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Like Watching Paint Dry

Summary: At first, the Netflix description hooked me: baker by day, demon hunter by night. I thought, “Wow, that’s fascinatingly different!” Unfortunately, the title and description are about all the action you get from this drama. From the dry dialogue to the lackluster ghost busting to the low budget acting (mostly with supporting roles), I can’t stomach any more of it. There’s folks out there who are more patient than myself and I commend them. But I can’t do it, I just can’t! Therefore, this review is incomplete since I could only finish up to Episode 8. Even after taking a break to watch a different drama, it still gave me the same feeling…Snoozefest.

Details: The premise of the show got me really excited and Episode 1 delivered some action (with special effects) and plot development but the storyline sort of dwindled after that (despite a few interesting ghost backstories). Then there was a spark of romance between the leads with the Zhong Kui making every excuse he could to be near Meng Hsin-yu (which was really sweet), then that also dwindled. Then there was a possible romance between some supports and that was sabotaged by the annoyingly overbearing and arrogant best friend Li En-hsi. Only the budding romances between the leads and between their supports kept me watching as far as I have. The attempts by the supposed expert exorcist team to chase the villain seemed to always fail without much clues available. Also, the side stories just made things confusing to me as I was still struggling to figure out where exactly the story was headed (which was probably nowhere). Also, many of the humorous moments weren’t that funny to me, but that could be a cultural thing.

I hate to be so critical of a show, as a lot of work went into making it. But I also can’t overlook a flat storyline and dialogue that falls short of its namesake. Rather than The Devil Punisher, it should be called, “Chasing Ghosts, Maybe.”

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I Hate You But Really Love You?

Summary (emotionally intense): This series was unexpectedly lovable and tear-jerking. The witty banter between the two leads and the heart-breaking difficulties traversed by various characters made this quirky romcom work so well. I laughed loudly and cried quietly. I cried so much that I could have measured those tears in a beaker. Lol. I loved the cinematic transitions between scenes. The soundtrack was somewhat different with a jazzy feel to it.

I also loved the creative product advertisements, not blatant like some other dramas. “If only there was a catalyst like this (Chilsung Cider Zero) for you and Seok-ryu… Things would feel refreshing, crisp, and clean.” And how Choi Seung-hyo was loving his bowl of Yangban BIBIMedBAP made me want to try it too! I mean it even comes with its own spoon. XD “[This Eggdrop sandwich] is so good. How do they make this?”

Even though I loved this drama, I probably won’t rewatch it because it was emotionally exhausting for me, particularly the back and forth of whether there was a romance or not between the leads. Or any of the other characters, for that matter.

Details: The interactions between Choi Seung-hyo and Bae Seok-ryu were quite unexpected and the way the storyline unfolded was VERY unexpected. I came in with a certain set of opinions/emotions and that totally changed by the end of the show.

For example, I kind of hated Bae Seok-ryu’s umma in the beginning. Even AFTER all the revelations about herself she learned through her family and friends, she still pressured her daughter to do things that Seok-ryu didn’t want to do. Why do Asian parents think it’s more helpful to berate their young in order to inspire them? Lol. And EVEN AFTER her parents found out her dark secret, they still wouldn’t let her follow her dreams. Are you kidding me? (hair-pulling time) It runs deep in the blood… But all the characters grew on me over the course of the series. The drunken photo lesson was hilarious!

Though I liked that the filmmakers spent time to develop character backstories (or front stories), they could have easily ended the series at Episode 11, honestly. But it was nice that there was full development for most of the characters, particularly for Bae Seok-ryu’s family in a coming-of-age fashion. In the end, I was just straight up annoyed at some characters for always going back and forth on their love that I just wanted the show to be over already.

Side Notes:
- Why even start a side story for some characters if you’re not going to finish it? The budding romance between Bae Dong-jin and Lee Na-yun seemed pointless, as it didn’t go anywhere in the end.
- It was refreshing to see a male lead not always sporting the currently insatiable curtain hair style. 🤢 The other show I’ve seen a ML without the curtain was Touch Your Heart and stuff from the 2010s period. It’s one thing when a few people have it but it’s annoying when it’s like almost every show nowadays. Don’t get me started on the hair craze from Boys Over Flowers. Lol

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Not a coincidence

Summary: This short but loveably sweet mini series captures the heart with unshakable devotion between the two main characters. I like that the storyline was straightforward (with easily solved misunderstandings), tying the past to the present in a way that builds retention for the audience. Love the soundtrack as well. And surprisingly, no blatant ads? Amazing. An easy re-watch, if you want some simple entertainment.

Something that irked me though is that the Viki synopsis is totally off; it was not a heartbroken crush for the female lead as was described. In fact, it was the other way around.

