Utemom5

Always here for Jun Ho ?

I kept avoiding this one, despite my deep admiration for LJH, mostly due to awful reviews on trusted tiktok review accts, but finally decided to do my own thing and give it a go because how awful could it really be, right? Turns out its not a bad sort at all and for the most part I really enjoyed this mash up of the usual kdrama fare with a strong hint of classic dramas everyone loves from the old days. Perhaps it was the chaotic band of thugs - or the down on his luck ML, it surprisingly feels like something from the early 2010s, not the end. The trio of leads were fantastic, and the friendship connection between them all truly was a gem to watch. I love the unselfish way we see the romance plot develop between the 2 leads, but was glad that it finally did move forward. There were lots of holes, which usually irk me, but my biggest gripe here was the overdone interfereing parent trope. I know there is deep respect for your elders in Korea, however I am really confused as to how 2 consenting adults, that have already lived outside of the home, married and dealt with the betrayal (abandonment/adultery) ended up divorced but then we see FL being controlled like shes 15 years old. Please writers just stop it. It’s stupid and makes no sense. The spin of “class” or someone not matching financial expectations is so ridiculous when you consider the rich fiance/spouse did the dirty on your daughter and disappeared without a care at her worst moment, yet the genuine loving (albeit a bit loud in the kitchen) and LOYAL boyfriend somehow doesn’t match the mark. Dumb and stupid, and she got annoying too fast.

The humor in the show was comedy gold, and carried it well.

Jun Ho as expected is a class actor, and played his role well. From the depths of the lowest his life could be he clawed his way back up and proved again why he deserves these kind of roles.

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Cliche but sweet

yep this show has all the cliches, but if you can’t desl with that, why on earth are you watching dramas? It’s just the way they are. Chemistry between the mains is perfect from the beginning and those looking for romance will come away satisfied. The 2FL is horrible and thankfully she gets figured out fairly fast by ML which is usually a gripe of mine when they don’t. The 2ML draws a very short straw sadly, but his role is what it is in shows like this. I didn’t see much benefit to the friend couple scenes, skipped them mostly. If you just want an easy to watch drama where love grows naturally and no stupid break ups, this is one to watch.

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Had potential ruined by the writers towards the end

I came for the plot breakdown, actors and the music. Sadly Riley Wang is left with his unemotional angry face for far too long in thos drama. Once he warms up, the chemistry shifts for the 2 ml. For most of the drama the 2L love life had a lot more tension and chemistry and I am mad that the writers brought in Mars to take the woman. Yes the guy could have resolved and clarified the misunderstandings sooner and that relationship could have been saved. It is just too unbelievable that after years of loving someone she has fallen in love with another guy rushed into a wedding, even after her love of many years apologized for all the misunderstandings. Sorry you can’t pack it into a box and suddenly be that happy to be insta marrying a stranger - that ticked me off. Then the absolutely stupid way they ended this drama was ridiculous. The FL does not have to care one hoot about random busybody phone calls - and you don’t have to break up with the love of your life nor do you ditch them at the airport like a ghost either. Let him go with you for a bit. Talk it out. Share the creepy phone calls. One of these days writers will get that viewers like the stories to be on an adult level where everyone makes smart decisions and stays happy. We despise idiotic breakups. Business Proposal is one in which they get this right.

Shame, I was about to give this a 8 or 9 but the crappy writing in the last 1/4 of this drama took it all the way down.

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Glad I didn’t read reviews first

It’s kind of funny showing up a year later to pick up a show I didn’t bother watching because I’m not a bandwagon watcher, nor a particularly big fan of the leads. I’m here primarily to support KSH in the whole crap shoot attack on his life, and even tho I don’t care that much for his shows, I decided it was time to throw some traction behind this show eventually. 2025 has been rather disappointing in kdrama land, and I’ve been hanging out with their J & C counterparts.

Have to say it. When you come to the table with zero bias and haven’t read the silly reviews, you finally get to watch a show for what it is. This show was so well written - and yes lets forget the crazy stuff that gets chucked left right and center to get 16 episodes out of it - but nothing was predictable and you don’t really know what’s going to happen next. It was as well done as well as I enjoyed shows like Vincenzo, and nice cameo by the way by corn salad lol.

This was a real good watch, not my fave of the 24 shows but its up there.

