The other thing that really ruined this drama for me was the insta-love. Bleh. This drama is definitely insta-love, to my dismay. There's no build up in emotions, interactions, or getting-to-know-you experiences that would have realistically led up to the extreme "love" the 2 MMCs feel for each other. It was very off putting. I'm still kind of scratching my head as to why they love each other. I, as the viewer, get it since I know them from watching their independent interactions, but in the short time THEY interacted with each other, I don't get why *they* developed such strong feelings for each other. This was probably the weakest point in the drama for me because their love story was supposed to transcend all the universes. Their romance wasn't even a convincing or well-written insta-love...I've truly seen better insta-love plots. *sigh*
What made this drama worth watching though was the performance of Woo Do Hwan, which is not surprising AT ALL. :D He was as wonderful as I thought he would be - he convincingly played 2 different roles where there was no doubt in my mind *who* he was when his face appears on scene. He was so convincing in both roles and he constantly had me cracking up for either character he played. I hope that TK:EM will be his big break so he can finally get more main roles!
Kim Kyung Nam was a huge surprise! He did a wonderful job portraying such a torn character - he was mysterious and moody (just how I like em ;P), and when he finally started crying near the end when his mother embraced him, his distress was palpable. I look forward to his future dramas - hopefully a lead role! :D
Unfortunately, I cannot say that all the other actors did as a wonderful job as WDH or even KKN. Lee Min Ho was okay - he's always been "just okay" to me. He's handsome and can easily make people swoon, and he has the right face for a king, and he strutted the *king* feel very well, but what I didn't buy was his romance/chemistry with Kim Go Eun. I've never been a huge fan of KGE either...she's not bad, but by the end of the drama she replaced good acting with tears. NON STOP tears. 0.0 By the end of TK:EM, I was soooo over her crying literally every scene. So, suffice to say, I'm still not a KGE fan. Bleh.
The OST was also really good, which I'm pleased to report! Good tones, great artists - their voices complimented the emotion of the scenes very well! The swell and timing in the instrumentals were also very well placed and selected!
Overall, I'm very disappointed in TK:EM. My high hopes for this intended epic drama are rather devastated. If I hadn't been watching it as it aired, I likely would have dropped it rather than try to get through all 16 episodes back to back. I hate to be this person, but the only reason why I would bring up this drama in conversation would be to gush about Woo Do Hwan. If you are a WDH fan, you definitely do NOT want to miss out on his spectacular performance here. Aside from WDH, I think this TK:EM would be okay to skip. *shrugs* It had it's exciting moments and interesting plot, but overall, it was evident that the writers did not handle nor execute such a complicated plot.
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Episodes 1 through 4 were pretty boring with building the setting and introducing characters. BUT, I did get sucked into the drama by about episode 8.
What I'm most disappointed about is how this drama is referred to as one of the best bromances of all dramas, but I just don't see it. I mean, yes, once the 2 MMC's, Chief Kim and Director/Prosecutor Seo ally they have a bromance, but it only starts after episode 17...out of 20 episodes!!! I was *most* interested in watching their dynamics, but Director Seo was a straight up bastard for more than 3/4 of the drama, and while his character is redeemed and I'm satisfied with his character development, the BROMANCE of this drama is severely lacking literally in duration. And I get that the writers needed to build their relationship and dynamics to have a good bromance, but jeez this just took too long. Chief Kim and Director Seo were who I was here for and 4 episodes just wasn't enough for me. *sigh* I will admit though, once the bromance officially started at episode 17, the way Director Seo loses his temper whenever Chief Kim tried to be romantic toward him just cracked me up. I rewatched those scenes at least 3 times before moving on. XD
While on the topic of Director Seo, who was originally Prosecutor Seo: his backstory is pretty weak. Him going from a very successful, ruthless prosecutor to a corrupt Director of a huge conglomerate just doesn't satisfy me as a viewer. The reasoning he changes career paths is because he wants to use his law knowledge to outsmart the law and make it big in the business world....it's just such a flimsy motivation. It lacks sincere backstory....
Now that I think about it, Chief Kim's backstory is pretty flimsy too. We see his childhood and father in some brief flashbacks that imply their impacts on his conning profession, but they're not well flushed out. Hmm..
