Xtinew

IT'S AN OK

A female prosecutor who mastered in kicking ass, law, 4 languages, as well manipulation. She started from the bottom to get where she was, she strive to find the killer of her grandmother's hit and run car accident that lead her to the bigger scheme of big establishments which included prosecutor who ignore investigation her Grandmother's hit & run. Losing her memory after a car accident, she woke up in the family of strangers that treated her like s**t, that use her for bargaining chip for the family, later found out she's identical look alike of a heir daughter in law Kang Mi-Na. While Cho YeonJoo tried to figure out who she's, she managed to get to know cousin in law (Han SeongWook) who happened to be in love with the real MiNa but realized the girl in front of him definitely was not her. Seong Wook just came back to Korea to discover who's behind the horrific death of his father's as well as the heir of biggest share holder of Yumin company where Kang Mi-Na hold 32% after the plane accident that befallen into her family. The real Kang Mi-Na on the run to China, went into plastic surgery to change her entire face, planning to come back to fight her inheritance - to bad her character was pretty weak - big ambition without action. Nothing but substance....nothing but failure to her after all the shitty things she had to endure from in-laws.

The collaboration between them uncovered the greed of Han family, corruption of Prosecutors, mismanagement of company, as well as family dynamic. It's good drama, finished it within a week, not a memorable one but watchable. I like Honey Lee the FL, she's a better Korean actress and comical.

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GOOD DRAMA - RECOMMEND IT

Surprisingly this is a good drama, I gave rewatch value 9 just because I've watched this drama 4X over, just because I love it. The main story was about a plane accident that related to giant insurance company and aviation company that found a scapegoat to one of the pilot. The brother of the scapegoat (dead) pilot and a husband of two of the dead passengers worked together to solve who's the instigator - to be the blame of that horrific plane accident. As they're working together with the help of a team, they finally found the answer of bereavement. Started as competitive stranger, ending with brotherhood that have their back.

I love all the characters, they're fun to watch, the tricks and trips packed of actions. If want to watch some action and wittiness so this is it! It wasn't a serious drama but nor light one...

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LIANG YI, QIN YAN, QIU XIAO, QIN MIN

Jeremy Tsui (Liang Yi) has thick makeup, we can see how heavy the make up which was awful. He has such a handsome face, the make up didn't do him justice, should be fired that make-up artist. He didn't look natural at all, his face (the best asset) covered with the thickness of face foundation - could see foundation line on the edge of his lip - he didn't look healthy. Qin Yan was cute, natural beauty and they both have a great chemistry but when she acted 'sad, concern' she appeared like 'grimace' which didn't look good on her. She's a tall girl which unusual for female in costume drama, she's care-free which uncalled for to the period of supposedly time. The best of all is the chemistry between Lead actors as the loving interaction was genuine and comfortable to each other. I like the story, all intertwined and flowing (if avoid water-fill stories) there were twists which unpredictable at the end of story, and every actors did a good job taking parts in their roles.

Even for Qin Min, she's beautiful but she's such a bore! Self pity, unwise, selfish, weak, coward, all things that I despise in any character. Wayne Liu (Qiu Xiao) did good with his character, kind of soft and kind heart man - not the right man for Qin Yan to choose. The Emperor was an easy target, didn't have influence or weight in governing country. All in all is a good drama but there're water-filled story in between episodes such as Qin's Women in Royal Academy, it's on and on about Qin Min plastering Qiu Xiao like we're ready to knock her head into sense. The sweetness relationship between Liang Yi & Qin Yan is admirable, they shown their affection openly and his Mom blessing their union. The ending is sweet...

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RARE SYNOPSIS

I thought at first I am going to be bored with this drama, an Asperger young man that has above normal intelligence, works for his dad a Trauma Cleaner 'Move to Heaven' company that pack items left by the deceased - with bow for respect the dead they box in meaningful personal belongings and get rid of the rest - a service that goes beyond what's expected. They'd be able to tell the story of the diseased to pass it on to their family. Geo Ru's father passes on, his uncle Sang Koo becomes the guardian of him with condition that he has to work at the company and live with him. Although Sang Koo has issues, went to jail for illegal underground fight, his demeanor is 'care less - hell with everything' does not bound well with Geo Ru's habitual and repetitive behavior.

