Nyy010

Extremely Dark, but Extremely Entertaining

This series started out very bizarre, with such a dark tone, it's almost disturbing to watch ... however, once you get through the first episode, I found it to be so addictive, not to mention one of the most seductive BL's to come along in a while. If you stick with it, you'll be glad you did. It turns into a very realistic story between two long time friends, relatives, lovers ... there's a lot of ways to describe this relationship, but whatever you want to call it, it's entertaining watching it play out.
With me, I found myself flipping sides on who to root for in this drama. Jeong Han, who seemed to lack morals, with a controlling nature in the beginning, really does a change of heart. You develop a strong empathy toward him, especially when you see his family and what he's dealing with. I think the chemistry that develops between Ji Sung & Ri U becomes brilliantly apparent in later episodes. These actors create two strong believable protagonists, and makes the series a must watch.
Definitely one of the better BL's of the year.

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enjoyable and funny ...

Why this is listed primarily as a drama is probably the reason for some bad reviews. If you go into this thinking you're going to see a serious story with some dark tones, you're going to hate this series. This starts off extremely silly, but it does improve to a decent story by the second episode. Ryosuke Yamada has always had the talent for dramatic roles, seeing him do a great job at it in the past, so to see him play such a goof ball character early on was surprising, but he was really good at it, too. He had the expressions and body language to match this role really well. He starts off playing a shallow character only worried about his looks and smile, making sure he's always the center of attention ... but he does mature along the way in a short period of time.
We begin to see a deeper part of his character as he falls in love with a coworker, Izumi. That was the only problem I had with the series, there was zero chemistry with these two protagonists, no matter how hard they tried to make it materialize, it just wasn't there. Nothing against Kyoko Yoshine who played her, but that part of the story didn't seem to work.
The slapstick humor was definitely the big plus throughout the story, with a good supporting cast to make it come together as well.
Overall, it was a good lighthearted comedy with a touch of drama at times. Several moments with some really funny outcomes that you couldn't help but laugh. Enjoyable series!

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The Power of Good Over Evil

Wow, some of these reviews are really harsh ... I must admit, it's a very strange beginning that almost lost me, but I stuck with it, and I was glad I did. It took till about half way through episode 3 and then it started to really pull me in. When an episode ends and you can't wait until the next one begins, that's the sign of a good series.
You do need to accept and understand the entire evil spirit named Ma Wong. Once you can do that, things will fall into place. He really is a great antagonist in the story. Along with the Grand Prince, they truly are two characters to hate throughout this drama.
I've always been a fan, and maybe a bit bias toward Hyo Seop, but he gives another great performance from start to finish. He, along with You Jung are perfectly matched and make great chemistry together. They really start to gel after episode 6 when they finally realize who they are from their past. Once that happens, the series takes a new direction and definitely takes hold of you till the end.
I guess what stopped me from rating this series higher than a 9 was the final episode. Although it was kind of interesting to fast forward a few years, I hate when things get a bit rushed as the minutes tic down in the final few scenes. There seemed to be a build up of something big about to happen ... but we were left with an open ending. At first I thought there was another episode coming, maybe I miscounted ... but no, that was it. Given to our own imagination as to the major conclusion of the series. It wasn't a horrible ending, but considering how great the series was up till that point, it was a little bit of a disappointment. Other than that, it was extremely entertaining. A great story with great acting.

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Give it time, it gets better ...

I read some of the bad reviews of this series and after episode one I might have agreed with them, but if you give this drama a chance it definitely improves as you get deeper into it. Once you get past episode two it feels like a story worth your time.
It's a series that you flip flop on who you're able to trust. I must admit, by the final episode, several people I couldn't stand, or thought to be the "bad guys" really turn out to be good, so don't write anyone off, because you probably will be wrong.
I think the main issue I had was the lack chemistry between the two main protagonists, Lloyd & Yeong OK. Min Seok & Gyu Ri are great at there roles, but it really takes some time before you can see a believable relationship forming. Once it does happen, somewhere around episode 8, the series really does become enjoyable to watch. You finally start to root for a happy ending for these two, something I couldn't do early on.
The final episode plays out better than expected, leading to several surprises toward the end.
So hang in for an hour or two ... and an enjoyable series does eventually show up.

