IM YourOnlyOne

Bittersweet

Bittersweet endings hold a quiet, yet powerful beauty. They’re different from pure sadness, which settles in your heart like a weight. In stories like Uncontrollably Fond and Mr. Plankton, we know early on that joy and pain will entwine, but still, we cling to a fragile hope—that somehow love will rewrite destiny.

Mr. Plankton doesn’t just remind us of love’s power, but of life’s fragility. It nudges us to forgive, not just others but ourselves, and to embrace every moment. It teaches us to live meaningfully, without regrets, and to leave behind memories that will inspire others to live fully too. There’s a humbling reminder in these stories: at the end of our journey, the legacy we leave is a reflection of the love and peace we nurtured within ourselves.

Highly recommended.

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A great watch … worth it!

I. Story
a. Episode stories: The stories per episode were mostly good. Out of 16 episodes, I like the story of 9 episodes.

b. Series story: From the title, "Start-Up" (or "Sandbox"), it gives the impression that it is primarily about starting up a business or about joining a, well, sandbox program. However, overarching story is more about [1] a love triangle and [2] sibling rivalry. The impression from the series title only takes tertiary importance. It would have been better if the importance was as follows: [1] sibling rivalry; [2] start-up/sandbox/business; and [3] love triangle.

Regardless… the way the overarching stories were delivered and the choice of story per episode were enough to pull up the score for this rating.

However, avoid introducing important facts and then never mentioning it again. For example, Ji Pyung and the sisters have met when they were kids. It was also weird that a bloodied person can pitch his company, that does not happen in real life.

II. Acting
Acting! This is where I had to give a low rating. There were too many crying scenes where the facial expression was neutral. It was obvious they were only "acting" instead of actually feeling and letting their emotions out.

I'm a fan of Suzy but I have to mention this: relax more during kissing scenes, make us feel it, and it doesn't need to be "wild". The kissing scenes can still be romantic even if there wasn't too much lip action. A room for improvement. I love her acting and the way she brings life to the characters she plays but the kissing scenes needs improvement. Relax, take it slow, don't make it wild -- rather make it romantic. Don't act, imagine he's your boyfriend or some secret desire. You want to enjoy the moment, to just let him feel your desire.

As for Joo Hyuk, great job in portraying what appears to be an eccentric, possibly even an autistic, character. It is never easy if an actor is not in the autism spectrum--in particular asperger syndrome. Very geeky, logical, all about facts, and clueless about everything else, especially fashion and social skills. Those scenes where Dal Mi was sending signals and Do San missed it all--those were all great. Sometimes annoying but all of it were relatable. Neutral face, going back to the discussion he was focused on, definitely a character with aspergers syndrome. Well done there.

For Han Na, excellent job in keeping the character mysterious. It was not easy when the character In Jae had a change of heart, especially when it comes to her sister. There were clues but the next moment it's the total opposite. This happens in real life and so it's great to see it on screen.

III. Music
This one is hard. I can not remember any memorable music other than the theme songs. It was probably because the acting and dialogues were great that any music playing were not reaching me, or it simply does not fit. Listening to the tracks directly, many are very good to listen to.

IV. Rewatch Value
Definitely in my list of series that I'll choose to re=watch.

V. Summary
Overall, the production, story, and acting were awesome. The inclusion of business terminologies and explaining each, that was a very good idea. Explaining the processes, the whys and the hows, definitely a plus. It would have been better if they toned down the "young adult" giggles because that very rarely happens in-real-life. They should've used sandbox and showed the idea behind it and what's happening in it more as well, instead of just providing a free office and free funding.

The "revolutionary" ideas were well thought out especially the app helping those with vision challenges. I do hope such an app exists but we haven't achieved that speed of AI recognition still something to look forward to. Great choices on scenes and I wish they added more, like a team building session where they could feature the beauty of Korea instead of the exact same office.