This is the type of rare story line that we don't see, very interestingly there is called a Trauma Cleaner - a service to provide clean up what dead people left behind. Different cases has different uniquely background stories when the diseases were still alive. The synopsis is their personal stories, the family (or none) that they left behind; unspoken wishes and hopes, sadness, love or hate, regret and abandonment. A dirty work that emotionally burdened, personally I won't do their job. It's a very touching not from the main actors but mostly from the supporting actors who portrays the dead people. Not matter how good this drama I don't think i can rewatch it....the kind of drama that you only want to watch once.

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TRAGIC END OF A KING

He's a young ambitious King of mid-era Jeseon who went ballistic and over the edge from intense power struggle at the palace especially over the guilt for killing the rightful young heir brother. His dark mood, violence drive, and hatred made him enemies from all sides - he died from poison given by his most loyal and trusted minister. Such a tragic ending from a young King, there's no farewell, just died sad, scare, betrayed, in the beach alone. Warrant he's mentally sick and murderous he's still a King that demand utmost respect. Meanwhile a clown brought in to cover the absent King from duty, his job was to be poisoned and killed by the King's enemies - he's to become a substitute of King while the real one hide for his mental health. Not just he strives but also win the trust of many especially the queen as she started to fall in love to...the fake King - the Clown. He's constantly need advise from Chief Secretary, as an uneducated clown he knew nothing about politic, intrigue, people surround him, or read Hanja. He survive the ordeal intrigue around the palace, his heart is for the people, he makes right decisions with the advise from Chief Secretary.
The Dowager Queen wants him die for vengeance of her killed-young son (legitimate heir who's being killed by the real King), the Left State Counselor also wants him die because of greed and power.

While the King is vibrant and full of vitality, the Queen is kind of slow. The romance isn't appealing, I think the Queen spoiled it by acting too gloomy - she has to be forced to smile by a wish. If she's in love,her eyes says otherwise...her sad face isn't radiant like someone in love and she loves to be woo. She's 'cold' according to the real King (rightful husband)...but since the clown is good in wooing her...she felt for it. Well, when she finally find out about the secret, she's pissed.

I love Yeo Jin-Goo's acting. He can act as crazy maniac King and also as a tender heart-sweet gentle fake King. The loyal Chief Secretary is the main instigator of all...he loyalty to his King...he wants the King to love the people. He's the one who kills the young heir future King and kills the legitimate King..to choose fake King clown to ascent the throne. How twisted is his mind; he's wise, kind, considerate, but he also has 2 royal blood in his hand. I love Eunuch Jo - he's a good man - he tries to separate two lovebirds as morally they aren't truly husband & wife or love affair between a low born clown with high born noble Queen. Beside the Queen, I don't like Dal-lae character, sister of the clown, she'd be the dead of him.

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CLASSICAL LEGEND SUN GO KONG

I love this drama, a Chinese classical legend Sun Go Kong in Korean modern setting. Rather the regular boring story line, this one here recovering old legend in many different modern twists and turns. 1995 Stephen Chow's movie 'a Chinese Odyssey part 1 & 2: Pandora Box and Cinderella' is a good referral for Sun Go Kong legend, how unruly monkey king refused to take in his fate but has fallen in love with a dainty ZiXia. At the end though, Sun Go Kong realized he couldn't defy his fate and ZiXia died from loving him. Not exactly similar with Stephen's movies which has countless similar remakes...I love the character of Devil King Woo and his faithful dog companion Ms. Ma - they are enrich the character of O Gong and Seon Mi (Samjang). The Zombie girl Richie is a beautiful girl...her character build up overtime...she isn't a rotten smelly zombie but into a devious long hatred ambitious evil spirit priestess Asanyeo to the king 1,000 years ago, and now seeks to marry Son Oh-gong for power and love. I also like the character of brother/sister Summer fiery/Winter General...they are contradiction of sweet and gentle, kind and considerate, sibling love and friendship. I give credit to Lee Han-joo: A real estate employee who works under Jin Seon-mi - he put up alot of s**t from irregularity, Yoon Dae-sik / Sa Oh-jeong: CEO of MSUN, a mobile phone manufacturing company - who would love to take care of all the group - cooking, cleaning, pay the bills, taking care of their worldly businesses.

