K-Drama 
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Amazing!
This was excellent – from the actors and their performances to the plot and action, the visual and special effects, like you can smell the budget! The ending was great, but it’s open, so I wonder what will happen… Also, the girl Hui Soo saved back in her old school… it was clear there was more to her but the revelation came too late – again, will there be a second season?? The build up to the grand finale was amazing, and the last two episodes got me on the edge of my seat, but I wish the showdown would have been even longer. But overall, this show was fantastic in my opinion.Was this review helpful to you?
Epic!!
Man, did I bawl my eyes out in the last handful of episodes… This was one epic show wow. I loved the beginning and knew immediately that I would have a fantastic time watching it. And I was right (obviously🤭). While it had its quieter moments (in comparison to future epic moments), this was amazing from start to finish. I loved the beginning and second half (especially episodes 20 to 26), and last handful of episodes (8 maybe). I loved the steadiness of the characters, their loyalty and understanding of each other. The chemistry between the lead actors was amazing, and I just generally loved how despite the occasional banter the overall romance remained quite mature🥹. They both listened and tried to see the other’s perspective despite having different principles or views in specific situations. Their love was unconditional. I also loved the OST, it’s so perfect and epic. Whenever Shen Li’s theme played, I was happy. I was always anticipating it whenever a fight scene came up because I knew it was going to look extra cool with the music🙏🏻! The cinematography, settings, styling, fight scenes, etc. were also just *chef’s kiss*. And that ending… 🥹🥹 Granted, the last episode was like a big side quest for our couple, and hilarious at that, but the final scene was just so wholesome🪻🥹. Overall, great show, loved it a lot!!💞Was this review helpful to you?
I have a headache from crying so much
Cried so hard that I got a headache, my heart is broken and my chest is heavy. I'm taking this personally; I am in severe pain. This show was… absolutely sickening.I was immediately in love from the first episode. The cinematography and tones in this show are so beautiful, the production feels rich and completely took me away. Every episode felt like it was only 5 minutes. The quietness of the show and deep affections of the characters is what makes this drama a high-quality show. None of the characters had to explicitly say anything, it was always understood. The longing, the adoration, the respect – it was all in their actions, in their eyes, in their behavior – I’m getting sad again as I’m typing this.
The actors… Bai Lu is absolutely insane in this show, and so was Ren Jia Lun. His eyes said so many things. He knows eye-acting to a T!
Visually, the show was stunning. The music was beautiful too. The acting was the cherry on top. I don’t have any words to describe this heart-shattering show, but despite my pain right now, I love it. Watching “Forever and Ever” is a must though… this heart asks to be mended – and quickly. ❤️🩹
P.S.: don't take my rating for the rewatch value seriously lmao. I'm extremely sad right now, how could I want to go through this pain again❤️🩹?
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Eternal farewells
Their first meeting was their eternal farewell; her past was his future, and his past was her future. No one talk to me, this was such a unique story, so beautiful yet so heartbreaking. What a drama. From the characters, to the plot, settings, music, and costumes – this was a delight to watch from start to finish, but I am so sad now😭👍🏻This show is great proof that sometimes even a small production can create something amazing and worthwhile, I can only recommend to plunge into the story just like Shen Bu Yan and see for yourself how eternal and bittersweet this story is!Was this review helpful to you?
fantastic treat
The ending… please have mercy on me. This was such a fun and delightful treat. I was so looking forward to this ever since my tiktok was flooded with beautiful edits of this show and i waited for it to be fully released because I knew deep down I would love it (that sounds very dramatic, but it's true!!) Although the plot only moves quite slowly, the characters and their interactions carry the show and make it special. I have to admit that I have been watching a lot of other shows that have shorter episodes so maybe that is why I felt like the episodes were dragging a little, but I always had a fantastic time watching this show.... The settings, cinematography, music, the magic, … just everything was such a great watch. Deserves all its hype. The only character I couldn’t warm up to was Choyeon… she put Mudeok in trouble (several times), always whining or pouting and bratty… I don’t know, she just wasn’t my favorite. But overall: great watch. I am excited and scared for part 2.Was this review helpful to you?
Fun and Emotional!
I actually dropped this 3 years ago because I found it surprisingly boring, and honestly felt like the runtime was not warranted at all (80-90 minutes/episode!). This time around, however, I enjoyed myself so much better! The runtime was not a problem at all, and I had so much fun watching our 5 doctors and their friendship. The actors all have such good chemistry; it truly felt like a group of seasoned friends, bantering, eating, making music together. It was a lot of fun to see how they nurture their relationship, and how strong their friendship has been over the last 20 years! The subtle romance plots have also been enjoyable to follow; of course, Ik Jun and Song Hwa are great, but I have a soft spot for Min Ha and Seok Hyeong, to just and cannot wait for that ship to finally sail in S2! Min Ha is so endearingly cute, I need SH to allow himself that happiness with her! Apart from the characters, the different patient stories were done really well, and always made me very emotional… some of these very truly heartbreaking! Anyway, I’m looking forward to continuing the second season now that I have conquered the first🧡 For S2 I lowkey need more U Ju x Ik Jun scenes… they are SO cute!😭💗Was this review helpful to you?