One of the locations they filmed is in ky daughters town and I saw it while on a walk last summer. Fun to finally see it on the screen.

I loved mostly the massive growth arc for the family, and them also uniting with the inlaws. Such significance to that and a healthy development you don’t see often in asian dramas when it comes to families.

The lawyer buddies were awesome. The village neighbors also.

I’ll even say the baddy did a great job. Some fine acting all around. I hoped for a little more chemistry at times between the leads. I took off half a star because that felt lacking, and was a shame. I’m not sure if its the lack of intimacy between 2 people who supposedly can’t live without each other, or that FL is so brash so much of the time, shes a little hard to believe she really loves him deep down.

Either way a great drama. Ignore the haters. I’m a little more convinced after that to watch more shows by KSH, so hopefully he can win all his cases against the bullies and get back to living his life.

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Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!

Thank you Kdramaland for NOT throwing a side plot of creepy murder into this show. It was raw and packed full pf emotions from the very start. The character development was stellar, the casting A plus.

Love, pain, family, bonding, small town drama at its finest.

I don’t cry much in dramas, but happy tears poured down my face at the end of this show.

We’ve had at most 4-5 10 star worthy dramas come out of Korea in 2024, and this is certainly one of them.

It felt different, unique and apart from the absolutely horrendous mother of ML, I feel like we pretty much steered clear of the usual tropes too.

Don’t miss this one. It’s a much watch.

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Complex

It seems that the female lead is consistently cast in these kinds of roles. Stubborn, unwilling to listen to anyone, lacks staying power, feisty. Its almost as if she is stereotype cast in her roles. I wish we could see her play something else for a change. It’s not that a show can’t have a lead with that personality- and it fit the story that was written but it tends to get old fast.

I was looking forward to this show, being a fan of both leads, and had high hopes. However I ended up skipping at times when we got stuck record repeats of the same dialogues and behavior. To the point where she was coming across obnoxious and our male lead was just being used or abused by her. I got to thinking even if she softens up and decides to love him back - it didn’t feel like a hea type relationship I’d want to be in or something that couod past long term. You kind of need that in a drama for a feel good ending.

That aside, I enjoyed the other actors in this show. They were well written and fun. I really wanted to see the two seconds Esther and the guy who liked FL (can’t remember his name) come together because the chemistry was there. The friend group was solid, and through their anxiousness for ML it was clear they knew ge had loved her unconditionally the years she was gone and were not on board for her abusive way she came back in to his life.

For our male lead he was styled and acted perfectly- he came across younger than his role in Marry My Husband (which was brilliant) and extremely kind and quiet. Sadly though, amd maybe thats what they were going for, he acts like a doormat for most the show. Constantly at the mercy of what FL wants or doesn’t want. Its a turn off and why I took off a couple of stars.

Much better than Melo Movie though fpr sure.

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Train Wreck

Endured this to the very end. Despite reading the reviews I kinda hoped that my incessant love for cdrama crazy would win over a bad script. Not to be. This show has all the typical pathetic tropes. Childish FL, dressed, scripted and directed to act the part. The other wonen dressed like ladies. The evil SFL’s who have no part except to behave like narcissistic snakes the entire show, while projecting the results of their choices onto everyone else. ML acting like a narcissistic fool wanting her confession to come first or else we get petulance. Girls running off, believing the first thing someone says on site. Never giving the guys chance to explain. The script is like it was written by a teenager. And then it goes all over the place and drags to the point you’ll skip the last 8-10 episodes for your own sanity.

Heres the reason this show got any stars at all:

1) Director (the star of the show for me
2) ML mom was a queen. In a show packed of horrendous tropes they did one thing right.
3) ML bestie. Such a cutie and for the most part the sensible one in the cast.

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Loved the OST, the toxicity not so much

Pros:
• Kisses/Chemistry of Leads
• 2ML for 98% of the time
• OST - wish I knew the name of that main song
• FL parents are so green flag