From a dramatic episode 1 and funny episodes later, to the building up of the trials and tribulations, to the eventually resolution in the latter episodes. it was enough to pull up the overall rating to 9 out of 10 stars.

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The Four Seasons of Relationships

It's a story about the four seasons of relationships. From Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter, and back to Spring signifying new beginnings, new hope, and a brighter future.

I talked about the Four Seasons of Relationships here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-season-of-kokdoo/91869-the-four-seasons-of-relationships

But, to add to that, I love how in Episode 15 and 16, they revealed additional layers into the meaning of the Seasons.

For example, their Korean names have a meaning if you know the Hanja equivalent.

1. FL in the past: Seol Hui
- Hangul: 설희
- Hanja: 雪希 which means snow.

2. FL in 2023: Han Gye Jeol
- Hangul: 한계절
- 계절 in Hanja is: 季節 which means ‘season’
- According to Kokdu, her name means Spring. Or, something that was in Winter (her past self) that reached Spring, the changing of Seasons (her 2023 name).

The FL's past and 2023 names are tied to each other. They were never meant to be together in the past, because that past was the beginning of their winter fate.

However, when she was reborn in the present time, she was given the name Gye Jeol. A sign that the winter __season__ is about to end, and the a new __season__ is going to begin. New beginnings. New hope.

And as Kokdu realised, her names mean exactly that. Winter to Spring seasons. From dark and cold, to bright/light and warm.

3. ML in the past: Oh Hyun
- Hangul: 오현 - means "five strings". -- He came back after 5 years.
- Hanja: 傲泫

There are many possible Hanja to his name, but the Hangul itself already has a meaning.

I tried to find other references to five, but found none. The strings can mean fate.

Other Hanja variations of 오 are "to meet", or "bright"; "crow", "black".

Other Hanja variations of 현 are "wepp", or "swift", or "bow string", or "black".

If we consider the possible Hanja characters and meanings, a picture starts to form why he was named Oh Hyun in the past, and why everything ended up the way it all did.

And let's be reminded, Kokdu is Oh Hyun stuck as a god of the afterlife. It still is his name, so, he's living true as Oh Hyun.

4. ML as a god: Kokdu
- Hangul: 꼭두의
- Hanja: n/a

I think there's no need to speculate on Kokdu.


Another good thing. The ending was not something expected. There were similar supernatural romance before, and usually they have similar endings. This TV series chose a path less shown in K-dramas.

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They raised the standard for this franchise

It's rare to see a sequel as good as the original. Confidential Assignment 2 was not only at par with the original, it surpassed it. This is more fun to watch. Have more action scenes. And, much solid plot. If they are going to release another sequel, they raised the standards too high with this release.

What I miss with Western movies: a solid plot, a serious story, but still can make you laugh because the comedy parts were natural. Glad to see the Koreans are sticking to that formula instead of following the footsteps of Hollywood.

Well done, great acting from all the actors, the staff, the director, writer, and editing team.

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This is how you write and direct a zombie TV series

This is way far better than all The Walking Dead seasons combined. Highly recommended for both who likes the zombie genre and those who doesn't like it.

This isn't your usual, ordinary, zombie show. It's full of character development, real life and realistic drama, and lessons in survival and life itself.

In this show, they truly captured how high school students would have acted and think. While maybe, some characters and situations were annoying, you would realize that's how you and your classmates would have been at that age of your life. They also did not shy away from showing the very difficult task of making decisions, and best of all, how in the middle of fear, uncertainty, and death, humanity still can trust and support each other at the end of the day.

It's not all running. There are stories behind every episode, every character, every scene. Something you don't see in majority of zombie films and TV series.

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The Korean version of “Suits” but about auditors instead of lawyers.

This is the Korean version of the American “Suits”. Instead of lawyers, it's auditors.

* Harvey Specter is Sin Chail.
* Mike Ross is Ku Hansu.

