Sarrit

K-drama fan, retired information professional. A Finnish translator at viki.com  - 50 000+ subtitles.  e.g.  "Tale of Nokdu" (FL Kim So Hyun), "Jirisan" (Jun Ji Hyun),  "Sell your haunted house" (Jang Na Ra), "Do you like Brahms" (Park Eun Bin).   Working on Jirisan made me want to go there to see it IRL and I realized this in October 2023 even climbing to the top of the highest peak, Cheonwangbong.  On the way to Jirisan, with the kindness of my friends, I was able to visit the famous "love tree" at the Buyeo Garimseong fortress, a location shown in 30 different dramas (see the list).   In November 2025 I'm translating "Ms. Incognito".

Update Aug -25:  I saw someone had posted  her star-rating "rules" and I though I'll do the same: I might check these later while I'll do  more mew ratings...   Here are some of the things that seem to affect my ratings.  However, I cannot express weights for any of these :   Acting / directing (both lead roles and side roles);  Storyline and script (believable story, characters are introduced well, story is easy to follow,  side stories for supporting roles that are also developed further);  Sets and scenes, well selected outdoor locations, not only studio; Cinematography and visual effects (tones, colors, cameras and their angles,  panning. close-ups); Music (supports the story, enjoyable, would listen also separately as OST).

So  a rating scale designed off the cuff by sarrit:

• 1-3 :  Bad: Did not enjoy watching or disliked.  Bad acting  or uncomfortable scenes (e.g. unnecessary violence).  Probably would drop and not finish.  These are often selected out as 'not wanted' even before watching so you would rarely see these ratings.
• 4-5:  Poor:  Would   watch till the end but would  not binge.  Fast forwarding just to follow the story. No positive feelings in any aspects of evaluation.
• 6 :  Average everything.  Could binge through, though. Does not arouse any strong feelings.
• 7 :  Partially good. Good in some aspects and bad in others. 
• 8 :  Good. Some parts of the production were great, but some could be improved.
• 9 : Excellent. Touched my feelings or made me laugh or cry several times.  Could recommend to others. 
•  10 : Perfect. Most of acting/directing, storyline, music, cinematography, sets all great. Worth  recommending to others, Worth seeing multiple times.

I thought to check others but did not find more so here are my  star-ratings criteria "re-written" by chatgpt  (and  I might even use these in the future):

1. Unwatchable - Deeply unenjoyable; bad acting, awkward or disturbing scenes (e.g., gratuitous violence). Likely dropped early. Rarely watched due to negative first impressions.
2. Awful - Watched briefly, but highly dissatisfying. Poor quality in most aspects. May abandon early.
3. Very Bad -- Weak overall; some effort visible but heavily flawed. May try watching but rarely finish.
4. Poor -- Below average; finished out of curiosity, not enjoyment. Often skipped or fast-forwarded.
5. Weak --- Still watchable, but disengaging. Flat performances or story. No emotional connection.
6. Average --- Neutral experience. No strong emotions, but bingeable. Competent but uninspired.
7. Mixed --- Inconsistent. Good elements (acting, scenes, or story), but offset by significant flaws.
8. Good --- Enjoyable and well-produced. Some areas shine (e.g., music, plot), but not yet excellent.
9. Excellent --- Emotionally impactful or memorable. Strong storytelling and performances. Easy to recommend.
10. Masterpiece --- Outstanding in nearly every dimension (acting, direction, music, visuals). Deeply moving or rewatchable. A benchmark of quality.