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Perfect blend of mystery & suspense & romance
Usually mystery and suspense dramas have little romance or don’t put the proper time and energy into the romance for it to touch the audience. And romance dramas often try to incorporate mystery and suspense into the storyline but fail miserably because so much focus is put on the romance. But this drama somehow fuses both mystery & suspense and romance seamlessly into an intoxicating drama you will binge watch.The male lead is a genius criminal profiler that can take one look at a crime scene and tell you all about the person that perpetrated the crime including his personality and lifestyle. He specializes in catching serial killers so he needs to stay focused with no distractions so further deaths can be prevented. But despite his high IQ he has problems interacting with others due to his low EQ. So when the female lead steps in as his assistant to help deal with people and handle all of the small tasks for him, they find that they work really well together. Watching the male lead learn so much about himself and grow as a character was touching. And I loved how the female lead was strong, smart, and loyal instead of the silly and dumb female leads we often see. There are some really great side characters that you’ll love like the male leads best friend and their great bromance. Or the female leads childhood friend whose loyalty is so touching. Then there’s the bad guys that are just so great in their acting with their over the top crazy evil villains they portray so well that I just can’t even put it into words. I was really impressed with the acting in this drama.
The storyline and suspense in this drama will not disappoint you. There are so many twists and turns you will never guess who is good and who is bad and who is behind it all till the very end. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. So it was nice when the sweet romantic moments would periodically pop up and slow things down so I could relax a bit. There are some nice kisses, hugs, and touching scenes between the leads. You could feel their chemistry and their romance was very endearing.
The one thing that might put off some would be the grisly crime scenes and murders. When the male lead is figuring out what happened at a crime scene he often imagines himself as the criminal and re-enacts the crime in his head. So we often see these re-enactments which are gruesome and detailed. It didn’t really bother me but it might bother you so be forewarned.
Overall this is an amazing drama that seamlessly fuses two genres together into one cohesive and addicting show that’s hard to stop watching. If there were less blood, gore, violence and disturbing crime scene footage I would have given it ten stars. But if you’re okay with that type of stuff then this is the drama for you. It has a unique storyline, excellent acting, a good romance, and lots of character growth. I don’t often rewatch shows but I had to go back and enjoy this one again.
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Unique story with excellent acting
This is one of my favorite dramas. It has great acting, a unique storyline, it’s fast paced with lots of action, the leads have great chemistry and a touching romance, and all of the side characters are well fleshed out with depth and growth.Storyline:
I’ve watched hundreds of dramas and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a plot similar to this one. The male lead is a specialized courier that transports highly sensitive goods at a premium price. He’s extremely talented and is similar to James Bond in his skills. There’s a lot of scenes that will remind you of James Bond or Mission Impossible. One of his jobs requires him to get close to the female lead who is a rookie reporter. When they find out that not only do they have a shared past but that murder was involved, they decide to solve the mysteries of their past together which puts their lives in danger. The action scenes are really good, there are some great side characters, the romance is touching, and there’s lots of character growth.
Acting:
The male lead (Ji Chang Wook- a favorite of mine) pulls off the wounded, unwanted orphan that wants to be left alone really well. He draws you in with his sad and lonely life. And as you see him go from a tough badass to a sweet little puppy so seamlessly, you can’t help but be impressed with his acting skills. The female lead with her quirky little dances and spunky personality endears you to her. This is early on in Park Min Young’s career but you can already see her great acting skills shining through. From the female leads dad, to the genius hacker, to their madly successful reporter friend, the acting stands out in this drama.
Romance:
The romance is done so well in this drama. They fall in love gradually, at a realistic pace. But once they finally get together their chemistry is explosive. They never doubt one another and always have each other’s back. There’s lots of kisses, hugs, cuddles, and skinship. And yes, the kisses are realistic and steamy.
This drama will take you on a journey of emotions from sad and crying to laughing to being on the edge of your seat. It has just the right amount of sadness and angst too. There’s just enough to get you interested without being too over the top and upsetting you. And the mystery and suspense is really good. If there was anything I found fault with it was how convoluted and complicated the story was which was hard to follow sometimes. If it weren’t for that it would be a perfect 10. But it’s still an excellent drama worthy of watching multiple times.
