This review may contain spoilers
A coming of age drama where you don’t care about anyone coming of age
Do not waste your time. It makes me sad to say it when this drama had so much potential, but, for goodness' sakes, don't waste your time. Unwrapped up plotlines, random subplots, lack of character development--and in general lack of likable characters--this fell so short of what it could have been.The high point for this story is Lee So Rin, the FL; everything else leaves much to be desired. I only finished it because of two reasons. One, I truly expected it to get better because I liked the premise and I'm a fan of these actors. Two, I wanted to see who she ended up with... which we NEVER find out. I'm salty.
Anyway, there are so many other amazing options on Viki for a celebrity romance: "So I Married an Anti-Fan", "Sh**ting Stars", "Imitation", "Midsummer is Full of Love", "Intense Love" and "You Are My Glory"--just to name a few.
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Fresh Take on Time Travel Romance
A solidly written, superbly acted, and overall enjoyable drama.I loved the story line, and our FL, as in every drama she’s in, delivered to perfection. The story was engaging from beginning to end, drawing you in with its mysterious fantasy elements blended with a solid rom-com. I loved the aspect of her finding herself as a woman free to chase her dreams in the new age while still having to unlearn the toxic patriarchal values she had been raised in. It made it incredibly rewarding when her dreams come true in “New Joseon”.
Wasn’t overly impressed with the ML. I found his character pretty dislike for the first six episodes… which is half the drama. But he redeems himself, and I ended up really liking them as a couple.
I also struggled with how the ending played out. Did not love the struggle the Joseon Kang Tae-Ha had to experience, and her unrequited love for him was hard to watch after I fell in love with him in Episode 1. But, in the end, they do give us a happy ending for our couple, and that’s all that matters!
I don’t agree with some of the reviews (personally) that this was the best drama of 2023. However, this one was still a blast. It has excellent chemistry, fresh writing, and a solid cast (both main and supporting). I definitely recommend it!
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A Fresh Plot and Solid Actors
As to be expected, Kim So Hyun has picked another great script and delivered another great performance. “My Lovely Liar” stands out in a year of, in my opinion, slim pickings for dramas.Pros:
• Our leads were just plain excellent. I am a huge KSH fan; the girl just always knocks it out of the park. But this was a new style of character for her. Loved it. Min Hyun, on the other hand, nailed it too. I loved him in “Alchemy of Souls”, and I adored seeing him as a lead. The characters were excellently written and excellently acted.
• A fresh plot that is paced well to keep you wanting more. The mystery kept you guessing till the end, and the romance was dynamic and real. Loved it.
• The romance is adorable. They have the cutest chemistry ever. They look like they just plain love being together. They were unbelievably cute. Not to mention: NO RIDICULOUS BREAKUP. That is always a win.
• Super satisfying ending!!
Cons:
• Overall, except for some exceptions, I felt the supporting cast was pretty weak character wise.
• The first three episodes, in my opinion, are pretty slow and kind of hard to wade through. But I’m glad I did.
• They were together for the last six episodes but we only got two real kisses out of all of those episodes. Would have liked to see their chemistry, which was great, better explored.
Overall, it’s a great watch, one you don’t want to miss. It has romance, mystery, comedy, and more all packed into one show.
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Pros:
• The overall cast and characters were awesome. Each of the people faced real life issues (infertility, eating disorders, sexual assault, deep insecurity, etc), leaving us with some very relatable flawed people. I especially loved our second couple. They were brilliant.
• The drama! This does a great job parodying modern dating shows, and adds lots of flair itself that is almost cheesy but just plain fits 😂. But it also knows how to get serious and deliver a moment that can—and did for me—have you in tears.
• The writing is also pretty good here. I found that, even when I wasn’t vibing with the main leads, the show itself kept me engaged. And it was paced well to the end.
Cons:
• Needed more romance. For a show dedicated to finding love, the leads could have given us more chemistry, and the writers could have given us more moments to actually enjoy them together in a happy way. Also, the second main leads were awesome. I think we deserved at least a kiss!
• Starts slow. The first few episodes won’t probably grip you. But hold on. I was hooked by episode 5.
• Could have had a happier ending. I appreciated the way a lot of loose ends were wrapped up, but I feel like there should have been more of a healing and joyful end to the show. After all the angst—and there is almost too much of it—I was hoping for a cheesy-grin, squealing as I watch it kind of wrap up.
Overall, if you’re looking for a romcom, this one is a good one to spend your time on. After some flops in the drama department, “Love is for Suckers” was a great change of pace.
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A Revenge Story Done Impeccably
Excellent melodrama packed with amazing, amazing, AMAZING acting (like seriously unbelievably good acting). "Why Her" delivers a story of revenge, heart break, trauma, and ultimately overcoming it through love and friendship.I've seen the critiques of Su Jae's character, but the reality is--we have here a compelling, multi-faced, and very broken woman doing her best to protect herself. I remember watching on of the earlier episodes and seeing her scream through the tears that she would rise to the top and make the ones who hurt her pay. In that moment, I thought, "This would be a super compelling villain origin story", but it made an even more compelling origin story for a deeply wounded but strong heroine.