Cons
• Script - it gets beyond childish the further progresses
• Everyone in the except the 5 mentioned above
• Toxic plot of adopted siblings in delulu one sided romance with other sibling. Raised together as siblings. Thats GROSS. China, do better.
• Adult actors being forced to act like 6 yrs olds, with tantrums, manipulation and unending drama
• Plot repeats itself multiple times, same plan by baddies. Clearly the writers had nothing fresh
• Starts out tropey but fun and plenty of hope for a nice sweet cdrama journey, but quickly takes a massive nosedive in last 10 episodes
• Typical ideology of “parents did me wrong so by default its all the inocent childs fault” = you owe me everything you have
• Proceeds to take it
• “I like you/known you longest, so it is my right that you will love me” mindset with second leads - it shows up in most cdramas, I’ve started to wonder is that how people hook up in China?!?!
• ML becomes a total doormat
• FL sacrifices everything when she should just hold her ground
• Only viable business competitors are less interested in doing actual business and are petty and ridiculous the whole way through
• Slapping granny
• Drinking culture yet again being pushed as ok. No, forcing someone who chooses to not drink for whatever reason, to drink by a superior at work is harassment, disgusting and shameful. Cultural or not, stop it.

As you can see, the cons far outweigh the pros of this show, and full disclosure I watched to the end because of the leads and their chemistry. They carry the show. But this sadly takes a nose dive, beyond the typhcal tropey cdrama I show up for all the time, to take me into “time to skip” land, as the plot and the acting by the supporting cast goes into you’ve got to be kidding me, why????!!

Still overall the things I did like are the reason I gave this a 7. But when there are times this late in the drama you start wishing the FL will walk away from the toxic mess of what was going on with ml and 2fl sub plot. and that she will run away with 2ml, you have problems.

Casting was great, this show had some real potential but oh boy was that wasted. Sadly.

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2ML is the redeeming part of this show

Lacking in the usual flair of Wang Zi Qi, and the failure of ZYX to deliver her part, this couple really missed the mark on chemistry I had high hopes for. The plot has its good moments. High intensity and fun, but mixed in are some ridiculous script dialogues and scenes that look like they were written by a teenager. I skipped huge chunks of this show and thats too bad. I have never had to do that before for a WZQ drama. It’s ok, but nothing ground breaking and certainly not a rewatch. Whereas I’ve watched his other shows now multiple times.

One of the wins for me, is the SML. He comes across annoying and ridiculous at the start, but his arc was well done. I loved his character a lot, and I’d love to see hik in more shows. He certainly helped the rough parts of this drama have a little more zing that was badly needed.

For me it’s the execution of certain scenes. When the plot holes are staring you in the eyballs, there’s no masking it.

The story was for the most part an interesting concept. Just missed the mark in delivering- and childish side characters, or scenes with FL acting like shes 7, were not funny at all. Just sitting here thinking what on earth am I watching.

I’ll probably just forget this one. Worth a watch? Maybe once, I gave it a generous 7/10, but am I feeling major disappointment - yep I am.

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Just what I was waiting for!

After a slew of really disappointing dramas, I was just waiting for that one show that will shake it all up and that was this one for me.

I was intrigued by the premise and was completely hooked by the end of episode one. I know some people love the larger than life characters but I love the quiet unassuming ones best, and this drama delivered that with the two leads. I sensed the zing with them from the very first interaction on the drama and it continued throughout. Some may call it boring, for me this is exactly what I love. I loved Soundtrack #2 for the same reasons.

I did wonder how the plot would keep moving once certain milestones were reached, and the curve ball was a surprise- though there are plenty of cliches in this show… I certainly think its been a while since I’ve seen a white truck of doom so I guess Korea is not ready to be done with that trope yet lol.

The sponsors were so overly obvious lol and I kept thinking bro come on, you can do your sponsorship job just as well, in fact better, by just being in the scene, no need to be so obnoxious!! Oh this Kopiko it tastes like real coffee and it will keep me awake 🤣🤣🤣times by a thousand hahaha.

The music was fairly low key, I mean if you are not paying attention you’ll not even notice it. There were the occasional piano pieces that were giving Crash Landing OST vibes, which was lovely.

Overall I was hooked on this from day one, I feel in love with the main couple - sometimes you see very rigid acting from PMY but I truly felt like she and NIW were very comfortable in these roles. So sweet!

I enjoyed it, on rewatch theres plenty of scenes I’d skip esp the obnoxious you know who who really isn’t even that attractive. I always wonder why money seems to make some people think they are Gods gift to society, cos it certainly wasn’t her appearance in this show. Though behavior/personality can make even a good looking person ugly.

A great show! So glad we had something to rectify the disasters being streamed on Netflix these days.

