Shreya

Fun Antics with Unexpected Depth: A Seamless Transition of Laughter and Heartache

Now that I’ve completed it, I can finally say how much I’m in love with this drama. Somehow it has just the right amount of comedy, tragedy, fluff, angst; the romance here is romance-ing, the chemistry is chemisty-ing, the flow is flowing - everything is just perfect. And the OSTs, I absolutely love the OSTs. I know enjoyment is subjective and not everyone might share my sentiments but personally, I have not come across a drama which I enjoyed this much in a very long time.

This is one of the rare dramas where watching the trailer actually inspired me to watch it. I went in expecting lots of comedy and was not only not disappointed but was also pleasantly surprised by the depth of the story and the characters. All the characters (both main and side) are complex and layered, and the actors did such an amazing job at bringing them to life that you can’t help but end up loving or hating them.

On that note, this was my first proper drama of Cheng Lei and Wang Churan and am I in love? They are such a talented and beautiful duo, I couldn’t decide who I liked more and literally loved every second they were on screen. Not to mention the visual fest, the costumes and the styling are totally on point and simply so beautiful that I had to rewind a few times just to appreciate their beauty.

The chemistry between the main leads is also impeccable. They are balanced characters and match each other’s energy really well. I love how much they trust each other and communicate quickly to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings, and while some secrets still remain, it’s not frustrating and if you see it from the ML's pov, it's really understandable.

I didn't watch any of the other adaptations before so I went in with a pretty fresh mind, minus the very blatant spoiler the synopsis gave out but personally I feel like knowing the ML's situation made a lot of his early actions make more sense and added more depth to them, like his absolute trust in the FL, his interactions with other people, the court sessions, etc. so I can't really say I mind it.

The plot itself can come off as a bit shallow at first, but it gradually dives deeper into a darker and more complex storyline without it feeling too overpowering. The flow and balance are so good that the comedy and tragedy can coexist with each other without either losing its charm.

The pacing of the story is also honestly just perfect for me, and I was hooked from the first ep but it could be considered a little fast for some people, especially since the transmigration plot and timelines can be a bit confusing but when it all clicks, the story is really good and it gets better with each ep. I watched it while airing and every episode was worth the wait, so props to the entire production team for creating this amazing drama cuz I loved every minute of it.

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kinda cringe at first but hilarious

First of all, if brain-rot comedy is not your thing, then this drama may not be for you. The only way to watch this drama is to acknowledge and accept the over-the-top comedy as granted and just take everything at face value. 'Pump up the healthy love' is not for serious watching. If you can get past that, this drama is really good and totally worth watching.

Personally, over-the-top comedy is not my genre. I started this because of Lee Jun-Young and my initial thought was what even is this? But once you get used to the comedy, this drama is actually hilarious and good for light-watching. Since the main setting of this drama is a gym, we can also see them trying to tackle issues like beauty standards, body-shaming, being underweight, etc. while still in the comedic context.

The main characters themselves are flawed individuals with kind of biased mindsets, so it's interesting to see their characters slowly grow too. Do Hyun-Joong is basically a fitness fanatic to whom all the problems in life can be solved by going to the gym. Your boyfriend doesn't like you? Workout. Can't stand up for yourself? Workout and gain muscles. Your toddler is too energetic? Workout and built stamina. Can't eat or sleep? You guessed it, the answer is always workout. As the story progresses, he slowly learns that not everything can be solved like that but at the same time, the viewers are also shown a subtle link that while working out doesn't make our problems go away, sometimes it gives us enough confidence and strength to face them. And this is reflected in Lee Miran's journey as she goes from working out for others to doing it for herself.

As for the romance, the english title is kind of misleading. The korean title '24 Hour Health Club' is more fitting as most of the story takes place in the context of gym, and romance is somewhat a subplot. It is gradual throughout the drama and develops mostly in the last few eps. But romantic or not, Lee Jun-Young and Jung Eun-Ji has really good chemistry and both their characters are crazy, hilarious and a compatible duo which makes them really fun to watch.