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This review may contain spoilers
You’ll love it and hate it. But it’s worth the watch.
I’ve watched hundreds of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Thai dramas but I’ve never seen one with such diverse reviews. One reviewer tears it apart while another raves about how great it is. So I didn’t really know what to expect when I watched it. But I can honestly say I understand both the love and hate for this drama. You really get pulled in both directions. I’ll try to explain my thoughts on why I think this happened. There’s slight spoilers but no names are given and most situations are alluded to so that you kind of know where it’s going but not who, how , or when. So it doesn’t really spoil too much.Why some hated it:
Throughout the drama it’s repeated numerous times that one of the main leads will sacrifice themselves to save the other one. So everyone expected an ending like Goblin, Gu Family Book, or A Korean Odyssey. And let’s be honest, this type of drama usually ends with an open or sad ending. So when the drama took an unexpected turn and let the main leads have their happy ending but killed someone else off (that was quite popular), a lot of people were understandably upset. And I honestly felt their pain. Not only was a popular character killed off but the ending for the main leads seemed too good to be true for a lot of those drama lovers that like sad (or open) but realistic endings. That paired along with some inconsistencies in the plot was upsetting for many viewers.
Why Some Loved it:
There is a sacrifice but it’s not who you would expect it to be. But I have to say, having a villainous type of character have a change of heart to the point of sacrificing themselves for someone else shows tremendous character growth and it really touched my heart. I was sad, then happy, then angry, then very touched all in the span of a few minutes. This unexpected twist along with a happy ending for the main leads sent us all on a very emotional journey. Some loved it, some hated it, and some were just very touched and enjoyed the ride (like me). Even though there were some unexplained situations with the plot leaving some confused, the character growth in this drama along with some great acting saved this drama and made it worth watching in my opinion.
Story:
He’s a nine tailed fox and powerful mountain god that has become quite jaded with the world. His first love was a human that sacrificed herself to save him. Since foxes mate for life he’s tormented by her death and pays a high price to have her reincarnated. After 600 years she is reincarnated but does not remember him. Instead, she is obsessed with finding out what happened to her parents on the night they disappeared. But this isn’t just about their love story. It’s much more than that. This is about the battle between evil and good. It’s about how much we are willing to sacrifice to protect innocent people from an evil threat. It’s about breaking the rules to do the right thing. And it’s about how family has each other’s backs. I like that this drama had a little bit of everything. There was horror, comedy, romance, fantasy, mystery, and suspense.
Cinematography:
The fight scenes were well executed. And when the male lead leaps off of a rooftop to save the female lead, it was well done and very realistic. They put a lot into the production of this drama and it shows. From the costumes, to the scenery, to the action scenes, it was all top notch.
Acting:
This is one of those rare dramas where I don’t have a complaint about one of the actors. Usually someone is a little wooden and stiff or someone is a little over the top and over does it, but not this drama. Everyone did a great job, especially the main characters. Lee Dong Wook somehow pulled off being powerful and godlike one moment then a sweet ice cream loving puppy the next moment so well. I loved the complexity of his character. Jo Bo Ah had me rooting for her sassy, courageous, and super clever character too.
Overall thoughts:
The acting is great, the romance is decent, there’s lots of character growth with some really great side characters and it was really touching. But my main complaint is that while it starts out with some really riveting episodes in the beginning, it soon starts to falter. By episode four I found myself getting irritated at being repeatedly teased with snippets of the past but not being given enough information to know what’s going on. Several episodes seemed to consist mostly of hints at hidden identities and past secrets with lots of mysterious new characters being introduced. It got repetitive and confusing. Fortunately, by episode 8 everything comes together and the action picks up considerably. Also, in two different scenes where the female lead is standing in pouring rain, her hair stays perfectly dry. I was disappointed at their lack of attention to detail in some scenes like this. And there were some minor inconsistencies with the plot. But if you can get through those few episodes and you’re okay with the unexpected happily ever after fairytale ending, then you’ll like it. It’s not the best drama I’ve ever seen but it’s not a bad one either. But it touched me and I’m glad I watched it.