I can understand the doubt Seon Mi has for O Gong's love...as he said casually...it's also Geumganggo, a magical bracelet that will ensure the obedience of anyone who wears it through the power of love, whenever O Gong feels the love it will squeeze his heart out. The original Geumganggo wore as a crown, whenever the feeling of deep love - it will tighten Sun Go Kong head to crucifying pain so he gave up his love to ZiXia. Of course, this drama didn't end up like that...

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BECAUSE I LOVE YOU OST

I love the OST 'Because I love you' and I think that's the highlight of this drama. A boy famously known as 'Joseon's national treasure' misunderstood situation that messed up situation that caused an abdication of a queen and a little princess Hye-Myung losing her dearest mother. He then lost his memory and got sent of to his grandfather then went to China for further education, as an adult he came back to Joseon and got a job as Prince's tutor. He met a princess accidentally and hated her sassy behavior, he found out later that she's the sister of princely student as he's being introduced, they became friends and towards the end fallen in love to each other. The sassy princess Hye-myung (Oh Yeon-seo) who doesn't have the best reputation among the people. She often sneaks out of the palace in search of her mother that she believed still alive. She wouldn't say anything to anyone including her father, the King, as she saw it that no one would want disgraceful dethroned queen back to the picture.

Pretty simple love story, the current queen and Jung Ki-joon, Left Minister (Jung Da-yeon's father) made this story more twists and interesting plots. Since the current queen was so jealous of former queen, she'd do anything to increase her influential and status...manipulate situation into her benefits. At the end though, she died with her former fiancee that fiercely loyal to her.

Hye-Myung refused the marriage proposal because she'd like to be a physician and intended to go to China for her medical training. One year later, they reunited and she proposed marriage to him. Sweet...sweet....I apparently watched this drama twice without realize it and how much I've forgotten scenes and story. I love (Jang Young-nam) Lady Heo, Gyeon Woo's mother - she's a devoted mother and also very expressive...anyway I love all the OST.

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DOWN TO EARTH CROWN PRINCE

I rewatch this drama that I have abandoned (on ep 6) for over a year and realize very late that I missed the good drama. The palace intrigues not just pulling our interest in the drama, seems like everyone wanted crown prince to die for their own benefits; crown princess (the wife), the step mother (the queen), and ministers. When crown prince was little he witnessed his first love's family being killed by his own father and his trustee/supporter...not to mention he also overheard his mother got kill for this bloody coup....since then he hated his father the King...he held the grudges and contempt. When he survived from the murder attempt, he saved by Hong Sim's adoptive dad Mr. Yeon but has amnesia. They married by crown prince's degree (himself), with amnesia he couldn't remember anything of his background - he became commoner Na Won Deuk who knew nothing and good for nothing husband until found out that he's literate and an expert of martial art.

I love the whole casts especially Kim Ki-Doo (Gu Do, husband of Keutt-nyeo) he has the cutest expression. The crown prince Lee Yul (Do Kyung-Soo) is a baby face handsome man, as crown prince he was a lonely sad arrogant harsh man but as Won-Deuk he learned common life in hard way who's also fallen in love with his (fake) wife. Won=Deuk has attitude problem and gentleman arrogant speech, bearing and demeanor that only suitable for high born rather common folks he's surrounded with. When Won-Deuk memory started to come back, he decided to live as a commoner instead of back to his royalty status and more interested to live with Hong-Sim and moved away hiding from everything.

The interaction between village people are really tight knitted big family - even supposedly mean shark money-lender was familiar with the whole family. Mr. Yeon was a very nice kind dad who loves his adopted daughter and son-in-law to no end...very proud to whatever Won-Deuk did or didn't do. The portion scenes of palace intrigue, relationship in ML, village people, local politicians were diversely balance tied to the story flawlessly. For the unborn royal baby all hell and deadly causes aiming the dead of crown prince. Great drama..overall score 10 is well earned and deserved, nothing that I don't like.