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Comedy, Drama, Mystery ... all rolled into one

This was truly a great series from the very beginning right to the end. It was really a multi layered series, much more comedy early on, gradually taking a much more serious, dramatic tone as you get deeper into the episodes. The fact they were able to blend a touch of comedy, even at the darker moments of the series, made it really enjoyable to watch.
There are scenes so hilarious, sitting down and eating with the King or doing shots of alcohol ... stuff you normally don't see involving the Joseon period. It was very original. Sort of bringing a touch of the 21st century into the 19th century.
The story itself was about a great trio of people, involving love, best friends & fate. The chemistry of the cast equally matched the writing. Young Dae, although at times a bit too nice for a King, made a great leader and was a perfect match for romance with Ju Hyun and a deep friendship with Woo Seok. Together, the three supplied great entertainment, giving you a feel that somehow they would make everything work out to a happy ending.
It was around episode 5 when the series shifts into a more serious, darker tone. From that point on, the show definitely becomes a solid drama with a great story plot, giving you questionable hope that everything really was going to turn out the way you wanted. The stunning events of episode 8 takes a major direction change in the story, making you hold on tight, knowing it's going to be a bumpy ride for our three protagonists from that point on.
I think if I can find one complaint, it would be the final episode. While everything worked out fantastically in the end, I hate when things are a bit rushed to completion. There could have been more scenes showing us how things played out instead of leaving it to our imagination. I think it would have been enjoyable to watch that happen. Other than that, a really enjoyable series all around. A great watch!!!

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Great Story with great food

I actually didn't see this series when it first aired, so I was very familiar with Jun Ho's work after this, as I started watching.
This looks like a silly series at the beginning, but it starts to transform into a great drama with excellent acting from episode 4 and beyond. That's about the time that the Jun Ho we are familiar with really kicks into gear with his acting. As usual, he does not disappoint with a superb performance. He's teamed up with several perfectly matched protagonists in the story. Ryeon Won & Hyuk really complete this drama and make for an extremely enjoyable show.
It's a classic story of a "David vs Goliath", a small restaurant trying to compete and surpass the monster & upscale fine dinning restaurant just across the street, but with several twists and turns in the story.
The hotel and restaurant CEO is made into a brilliant antagonist by Sa Kwon, making him the most hated person in this series ... not only stealing Poong's wife, but terminating him from his head chef position at the same time. Along with him are several other antagonists cooking in the restaurant, having us count the minutes until they all get the retribution they truly deserve.
I guess the only negative that kept coming up was the extremely annoying character of Sao Woo's mother, fighting the relationship between Poong & Sae Woo at every turn. It really became frustrating in later episodes to watch ... but once you can endure that, this does turn out to be a great series, lots of drama mixed with just the right ingredients of comedy and romance to make a perfect dish for serving.
SERVICE!!!

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At times, depressing to watch, but very good

This story was amazing to watch play out. So many twists & turns, so many emotions. This was a melodrama with just enough comedy blended into the mix.
Normally a ten episode series I find to be too short in the sense where things gets rushed to completion toward the end ... but this wasn't the case. It seemed to be just enough to give everything closure.
Beside Do Hwan, who plays a really great likeable character, the remaining protagonists all prove to add something special to the story as you get deep into this drama. Min Seok was definitely a comedy favorite part of this story. The bromance he shares with Hae Jo is touching, even after getting the hell kicked out of him throughout most of the show.
For me, the only negative I found was the ending. I was really hoping for some sort of miracle for our ailing main character. Wishing for a last minute cure or a hospital mix up with the terminal diagnosis. You really didn't want to see such the demise of such a great character ... but that wasn't meant to be. I guess it shouldn't be held as a negative against the series, after all, that's life, it's not always a happy ending.
Great show & great sound track with a very entertaining cast!!!