The mysteries, the crime solving, the political thriller aspects, and even the sweet, sweet romance between the leads--they all made a brilliant drama. If you're looking for a really great melodrama, it's this one.
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Switched Identities in the Midst of High School Drama
A web drama with great pacing and good acting?! Seems too good to be true, but this is “User Not Found” through and through. This drama is a coming-of-age story that shows the importance of finding true friendship and remaining true to oneself.It’s a cute, slow-burn romance, yes, but the story is a lot bigger than just a teen romance. It’s the story of a girl who has to learn to be herself, of another girl who desperately needs to heal and believe in friendship again, of a boy who has hidden himself away from the world, and another boy who has to learn that friendship can only come by trust and honesty. The development of these characters is done excellently. Because it has more than the usual 12 ten-minute or so episodes, this web drama actually paces itself well. It pacts a substantial story in its 22 fifteen minute episodes.
If you enjoy high school dramas, “User Not Found” is a must-add to your list.
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Love That Defies All Odds
A beautiful drama with stellar acting on all fronts. I was hesitant to watch this at first, but I couldn’t get away from it. When I finally committed, it was done in two days.The storyline is fresh and well-executed. I feel like every episode was intentional, lacking fillers and tropes. Even when they (mild spoiler) lose their memories temporarily, it didn’t feel like a cop out. It made sense and pushed the plot—and their love—even farther into what was a truly, beautifully-done finale with a very satisfying happy ending.
The two leads were phenomenal together, with excellent physical chemistry and scene chemistry. They truly were perfect for their roles and deliver them perfectly.
Truly a brilliantly executed drama that is a must add to your list.
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Wasted Potential for this One
For the sake of William Chan, who I love, and the start of this drama, which was excellent, I gave it all I have, but I'm dropping this one. I may pick it up again in the future, but I can't seem to force my way through."A Date with the Future", despite its many strengths, falls prey to the C-Drama pitfall of poor pacing. I have never been so disinterested in subplots in my life. Specifically, the third couple's scenes always left me skipping, and the male lead in that pairing is bland both as a character and an actor, plus he's incredibly selfish. Not sure why we were meant to root for him.
The firefighting aspect was excellent, both the plot and the cast of firemen and the super lovable dogs, but 25 episodes in, and I just can't seem to finish. The leads have great chemistry and a great relationship, but even their relationship seems to have hit a plateau. Their characterizations were well done, but the slowness of writing did them a disservice in my opinion.
In general, this type of a show needed some type of driving force, something exciting and gripping, and it just didn't deliver. It's a big bummer, and probably a very unpopular opinion, but there it is.
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Failed to Meet its Potential
I so wanted to love this. But… goodness… I’m dropping it. It’s got potential but failed to rise to it.First of all, The ML is amazing. Song Wei Long blows it out of the water with Jiang Xu. His acting is amazing. Jiang Xu, in many ways, is such a cliche character and yet I love him. He is strong, just, loyal, determined, and gentle with the ones he cares about. He treats the FL with so much respect and tenderness. I adore his character. ALSO BIGGIE HERE… When he discovers ladies trying to mess with FL, he actually holds them immediately accountable… a Cdrama miracle. Addirionally, the supporting cast is good. - Many a good Cdrama have been ruined but a crappy supporting cast. This isn’t the case here. I love the four nobleman friends, the FL’s BFF/cousin, the FL’s dad, etc. Even the antagonists are well acted and well-written.
But those things can’t save this train wreck of messy writing, incoherent plot lines, and an absolutely insufferable female lead.
Bao Sheng En’s acting is underwhelming—if not overtly bad—and leaves much to be desired. Her choice to fall into the Cdrama pitfall of the baby voice (thought we’d outgrown that in Cdramas) here also does her a disservice. Don’t get me started on her actions. She is so oddly written. One on hand, they want you to see her as a strong woman who protects her family. On the other hand, they want to make her a chronic—and I mean CHRONIC—damsel in distress who is literally incapable of getting herself out of situations. When compared to the ML, she falls very short.
This drama falls prey constantly to cliches and tropes that we’ve grown tired of. I literally rolled my eyes so many times in the first ten episodes. The cliches are used as the only thing moving plot forward, leaving the pacing so odd. This show has a strange ability to speed up all the wrong plots and slow down all the wrong plots. It is infuriating.
I love Song Wei Long, but this is the second drama of his this year I’ve had to drop. Save yourself the watch. Go watch “Prisoner of Beauty” instead. It just finished airing and is well worth your time.
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And just like that, 2025 is off to a great start!
“Love Scout” has set the bar so high for 2025. I felt like 2024, in my opinion, was a year of drought for good dramas (with “Lovely Runner” and “Blossom” as two huge exceptions), but this right here gives me so much hope!This show was a masterpiece romcom. What a story, and what a cast! The character development in our FL was heart-wrenching but oh so beautiful, and when the healing came, I wept with joy. This drama should be the golden standard for writing conflict in a couple. The situation came, and they took a break (not a break up) until she was ready to handle it. Then, they were stronger than ever.
