K-Drama 
1
Nice Surprise
Pinocchio was definitely a nice surprise, and if I hadn't found the last few episodes a tad underwhelming, could have scored a 9.5 or even perhaps a 10 as a final rating. The story was easy to follow, made sense, and had the right amount of characters to keep the interest going. The chemistry between the two main leads was definitely there, and while I did lose the connection with Pinocchio when it came to the final few episodes, I still have to admit that the two main leads here are one of my favourite on-screen couples I've witnessed to date. I also really liked the OST and acting and chemistry of nearly all the other cast members.Pinocchio was definitely a nice surprise and I am sad now that I have finished it. There were a few cast members that I were unfamiliar with before watching this, and now since watching Pinocchio, I am interested in watching their other work. I recommend this drama to anyone and everyone.
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Surprisingly Great!
The overall rating for Birdie Buddy on kisskh is definitely a mis indicator, because while it isn't world-class, it still has a very nice and meaningful story that will make you feel many genuine emotions towards the characters. I honestly have no idea why it has such a low overall rating in the first place considering the reviews made beforehand too, perhaps because it was made in 2011 perhaps, nearly a decade ago when this review is being made? Honestly the only thing I didn't like in this sports drama was the acting skills of one of the main characters (wont point out any names as I don't want to be too harsh).If you like sports dramas I definitely recommend Birdie Buddy, and if you are not a fan of sports dramas I still think there is enough non-sport story for you to like it, but bear in mind this is still a sports drama, if you know what I mean! I liked the OST too and it did give me some nice nostalgic vibes somehow - even though this is my first time watching!
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A perfect historical drama for beginners to the genre!
The Nokdu Flower is such an incredible drama- and the fact that it's based on real life is even more overwhelming. To think this really happened (I don't know how accurately as I wasn't obviously alive in 1894/1895) in real life, makes me even more emotional upon completion.The drama is so amazing, the choice of cast was great - surprising to see actors I know in this drama - but then again I rarely watch historical dramas so I can obviously say this. The OST, while at first I believed to be a little underwhelming, turned out to be one of my favourite themes in a long time. The rewatch-value is a little lower than what I had thought, but please bear in mind it's more than the usual, that's literally the only reason why.
The Nokdu Flower has really made me interested in reading about this real story into an even more depth - if that is even possible? I guess I'm going on Amazon after I write this review to check it out! While I do that, watch The Nokdu Flower! You will not regret it!
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Ehh.
First things first, for me, the first two episodes of Lovestruck in the City were so slow I think I would have preferred to watch paint dry. I was heavily considering to drop it after watching the first two episodes - but decided to give the next episode a chance before I did. Thankfully from the third episode onwards - improvement! While I still was never really truly brought into the universe of Lovestruck in the City there were good parts - most notably the acting and chemistry of the cast.I don't think there should be a second season, but it's possible. I might check it out but it won't be a high priority for me. Also, I think people who watch romance dramas on a regular basis compared to someone like me will enjoy this more, so check it out!
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Emotion. Emotions. Emotional.
Prison Playbook makes you think leaps and bounds about the society of the world which has been structured into the modern day. Okay, well, maybe it's not that deep, but it could be on the perspective. An all-star cast and the chemistry that goes along with it create a spectacular story which will open your hearts and at least open your mind into having a conversation to yourself about the real world. Maybe not ALL prisoners are bad people.The OST was perfect, it included songs from all different genres and was placed in perfect appropriateness when in-line with scene selection. The rewatch value may be a little high, but thanks to lockdown it has an advantage. Plus, although the episodes are roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes long, it really doesn't feel that way.
I suggest everyone to watch Prison Playbook - that is, of course, if they like amazing dramas.
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Biggest plot twist I think I have ever seen, I honestly which English television shows could think of something so great! Acting is phenomenal and each and every character you will gain a strong opinion on. I was familiar with a few actors/actresses before watching Stranger and some I haven't been so familiar on, but they all work so great together I have to admit this is perhaps the greatest cast ensemble too!
