Sweet0Girl

Pretty Good Competition Series

The best thing about the show is that the cast is genuinely good and almost eveyone is likable. I don't usually watch reality shows, the competition kind or otherwise but I really was hooked watching week to week. Could the show have been better most definitely but for the entertainment value it gave was excellent.

After the challenges in episode 8, I really did think Jo Jin Hyeong, the bodybuilder would win but it goes to show that stamina becomes more important than brute strength. Most of my favorites were out but the winner really was good throughout the series. Love that the contestants rooted for each other.

I would have liked more individual challenges each round similiar to how they did episode 8. I also think that the picking of the teams should had been random. That would have made for much more interesting and possibly more evenly matched teams.

Dont know if I'd watch another season but this was pretty entertaining.

2/21/23

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Sweet and Comforting

This was a sweet, bittersweet and comforting, slice of life drama. I just really enjoyed it and the cast is wonderful, especially the 2 young female leads, Mori Nana and Deguchi Natsuki.

Kiyo and Sumire leave their hometown to go to Kyoto to become Maiko, while Sumkre shines Kiyo struggles but she is a glass half full person and take things as they come. She ends up becoming the maikani of the house and she cooks for the girls.

I didnt even realize Meiko and Geiko could have boyfriends or that Geikco coud have children. I ended up Googling b/c I was curious and I learned a lot.

I originally didn't like the character of Ryoko but as the episodes went along, I understood her longing and what she was going through. My heart kinda broke for her too!.

Overall a really good series. Just a simple year in the life of these characters and it's quite enjoyable. I really liked how each episode built on the story. Loved the showcasing of food as well. Would love to try some of the dishes presented. Episode 6 was my favorite.

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Not enough action

Su Can the son of the Admiral in charge of destroying the opium being brought in by the Prince is essentially an aimless youngman who doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of his government official father. He's happy to go around with the beggar clan just living his life and being in love with Lady Ruyu. Lady Ruyu is a performer whom the Prince has taken a keen interest. She rebuffs him and also gets into a kerfuffle with Su Can. The Prince sets in motion a plan to eliminate Su Can and is father so that he can continue his opiod busniess.After the murder of his father and then the Beggar clan leader Su Can seeks out revenge. It's not a bad movie but the movie is choppy. Somethings happened way to fast and too unbelievably. I did like the costumes and the cast though. I just wish there was a more coherent story.

I can see why this has a low rating. I really wanted to like this film and it really should have been good and enjoyable. The runtime was a short 73 minutes and maybe that's why the story falls apart?

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The movie delivers the goods

I preface this by saying I am not a person who's really into the zombie genre but there are some genuinely good zombie movies out there.

Train to Busan did not disappoint!! Well written and well acted, with some humorous moments.

I was 30 minutes in and I was wondering how the movie could possibly be almost 2 hours long on a train. The level of tension, suspense and action never waivered. I was super impressed. Gong Yoo was excellent and Ma Dong-seok was fantastic! I mean the entire cast is really good. The young actress Kim Soo An playing Gong Yoo's daughter was good too!

I loved the scene where Ma Dong, Gong Yoo and Choi Woo Shik are in the bathroom waiting for the next tunnel and Gong Yoo ask why Ma Dong has that as his ring tone. The whole scene is great and it was an excellent tension breaker. Ma Dong's speech about Gong Yoo's daughter understanding him later was also on point.

Of course there is always a character in these films that you hate and I was so mad he made it til the end. Total bastard.

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Hands down one of the best kdramas I have ever watched. Periodt!

I have been trying to find a really good adult Kdrama to watch this year and I found Memory from 2016.

This is honestly, one of the best series I have ever watched Korean or otherwise. From the first episode to the last, the acting, the writing, the revelations were all on point. Easily and believably woven together to give an exceptionally, meaningful 16 episodes to the viewers. This story about a prominent lawyer learning he has early onset Alzheimer's is so damn good. It has aspects of a great family drama, legal drama and thriller.

Lee Sung Min as Park Tae-seok was absolutely brilliant. This was the first series I have seen him in and I can't get over how great he was in this role. The whole cast is really good though and I genuinely loved everyone in their roles. Kim Jee Soo as Young joo, Tae-Seok wife was stellar. One of my favorite people in the show was Yoon So Hee as Sun Hwa. She was such a great legal assistant and I loved that she respected her boss and was looking out for him/ had his back. She is such a great female character.