Overall, if you are looking for something light and fun to watch, this is definitely worth a shot.

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Exquisite Visuals, Intricate Plotline and Unraveling Characters that Demand One's Full Attention

13/29 episodes in and I’m loving this drama so far. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and had high expectations, and Veil of Shadows has lived up to every bit of it.

We already know GJM has an established and distinct style and while I very much appreciated his artistry, it didn’t always quite resonate with me. But VoS is different. Personally, I think it has found that perfect balance. VoS has the beautiful cinematography, stellar cast, stunning visuals, epic soundtrack, grand entrances, outstanding fight scenes and layered writing but not the extreme slo-mo maneuver and never-ending conversations, awkward pauses, unnecessary small talks in serious fight scenes and excessive the tear-dropping every episode.

Veil of Shadows has a familiar Xuanhuan setting and inevitably gives us some Fangs of Fortune nostalgia with the initial world building, similar visuals and overlapping cast but compared to FoF, VoS has a more complex and intricate plotline, the world is vaster and more diverse and the characters more layered. In contrast to the slow storytelling of FoF, VoS requires viewers to pay attention to details, fast developing plot and ever-evolving characters.

The characters are interesting, complex and veiled, with every episode revealing something new about them. They are constantly developing and while it’s still early for a verdict, each has their own unique charm that pulls you in and eventually grows on you even if you didn’t like them initially. They have their own strengths, schemes and hidden agendas that keeps you interested and constantly on your toes. The character positioning feels deliberate and purposeful, which paired with strong chemistry between the cast makes every dynamic feel balanced and compelling.

The romance is also remarkable. The two main couples, JL x LWY and WSW x WWY bring a different but equally captivating flavour to the drama. Despite having very different dynamics, both couples are alluring in their own way and have amazing chemistry that makes you fall in love with them. Compared to GJM’s previous dramas, VoS leans more heavily into romance and I’m glad they are taking time to authentically develop their relationship.

The cast of VoS is undoubtedly stellar. They’re a beautiful and talented bunch, and coupled with the gorgeous styling and stunning visuals, it is a delicious feast for the eyes. I’m a little biased towards Yan’an and Rui and might’ve been watching their scenes on repeat. But each and every one of them stood out to me in this drama. Their compelling presence and the way they embodied their characters are truly outstanding. Yan'an and Tian Jiarui both played double roles and portrayed their distinct personalities so palpably that you could feel the nuances even in the same frame. Chen Duling and Ju Jingyi captivated the seductive, cunning and manipulative nature of foxes impeccably and personally, it's one of the best depictions of foxes in dramas. This is also my first drama with Joseph Zeng as a lead, and though I was a bit wary at first, he quickly grew on me and I’m loving him here.

All that being said, I think this drama is walking a fine line. An intricate plotline can become messy very quickly. Not to mention, VoS has the propensity to become very confusing at times with numerous characters, many similar names, characters having multiple names and same actors playing multiple characters – adding different timelines to the mix, even a hundred percent of one’s attention might not be enough to grasp everything at once. So be sure to get those braincells working and gear up for some strenuous mental exercise!

Till now, VoS is doing a great job at building the story and it’s fun to see it unfold and slowly piece the puzzle together, but given it has only 29 episodes, I'm a little skeptic about how well they can tie everything together so here’s to hoping it creates a satisfactory picture by the end.

PS. This review and rating are subjected to changes, I'll update this once the drama ends.

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Not My Cup of Tea

As you can probably tell, I'm not a huge fan of this drama. I see a lot of people enjoying it and honestly, good for them but to offer my two cents on why I didn't like it.

First of all, two things that caught me off guard were the level of gore and comedic tendencies. Now, I do realize it's my fault since the tags are pretty clear but if you are someone who's not very good with gore, this drama is probably not for you as it can be pretty graphic at times.