I may be living under a rock but I believe the second series has been confirmed? If not then make another season!! I could name so many events that could happen in the next one it legitimately makes me so excited. Stranger is a must watch show!
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Just let the story fold out and you will simply love this.
I have to give props to everyone here. The story in Doctor Prisoner is constructed to an absolute masterpiece that it makes me believe this is someone's literal life work. The acting brought to the table was in a different class. The OST was addictive that it made me think non-stop about Doctor Prisoner. This show is so close to perfection, it's magical.While the story may seem either a little confusing or slow at the start, the amount of thickness and plot really strengthens up to be really complex, but you still understand everything (and if there is a little something you may find confusing within the realms of the story, you'll most likely know sooner rather than later in a handy little flashback!).
All in all, Doctor Prisoner is great, and I'm glad there is a second season (I'm saying this based on the fact that there is a page named 'Doctor Prisoner 2' on MDL. If not, sad face. :(
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Don't get me wrong, it's not all negative, as the 40 minutes of episodes didn't feel like they were dragging at all. I'm just disappointed that the opportunity of a great premise wasn't seized as well as it should have. Plus, what the hell was that ending? Overall, good show but could have been WAY better.
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If you know the cast, you'll know it's a great watch
Just considering the fact that Healer was released in the year 2014 amazes me considering how far ahead of time it was and how much of a trend-setter this drama became for many future releases in the same sort of genre. Acting and casting was perfect - if you are familiar with the cast you'll know this is a great watch anyway - OST was surprisingly superb too! I wasn't too sure on the 20 episode length at first but Healer was never boring so the 20 episode length was a success!I did get K2 and Vagabond vibes from this however since Healer was released first, I should say the opposite now! I am not surprised that Healer is in the top #10 most popular K-Dramas on MDL right now. Simply amazing!
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Nice Surprise
While it did take me longer than what I had expected for me to become fully immersed in the story of The Good Detective, the wait was worthwhile. A great ensemble of cast members with a substantially thick and interesting storyline eventually made me think of the drama nonstop and 24/7! While I do admit that the story at certain points did become a little confusing, you will eventually understand with either flashbacks or something of the kind.The OST is really underrated too. I found myself humming the theme song when I played each episode and the twist and turns of the plot definitely made The Good Detective a very decent watch. If you like detective dramas this is for you. If you don't normally watch detective dramas, then I'm not sure if this would be your best bet, but who knows? Still try it!
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Unpopular Opinion - I liked it!
Despite the very low overall rating of Love Alarm 2 currently - I personally really enjoyed it, and easily prefer it over the first season of Love Alarm. I like how Love Alarm 2 gives off more mature vibes, which I think was definitely needed in order for the story to progress. I would also like to point out that the OST is surprisingly sublime, meaning I will be listening to it on repeat, starting today!It wasn't perfect, for example I did find some scenes quite cringe or irrelevant as they didn't really progress the story that much but overall it didn't hinder my positive experience on an overall scale that much.
While I do prefer Love Alarm 2 - I don't think there should be a Love Alarm 3 now. I'm only mentioning this because I feel like a Love Alarm 3 will happen - we shall see if my feeling becomes more than a 'feeling'!
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Not perfect but special in many ways
Doctor on the Edge is not perfect but special in many ways. It's one of those dramas that won't necessarily be 'number one' in any category, but still scores highly in all. The moral of the story is heart-warming, and whilst I did find that there were many cliches I had seen in many dramas beforehand, the way this drama handles itself is just that slightly uniquely different that I didn't mind it. I also really enjoyed the rural island setting of the drama: it was fresh to see, and I also really enjoyed listening to the local dialect; something I would love to learn although would be almost impossible for me to ever master.I thought the story was entertaining but not perfect. There were some imperfections and the pacing I believe was a slight tad off during the middle episodes but the beginning and end episodes were produced amazingly well. The characters were well balanced; there were a nice mix of different personalities and no character ever felt 2D or 'paper produced'. Each character had a specific part to play in the story which I really enjoyed to see. I also liked the editing styles except from the romantic scenes which I felt were captured in a cringe way. The OST was very catchy and lovely. I also enjoyed the acting for the most part, although there were some performances that I wasn't a fan of (I won't be naming any names, after all, other human beings are involved).