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Short, but full of heart

I was so excited to see another Soundtrack show, had loved #1, so was intrigued. As a pianist myself I can relate to so many aspects of her character. Both the main leads really portrayed the depth of emotions from the past and present scenes. I found myself deeply engaged in their story and was rooting for them. The moment of connection is filled with all the right feels and the chemistry between them is perfection.

I was glad thos didn’t end right there and took us on a journey through the challenges of second chance love, which of course has to be just a glimpse due to the length of the series.

Soundtrack is a short series, so everything has to be right on pointe or this thing just wouldn’t work.

Beautiful ending to a short mini drama full of heart.

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Cliche driven, but easy on the eyes!

Lets face it, most people are either here for one of the 2 leads and the fact it promises to be the next best rom com on Netflix since Business Proposal. King the Land checks most of the boxes and has a lot of the same feels. Poor girl meets rich CEO heir, and works for the same company - paths cross = fall in love.

There’s all the typical cliches and product placement inserted so unorganically to make you want to pull your hair out.

Let’s break it down:
• Cliches - these are expected for the most part, though at times it didn’t feel very well executed- almost like it was there just to check a box, but didn’t really create any of the tension they were probably hoping for. It was nice that ML wasn’t swayed by the idiotic cliches in the script.
• Product placement - every show relies on it, but the moments are so obvious, it feels like a commercial being dropped in the middle of the show. Weird. Can we not promote product somehow without prolonged pauses on the front facing part of the product and fake “ooohs” by the actors that the product is indeed amazing. Wasn’t surprised by Junho’s Dior ad either. 🤣
• FL - eating scenes. Same face and sound reaction each time, it got annoying. Some variety in food consumption acting would be appreciated.
• Suits - yes Junho looks amazing in a suit, and all of the slow mo suit walks were great, but it would have been great a bit more often to see him dressed down. When they did, it added to his softness of the character.
• Lack of originality - not much new in this kind of story. Always poor girl and rich guy. She needs rich guy to save her from something which he does multiple times. Fulfilling your dreams are relatively easy when you have resources and power, she makes quitting a job and starting your own hotel easy, I guess she had saved a gazillion Won while working at King Hotels. It’s a little exhausting all the demeaning of the “peasants” in these shows. But these plots sell. It would be nice for once to have a nice FL who can stand on her own 2 feet from the get go, but perhaps the audience need to feel like some rich CEO might save them one day?!?!!!

Overall, it was worth the watch. You’ll feel good and appreciate the lack of unnecessary drama. However, this didn’t hold my attention like Business Proposal and I likely won’t rewatch like I did BP (multiple times). Something didn’t fit right with FL acting - she needs a lot more emotional expression range in her acting, and I could never tell the lengths at which she either loved or disliked the ML. The FL in red sleeve did this better. I’m still giving it a 9.5 for the production overall.

And for all the dumb noise over whatever everyone is getting their knickers in a twist over the Arab scenes. Move on people. Stereotyping happens in shows all over the world. Its life. Calm down.

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Dropping

I’ve made it through 2 episodes and I just can’t anymore. Why is FL so short snappy and angry? ML always so nice. Its unbearable to watch. The editing is so weird too. And the “romantic scenes” so strange they title the past flashbacks like that. Who made this series?!?!! A child? A clueless man?

I don’t know how to move forward. I like the light and fluffy nonsense shows, but unles this FL has a complete 180 I can’t see how its going to improve.

Theres a few gaping plot holes too but I usually skip over all over those things as long as the casting is good and the personalities are fine.

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Loved this drama!

Someone has to post a good review to offset this mixed bag of miserable ones lol!!

I thought it was great, I’m prone to skipping boring parts, and didn’t feel the need here. Yes, some elements are a bit predictable- but that’s what we love about K-dramas. I loved both the ML’s and the writers and actors did a good job at me rooting for them both at different times.

First episode if rammed full of very quick paced overview of what the FL does as a Single Life Helper, so fast that at times it was starting to get a bit confusing. I was glad when that was done and we could settle into the story.

The intro of the ex-wife was a bit annoying at first, but hey we needed someone from the past to show up right? The typical kdrama “break up” was pointless if you ask me- and my only gripe was after all the tension and emotion they build up - the reconciliation was a dead cat flop. Some sparks or a bit more emotion from them both would have been so much more satisfying and we are right back into the quirky bit of planning future.

Overall though I loved it and would watch again.

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