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Great Story, Great Acting

This was a story that for once, didn't have the horrible antagonists stop the couple from their true love/happiness. Yes, certain people tried to get in the way, but not to the annoying level we sometimes have to endure when watching a series like this play out. There were boundaries the two main characters had to get over, but it was enjoyable watching them do just that.
Jun Ho, who always delivers a great performance, was perfect at giving us a true transformation from a dislikable character to a loving, caring person that we really rooted for later in the series. Coming from a family with no love and a lot of mystery surrounding his childhood, it takes until episode five to actually see him smile. He and Yoon A didn't seem like the likely duo to find a bonding relationship early on, but as this series evolves, no question, they were meant to be together. The acting and the writing provide us with a very believable story and it gives us so many good feel moments, it was kind of difficult to find too many, if any negative things about it.
If I could change anything in the story, I guess it would involve the evil sister, Hwa Ran. She seemed to pile on Gu Won every chance she got, without ever getting it back from him. He was too nice to her throughout most of the series. Even though she gets what she deserves toward the end, it was missing what could have been a crushing blow moment that would have been great to witness and very satisfying to watch play out. Even in the end, her getting invited to the wedding seemed just too much to accept, being the horrible person she was.
Young Ok gives us a truly great character of Sun Hui, grandma ... her scenes with her future son-in-law, Gu Won, are magical. She was definitely a big part of this supporting cast, supplying many memorable moments. She plays a much bigger role in the story than you first realize.
Overall, a top shelf drama with a top shelf cast, making for a really enjoyable series!

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Don't give up on the series early, it gets better

As I got involved watching this series, it really didn't feel like it was going to turn into anything special, at least that's the way I felt early on. The story seemed really good, meeting up and working with someone you idolized from a distance, but not letting them know about it, then of all things, getting involved with that person romantically ... it's a great story to watch play out, but it didn't seem to be working. The first five episodes seemed boring, with the acting and writing lacking a bit ... AND, I'm not exactly sure what happened from episode 6 and beyond, but it changed for the better in a big way. It was like a new drama started. The story became very interesting, the acting finally showed up in a big way ... and the series was enjoyable right through the ending.
Si Yeol & Ae Jun go from looking extremely uncomfortable, to a perfect fit as you get into the late episodes. It turns out to be a great match up with the supporting cast coming into focus in the last few episodes.
Kang Min & Kevin definitely step up in performance in the later part of the series, showing some great scenes in episode 9 & 10, making you forget the early part of the drama.
In the end, it's a great finish and it turns out to be a great story with the acting to match.

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Two sides to every story

This drama really does show the true meaning of "two sides to every story" ...
I think it's really impressive in the first several episodes how we see the story from Kazuya's side and then it's followed up by seeing the same situation from Misao's side. It's done in a brilliant way to make us understand what each character is going through. You sort of change your opinion as you see it from both sides, sometimes for the good, sometimes not so good.
Both these characters definitely need each other and change each other for the better by the end. Taiki Sato does a great job at making you dislike him in the beginning. He's self centered, uses women and doesn't feel any regret in his actions, but somewhere along the way, he's changed by Misao, played extremely well by Ai Mikami. Great chemistry between these two actors makes it an extremely believable relationship.
As usual, there's always several antagonists to get in the way of true happiness for this couple. If you can tolerate the annoying interference from other people, and believe me, it does become annoying ... but if you can put up with that, this turns out to be a really good story.
The supporting cast fits well, too. There are several other side stories happening, and seemingly they all play into each other as you get to the conclusion in the final episode.
Also ... a very unique opening credit scene at the start of each episode. The splattering of colored paint landing on the actors, just fantastic!
Overall, a very enjoyable series!!!

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It had so much potential to be great ... but!!

I was drawn into this series, because it looked like a really unique story to follow. At the start, it appeared to be just as I thought, original and enjoyable, but something happened along the way. As each episode unfolded, it started to lose a bit of the attractiveness it had early on.
By no means does it becomes bad in any way, but it could have been so much better. Sung Hyun does a great job keeping his character interesting and a bit mysterious. A high school kid inheriting an upper class private school that he attends, it's such a good story to go with, and the character of I Su fits perfectly to be that high schooler. The problem I had was with several antagonists throughout the story, especially his uncle, Na Jun. He could have been truly a great villain in this drama, but he lacked depth with a very poor ending for his demise. It was definitely a rushed story conclusion in the final episode with a bit of disappointment following it.
That said, it still is worth watching. Minus the ending, it is quite entertaining with a supporting cast to Sung Hyun that fits the drama.

