistakes and courage blended. Although they are not a romantic couple, they are the classic narrative of what a parent is: loving and unknowingly flawed.

I'm at episode 31 and already mourning the loss of the story after the next 9 episodes. I dread and also look forward to the end to see how the major and minor characters travel towards resolution but this will be watched and re-watched many, many times. It's just that good.

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Really well written

I'm not a big one to watch lawyer shows because about halfway through, the storyline gets lost in weeds halfway done, and they forget how to move the main parts of the drama forward until episode 10-ish. By that time, I'm bored and move on.

This drama's writing is well-crafted, and the acting is above par. Not one episode dragged or lacked a thought-provoking storyline, BUT, the ending. Really? I'm not sure if they were hoping for a green light for season 2 or just wanted the viewer to write their own interpretation of the main leads' relationship, but I threw a couple of pillows at the TV after it aired. The ending should have complemented the previous 11 episodes and not left the viewer wondering, "What just happened?" Would I watch season 2? Yes, but I'd wait until all the episodes were released to make sure the drama didn't lack closure.

It's well worth watching, but do so with the understanding that season 2 is needed to know what relationship the two leads pursue. To me, writers need to understand that closure doesn't mean that a story is not followed further; it just tells the person watching what direction is chosen by the characters at that moment. I could understand if the main leads chose a mentor/student relationship or went forward to try a romantic one, but to leave off in mid-sentence is infuriating and my idea of lazy writing.

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Could not stop watching

I'm a sucker for revenge plots but most fall short in pacing, storyline and execution towards the ending arc of the story. Not this one. At all.

The beginning of this drama shows Xue Li being held against her will in a setup by her mother-in-law. Later, her husband walks in and carries her away to finish the deed of killing her under the guise of "I'm forced to do it". From that point on, the female protagonist takes on another identity and, step by step, rights the wrongs of the parties involved.

Where other revenge plots fall short in pacing and character identity, "The Double" fleshes out each persona in a believable way and shows the good characters as imperfect, and the bad ones with reasoned motives. A special mention goes to actress Li Meng for her portrayal of Princess Wan Ning and actor Liang Yong Qi as the ex-husband Shen Yu Rong. I have never despised a princess as much as Wan Ning, and the mindset of Shen Yu Rong is displayed with such subtle eye emotions that I actually found myself trying to figure out if he had any good qualities left in his soul or if his cruel actions had snuffed out all of the qualities that had once believed in justice.

The main actors Wu Jin Yan and Wang Xing Yue deserve the top award for blazing chemistry and nuanced portrayals. In American TV dramas, they spend ten minutes on character development and then WHAM, here comes the bed scene. What these actors, writers, and directors created was cinema magic. The characters were paced at a slow and believable burn, which led me to a believable definition of what a love story consisted of.

To the rest of the cast, there were notable and affluent actors in small parts throughout and this added a rich texture to the story. I cannot say enough about how interesting the narrative was, the plot twists, and how satisfying and believable the justified demise of those who committed wrongs. My one (and very small) pet peeve was the makeup. I love natural skin tones and the whitening in the makeup took me a minute to get used to. I know there is a beauty standard for pale in some Asian cultures, but the exceedingly beautiful actress looked off with the cosmetics used.

Definitely, definitely, check this drama out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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A tale of two brothers....

I would quite literally watch Lee Dong Wook stare at a wall for an hour and not move on inch away from my viewing screen. There are actors who have perfected their craft and he is definitely one of them. This story was deftly penned and expertly acted by all involved and the narrative twists and turns unexpectedly. It was everything I could hope for in a story.

My favorite part is the love story between brothers and them grappling and dealing with the emotions of love, disappointment, anger and betrayal between. Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum had an undeniable onscreen chemistry and made me feel every emotion their characters experienced. The most surprising part was the romance between the ML and FL. Although expertly acted, their story arc seemed to not resonate as much as the brothers did. Jo Bo Ah did a phenomenal job as Nam Ji Ah and it kept bugging me throughout why I did not feel a strong connection between her and the ML. I think the best explanation was the characters were written as such that the romance between them was secondary to the relationship between fox brothers.

Anyway, I'd love to see a season 2 to see the story continue. This drama is truly worth the time spent.

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Painfully beautiful

"Twelve Letters" is the drama that shows the heartbreaking beauty in storytelling, and about once every year, the Chinese outdo themselves in storytelling ability and visuals. The absolute grittiness that Zhou Yi Ran and Wang Ying Lu bring to their characters and circumstances shows a master class in acting, especially with Zhou Yi Ran. He transfers rage without moving a muscle, only using his eyes and stillness to convey the emotional toll and unfairness of his life. Wang Ying Lu does a good job of showing the frustration of circumstances that label her as the crazy one and her father the saint. Honestly, by the time I was watching the 12th episode, I called her paternal sperm donor everything but his character's name, so kudos to the actor's portrayal of a character beyond redemption but believable in every way.
The only reason I rated this drama a 9.5 was because of rewatch value. The actors, the stunning photography, and the side characters translated into cinema perfection. The storyline was gritty and emotionally draining, and I can't bring myself to emotionally ride the roller coaster again; at least, not this soon.

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