Because of it, I have a very high expectation for this show. So far, with the premiere week, I was very satisfied. The actors were good, they're in-character, they were not holding back to show what their character is really like. They explain the logic in a way that the audience will understand without the need to explain it through subtitles. The first sub-arc was also relatable, especially for the sub-sub-plots like why a person was tempted to compromise even though they knew they shouldn't.

I hope the rest of the cases will continue to revolve around relatable issues that we've seen in real life, so the public will at least be reminded that these corruptions exist and we shouldn't just accept things as it is… rather we should question it and prove they gave us the entire truth.

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Reborn Rich explained

The title “Reborn Rich” was not about Yoon Hyun Woo being re-born as Jin Do Joon. It was about Jin Do Joon being reborn as Yoon Hyun Woo and becoming rich!

1. Yoon Hyun Woo did not die, he was in a coma for 1 week. He can not be reborn at all.

2. When Jin Do Joon died in the 2nd car crash, Jin Do Joon was reborn as Yoon Hyun Woo. Who later became rich.

3. The “Timeline 2” did not exist. As Yoon Hyun Woo said so himself that it was not time travel, nor possession. It was a repentance for both Jin Do Joon and Yoon Hyun Woo.

Everything else happened, other than the small changes (he was just recalling a previous life he should not be able to recall at all, that's why there were small changes), exactly the way it did.

“Reborn Rich” also meant being a new person, rich with values.

“Reborn Rich” also meant being reborn as a new person after his brush with death, and coming out of the coma (was “reborn”).

Re: Repentance
1. As Yoon Hyun Woo, this is his repentance because he chose money over reporting the murder.

2. As Jin Do Joon, it is his repentance because he did do things he shouldn't, he actually became his grandfather in the end.

When Jin Do Joon was reborn as Yoon Hyun Woo, it was his chance to repent as Jin Do Joon (previous life) and as Yoon Hyun Woo (present life).

In the end, Yoon Hyun Woo became part of Miracle, the company he founded in his previous life as Jin Do Joon.

That was one heck of a story twist. Totally unexpected.

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Friendships and reconcialiation

It wasn't an easy watch. It's dark. The “friends” “connection” is also disturbing in a way that you do not know who your friends are and thus who you can actually trust. As human beings, connections are important, and the deeper it is, the harder it becomes to see them break one-by-one. The betrayal can become too much.

However, they did well in the finale episode. They beautifully weaved that “friends” “connection” back to the light where it should be. They showed that friendships are real, and it breaks when money and greed gets the best of us. But, if we can get over it, a friendship that was broken can be restored and it's deeper than it originally was because of what you all have to go through.

Building long-lasting relationships really is complex and complicated. The only way to truly permanently glue that friendship and relationship is when it breaks and you fight. This is where most relationships, even between partners/spouses fail, how can you all get back up?

Yet, as this show demonstrated what it actually is in real life, once you get back up and reconcile your differences, that is when true friendship, true relationship, a true family-ness, begins, and it can never be broken again (well… maybe if one chose to break it there's nothing that can be done about it).

A good example are the soldiers who've faced wars. They are so tight-knit, you can never break them. The reason is the same, they went through the most grueling things a human being can ever face… death, killing, justice, mental/psychological/philosophical challenges, and many more. They understand each other in ways most people will never understand. It “connects” them.

Morals of the story:
1. Choose wisely who you surround yourself with; most especially who you call “friends”.
2. When everything comes crashing down with your relationships, aim to reconcile. It will truly “connect” you in ways no one can imagine (unless they went through something similar).

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Be healthy and happy; show that you care and your love while you still can

It was a simple, nice, and feel-good ending. It's a good way to end this show after all the killings and the violence and the kidnapping and the pain. It is a journey about life, the things we may regret, and how to move on and heal ourselves and others.

There is also a very good message they left the audience: life is short to worry too much about the future, live your life by being healthy and happy, and say the things that matter to the people you love today, now, while you still can.