What I *did* really love is the CEO's son, Myeong Seok. His character growth was so well portrayed; he truly grew up for the better by the end of the story. And he was such a sweet guy by the end of the last episode. I adored watching him going from this spoiled, unloved child to being productive and developing friendships and loyalties after being recognized for his contributions.
The OST is also pretty great! I really liked the theme song, "Must Be The Money" by DinDin - whenever it started up, I always knew they were getting down to business :D. I also enjoyed "Will You Love Me" by Gilgu Binggu & Kim So Hee - a very nice romantic melody. "Dreaming" by Seo Young Eun was perfect for the more melancholy scenes. And my absolute favorite was the instrumental piece, "Here Comes The Chief Kim" - the rhythm, instruments, and pensive tune just resonate with me.
The ending was also truly satisfying and wrapped up all the loose ends. We get a "1 year later" epilogue and each character has their conclusion nice and neat. I like that Director Seo is happy and I like the implied romance left there for him.
So, in conclusion, like I said already, I won't be rewatching this and I likely won't recommend it to anyone because even though I generally liked it, overall it's just meh, despite what the raving reviews imply. If you are considering this drama because of the bromance, I would encourage you to reconsider. This drama is more about how you change as a person when you begin to care for those around you. The two MMC's both changed, for the better, during the duration of this drama because they developed attachments to those around them, wanted to protect them, and in the end, took down the bad guys. In this regard, even though it takes 20 episodes, it was a good story.
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1st reason season 2 is better than season 1: Dr. Kim's character seems so much more fleshed out and balanced. His character is more consistent and makes more logical sense. While he's always teaching others, his methods are agreeable, even if they are still blunt. Also, unlike in season 1, Dr. Kim is now obviously compassionate and a selfless individual with extremely high morals, even if we do not know exactly what he is thinking. I really liked him this season. The writers and actor executed Dr. Kim in a much better, well-rounded fashion that really emphasized the morals of the drama so much better.
2nd reason season 2 is better than season 1: The 2 new doctor's transferred to Doldam hospital, Seo Woo Jin and Cha Eun Jae were soooo much better characters than the 2 doctor's from season 1. There was nothing really wrong with the doctors from season 1, but I could much better associate and sympathize with the doctors from season 2 in regards to their backgrounds and stories. I also enjoyed Seo Woo Jin and Cha Eun Jae's dynamics as a romantic couple much better than the 2 doctors from season 1.
Now, I would like to mention that there is a difference in how season 1 and season 2 were handled, that made the flow and feel a bit different. In season 1, each episode was essentially 1 day where the doctors were experiencing a specific patient and their respective struggles for that day, with each patient wrapping up by the end of the episode. In season 2, 1 patient and/or incident might span 3 or 4 episodes, which results in less focus on the patients and more shared focus on the hospital politics and doctor dynamics/experience. Due to this difference in execution, I didn't feel as much intense emotion with season 2 that I had with season 1. With season 1, the intensity in each episode had me crying almost every single episode with how each patient's story turned out (1 particular one ingrained in my memory was the father who wanted to murder the male patient because he raped his wife and young daughter causing numerous horrific health complications on top of the mental trauma). In contrast, season 2, due to the patient's stories spanning more episodes, I didn't find myself as emotional toward the character's and their stories, which definitely dropped the intensity for me. With that said though, this made room for politics and character dynamics to be explored more.
The ending was seriously satisfying! In the last 30 minutes of the drama, I was seriously wondering how they were going to end the story and omg it was definitely satisfying! I was like, "YESSSS! He [the ex-director from season 1] finally can't bother them anymore!" Totally worth taking the chance on season 2!
The OST was also really good as a whole. I liked all of it - the instrumental and vocal. And again, I also liked it more than the season 1 OST.
I think the directors did a really good job learning from their shortcomings from season 1 and making a really strong, satisfying, and enjoyable season 2. After watching and enjoying season 2 so much, I think I might eventually watch both seasons again, together back-to-back to experience them in one go and see if my perspective of them (especially season 1) changes.