The theme song More than a memory by Kim Kyung Hee is beautiful and perfect. It played a lot but I was happy hearing it.

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I enjoyed this slice of life story. Hye Won was going through a quarterlife crisis. She's struggling to know what she really wants to do with her life after failing her teacher's exam. She's also still feeling abandoned by her mother. She heads back to her home town and through some memories of her mother and time with her friends she finds the answers she needs.

What I loved the most about the film is the storytelling through food. So many interesting dishes. Things I would definitely try and some I wouldn't. The cabbage pancake with egg looked strange but somehow delicious. I am always envious of people who can cook and especially cook from scratch. I loved those scenes the most.

The cast is really good to. I particularly loved the performance of Moon So Ri, the actress playing the mother of Hye Won.

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Really average movie but I did like it overall. It started off well then the middle kind of got stupid but it redeemed itself in the last half. I really liked Hee Min the ML and So Young the FL even though techically I would say there isn't a FL in the traditional sense. I really liked the whole cast. The actress playing the distraught/grieving mother was really good too!

My main negative critique is that the CGI is BAD. There is a scene where a character is throwing up blood and it was terrible. Most of the CGI is not good but I didn't mind that but you would think in 2021 it would be better than this and that particular scene was ridiculous!

Another reviewer said it would be better as a series and I agree with that.

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This is a standard story of the teacher as saviour of those wayward youths. It's really well done even if it's completely cliche but Donnie Yen is outstanding; as is the fantastic young cast as well. I liked too that it was about forgiveness and overcoming your own hangups and demons. I liked Yu Kang the villian here as well. You never how something you do can affect someone's whole life!

I am such a sucker for these kinds of feel good movies and I cried on a few scenes. Like when Glady's had the car race with her father. I was also glad her father and honestly, all the parentals turned out to be loving/caring human beings even the alchoholic father of the twins. I bawled my eyes out when one of the twins was struggling and felt like he couldnt turn to anyone (trying not to spoil anything) those scenes really broke my heart.

Overall, a really enjoyable film. The music was pretty good too! Im probably biased re the music it was mostly american music that I was familiar with.

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Reminiscing with BTS

I love how RM tried to get that sweater designated as purple and yellow. LOL!!

I loved all the reminiscing about the snacks and candy they enjoyed as youngsters. My friends and cousins do that all the time. I always love when they talk about each other individually and how they changed and inspired each other. Sometimes I think they make too many jokes when V says something and he is being sincere :(

I loved Suga's repsonse when the question was "Describe yourself in 5 syllables" and he said "I am who I am" but Jin was classic Jin when he said "Ji-i-i-i-in".

I will always love the dinner parties and get togethers of the past year. They are just overwhelmingly comforting. And after having watched this after the Proof promos I am glad V is able to seperate V from Kim Taehynung these days!

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Not at all what I was expecting!

Well, that was not what I had in mind.

I was expecting whimsical fantasy and I got more of a dark and heavy sadness. I planned for a musical extravaganza similar to Glee or Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist I guess, but this was not those.

And that's not a bad thing. I really enjoyed the series over all, especially the performances of the 3 main leads. I thought the musical numbers were fantastic and some of the fantasy sequences were really very well done. The parallells between Ri Eul and Il Deung's upbringing was very good too.

Once again the parents in this drama were terrible on all fronts but that aside the take away is that no matter what yourparents expect from you, you have a right to live your life the way you choose!

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Enjoyable Kids Movie

I enjoyed this kids' movie but really wanted to love it. I think kids will like it a lot, but it did get a little slow in the middle. I thought it was going to be a little more like the American movie 3 Ninjas, not that it's a great film but kids really like it. There was some heaviness about the boys and why some of them were left at the monastery with the monks. In fact, it was sad as hell to me. Overall, the cast was really good, and they found "real kids" to play the parts of the young monks.

Yoon Sung Woo as Piggy was fantastic, and he was a good friend to have trying to be supportive and listen. Really liked that character. I like the main child actor who played Jingu as well but my apologies b/c I don't know his real name and since I don't read or speak Korean, I have been unable to confirm any of his information. Choi Hyun Jin and Ham Hee Soo both fit their characters as well.

There were some genuinely funny moments between the kids and one of the villains.