As for the comedy, I feel like it had real potential but failed to deliver most of the time. Instead of feeling like a comic relief after heavy moments, they turned the situation into some kind of joke, so it just ends up keeping you hanging between a really dark incident and a complete joke - unable to immerse into either.
One of my biggest issues with this drama was the absolute lack of collective braincells that the soldiers had. Funny is not equals to dumb. Aaron Park is a good example of that. Him along with Alex and Su Jeong were my favourite characters.
The complete lack of seriousness, order, intelligence, fighting skills and just about anything useful from a bunch of so-called military trained men, was so seriously ridiculous to me. And the only person with some common sense among them was disregarded because he wasn't exactly polite in a life and death situation and didn't want to cater to their dumb decisions.

Most of the characters also had little to no background story which made them feel flat and hard to connect at times. Moreover, despite the slow start, it still failed to effectively give a proper world building to either the story or the characters. But some characters like Alex, Aaron Park, Jin Uk, Gyeong Sik, that drunk kid did manage to stand out and gave the story some much needed depth. Overall, the acting was okay, nothing exceptional but not bad. And as far this story goes, Jisoo's character was actually rather interesting. In fact, I started this drama after watching the metro scene in an insta reel. Her scenes made more sense in both serious and comedic settings, since Young Ju is a regular girl who is winging her way through a crisis despite being scared. Civilians overall, had a way better writing than the soldiers.

As for the romance, I just wasn't feeling it. It could be due to the leads having barely any scenes together in present time, but even with all the flashbacks, I still didn't feel any chemistry between them.

That being said, I do agree that this drama did get relatively better towards the later episodes. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough for me. But if you like zombie dramas and mindless comedy, and do not mind gore, stupid soldiers and the general lack of a good plot- this might be worth a shot to you as it does take a different - albeit much narrower - angle to the apocalypse and certainly had its moments. I, however, liked a little more serious dramas like Happiness and All of Us are Dead, so this was not really my cup of tea.

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Flawed But Not Without Merits

Long story short, I loved it! This drama has lots of flaws and frustrating moments, and it's admittedly not perfect but it still has its fair share of merits.

Many people pointed out the less-than-optimal editing and storytelling, and honestly, it's a bit difficult not to. The editing team did a phenomenal disservice to an otherwise good drama. Especially in the initial episodes where some scenes seemed to have been clumsily stitched together without any regard for the flow, leaving the viewers to read between the lines. But as the story progresses, it gradually gets better and is no longer a major issue. So, if you are willing to give this drama a try, I’d suggest watching at least 6-8 eps before dropping because once you get hooked, it gets better.

The drama has a classical wuxia setting and gives Blood of Youth/Dashing youth and The Untamed vibes with intertwining friendships, love and hatred transcending generations. If you are new to wuxia, it may be overwhelming to keep track of the seemingly important looking unimportant characters sprawled across the board but in hindsight, they are ones who make the Jianghu feel alive and vibrant and help you appreciate the world-building in the long run.

The plot and the characters make for an interesting watch and personally, the cast really pulled through and saved this drama.

Zhou Yiran did a fabulous job portraying Mu Qingyan. He perfectly captured the nuances of MQY and looked absolutely stunning playing him. MQY is a complicated character; he is jealous, obsessive, manipulative, a bit unhinged and morally grey. But he’s also loyal, determined and is willing to go above and beyond to get what he wants because he has seen the people he loves, live with regrets their whole lives. He is very much flawed and at times, a bit difficult to like or defend but it’s still easy to root for him.

Now, Cai Zhao is the free-willed, strong and independent female lead that most writers fail to write. She is emotionally and physically strong and is extremely secure in her standing. She has a go with the flow attitude but is actually willing to take responsibility for her whims and doesn’t expect others to clean up after her or fight her battles. She knows what she wants and followed her heart. She loved MQY in her own way but also refused to compromise and let go of everything else that mattered to her. Some people might call her indecisive, but I’ll forever love CZ for standing her ground. And Bao Shang En deserves so much praise for successfully bringing CZ to life.

The chemistry between the leads is really good but their relationship dynamic is potentially the most problematic part of this drama: They are toxic and rather frustrating to watch at times, so tread carefully. But personally, I think they save themselves before falling from the edge and take time to grow and is actually okay by the end.

