Nyy010

Brilliantly written

Not knowing any of the stars in this at the time I watched it, I wasn't sure what to expect in the way of acting or even the story. I'm so glad I gave it a chance. This was such an outstanding series, brilliantly written with a fantastic cast of characters.
This, over any other series I've seen, definitely needs to be watched twice. The story is so intertwined from past, present to future ... 2023 back to 1998 ... to 2003 ... to 2007 ...back to 1998 ... to 2011. At times it does get quite confusing trying to keep track of everything happening, but if you rewatch a few scenes, or even an entire episode, everything eventually makes sense.
The writing is flawless, not missing anything, answering every question you come up with throughout the twelve episodes. And there are a lot of questions that need to be explained by episode twelve. Somehow everything gets resolved, maybe not the way you hoped for, but all the pieces do get put together to complete the puzzle.
The main trio of Hyo Seop, Yeo Been & Kang Hoon blend together so well. You never doubt for a minute that everything will work out fine, in whatever year they end up!!
It's not just a story of fate & love, but the story of the bond of strong friendship as well.
Once episode 7 plays out, and then truly the bizarre beginning of episode 8 happens, the drama goes into full gear, taking you to an even higher level of excellence. You really try to figure out what's going to happen next, but every time you do, it goes in a completely different direction.
It shows how difficult it can be to change one's destiny .... but they sure made it entertaining trying to do just that.
Two thumbs up for this great series!!

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10 Billion Won sending people into craziness ...

This series reminded me a lot of an old Hollywood movie called It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. A suitcase filled with money buried in a national park and how it transformed a dozen ordinary people into crazy lunatics trying to find it.
As we go through the early episodes in Iron Family, you clearly see the dominance of comedy more than anything ... but that indeed changes, especially toward the later part of the series. It becomes much darker, the acting becomes much more intense and it's quite impressive how the writing keeps up going in circles around this ten billion won. So many unlikely people become intertwined with this story, it's so enjoyable to follow along.
Jung Hyun is amazing at his comedic & dramatic performance. He transforms from one to the other and back again. Perfectly paired with him is his co protagonist, Sae Rok. The relationship they build really does take all 36 episodes to complete. So many things and so many people cause interference with this happening.
I think one of my favorite people to watch were the grandparents, Young Ok & In Hwan are so cute & believable as the 90 year old loving married couple. So sarcastic to each other in such a loving way, it's so great to watch, not to mention the most unlikely two that would be at the center of the stolen money.
I think for me, and I'm probably in the minority on this opinion, I could not stand Tae Ung or Cha Rim. I found them so annoying throughout this entire series. It's no wonder they become a couple, perfect together.
The rest of the supporting cast is fantastic, from both parents to all the siblings. Each of them fit perfectly into this complicated story to make a perfect puzzle. It's really amazing to see how two totally different family eventually become one, whether they like it or not. I think the screen writer, Sook Hyang was incredible at connecting all the dots by the end of the story. Nothing was left unanswered by the final episode.
Definitely a great dark comedy to enjoy!!!

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Fantastic Comedy From Start To Finish

This has to be one of the best comedies I've seen. When I first started watching this, I couldn't imagine how they were going to be entertaining through 20 episodes, but they did just that, completely entertaining, non stop laughter, a great story & perfect acting.
These six protagonists are so well matched with each other, it never gets boring watching the trouble they each find themselves in, then having to rely on the rest of the cast to get them out of the situation they got into in the first place.
It's very well written and has a small blend of drama, just enough to give a great mix to the story.
It's difficult to compliment each actor, because they are all great, but Jung Hyun is over the top brilliant with his timing and actions in each and every scene. Yi Kyung & Seung Won were equally brilliant, making for a great trio of best friends leaning on each other for friendship or support with their careers or romantic relationships.
The female actors fit like pieces to a puzzle, Each one blended the perfect combination to the male actors to make for a great series.
I haven't seen season 2, but seeing how two of the main cast members are missing due to real life problems, I'm not sure how well this will work out.
Complete thumbs up to this wonderful season 1. Well worth watching again!!

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Very Suspenseful

This story shifted in so many directions as the movie played out. It was a great concept, but a bit confusing at times. What you think is going on after the first 30 or so minutes changes to a completely different direction. Once you realize what is happening ... it changes direction again. Over all it was a well written and extremely well acted thriller.
Ha Neul not only gives a fantastic performance, but his appearance dramatically changes with the current situation and time frame. It adds so much to the story.
Don't be too quick to stop watching the movie at the end, there's once scene left with the end credits that really makes you think about what you just witnessed with this group of people. It's a chilling and powerful end to a horrible situation for everyone involved!!