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Relaxing with BTS

Another great season of Bon Voyage. This time the boys venture to New Zealand and they rent a camper van and camp for a few days. Then head back to civilization for the last 2 days!

There were some genuinely great moments in this season:

Ep2:
Cuteness overload when V did the chicken noodle soup dance challenge. J-Hope adorable as well.

Ep3:
They we so cute making different version of the "Bon Voyage" theme song they made up on their hike. RM falling was priceless. Suga getting stuck going to get the snow when he hates the cold was hilarious! Such a mean prank they pulled on Hobi...it was funny though especially Jimin's laughing!

RM calling out Seok-Jin to a sheep and them all laughing when it turned around had me on the floor.

V, Jimin and JK doing the chicken dance was awesome.

Ep6:
Tae and Jimin being the cutest snow babies in the world had me beaming. Jin trying to lift that massive snowball, hilarious!! RM not being able to go fishing or bike riding :( but at least he got to enjoy the helicopter tour and snow fun.

I knew Tae could ride a horse but damn!!! I loved Jimin on Chikorita too damn cute and funny. The 95ers are just too damn cute for words!!

Ep7:
I LOL b/c I don't think they were playing UNO right but then again, I haven't played in a long time so....
I was glad they got to venture on their own to do what they wanted. Tae was so cute at the art gallery.

Ep8:
They are so funny ... Jimin and V acting like a scene from a drama was very good! Awe I wish we could have listened to the memory lane songs. They we so hyped. Boo copyright infringement!!

I love the ending reflections from the trip. They have such meaningful time together. Glad they still get to enjoy each other's company like that.

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Disintegrated into madness!!

This is another show that I really liked in the beginning but then couldn't wait for it to be over. The plot went from fun/interesting to nonsensical and boring all the while adding some dumb subplot about evil politician destined to be the next antichrist/Hitler type...can we say done to death (well maybe not in Kdramas or none that I have watched, and this is the first fantasy I've watched and may be the last for a while)!!

The writing is bad. So many plot discrepancies from episode to episode, especially as it related to the bracelet, and how it was able to injure Son Oh Gong. Master Subori supposed to be a deity but constantly being challenged by Ma Wang and Oh Gong. Terrible CGI especially for 2017. The budget went on wardrobe and not special FX. The cast not bad and neither is the acting.

We are supposed to root for FL but not sure how our heroine, Jin Seon Mi / Sam Jang went from pretty resourceful kid to being a damsel in distress at practically every turn. One of the worst FL in a series.

There were some highlights of the series including, Ma Wang and Oh Gong's relationship. The banter between the two could be a show all its own. I adored Mr. Sa the best manservant ever!! I loved his relationship with Oh Gong.

BEST FEMALE CHARACTER EVER MS. MA. Loved her so much. I loved how every episode she wanted to kill someone but really still had the best heart.

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RuoXin is the Best FL

What I loved about this series is the FL Ruoxin played phenomenally by Qin Lan. This is the first series I've seen with Qin Lan but she nailed this part through and through.

Ruoxin is someone to aspire to be. She is a successful woman in her 30's who knows what she wants and won't settle for less. She never waivered in her beliefs and I loved that about her. When things got hard she worked harder to make them better and never threw people under the bus even though her boss and his minions were doing everthing in their power to discredit her.

Ruoxin's relationship with Qi Xiao was good and they built towards a common goal to love each other as they are even though society has issues with an older woman and younger man.

I really hated that RuoXin's first boss Mr. Lui and his lackey Mr. Ruan didnt get the comeuppance I was hoping for. Aside from that a really good series from beginning til end even if some parts lagged amd several characters incluidng RuoXin's mom, Mr. Yu and Mr Xu got ob my nerves. Mr Xu did redeem himself though so I appreaciated his character towards the end.

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Comforting

RM was so cute trying to look natural in the book photo shoot. They all looked so good. Of course, V's photos were stunning. I mean the man has a face to be treasured.

I loved the reflections on the year 2019. Makes you think about the Covid year that followed.

JK giving V the I thought you'd be beyond my imagination but then I think again, and you are way beyond my imagination award was too good for words!! Both of them are so adorable!!

Jimin giving Suga the Normal Award and everyone busting out laughing was hilarious, but I think Jimin was being really sincere and loving.

The Awards ceremony is always something I look forward too!! RM just being the best leader and friend is one of my favorite things in this whole world.

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