And the award for the best second male lead goes to Song Yuzhi! I don’t care what anyone says, I absolutely love him. Yuzhi starts off as the typical cold, rigid, righteous and slightly pretentious 2ML but we soon get to see how clever and surprisingly flexible he is. He did what he thought was right and had a clean conscience. He was always the first to see through MQY’s schemes and called him out on it but never interfered where it wasn’t his place to interfere. And he admired, respected and liked CZ in the best way possible, supportive but never trying to impose or influence her feelings and decisions. And he's so cute, I loved his interactions with his father, who is also an absolute vibe might I add.

The other supporting characters were also written very well. And I simply cannot not mention You Guanyue. He single-handedly uplifted this drama for me ever since he first appeared. He is such a diva and his interactions with literally anyone is a joy to watch.

The character writing is honestly the best part of this drama for me. They start off as typical and risk falling flat but there are certain nuances which give them depth. And most importantly, the writing is consistent. MQY didn’t suddenly stop scheming and become 'good' to be more likable, CZ didn’t just forget she had a life and responsibilities after falling in love, SYZ didn’t become jealous and obsessive out of nowhere just because CZ didn’t love him. The writers being able to move the story forward and portray growth without uncharacteristically altering their personalities is something I can’t help but appreciate.

Now, the plot itself was good but a little weak at times. As much as I understand Cai Pingshu’s importance and why literally everyone admired and loved her, she was overused as the driving force of the plot and emotional building to the point that no one could even have a conversation without someone mentioning her every other minute.

The storytelling was also somewhat lacking, and I can understand the disappointment of the novel readers, especially if they are mourning the potential of what this drama could’ve been. However, as I’ve never read the novel and just watched it as it came, I quite enjoyed this drama. Like I mentioned before, this drama has its flaws and if you wish to pick on it, there would be reasons not to like it. But personally, I think the cinematography, osts, characters and the acting really came together as the story progressed and made it worth a shot.

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Refreshingly different - but also a nostalgic ride !

Let me start by saying that I watched and loved Hospital Playlist, so this story being based in the same universe was already enough for me to give it a chance - and I was not disappointed.

While quite different in story and characters, Resident Playbook has the familiar flair of Hospital Playlist and the generous cameos in each episode is enough to take the old fans on a nostalgic ride but even as a stand-alone story, Resident Playbook has its charm and is a decent watch.

Unlike HP, where the characters were established in their lives, careers and friendships and dealt with their hardships by finding comfort in familiarity, RP is about starting new journeys, experiencing new things, making mistakes and learning new things as they try to make a foothold in a new surrounding and slowly make their way towards new friendships!
Each character has a strong individual personality and makes human mistakes; Resident Playbook portrays their journey as they learn and grow while maintaining their chaotic lives as resident doctors.

The story started a little slow and did not make the leads very likable from the start but as they story progresses, they all kind of grow on you and make you root for them. Not to mention, Oh Yi-Yeong is an absolute vibe. The romance - though not a central part of the story - is nice and sweet and takes the familiar slow-burn approach of Hospital Playlist.

Overall, the plot and characters are interesting enough as a stand-alone and keeps you curious without feeling boring. As a spin-off, it is a nice trip down the memory lane since, liked I said, this has pretty decent cameos so we can see more of how the old characters are doing. So, I'd say, pretty worthwhile as long as you realise this is a different story and give it a fair chance.

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Park Hyungsik pretty much carried. The story - while flawed, is still worth watching

Honestly, I waited a very long time for this drama and had high expectations, while it did not meet all my expectations, it was a good watch, and I did enjoy watching this.
First of all, Buried Hearts is a makjang. It has over the top - crime, action, family drama, power grab, etc. that is not supposed to be realistic. If you look for realism in the story, it'll be a hard disappointment as it does not exist. You have to accept everything at face value and enjoy the ride.

For the most part, it was an easy ride for me as there was never a dull moment. There was always something happening which kept me interested despite my short attention span. The suspense and the pacing were also done really well that new elements and mysteries seemed neither too fast nor unreasonably dragged and kept me at the edge of my seat every week.
On the flip side, this also means there were too many elements with little connectivity thrown at the audience which may come off as overwhelming when binge-watching.