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UNEXPECTEDLY....GOOD.

Starting to like K-drama and this one is part of reason why. I love the acting, the best is the Court Lady Choi - with her 'exasperated' expression she's the most beloved. Its pretty funny, traditional ancient setting with modern slang in dialog. He's a famous chef from 21st century that transported to Joseon era in the future queen's body to King Cheoljong. A story about a man trap in a a girl's body that felt like she's misgendering herself still as a man - a man that's not interested with other man. As the wife of King Cheoljong - she's avoiding the King (husband) because she thinks herself as a man. On one drunken night, they sleep together, the husband is joyful finding his queen so willing while the wife sadden when she sober up.

This drama is about altercation power between dominant powerful families; Kim & Jo. These family wants the power to be on top of the game by manipulating people. While the King is an easy going and sweet person, he has secret ambition not to become a puppet king and want to do more good for his people. One thing about K-drama I like is they don't drag the episodes, the fight scenes more to real one than using fake visual effects, and nobody scratching-high-pinch little girl voice or men gazing mindlessly...the story line is pretty deep with modern touch in some of scenes.

The King and Queen has a relationship system 'no touch' which means (according to the King) live happily and peacefully (+ separately according to the queen), when the King is finally fallen hard in love with his queen but being trap in a woman's body - the man in her avoiding any kind of physical relationship and more dreaming about King's concubines. I like when one of the official said "the defeat is not a result but the cause." I don't really like ep 19 - she's been acting like a bravado man but when critical time demanded it - the man inside her acts more like a helpless spoiled girl. The end of drama ends pretty good, he came back to his old self again in the modern 21st century while the queen had his man back with baby on the way.

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My two favorite guys; Mark Chao and Wang Duo (not Deng Lun)

I was interested with this movie because of Mark Chao and Wang Duo..this is the two Chinese actor that surely bring out the best of characters, not that Deng Lun isn't good but he's more to romance gender kind of character. Mark has steady, quiet, sympathetic, strong personality that gives his character more weight while Wang Duo is best with his dramatic character, Deng Lun buffed up with his appearance. All actors did awesome, from the MLs to supporting actors, visual feast. Collaboration Visual/sound effect with acting skills from the actors made this movie over the top quality. The dragon thing wasn't my favorite though...but this one of two movies with the same titles and magic, action, flashy visual effect and weird creatures are part of this deal. Good and evil play the role of distinction in two character Qing Ming and Bo Ya, the two formed friendship from different side of opinions, with humor tricking/spying other opponents. Bo Ya was very fierce what he thought wrongdoings while Qing Ming was easy going on presumably black/white characters...while Wang Duo was Qing Ming's dead SiFu that loved and protected a woman to her evil doing no matter in what cost. ok I can't denied that I love Deng Lun here too...he wasn't Xu Feng anymore.

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3 Boys and 1 annoying girl at academy

I am not into school setting drama, modern or ancient one, it's over my time line. I watched this drama because of nothing else is better to do...between skipped...did chores...fast forward...I managed to finish this drama. What I like about this drama was Song Wei Long, he has depth and his melodramatic eyes that would tell how much he's been through in life. School setting for different age students in ancient times with boarding life....3 students in a room..one was an ass, a beautiful girl disguising as a boy, and a prime minister's son. The story line was all over the place, many holes on the plots, twists that fill in the gap...wth. Ju Jing Yi acting so boring...pretty annoying with so called 'cover up her disguised' behavior, as she has other dramas with Zhang Zhe Han, Ju JingYi's acting pretty juvenile good for teen girls. She has always that make-up 'pinkish or reddish' under the eye from too pale make up face that, to me, like she's sick or got bruise from a good slap. Nah....

This drama was adapted from Sungkyunkwan Scandal (Korean drama) the plot and characters about the same and don't like neither one. The story is kind of basic...both guys fight for girl's affection and competitive between students...girls from outside school likes these boys...alright we know all the drills...predictable.