Definitely a show worth re-watching when we feel down or need a reminder.

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Pulls the audience right into the story

"Awaken" was a well-made mystery and suspense Korean drama. It follows the story of "Do Jung Woo" (played by Nam Goong Min) and "Gong Hye Won" (played by Kim Seol Hyun) as they try to solve a series of murders tipped by an unknown personality through codes.

The story was carefully laid-out as in each episode there were numerous twists and turns to keep the audience on edge and continually guessing. This also pulled in the audience into joining into solving the ever evolving mysteries.

I also praise the actors and actresses for their superb acting. They did not come to the show as "another character to act", it was evident that they assumed the identity of their characters and lived the way they would if they were real. From being police officers to being ordinary individuals with lives and worries, they successfully invited the audience to a suspension of disbelief the entire sixteen (16) episodes.

The soundtrack was good and were placed in key scenes which created an even greater impact. Finally, the production and directing were top-notch. They did not shy away from picking the right locations, the attires, and the tools needed to present the world of "Awaken".

An overall 9.5 out of 10 stars from me. I highly recommend this show.

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Not recommended

I'm speaking here as an autistic person, my score is 7 out of 10.

Also note:
* I've heard a lot of good things about this.
* This was released 10 years ago.

Those said and considered:
1. The show is not about the autistic person, or autism for that matter. Autism was only used as a literary device to create a drama, like most other shows (be it Asian or Western) where there is an autistic character.

2. There was an excessive emphasis on "dumb", "stupid", and "idiot". Instead of it making people emphatize, it makes an audience hateful.

3. None of them actually showed that they finally understood autism and autistic people. To the very end, it was all about "do this" and "do that" so people will accept you and respect you. Sure, this is a common problem with society, however, should they have ended it that way? People will unconsciously think that's the proper way. It is not acceptance, it is forcing an autistic person to be "neurotypical".

And yet, 박시온 (Park Shi On) said in the last episode that it hurts him more when he's trying to remove his difference. But the people around him still acted the same way to end. There's a disconnect there.

4. The female lead is a prime example of a lover who doesn't understand a single thing about autism and autistic persons. She never showed any sign that she's doing her best to understand him, nope, instead she's doing her best to make him a "normal" person.

Yes, that's how it is in the real world. I've been in such a relationship. However, why leave it that way? She want to do things her way to the end. She will eventually get tired and quit. They will have a lot of fights. 시온 (Shi On) will just keep doing the same thing, keep quiet, say it is okay, say he is not mad, because he is always the one doing the "understanding".

What they did was to only validate that this relationship is doomed to fail instead of showing how a relationship with an autistic person can be if done properly.

5. The entire show, it was 박시온 who did the understanding and adjustments. Basically, the show taught us that autistic people should mask, mask, mask, and mask more. That no one will accept you unless you "get over" your autism (or in other words, mask your autism).

Conclusion:
* While it did show the discrimination, stereotype, and prejudices against autistic people.
* While it did capture the traits and quirks of an autistic person well.
* I cannot recommend this show at all because it does more damage than in helping the autistic cause.

If I watched this when it was released in 2013, yes, I would say the same thing and rate it similarly. I'm sorry.

Just watch 이상한 변호사 우영우 (Extraordinary Attorney Woo).

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A well-made live-action adaptation

The Korean film «Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy» («전지적 독자 시점») is an adaptation based on the still-ongoing Korean webtoon «Omniscient Reader» which itself is based on a Korean novel of the same name. (That was a long sentence!)

While many gave it a low rating and were not satisfied, I was very satisfied and gave it a perfect 10 ⭐. Here's why:

1. It's an adaptation of a very long and still on-going serial novel and webtoon.
2. Adaptation writers have literary freedom on how to adapt a work of art in a differeet medium and target audience.
3. Like it or not: budget constraints.