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This review may contain spoilers
I think the first about 35 episodes were really good. I really enjoyed the gender-bender tropes in the beginning with Ki being a warrior and a rebel and all that. But then that was completely taken out of the plot, which I wasn't terribly upset about, but at the same time, I missed it (gender-benders are a guilty pleasure of mine haha). And then around episode 35, things started to slow down a lot and a lot of the plot devices started to be reused (for example, poisoning, assassins, characters dying, but surprise!, they miraculously survive!, etc). And I think what made the whole drama completely unsatisfying in the end was the fact that the Emperor of Yuan (played by Ji Chang Wook) was a complete coward and extremely unlikable as a person. And while the Emperor of Koryo had his flaws, it was tragic that he and Ki couldn't be together due to the shitty circumstances.~~~~~~~~SPOILER AHEAD~~~~~~~~~Read with caution!!!
Before starting this drama, I spoiled the ending for myself because I saw the "tragedy" tag; originally I was okay with the ending where Emperor of Yuan dies because then I figured that Ki could then have her chance with the Emperor of Koryo now that he was out of the way, but THEY KILLED OFF THE EMPEROR OF KORYO IN LITERALLY THE LAST 1.5 HOURS OF THE DRAMA. WHAT IS THIS SHIT?! They also killed off Yon Feisu, who I thought was a complete bad ass - her death really ticks me off just based on principle. And they also killed off Tal Tal who I adored - I'm kinda salty about that too. ???? (I really think that Tal Tal and Ki could have had something special between them if given the opportunity...)
And let's just be honest - the Emperor of Yuan was a piece of crap. He wasn't a man, his character had no true development, and he was just a pain to watch. All the decisions he made were foolish and self-serving, with no regard to what was best for his people and/or his reign. He didn't *love* Ki. He was obsessed like a psychotic person and literally made decisions to mess things up based on spite and jealously. How pitiful, childish, and annoying. I saw clips of Empress Ki that got me interested in watching it and honestly, they were completely misleading. There's nothing cute or loving about the romance between Ki and the Emperor of Yuan. This story truly is a tragedy, so if you're thinking about watching it, bear that in mind.
I know I'm harping on some stuff really hard, but it *was* a decent drama, but I just wasn't happy with how the writers handled the characters in the last 20 episodes or so and the ending. I was okay with there being sadness, but I don't think the tragedy was expertly written and so it left me feeling very unsatisfied and bitter. Definitely not a rewatch for me.
The actors in this drama were truly great -
Ji Chang Wook has always played quirky characters and he really did well portraying such an insecure and petty character.
I've tried to watch Secret Garden and Kings2Heart with Ha Ji Won and I wasn't impressed with her acting very much, but I think she did a really good job here. Not enough to make me an avid fan, but truly surprised at her performance.
Kim Ji Han grew on me. He's not conventional handsome, but man oh man did his acting grow on me. I think I'll try to pick up another drama with him to see how his acting is in another role. His voice is soooo sexy and he has definitely mastered the smolder. XD
I will also say that the OST was very good. I didn't get annoyed with any of the songs and the song selections for each scene were very well placed.
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In regards to the actors, I think everyone did a pretty great job with their roles. The only person I had a bit of trouble with was Jung In Sun - she was a good actress, but I think she had some trouble showing us the inner turmoil and mixed feelings her character was having in regards to her love interest and so it made her difficult to read and interpret, especially early on. I think her acting and representation of her character significantly improved in the last quarter of the drama when compared to when she initially rejects her perspective love interest more toward the beginning of the drama.
What I really loved about this drama aside from the comedic aspects of the story telling, was how there was no "bad guy." There wasn't someone who was ridiculously malicious or evil for the sake of moving the plot. Everyone had well-rounded characters who all made mistakes and tried their best to fix them or make amends. The conflicts weren't drawn out or bogged down with melodrama, instead they resolved things relatively realistically (with of course, the comedic flare). Another point I'd really like to make in recommending this drama would be that every conflict was resolved. The drama is definitely slice-of-life, showing us how we might fight with our loved ones and how inevitably, we figure things out without super grudges or vendettas.