Again, I don't think there were any majorly blaring negatives, it's just that for everything was great but not perfect. The drama actually had more romance than what I usually care for, and so it must be a good drama if I had completed it, right? Because I can easily drop a drama if I think it's too romantic. There were many romance scenes but for me it never felt like a romance drama, it felt more like a life/healing/medical drama with some romance (if that makes sense).
Do I recommend this drama? Yes, I definitely do!
(On another personal note - this is my 150th drama I have completed!).
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Great but left me wanting more
Osore is a very decent drama, although it has left me wanting more, due to the ending. It's one of those dramas which has a difficult-to-follow story for the majority of the drama until everything all clicks into place and makes sense. In 'Hollywood' terms, it's like the Transformers: don't think too critically, just enjoy the action and have a good time! So in that kind of way, this was almost perfect. However, the story did have a few issues; issues in which I think could have been saved if the run time were longer and had allowed for some character development.Regarding the acting/cast aspect, phenomenal. I do not watch many J-Dramas at all, but I was seriously impressed with the performances here, especially by the FL (Riko) and the two MLs (not described as main roles on MDL but I'm talking about Takaki Yuya and Kasahara Hideyuki, although I understand why they are not attributed as main roles). I have become instant fans of all the cast, but especially of these three aforementioned talents. The OST, too, was also just simply phenomenal. I am already planning on listening to the OST in my spare time.
The rewatch value is pretty decent for the score I usually give a 'rewatch value', although it would have been higher if the ending was more satisfying. However, with all being said, I do strongly recommend that you watch Osore.
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From episode two - action and intrigue!
The Killer's Shopping List was an extremely enjoyable watch, and I loved the fact that, until episode six, I still wasn't certain on who the killer was. One of the best things about dramas with killers? When the viewer is left speculating after each episode has finished and has to brainstorm after each episode! Whilst I did correct the killer from episode two or three, I didn't actually have a valid reason for my speculation - it was more just based on a 'hunch'. I really liked the diverse personalities and characters, and I really loved the fact that the supporting cast were all on a 'main level' to the main cast. I also really enjoyed the acting provided by the main and supporting cast. Special mention to Lee Kwang Soo, I had only watched him in one drama before, and I thought he did a good performance, but in this, I would say it was close to phenomenal.The entire OST was really addictive and I also really enjoyed the editing styles and also the theme opening animation. The rewatch value is also higher than normal, I think this is due to the fact that there is only eight episodes instead of the 'usual 16', and also because of the unpredictability factor.
What could have earned this drama an even higher score? As I'm writing this, I can only think of a couple of things. I think it would've been nicer to explore the ML/FL relationship a little more, and at some points, the dialogue was a little repetitive... so maybe a change here?
However, I definitely recommend this drama no matter what - even if crime/mystery dramas are not your favourite!
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Brilliantly fascinating
Manhole was such a brilliantly fascinating drama, despite the first two episodes being quite rocky and slow. The story was full of surprise twists and turns, was complex enough to keep the viewer guessing whilst also not being too complex to follow, and the characters were all interesting in their own way. Manhole was also decently edited and directed, and it felt like the entire cast had an absolute blast filming this. I really enjoyed the cast, and whilst I wasn't familiar with everyone, I have now became a fan of everyone. The OST was also addictive. The re-watch value is decently high for my average standards despite the aforementioned rocky first two episodes. I think this is due to two reasons. The first being that it had a time loop/time travel trope, which is my favourite trope. The second being that the story contained lots of little pieces that had its' own airtime, meaning I was kept interested throughout.Any negatives? A couple of minor parts to the story (i.e. a certain male character should have ended up with a certain female character, when you see the last part of the final episode, you will know exactly to who I am referring to). Any other negatives? Not any that really stand out to me, except from the odd occasional 'comedy' scene that fell a little flat.
Do I recommend this? Definitely.
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