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At times, frustrating ... but very good to great!

I was surprised how great this series turned out to be. Watching the first episode, it didn't appear to be a serious, entertaining drama, especially when the main character, Issei was not likable at all. He was mean, self centered and really heartless ... but oh what a difference ten episodes make.
Gordon Meada does such a fantastic job at evolving and maturing his character. He does it in such an unbelievable form, turning into a caring, lovable person. Toward the end, you're rooting for him in every way possible.
The chemistry between the two main characters is always there, even though the troublesome age gap of ten years (only five years in real life) is apparent. The dancing around a 27 year old falling for a 17 year old seems to be made a bigger deal that it should have been, but nevertheless it is part of the main story.
The truly negative, frustrating part of this series for me, was the older brother with the real antagonist of this drama, Seigo & Akira. These are two genuinely annoying characters. I know every story needs the "bad guys", but Akira gets away with so much throughout the series, even to the point of giving her somewhat of a happy ending, it sort of diminishes the great parts of the main story. Attempting murder on two of the main characters, and still no repercussions from it. It's kind of bizarre accepting that outcome ... BUT, once I was able to get past that part of the story, I definitely found the rest to be great in many ways. It was an excellent drama with truly believable acting.
Extremely enjoyable overall.

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Don't over think the series, just enjoy it

This series has so many different stages to it, with lots of different emotions throughout. It's a comedy to a drama to real sadness all blended together.
That being said, I have to give so much credit to Jung Hoo. He was so fantastic being Ji Hun, showing us what a female would look like in a man's body. He had every mannerism down to perfection as a girl (Ji Eun). Just a great job!!
The rest of the cast had its ups & downs. I don't think I've seen a more annoying character is quite some time as Min Ju. Chuu was really good at making herself so irritating in every single scene she was in. It just became so bothersome to watch her character drag Jun Jae around by the nose, it gave me a headache. I think it might have been a bit better to have Jun Jae be a bit more in charge of his life. So many moments I was waiting for him to speak up to his parents, sister, Min Ju, even Ji Hun. You just wanted to to yell at the tv "say something, speak up" ... but it never happened.
The one character that always put laughter in the scene was Min Hyeok. Hyun Jun fit in at just the right moment when you needed a smile. He definitely balanced out the story to keep the comedy strong.
Toward the end of the series, you kind of start to wonder how on earth is this going to work out to a happy ending. They walked a fine line of being a male/female relationship to a BL appearance at times ... but surprisingly, they did a great job at making happy endings all around. I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did, but thumbs up to the writing. They gave a satisfying and enjoyable ending!!

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Dusty Dark Sci Fi

I'm always a fan of You Seok, so that's what prompted me to give this short series a look. I must say, the acting of his was great, plus the rest of the cast as well, but this series took several episodes to really get into it. The story was a but confusing at the beginning, plus the tone of the lighting, atmosphere and scenery were tough to enjoy at times. You felt like you had to wash your hair after watching it for too long. I understand why it had to be viewed in such a way, making the story more believable ... which eventually it does become just that, indeed.
For me, the last two episodes saved the series. Things play out in a way to make for an enjoyable watch over the last 90 or so minutes. The antagonist, Ryu Seok, who you really despise, end up exactly as he should. Seung Heon plays a great role to hate.
A good Sci-fi overall.

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Season 2???

Starting out watching this BL, it seemed like a good story, but it definitely lacked a larger cast. It appeared to be just these three, sometimes four people walking around this entire campus. No one else anywhere. I think that might have helped make it a more interesting drama. Nothing against the main cast, Dong Ho & Byeong Hoon paired well together as a couple. In fact, the later you got into the short series, the more interesting and believable it became. Episode 6 was the best one of the series ... but then ??????
What happened???? We're left hanging, literally like hitting a brick wall and fade out!!
Looking forward to hopefully a season 2.

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