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Business versus personal issues

I rated this drama 8 because overall the story was overboard, a beautiful independent amateur designer fallen in love with a high level e-commerce businessman that they met incidentally before they even got tangle with business dispute. I don't know why Chinese drama is so often portraying over the top personas with abundance wealth as the characteristic in so many dramas. The chemistry between Dilraba and Johnny Huang was so hot, they made out way better than other typical peck on the lips or cheeks. The struggle of being in the business was relatable, it isn't easy to own and manage business, I got it. Up and down in relationship happened in many ways, weather they're going to give time to the other party to reconcile true feeling and where they wanted to take the relationship further exploration. Although Johnny Huang character was pretty obvious, took him all effort to win her back. Struggling between business and personal issues, I can say Song Lin (Johnny Huang) was the real winner, because whatever hard reality hit him - he came out big and better. One thing I learn from this drama is their fashion statement, men wore something feminine/layers as so called fashion forward, I don't get it. Men being men..don't need to show off their manly beauty with something girls wear. Standard shoes/snicker, coat/suit, shirt/T-shirt, dress pant/jeans I think we girls dig in. That's probably I love Li YiFeng or Xiao Zhan so much...they don't over dress themselves. Johnny Huang is a handsome down-to-earth kind of guy...with that he won himself adoration from girls.

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The dullest of Zhao LuSi drama

I don't know about this drama. I think this was the most dullest drama Zhao LuSi ever been in, seriously though, she's not very herself like we knew her. Riley Wang was also...OMG...the dullest character ever. I mean if you're a quite reserve man, you don't have to extend it to become a painfully grumpy - like there wasn't any 'fire' in his eyes...couldn't see his passion to violin either. Even his parent (in the drama) stated to the same effect....for the money Bei Er Duo would do anything to fullfill her dreams to go to Japan for her further training for voice-over actress. Then, it became dismantling her character by rival Tang Li (whose in love with Ye ShuWei), very belittle Er'Duo personality because her side jobs. If they said about lively and funny cohabitant, well there's none funny or lively about it, it's all fallen flat! As we can see Riley Wang wasn't a violist for real because he didn't know how to hold it right even for an act. They both were looking good to each other...both cute...young...on the rise...perfect. Too bad they're both also making the most dullest drama...

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Love is so dang sweet..

Bai Lu and Leo Luo are two big names these days and proven in this drama; the chemistry were so on the spot, they're really kissing hugging and interaction as a couple genuinely authentic lovers. I watched Kido Gao from Legend of FuYao and he was great as he is in this drama, as well as Riley Wang. Ok the story was about a girl that has closest childhood friend that just gone for their remaining young life and came back as her boss (forget about allergy to tear - it's the rarest case), old debts and feeling came back as she tried to prove she's capable...the story developed and they lived together in the a few last episodes. Leo Luo, in my opinion (don't get mad) better in here than any of his costume dramas. He's more suitable in modern set up drama than ancient ones. Love is so dang sweet is a perfect title because it was just like cotton candy sweetest lovey love...

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My best gal Zhao LuSi

People said Lin YuShen is too old pairing him with Zhao LuSi but I think this is appropriately cast. As a businessman, been around the block for a while, YuShen age was great for the role. LuSi as a talented beginner chief was supposedly a younger girl. I like them both in this drama, they tried to develop their feeling to each other by conquering disapproval from domineering mother in law to be, differential financial/economy status, age difference (yes, it's addressed in the drama), as well friendship (LuSi was being loved by her peers while YuShen got no friends at all). I love it when he tried to do everything to win her over again and again...that's we call man with purpose. It made sense, man with his age (supposedly on his late 30th) that never been close to anyone, he won't let go the love that he just found. LuSi is always the cutest.

They took as a challenge when Mom who disapproved with their relationship, to prove they have genuine feeling for each other, that she loves him for himself not for the money or social standing, she's capable to earn Mother-in-law trust and approval, she has the strength against all odds. They have happy ending...

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