Most, if not all, who gave it a low score expected it will cover beyond the plot in the movie. It just is not possible. And if they dod that, they will have to skip a lot of critical moments of the story which will also earn far more negative reviews than what it received for this release.

The acting were good. The choice of actors were generally who one would have imagined while reading the novel or the webtoon. I'm not saying I agreed with all the casting but they did well for their respective roles.

The special effects and CG passed. It wasn't perfect, there were fight scenes were the different layers (real layer, green/digital layer) were not smooth nor clean, and were obvious. They need to improve their technique and technology if they plan on making a sequel.

The chosen parts of the story, I approve of it as well.

Last but one of the most complained about, I also approve of the obvious changes. It fits the film format, and the essence of this "chapter" of the story were maintained as it was in the original source material. That is the most important on adaptations. It is not about incorporating every scene, or having the exact likeness for the characters, or making sure the sequence of events remain exactly the same. No, that is just wrong in adaptations. What matters is keeping the essence of it. The feels. The aura. The message. What made the original material popular. That's what a real adaptation is.

A perfect 10 ⭐. Now, where's the sequel? The next "chapter" is one of my favourites.

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Touching, Enlightening, Provocative

《허쉬》 or "HUSH" was a Korean TV serial which ran from December 11, 2020 to February 6, 2021 in ***jTBC***. This show is about the life of a group of news reporters and how they faced the trials thrown at them.

"HUSH" started by introducing the audience to the process of getting hired in a newspaper company. Once the key characters were introduced, the story immediately tacked its first of many interconnected plots. These were no ordinary plots as it touched on the issues people face daily in work environments and in society. Stories where the audience can relate and question the ethics and morality of what they see, what they hear, and what they read.

In particular, it talked about suicide. Suicide is a very serious social problem in South Korea in recent years, it produced different movements, revision of existing laws, and even new laws, to help fight against the most common reason for suicides--bullying and unfair treatment. This show beautifully handled this subject and encouraged the audience to put themselves in the shoes of other people and to question and care about the things happening around them.

The stories in each episode and the main plot were deep and provoking. It was not simply an office drama in the world of news reporting, it was a life drama which touched the hearts and minds of its audience.

The casting was picked well especially with veteran actors like Son Byung Ho, Yoo Sun, Kim Won Hae, Lee Seung Jun, who were what is commonly called today as "second leads". They portrayed their characters well which was vital to the success of the main leads played by Hwang Jung Min and Im Yoon Ah.

Lim Yoon Ah, or "Yoona", brought all her acting skills in this drama. I can say that this was her best in all of her acting career a perfect match to her veteran male lead partner, Hwang Jung Min. From her innocent look as someone new in journalism to a matured character who earned her badges in life.

This is a good series to watch and I recommend it to anyone going through trials in their work and life in general. A show which reminds us and encourages us to speak out when we see bullying and unfair treatments and practices.

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Originally posted on my blog: https://youronly.one/yuki/review-hush-2020-202140/ under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 International License.

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Welcome to real life … don't hate it just because you haven't experienced it.

Do not be misled by the low ratings it received in English websites because it is a common trend for shows which tells stories about life, relationships, death, break-ups, moving on, and challenges families and friends face together. One would often hear/read reasons like "it's unrealistic" and "it doesn't happen in real life" so they gave it 1 out of 10 rating, probably less if they can.

지금 헤어지는 중입니다 or Now, We Are Breaking Up is not about romantic relationships, it is about life and relationships. A story about husbands and wives, a story about a dying mother and young innocent daughter, a story about parents and their children, a story about a father and a mother who only wants the best for their children, it is a story about life itself. Of happiness, of pain, of misunderstandings, and of making it up.

It is a story about you and me, and the relationships we have built throughout our lives. A story about the process of "breaking up" with the people we love -- be it because we fell out-of-love or because one was tired and had to sleep and take their well-deserved rest.

A story how we are all "Now, We Are Breaking Up".

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