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Silly name, seriously great drama
Don’t let the title fool you, this is not a silly fantasy drama. It’s a great slice of life romcom with a good storyline and great characters. It follows the lives of a top notch college swim team and their trials. The hidden past of the male lead and who drugged his drink and got him banned from swimming four years ago is what the story is centered around. And when a comatose patient wakes up after four years, things get dicey.There’s a lot of cliche drama tropes here like amnesia, a hidden past, tripping right into the male leads arms several times, and staring longingly at one another for several minutes numerous times. But despite these typical drama scenes I was drawn in by the chemistry of the lead couple and the colorful side characters. The swim team members were hilarious. I loved how they always had each other’s backs. And the male leads mom was absolutely adorable. Her crazy antics trying to get her son to date the female lead (not knowing he already liked her) were too cute and I loved her bubbly personality.
This drama has a lot of heartwarming moments between the characters that are so endearing. I also like how there was so much maturity and character growth throughout the show. The underlying message of fighting for your dreams and never giving up no matter how bad things get resonated with me.
And getting to watch all of the really hot actors walk around in their swim trunks flashing us their abs all the time made this an easy and pleasant watch. Every single swim team member had amazing abs. I also like that even though there’s angst and sadness, nothing is overdone or lasts too long.
If you like cute romcoms that are low on angst, high on romance, with lots of sweet touching moments and some nice side couples then this is for you.
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Warm slice of life drama
The male lead is “Mr Perfect.” He believes in strictly adhering to the rules. Not only is he a stickler for the rules but he’s also a perfectionist that uses scientific reasoning to make sure his decisions are perfect. His personality is very prickly but as the drama unfolds you begin to see the heart of gold he’s hiding underneath it all.I liked that he’s not mean or arrogant like most typical rich chaebols. In fact, he often goes out of his way to help the female lead. But his sole caregiver growing up was his grandpa who is an intellectual scholar that uses scientific reasoning for everything. So this unusual upbringing makes him seem prickly and unapproachable.
His grandpa is gravely ill and his greatest regret in life is that the male lead did not have the warmth of a normal family growing up. Therefore, his grandpas dying wish is to see him find love and have a happy family. So when the female lead appears in their lives having been swindled out of her life savings and in desperate need, the contract marriage seems the perfect solution. The female lead gets a beautiful home to stay in while she gets her life back in order. And by appearing to be in a happy loving relationship the male lead can make his grandfather’s remaining days happy ones.
The female lead is “Miss Casual.” She’s a very laid back casual person that automatically trusts people because she believes that deep inside most people are really good just like her. So she gets conned and taken advantage of a lot. It’s not because she’s dumb but because she’s a warm caring person that prefers to give people the benefit of the doubt.
This is a light, easy to watch slice of life drama that warms the heart and teaches a lesson. There are no complex plots or action scenes. It seeks the answers to deeper questions in life like, “Can people that are complete opposites have a happy relationship? Must their outlook on life be similar in order for them to be happy together? Or is it better to have someone the opposite of you so that their strengths balances out your weaknesses? If they are strong where you are weak and you are strong where they are weak, is it better? Does it make the relationship stronger and more interesting?” The drama does a great job of answering these questions.
I liked the side characters and the secondary couples and their storylines. I also loved the sweet kind little grandpa. And the romance is really fluffy with lots of real kisses and skinship. What I didn’t like was the pace of the drama. It got a little too slow in some parts. The storyline needed a little more friction to keep it interesting. Waiting until about two thirds of the way through the drama before contemplating the deeper questions in life about relationships (which the drama is about) made the drama drag a bit.
Overall, even though the drama dragged a bit in some places, it was worth watching. Seeing how the female leads warmth and kindness touches the male leads heart and changes him was a joy to watch. His character growth was phenomenal. And when he reciprocates by helping her find direction in her life, I was touched. I liked how the drama showed that opposite personalities are not necessarily a bad thing. You can balance each other out and have a much more interesting life than if you were with someone identical to you because that would be boring. I appreciated the underlying theme and the message it taught. It’s definitely worth the watch.