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The Power of Friendship

You'll never see another series with such an unbelievable transformation of all the main protagonists. This story starts out with three people each carrying so much pain around inside of them, but somehow come into each other's lives at just the right time, helping to fill the void and heal the pain caused from their past.
Joon & Soo Hyun develop such a powerful bromance, but you wouldn't have believed it possible after the first episode. Ji Hoon gives such a unique performance, playing a role I couldn't have imagined him doing. Equally paired up with him is In Hyuk, enemies at first, but closer than two best friends could ever get by the final episode. Min Ah as So Bin is the glue the keeps the three of them woking perfectly together. It really is a great story. There are some extremely dark and disturbing situations to deal with in this drama, especially from Yeo Joon's family, but even that comes in a complete circle throughout the series.
For anyone that has either helped friends get through difficult times or have been helped yourself by someone close, this is a must watch drama.

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A BL with a dog story

I almost didn't watch this, because when I glanced at the reviews I figured this was a horrible drama. I'm glad I didn't listen to when I was reading.
This turned out to be a GREAT story. I thought it was very original and inspiring. It had a blend of not just a BL main story line, but so much more. A combination of animal love & loss, the difficulties of being who you really are in the public eye, and just an old fashion blackmail situation thrown in, too, all while a reality show is being filmed.
I do think the title can throw you off a bit, maybe Love Is Like A Dog would have been better??
I think I think Si Woo & Mew were great together. Instant chemistry!
If you haven't seen this yet, don't go by all the negative reviews, I think it's a winner.
The two hour movie version is a better way to watch it instead of the 12 episode format.

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Extremely Cute BL Drama

I wasn't familiar with any of the actors in this or the story when I stumbled across it to watch. I'm definitely glad I found it. This turned out to be such a cute and extremely adorable BL drama. It has all the purity of first love, first date, first crush, whatever you want to call it. It's just pure innocence between high school kids trying to sort out their feelings.
I think the way the writers brought the two of these characters together was extremely clever. The story line really worked and it made for a really feel good series to watch.
Watching them deal with the substitute teacher that was a bit prejudice toward their relationship, was kind of interesting. It blended well into the story.
The last episode was very satisfying, especially going full circle and ending it exactly as it started in episode 1.
Great stuff.

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"The moment a person stops learning, their life stops, too"

This series turned into such a fantastic drama, comedy & suspense blended brilliantly. It was difficult not to binge watch these episodes. Each one left you wanting more & more.
There were so many great moments throughout, Se Hyeon winning his first fight & Ga Min knocking out all three body guards on the rooftop. Ga Min's mom getting into the cafe brawl, that was awesome.
The entire cast was brilliant, as well. Every one of them fit perfectly together, each carrying their own distinctive personality like superheroes, all with their own talent. Min Hyun & Jong Hyun were especially great together, showing the close on screen friendship they created between them.
Woo Min & Seo Hoo really made you hate their characters, counting the minutes in that final episode until they each got the beatings they deserved. The sign of good actors doing their job as villains.
I'm not sure if there will be a season two, I know it's kind of rare, but they did leave the door open a bit at the end as a possibility. I hope it happens!!!

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Great acting to match a great story

Watching the very beginning, I wasn't sure I was going to stick with it. There are several scenes that are a bit difficult to watch with the school bullying early on, however, once you get into the heart of the story, the major transformation of the characters is unbelievable to watch. You can easily feel yourself go from anger to laughter to sadness in a short period of time.
Yoon Chan Young is so fantastic from start to finish in this role or actually duel roles that he plays. It's a very impressive acting performance. Bong Jae Hyun gives a great performance as well.
Without giving a spoiler, the ending can be taking either a positive or negative way, depending how you're feeling at the moment you watch it, but overall I think the ending worked really well.
This series definitely shows the meaning of true friendship and how important a role real friends play in life.
An absolute must watch feel good series!!

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Much better than season 1

After watching season 1, I was hoping for a big improvement with season 2, that definitely happened. It still was lacking a bit in story line, but the characters seemed to have a bit more depth in this new season. Ren, who I still find boring, had a bit more personality and became a little more likable than in the past. Kyohei Takahashi seemed to open his character up and gave us a better understanding of who he was, making for a better match with Nanako this time around. Riko Fukumoto gave more with her character as well. At least the two showed some chemistry in season 2.
My favorite still remained Takumi Ando, just as in season 1. Coki Yamashita gave his role such personality, appearing more realistic than anyone else in this drama. At first, you kind of think things will work out for him, then they appear not to, but then it seems like it will again. It's a good back and forth to see where he ends up, not knowing until the very end. Ando was the only one who appeared strong enough to survive, no matter what the outcome.
Overall, much more enjoyable in this final season!