Details: Let’s just be clear. The real reason Lee Hong Ju was “deeply skeptical when it comes to everything love-related” wasn’t because Kang Hu Yeong, it was because of someone else. I wished that was captured in the synopsis because it changes the color and expectations of the story. That aside, I found this drama an enjoyable mini series, which I’m starting to think all Asian dramas should be (like eight episodes or less, lol).

There were funny bits like Lee Hong Ju’s heroic stance on fighting for global warming vs. her own love llfe; and when she forced Kang Hu Yeong to do ancient Korean dynasty cosplay dress-up, with her as the king and him as the servant. Lol. Also, the plot development reminds me of that classic Hallmark formula in which their fates are tied together wherever they go - nothing is a coincidence. XD

I got a bit antsy at the last episode because they literally left less than 10 minutes to resolve a plot twist. But they did it, and they even had time to fill in more of the backstory as well. Impressive. I’m happy with this show. :)

Side Notes:
- Episode 1: I was annoyed by the unrealistic dialogue between Kang Hu Yeong and his friend who was harassing him about “dumping” a blind date. It was one date and it’s HIS life to make those kind of decisions.
- Episode 1: I found it strange and cringy when all the other supporting characters spoke better English than the main character, who supposedly lived in the U.S. for several years. It irks me when filmmakers create a storyline but don’t use people with matching skills for the scenarios. Why even write that type of scenario then? They could have faked it much better with him having gone off to some other country (like Singapore or something).
- Backstory throughout: The way that Lee Hong Ju came at Kang Hu Yeong in high school was straight up harassment and bullying. I get that she was simply protecting her friend but he totally had the right to ignore the situation rather than give an answer, if that’s what he preferred. He shouldn’t have to be humiliated while doing P.E. or attending class or trying to do research in the library or…
- End of Episode 8: Realistically, if someone broke their foot, wouldn’t they be on the ground in excruciating pain instead of being able to walk away? I’m surprised Kang Hu Yeong didn’t even make a face, and that Lee Hong Ju didn’t try to help him but just stood there.

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An Easy Binge Despite Its Length

Summary: I really LOVE this incredibly romantic fantasy period love story! Although the series was 36 episodes long, I easily gobbled up this true romance (like it was half that length), which provided a generous helping of hilarious, touching, and edge-of-seat moments with an epic, bittersweet soundtrack in the background. Despite the classic protagonist-in-peril scenes in almost every other episode, there was always an interesting storyline or plot twist or visual until the very end except for some strange story holes (explained below) and the last episode left me disappointed. I still give it a 10 and would definitely watch again. Also, the illustrations in both opening/closing credits are STUNNING (wish I could find where to buy a poster).

Details: Only through a Viki viewer recommendation was I introduced to this amazing drama (watched on Netflix to avoid commercials). I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story creator Jiulu Feixiang also inspired “The Legend of Shen Li,” another drama I liked, and she’s easily becoming one of my favorite story makers. I’ve also seen Dylan Wang and Esther Yu separately in other shows and really enjoy each actor’s work, so it was no surprise that I’d love this show as well. Dylan Wang and Esther Yu did amazing jobs playing contradicting good/evil characters with some cringe-inducing scenes.

You can feel the natural sparks between the leads with such cute/sweet interactions like cooking for each other and coming to the other’s rescue. One of my favorite scenes (among many) is when Dongfang Qingcang put his hand around Orchid’s waist and commands everyone to stop messing with HIS woman! And Orchid's nicknames for Dongfang Qingcang are so adorable.

Some critiques I do have are:
- the fact that they introduced a new concept towards the very end and then dropped it like a bad habit, a power called glazed fire; I would have loved to see how that tied into the storyline and connected the main characters to their real destiny
- the episodes toward the end dragged out and were overly dramatic, leaving little time for a solid ending in the last episode
- the last episode felt rushed and empty, and a bit inconsistent with previous scenes in the beginning and middle of the show; for example…
- the strange, contradicting dialogue between Orchid and Xunfeng in which Orchid doesn’t think Qingcang will return but asks whether Xunfeng believed in miracles
- why it took 500 years for Orchid to have to see Qingcang again when it seemed like he only had to wait a few months for her return; the filmmakers could have given them an actual 500 years of marriage instead and expounded on those scenes, like showing Dongfang Qingcang / Orchid teaching their children the power and legend of glazed fire (which I’d also like to learn about :D)
- when they were reunited, Orchid’s reaction seemed out of character; I was hoping Qingcang would put the two-finger smile on her but the scene was so anti-climactic

I did check out the epilogue which was also disappointing, unless you like montages of past scenes in a show. I was hoping for some new material.

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