If you are a fan of the ABC Family, Baby Daddy, or simply enjoy slice-of-life with romance and some serious comedy with a non-rushed ending, I would highly recommend Eulachacha Waikiki. You won't regret it and you absolutely won't be able to stop binge watching it, so maybe start on a Friday night. ;P
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Promising story, horrible conclusion - UGH
DDSSLLS was solidly enjoyable in the beginning. Ra Ra was a bit of an airhead compared to my usual tastes in FMCs, but she was innocent and wasn't malicious at all. Her struggles were cliched, but believable - a fallen heiress having to adjust to life without. But who picked Ra Ra's wardrobe? It was okay *sometimes*, but most of the time, it was AWFUL. I know that name-brand expensive clothing can be pretty ridiculous, but this is crazy. Just WHY? *shakes head*ANYways, the side characters were also entertaining. I generally liked all of the side characters and their stories, but my favorite was Jun.
Jun was precious and a classic tsundere and I loved him 100%. My fierce adoration for him is why I'm pretty upset with how his story turned out. I was surprised by the initial plot twist in (I think) episode 6, but recovered quickly because the plot twist didn't destroy who he was. But once Jun's big secret was revealed, I wasn't a fan of how they wrote his story around his tiger mom. And THEN they wrote his "tragedy" into the finale and I just couldn't stomach all the flaws in their story writing anymore. How is it possible that this is the same screenwriter from Shopping King Louie?! (Though, not to go off onto a complete tangent, but Terius Behind Me flopped too sooooo. >.< )
I'm not sure why the writers felt the need to go in the direction they did in the last 6 or so episodes, but it didn't make me happy or satisfy me at all. Just because they "overcome" tragedy doesn't mean that their story all of a sudden becomes more endearing (this could apply to more than 1 character/set of characters). *sigh* And then the time jump in the end before the "epilogue" was such a cop out (so many products in entertainment do this and ugh it's annoying). *roll eyes* Write a strong ending/conclusion instead of a forced "happily-ever-after" after destroying the story with garbage tragedy and plot inconsistencies and fallacies.
I wouldn't recommend this drama. The beginning seems like it'll be a fluffy, sweet, drama, but it's really not worth it, even if the majority of the drama is light and fun. The conclusion to this drama really brought down this story.
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Fast paced & fantastic fight scene choreography!
Player is a very well written and well execute drama. The plot is not convoluted, it's straightforward, and I really appreciate that the drama wasn't dragged out (it's only 14 episodes rather than 16 or more). The story isn't terribly complicated to figure out and there's no big revelation, but the story is fast paced and the action was on point. The choreography for all the fight scenes was FANTASTIC.The comedy was sparse, but the relationships between all 4 con men was envy-worthy. The 3 men, Ha Ri, Byung Min, and Jin Woong were like brothers. I was skeptical about adding Ah Ryung, but was very happy with her addition once they established her relationship with the 3 *brothers*; the way they all came crashing in to protect her and fight for her as her older brothers was beautiful and gave me goosebumps and envy! Even further, I love how the 4 con men worked together to protect Prosecutor Jang - he too was a wonderful character!
I really enjoyed and adore this OST - Player by Dok2 was fabulous. The placement of this theme song had me perking up EVERY time.
Player isn't necessarily for everyone, especially since it doesn't have romance. BUT if you like revenge plots, con men, and action, this is a drama you don't want to miss out on. If you enjoyed Switch: Change the World, Miss & Mrs. Cop, and/or The Dude in Me, this drama will be your speed.
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AND what I really enjoyed was the great use of the OST's and sound effects. I'm a sucker for sound effects used to accentuate funny moments and this drama does a great job doing that! I also totally bought into the love story of the 2 MCs. They were so cute together and they're innocence was adorable to watch. And the trope throughout the whole drama - how the male MC thought with a scientific mind while the female MC thought with a more laymen's mind - was realistically funny to see from both sides when they misunderstood each other and came to understand one another.