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Great comedy & Romance
I don’t like silly dramas that are full of slapstick style over the top physical comedy. That being said, the comedy in this drama is pure gold. It’s very funny. I was laughing all the time watching this. I like that the drama doesn’t take itself too seriously and stays light hearted throughout the drama. There’s just enough angst and plot depth to keep you interested but not so much that it loses it’s light hearted feel and hilarity. It’s popularity and high ratings are well deserved.As far as romance goes, the main leads have some of the best chemistry I’ve ever seen onscreen. (In fact the male lead admitted to having a crush on the female lead in real life. She wasn’t available at the time but now that she’s available he’s in the military.) There’s lots of steamy kisses, hugs, flirting, and cuddling here for those that are into skinship. The way the female lead flirts with and teases the male lead until he’s all tied up in knots is just too adorable. And if you’re into height difference couples you’ll be pleased because she’s so tiny compared to him he calls her his peanut.
Her “powers” are a bit far fetched and not very believable. But that’s part of the charm of this show, it’s not supposed to be believable or realistic. It’s just super funny and cute. This tiny little girl is such a feisty little fireball, you can’t help but love her and her courage and strong sense of justice.
It starts out funny but gets a little serious when a man starts kidnapping women and the female lead thinks she may be able to identify him. Then there’s the whole mystery of who is threatening the male lead and why. And of course a love triangle forms. So there’s more to the story than just comedy and romance.
Overall I really loved this drama and have already rewatched it mainly for the comedy and romance. I wish there more dramas like this that does such a good job with both comedy and romance. Don’t skip this one, it’s a really good drama.
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Original story and great acting
At first I was afraid to watch this for fear that the portrayal of the angels would be unrealistic and cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised to see how realistic the angels looked. They weren’t cheesy and silly or overly powerful and egotistical either. The cinematography was impressive too.The male leads portrayal of the innocent yet clumsy angel was really good. I’m not surprised he won so many awards for his acting. He earned it. And the female leads portrayal of a ballerina was just amazing. She had me convinced she had to have been involved in ballet for at least a few years.
There’s real kisses and lots of chemistry here too. The romance is very touching and sweet. And I like that even though there’s some angst and sadness, it’s not overly done. It’s by no means a melodrama. It’s a great romcom with some twists and turns and drama but not too much. It’s very balanced.
The story has depth and is completely unpredictable. I just couldn’t see how things would work out and I usually have a drama figured out after just a few episodes. I loved the originality of this drama as well.
My only complaint is how god is depicted in this drama. They portrayed God as being someone who doesn’t take his angels feelings into consideration. If one of his angels loved someone else more than him his punish was quite severe. Which meant no romantic relationships whatsoever. Also, his angels seemed very unhappy at being unable to make their own choices in life. God gave them assignments and chose their course in life for them. And if they didn’t adhere to his plans for them the result was death. If it weren’t for this one thing then the drama would have been just about perfect.
But overall, I’d say it was a really good drama that’s definitely worthy of its high ratings and awards. Don’t miss this one, it’s a great drama
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Sweet & touching coming of age romcom
This is a coming of age romance driven drama that follows the main characters through high school, college, and several years beyond. There’s a lot of interesting characters and cute side couples you’ll fall in love with.The main leads have great chemistry and their romance is what drives this drama. But there’s more to the story than their romance. It’s about fighting for what you believe in and choosing your own path in life rather than just following the path your parents or others think is best for you. It’s about discovering your own talents and then making something of them and yourself. It’s about never giving up on your friends despite their various flaws. The story has depth and meaning. And the acting is really good.
My only complaints, and there aren’t many, is the aloofness of the male lead and the lengthy split at the end. Even though he obviously cares for the female lead, he fails to communicate that to her. Most of the time she’s left feeling dejected from her unrequited love. Of course he eventually improves in this area and has great character growth. But watching her suffer through it all was difficult at times. And then to have the main leads split up for years over such a stupid little misunderstanding was frustrating and needless filler.
But despite its flaws, the ending is just so sweet and cute it more than makes up for the minor flaws. Overall this is a cute sweet drama that tackles some deep issues without getting too overly dramatic. I would definitely recommend it.