Which brings us to the biggest issue of this drama - the general lack of strong plot. Every few episodes, there is a new agenda which is good for suspense but when put together, it contributes little to the story. The story went in circles for a good part of the drama, and when I look back - all I remember is Seo Dong Ju almost dying and coming back stronger, of course, while looking absolutely stunning.

Now, if you are a Park Hyungsik fan, this drama is a must watch. Hands down, no questions asked. Not only did he look magnificent, but he also did an incredible job embodying Seo Dong Ju. He is easily the best part of this drama and hence, the title of my review. His acting was really good and as his fan, I could just watch him play Seo Dong Ju for about 16 hours straight. Unfortunately for the non-fans, this drama was not very far from it. Buried Hearts is heavily centered towards Seo Dong Ju, in contrast, all the other characters are very subsidiary with little growth.

Thankfully, Seo Dong Ju is an interesting character to watch as he is sassy, smart, driven, with arguably a grey moral compass. He knows what he wants and goes for it. Seo Dong Ju is always at the top of things, knows how to effectively get back at people and has all the markings of a main character. Though after some point, his emotions do get buried as he operates on autopilot to survive which kind of undermines his traumas, but I think by the end, it was wrapped up well.

Now onto my second issue with this drama, the lack of character development. In my opinion, most characters in this drama had very interesting premises and their potential were endless. Unfortunately, none of them were explored effectively, including the villains, the female lead and the main supporting characters which left the audience feel like we are supposed to be feel sympathetic towards them without invoking any real emotions.

Personally, I think the female lead was hit the hardest. Yeo Eun Nam was portrayed as calculative, self-centered and not being afraid of using other people for her own ends which would've been rather interesting but after a few episodes, she kind of faded into the background, becoming a pacemaker for Dong Ju instead of being a driving force to the story.
The romance here is another example of wasted potential. The actors had such incredible chemistry but failed to make a solid space in the storyline. In hindsight, the romance was probably never supposed to be a substantial part of the story so that's something to keep in mind when watching this.

Now if you're wondering why I still liked this drama, I admit it is flawed but somehow Buried Hearts made it work. Despite, the lack of strong plot and character development - the dialogues, the acting, the cinematography, the OST (oh I love the OSTs) and just the entire production really came together and made Buried Hearts a good drama. The ending can be a bit controversial to some, but personally I found it fitting and think the story did come together by the end. (I'll leave my thoughts about the ending in the comments to avoid spoilers).
So, if you are considering watching this drama, it's definitely worth a shot. Just beware of Kopiko ads! They are the uncredited main characters of this drama.

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Good combination of humour and meaningful messages

'Oh My Ghost Clients' is about Noh Mujin, a labour consultant who, after going through a near-death experience is able to see ghosts. NMJ signs a contract to escape his death and as a result has to help ghosts who died unfairly in industrial accidents to find peace. The plot has a similar vibe to dramas like 'Hotel Del Luna' and 'Tomorrow', just in the context of workers and follows the story of different ghosts as they explore the problems the workers face in their work.

The story does a good job educating people about the role of a labour consultant, at the same time bringing up the drastic safety issues in factories which is the reality for so many people. From what I gathered from interviews, South Korea has a large number of industrial deaths due to lax safety precautions, to the extent of two people dying every day. So, this is a nice way to bring awareness to these issues.

Despite the serious issues, this drama does a good job balancing the dark parts with comedy, so the overall tone is light and it's relatively easy to watch and focus on the messages. The characters also have a good chemistry and interesting dynamic, and their interactions are really fun to watch. The characters themselves are well-written and have potential. NMJ like a lot of Jung Kyungho's characters, is not black or white and JKH did a tremendous job in bringing NMJ to life. He is clumsy, a little slow, a bit selfish and generally flawed, like most people but has some redeeming qualities and his growth is an interesting part of the story as he experiences the hardships of his ghost clients.
Overall, if you like tomorrow, this drama is definitely worth a try.

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