The drama is easily binge-watched over a long weekend with how fast-paced and fun this drama is. Nothing got draggy thankfully. And I also think that the female MC's high school crush was handled well; honestly, I thought he was a pretty big loser, but they concluded his side of the story well. The only reason this drama didn't score higher for me was just because I truly disliked the story of the high school crush - even though he was handled well in the end, I didn't care for his character or his romance/story (I came close to skipping their scenes). If I were to ever watch this again, I'd definitely skip his scenes.
Overall, very fun, light-hearted, romantic comedy. I liked it so much that I'm willing to give more C-dramas a chance in the future. Recommend for sure.
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Unexpectedly amazing and light-hearted for a law movie
I was not expecting this movie to be nearly as good as it was or for me to like it and enjoy it as much as I did. I watched the trailer and it has some great actors in it, so I decided to give it a shot. I just finished watching it and it was really really good.I'm always worried that a law/crime based drama/movie is going to be too gruesome or brutal for me to stomach, which usually deters me from watching them, but the execution of this movie was pleasantly unexpected! It was much more light-hearted compared to a lot of law movies, which I really liked. But it still managed to hit on some very serious morals that made you think and analyze what you *think* you know or understand. I cried in the end.
The only reason why I took off 1/2 a star was because I would have really liked to know where each of the characters wound up in 2019 in the last scene. That would have helped provide a nice wrapped conclusion in the end.
Juror 8 was surprisingly good AND it's based on a true story. Excellent pace and well executed! I really enjoyed this. Highly recommend for sure!
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Anyways, the pacing of the 4 episodes was great with nothing moving too slowly or too quickly. I was TOTALLY surprised with who the bad guy was (but it doesn't take much to surprise me LMAO).
I also think that the writers did a good job with their selection of actors and how they portrayed the characters because many of the characters were left pretty mysterious until close to the end when their true intentions/tendencies were finally unmasked.
Overall, this drama wasn't perfect (for example, there were some character relationships that just seemed to fix themselves by the end of the drama that weren't really explained), but those imperfections didn't bring down the overall plot so they were easy to overlook for me.
I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick mystery-action drama!
****Also, please do NOT be scared of the ending. There is NO tag on this drama stating "tragedy" so do NOT fall for anything too quickly. XD I warned you! ;P
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Unfortunately about 3/4 through the drama the plot shifts and the children are taken out of the plot, which I think was a poor decision because their presence offered comic relief and something to gush over (the children actors were absolutely ADORABLE!). Things also got much more NIS involved, with the focus being more about spies and solving the case. I don't particularly mind this, but I very much preferred the plot prior to the shift in focus.
Something that REALLY bothered me was that the writers "killed" 1 particular character whom I grew to like and even though we end up finding out that that character isn't dead, I didn't appreciate the use of that trope personally.
There were also a few loose ends left unanswered, but nothing too terribly obvious, just things that left me pondering and wishing had been wrapped up better.
The soundtrack was very nice. I found that the music was well placed/timed and the music selection was appropriate in making me feel emotion during the right times. A personal favorite of mine was Shout to the Sky by Eun Sung - she has a beautiful voice and the tone is very fitting for the drama.
The main reason why I've rated this drama at a 7.5/10 is because it had so many sweet, lovely, and well-thought out pieces, but I don't think everything was put together and progressed seamlessly. For example, there are time jumps in the plot that are unspecified (the time jump duration is not stated) or they are somewhat random to conveniently move the plot, which I feel is poor planning and can be a bit sloppy and confusing, especially for the viewer. I am also absolutely disappointed in the fact that the romance that was alluded to throughout the entire drama was never truly resolved. There was no kiss to literally seal the relationship. And while many people might be okay with this, I really need more in a resolution to feel satisfied. And ultimately, the shift in the plot going from a lighthearted, comedic drama to a drama that became much more serious and mystery focused left me feel unsatisfied.
Overall, a good watch and something I would not be hesitant to recommend, but instead, explain it's shortcomings as a prelude as what to expect and encourage people to enjoy it for what it is. I will personally probably rewatch many of those comedic moments (mostly found in the first half of the drama, which usually involved the twin children) in the future simply because they made me smile and gush with happiness. :)
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***SHOUT OUT to Kim Woo Bin --- major eye candy --- his character was my favorite. His temper tantrum for continued allowance with his parents was really funny!
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