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He’s a powerful god that was released from his imprisonment by a sweet girl that’s plagued by demons that keep attacking her but only she can see. In return for her help he promises to come to her aid whenever she calls his name. But there’s a hidden reason why only she sees these demons and why they are attracted to her. And there’s a deeper reason as to why he’s the one that has to guard her. That’s the basic storyline so you don’t get too confused as the story progresses. It has a lot of twists and turns. And it does get a bit complicated and confusing at times. But the romance is epic with great chemistry between the main leads. There’s real kisses and lots of sweet moments. The male lead was always swooping out of the sky to save the female lead which was pretty touching. There’s lots of interesting side characters that adds to the richness of the story.
Cinematography & Set Design:
There was no choppy or confusing editing. Everything flowed smoothly and seamlessly. When the hero comes swooping out of the sky it’s pretty realistic. And the fight scenes are really good. I loved the elaborate costumes and set design.
Acting:
I enjoyed everyone’s acting here. Some actors made me hate them and others frightened me while some made me pity them. When actors make you feel such a wide range of emotions you know they’re doing their job well. The acting was above average.
My main complaint and what kept this drama from getting a higher rating was the last few episodes and the ending. The last few episodes get very angsty and melodramatic. Then the ending is a bit ambiguous and I’m not a fan of that type of ending. It wasn’t a sad or tragic ending and the romance was great so I’d still recommend it. And I like how they combined comedy, romance, horror, and mystery all into one drama. It made it fast paced and interesting. But the ending isn’t something I’d revisit. So I deducted points for the ambiguous ending and for it having a low rewatch value for me. But overall I’d say it was a good drama that I enjoyed watching.
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Interesting and funny
This is like a male version of Sex & The City. It’s sexy, funny, sad, melodramatic, and touching. It starts out with the female lead crushing on the male leads best friend. It follows his unrequited love for her and the romance that ensues. The other 3 couples are quite interesting too. There’s an unexpected pregnancy couple. And a married couple deals with the husbands wandering eye. Then there’s a sweet lady that keeps forgiving her terrible husband. So the stories are all quite interesting and fun to watch.Let’s start with the men:
I like that none of the guys will cross the line or go against the bro code. All of the guys have each other’s back and will drop everything to be there for each other. It’s nice to see a drama with such great guys that have an epic bromance. There’s a tremendous amount of character growth for all of these men. They may be grown men but deep inside they’re still little boys. You get hilarious glimpses of their childishness throughout the drama. Like ramming into the back of a guys car because he thinks the guys making a move on his woman. Or covering his woman with a jacket because her outfit is sexy and other guys may ogle her. But in the end they all mature a lot and make really good decisions.
Now for the women:
Just like the men, the women have each other’s back and are always there for each other. The sismance here is so sweet. They deal with self worth and self confidence a lot. I like how they dealt with these issues. Societal pressures and what society expects of you and how they judge you are explored thoroughly too. The women have good character growth as well. It’s hard not to like these ladies and wish they were your friends too.
Overall this is a good one to watch if you like multiple couples, lots of comedy, good character growth, and deeper issues being explored.
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A pretty good romcom
This has all of the cliches like forced cohabitation, memory loss, cold rich man versus poor woman, genius lead with perfect memory, and hate to love. So why did I like it so much? Somehow the actors breathe life into this story and get you emotionally invested despite all of the cliches. One night I just couldn’t make myself stop clicking the next episode button and ended up not going to bed till 3 am. The romance and comedy are spot on perfect too.If you’re looking for a good romance then look no further. This has lots of real kisses, princess carrying, hugging, cuddling, flirting, and skinship. The secondary couple had me rooting for them early on. And I have to say I really like that this stays true to its genre. It starts out as a romcom and ends as a romcom. There was no sudden switch to an angst filled melodrama towards the end like most Chinese dramas have been doing lately.
Both leads have someone crushing on them. And it’s a big part of the storyline. And it causes a lot of misunderstandings which gets annoying. But since neither of the main leads have romantic feelings for anyone other than each other, I don’t consider it a true romantic triangle or square. I only consider it a love triangle if the main lead dates, considers dating, or has some romantic feelings for the rival in the love triangle.
The main drawbacks of this drama would be that it’s storyline is not very original. You know where it’s going and there are no real surprises. And the numerous misunderstandings between the main leads in the beginning gets a little annoying.