The cast was awesome! Our two leads? Phenomenal… and with AMAZING chemistry. The ML’s daughter, Byeol? Absolutely the most lovable kid. Our second ML and FL? So adorable and so easy to root for in their subplots. And the quirky office staff? Well, same here. This was a great ensemble that delivers a solid performance.
The journey of healing shines so brightly through every bit of the show, and the writers give us an ending that truly does wrap everything up so beautifully. I was quite literally squealing like a little kid during some of those moments.
If for any reason at all you’re hesitating to watch this one, do yourself a favor and pull the trigger. “Love Scout” is a gem and making my all time favorites list.
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Highly Disappointed
Couldn’t finish. Gave it all I had, but I just couldn’t finish.I can’t exactly put my finger on one specific thing that made this drama weak. But, in general, it falls flat. The tropes are painful. The acting of the female lead is somewhat grating. The random plot twists are inane.
Raphael is the one bright star, but he can’t save it.
Bummed out, but I won’t be finishing it. It had great potential, but it was poorly executed. Definitely don’t recommend.
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Another hit for this summer!
What can I say? This was phenomenal. I am still in shock because it’s been years since I watched so many good historical dramas in a row (for me “Prisoner of Beauty”, “First Night with the Duke”, “Coroner’s Diary”, now this).“Legend of the Female General” lives up to its name. Do you have to let the suspension of disbelief kick in for them to think she’s a man? Heck yes. But honestly, I got used to it. I’m a big Mulan fan so this was so down my alley. This show has a stellar cast, excellent production quality, and great writing.
He Yan and Xiao Jue are a couple for the ages. They go up in the same league as the Dou Zhao/Song Mo couple and Qiao Man/Wei Shao couple (“Blossom” and “Prisoner of Beauty” respectively). Their chemistry is on point and their fierce determination to fight for each other is beautiful. Even when misunderstandings threaten them, they resolve it quickly and are stronger than ever. The kiss scenes were well done so I would have liked to see more of them, but, for once, I didn’t mind the slow burn. It felt natural and captivating to watch.
Don’t get me started on some of the most beautifully executed battle scenes I’ve seen in a long time.
This makes three dramas to make my all time favorite list in the last five months—which has never happened. Don’t sleep on this one. Cheng Lei, Zhou Ye, and the rest of the cast delivered a masterpiece.
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Falls Very Short
I wanted to love this drama with all that was within me. This era of Chinese history fascinates me, and “Fall in Love” is one of my favorite Asian dramas of all time.It has stuff going for it. Great costuming, an intriguing plot, SHAWN DOU , etc. But the romance is so appallingly annoying that I couldn’t bring myself to finish. I’m so sad about it. But the constant misunderstandings and even the willingness of both characters (especially especially especially the FL) to hurt the other is more than I can take. The toxicity borders on abuse, and the absolute lack of logic is maddening.
I was going to keep trying, but I soon found out that it wasn’t going to get better until the very end, and I wasn’t willing to watch twenty more episodes of it. It falls prey to poorly executed tropes and far too drawn out angst. The writing is infuriating.
It’s a no for me.
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The Spring Romcom We Needed
Initial Review on 3/30/25. (Will post concluding thoughts after finale):I came into this show with low expectations. The reviews have been unfavorable here on MDL. To be honest, I started it expecting to drop it.
What I’ve found instead is an absolutely charming romcom. It’s a gem so far! I can’t understand its 7.9 rating right now. In my opinion… The humor is spot on, the chemistry with the leads is spot on, the storyline is spot on. “The Potato Lab” manages to dance around romcom tropes while bringing enough newness to the table that I’m fully engaged. The cast is lovable and quirky, and I’m looking forward to each episode. So far, it hasn’t dragged in this first half. I am hoping to see this quality continue moving forward in the second half.
Fingers crossed.
Final Thoughts (4/9/25);
IGNORE THE HATERS ON THIS ONE. It’s a gem. It is a romcom that quite simply romcoms. It was a great watch. I had an absolute blast. From stellar acting from our leads to almost crying literally tears to going back to laughing my head off like the beginning of the show—the second half serves up a solid solid show.
The character development of our leads was especially impressive to me. They are flawed but both of them learned to work on themselves in order to be together. Even when things fall apart, they handle it within about one episode, and I was honestly shocked by how well it was handled. It reminded me of what we were given earlier this year in “Love Scout”—heck yes for communication.
Give this a watch. It was so so fun and romantic too.
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Failed its Potential
I almost quit this one about 8 episodes in, but I decided to keep trying because I’m in between shows and I love Ryan Ding. I thought things were looking up after that. We finally saw some chemistry with the leads. The ML was finally getting likeable… Etc. But, ultimately… I couldn’t.I’m at ep. 23 and I can’t bring myself to finish. The plot has changed into the day to day aspects of their job; the villains who were compelling in the first half are nowhere to be seen. The actions of the ML are odd, and I just don’t get them. Not to mention, we finally found out the backstory… and it’s just ridiculously unbelievable. Overall, I’m bummed, but it’s gonna be a no from me.
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