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Sensei Never Knew!!!

I'm always a fan of Eiji Akaso, enjoying everything he's done in the past. To no fault of him, this was a difficult series to get through. The two protagonists really have zero chemistry from the very beginning, and that never changes.
Riichi may in fact be the most understanding boyfriend that ever existed, but unfortunately he falls head over heels for someone that doesn't have a clue about relationships. Ao Hanai is the most inconsiderate, self absorbed person you'll ever see. So unappreciative toward everything her boyfriend does for her, and yet he stays with her, continuing to bend over backwards to accommodate her in every way.
When it first began, you kind of feel that the mission of Riichi would be to teach Ao how to change her ways, how to be a more loving individual ... but that never happens. I had my hopes up right till the end of the final episode. Unfortunately, the series ends without any improvement on her part. She walked all over him right up until the roll of the credits. It was very disappointing.
Again, nothing against Eiji Akaso. He played his part extremely well. Looking forward to his next project.

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Excellent, the adventure continues ...

This is a great story, with a fantastic cast of characters. At times it gets a little difficult to follow, at least it did for me, but it's a great adventure story following Saichi and a full cast of characters for the treasure of gold.
Kento Yamazaki plays a much different character than we're used to seeing him portray. He's fantastic as always!! Along with Gordon Maeda, who is completely transformed from previous roles, it's great watching them survive in this wild east wilderness.
About half way through the series, it sort of goes into a higher gear, so give it time. You find yourself going from a drama to a blend of some bizarre situations with a touch of dark comedy. Each member of the cast adds something to the story, making you wonder at times, who are the good guys and who are the bad.
The series really pulls you in during the last three episodes, making for some great entertainment. It leaves you definitely wanting more at the completion.
Looking forward toward the next installment in 2026.

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relaxing & enjoyable

This is a real slow moving story, but it really does evolve into a very entertaining drama with an excellent cast. I didn't realize it when it began, but besides the main story centered around Yeo Reum, there turns out to be several side stories that blend together as you get deeper into the series. It does take a little bit of time before you get pulled into the drama, but give it time, it will happen.
Seung Yeon does a great job pulling you along the way as she tries to get footing on her career, trying to get back to the top. Jae Yeong appears to be the perfect person to help her along. I think the one thing I found a negative ... their relationship never matures into what I thought it would be. For that, it definitely lost points with me, because I was really expecting so much more between the two. There was chemistry there, but it just doesn't happen.
It now appears to be a season two in 2026, so maybe that's why their relationship didn't expand further.
Looking forward to a new season & hoping for a bit more.

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Mixed up teenage love

This drama is an extremely innocent story about first love crushes and how a group of teenagers deal with it. The problem is, everyone seems to have crushes on the wrong person. There's so much unrequited love in this drama, it gets extremely annoying to watch.
I'm not a fan at all of the lead male protagonist, Ren. Nothing against the actor, Kyohei Takahashi, but his character is so cold, boring and has zero personality ... and yet everyone seems to confess their love to him. I just don't get it. He's not a bad looking guy, but nothing else seems to play in his favor. To me, the only "normal" character is this series appears to be Takumi. He has a sense of humor, great personality and seems to show emotion better than anyone. Coki Yamashita does a great job at making him extremely likable.
The last episode left much to be desired as it ends. I see that a second season is coming out, so I'm hoping to see an overall improvement on the story, as well as the maturity of the characters.

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A Matter Of Fate!

To me, this is really an underrated drama. I found it to be so much better than the reviews. Although I never saw the K-Drama version, being a fan of Yusei Yagi, I found the series to be very enjoyable. He was great as always.
From the very end of episode 1, it really pulls you into the story. Yusei works great together with Kyoko Saito. Although there's not much chemistry between the two at the start, it definitely becomes apparent deeper into the series.
It starts out as a lighthearted drama, but quickly turns into a dark mystery, and it branches off into several mysterious stories. What you don't realize until later on, is that all these different directions you find the series taking, eventually it all comes together. Each question left unanswered is completely explained by the final episode ... showing how events from the past are all connected in the present.
An enjoyable series to watch with a satisfying ending as well.

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