What saves it is the great acting, the chemistry of the main leads, and the comedy. And the main leads don’t wait till the last couple of episodes to get together. I also like the underlying theme and message it conveys. The main leads love for each other enlightened them and made them both much better people. I really enjoyed watching their character growth. And it’s true that if you marry the right person you can become a much better version of yourself. Because you encourage and inspire each other to do better. And that’s what they did. They rooted for each other pushed each other to be the best that they could be and it was inspiring. The ending is very satisfying and it’s not rushed.
Overall it’s a great one to watch if you like light sweet fluffy romcoms with a few misunderstandings and some mild angst and office politics but nothing too melodramatic.
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The storyline:
The first few episodes mostly focus on the female lead and her crazy antics towards the male lead. So in the beginning it’s a little silly with very little story depth but it’s super cute. If you stick with the drama it gets deeper and the storyline becomes much more interesting. It’s a slice of life drama so don’t expect intense action like a mystery & suspense drama, or lots of evil characters creating chaos like in a melodrama. But like most slice of life dramas it has deeper underlying meanings and teaches a lesson. There’s also tons of character growth all around. It teaches us about not judging others by appearance and how important trust is in all of our relationships. I also appreciated seeing things from a doctors point of view and seeing how much they go through. They also delve into the crazy world of idols and celebrities which was interesting. There’s some angst but it’s nothing over the top and things get resolved in a reasonable amount of time. Nothing’s overly drawn out and it’s evenly paced. There are multiple couples that have pretty good stories too.
Romance:
I like that even though the lead couple have an arranged marriage, initially neither of them want it so their romance gradually builds over a number of episodes so it felt more realistic. Even though the male lead is a highly acclaimed doctor he’s not conceited or full of himself like you’d expect so I found his character refreshing. He has many facets to his character. One minute he’s the stoic intellectual that observes rather than talks. Then the next minute he’s the shy naive ‘boy next door.’ Then later he’s hot, sexy, and confident. The female lead is refreshingly confident, sexy, and assertive. I appreciated that even though she was very confident in herself her insecurities and vulnerable side was shown too. It was nice to see the main couple get together early on rather than waiting until the last couple of episodes to express their feelings. We get to see them as a couple through a good deal of the drama though they do have their ups and downs. I won’t lie, the female lead loves to act cute and use sweet nicknames for the male lead so the romance does get a bit cheesy at times. But their chemistry is just amazing. And the kisses are pretty steamy with lots of skinship going on. The romance is what really makes this drama stand out.
Cinematography & Set Design:
There were no choppy scenes or editing issues. This drama flowed smoothly and seamlessly. Nothing left me lost or confused. The set designs were elaborate and well done. I also loved everyone’s wardrobe which is not usual for me with modern Chinese dramas as they like to make their female leads dress in baggy clothes with strange designs. But I liked all of the clothes they wore in this drama.
This is a light, sweet, low on angst, romantic comedy that focuses on the various couples and them working out their problems with each other. It’s central focus is the romance and comedy which are both done very well. I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely watch it again after a really heavy sad melodrama when I need a break from the angst and want to watch something fun with a great romance.
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I don’t really have much bad to say about it except that the female leads voice is a bit too high pitched for me when she screams. In the first few episodes she does a lot of screaming and it’s really annoying. Thankfully she doesn’t scream as much in the later episodes. But her crying scenes are a bit loud and go on for too long in the last few episodes. But overall she did a great job on her acting. And Ji Sung did the best acting of his career in this drama. I don’t normally rewatch dramas but I’ve rewatched this one twice. The story and acting is absolutely amazing.
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Riveting story & sweet romance
I skipped over this drama due to the synopsis and the length of the drama and I’m kicking myself for that! It’s such a good drama!The story is very deep and interesting. There’s political intrigue, cute side couples, romance, comedy, and great fight scenes. It has a little of everything.
The first part of the drama fills us in on the main characters lives growing up and sets the stage for the rest of the drama. It sounds boring but it’s really very interesting. The second part of the drama brings the main leads together and highlights their romance. The third part of the drama is filled with political intrigue along with more romance and side couples.
I like that this drama has a male lead that is very dedicated to the female lead and always has her back no matter what. And his obsession with wanting the female lead to get jealous or possessive over him is adorable to watch.
Don’t let the length of this drama hold you back. It’s really good and is one of the rare dramas that I have rewatched
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