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Bittersweet
The mother-daughter relationship was absolutely amazing and probably the best thing about this show. I loved Eun Seong so much, and it was adorable to see how much the girl grew over the course of the show; from her teeth, to her hair, to her little face, she slowly matured bit by bit😭😭. Besides, I loved her feisty personality! The communication between the leads could have been better at times, though I understand that their circumstances weren’t easy. It is also so incredibly hard and annoying sometimes to rely on other people or to ask for help, so I understand why Hye Su decided to do some things on her own. However, I found her too much of a pushover at times, and wish she had stood her ground more often.The chairman… I don’t know what hole he crept out of, but hell isn’t hot enough for him. What a despicable old man, and a hypocrite too. I know the rich motherfucker, who has a big ass business, house, and a dozen housekeepers, who solves every problem with money … isn’t shaming a sick woman for taking money (that HE offered HER)! Calling her a greedy witch. Between you and her, who’s the bigger capitalist pig, I wonder? He keeps calling both of his sons pathetic losers, but look who ended up all alone? Honestly, he’s the perfect case study for patriarchal structures, and how these affect women. How are you going to cheat on your wife, and then get mad that your pregnant mistress shows up at your doorstep? You keep calling her all sorts of names, even telling her she should just die far away from where you are, but she was still good enough to sleep with when you wanted it. Sure, Ji Hun’s mother is lowkey a homewrecker, but it takes two to tango, and that old fuck acted like he never did anything wrong. He found faults in everyone but himself. Big fat YIKES. Hate his guts. Disgusting man.
Overall, this is an emotional show that has lots of beautiful and even fun moments. I’m glad the ending is open; it’s bittersweet if anything.
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Breezy
This was really nice! Maybe a little long, especially because the adult arc was so short. At least their work-related stuff was kept to a minimum, but I would have liked some more romance/relationship scenes! However, I still liked this coming-of-age story as well as the found family trope. Very nice, breezy drama that dabbles into melo here and there. The characters struggle, but persevere as a community/family, which I really liked!Was this review helpful to you?
Psychological Horror Trip, But Worth It!
I spent 60 episodes subjecting myself to psychological horror, but I had a good time. It took way too long for the bad guys to be properly punished, and yet they still got rewarded in some cases, which was so annoying. This show is one long, arduous journey of heartbreak, betrayal, and scheming, and it is unfortunate that the subtitles were probably so simple that most of it got lost in translation ☹.Regardless, I have to say that I loved seeing Wen Xi in her (short-lived) villain era after the Crown Prince told her that her father’s case was to be swept under the rug after all. The betrayal hurt, but it was mutual, and I like that she gave him a hard time. For the most part, she was the one taking the fall and chasing him, so her giving him the cold shoulder was chef’s kiss🤌🏻And, honestly, overall, our guy Ding Quan should have been a villain for the neglect and mistreatment he suffered… and all of it endlessly, like he never caught a BREAK😭💔!! The acting was amazing though, especially the emperor was great with his micro-expressions. Both leads captured the longing and yearning so perfectly too, I was honestly sobbing during the last episode lmao. (I admit I cried way less that I thought I would, but the special cut is waiting for me, so wait and see). Great show, but I don’t think I could ever rewatch?! The OST, however, is on REPEAT! I never skipped the intro because I was busy humming to it. Bless the composer who made the music🙏🏻👑
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Branding is everything!
A guide on how to leave a legacy; when legend becomes myth.I quite enjoyed the chapter-like episodes, and how the story unfolded slowly. This was a very intriguing show, and I especially liked Shin Hae Sun’s acting, which can never be faulted to be honest. She just plays every character with nuance, and is a pure delight on my screen. The detective’s character was very shallow, and I think that Lee Jun Hyuk was let down by lack of characterization. The scriptwriter really wasted his talents as an actor in my opinion.
While I enjoyed the cinematography and acting, the show as a whole is just okay. Sarah can “read” people so well, and yet it took her half a year to realize that Mi Jeong conned her? Hm, I’m not sure about that, considering how protective Sarah is of her brand (both Boudoir and her persona). There is just something about the show that didn’t fully click; it was good for a one-time watch, but I wouldn’t watch it again, and I kind of hope the leads reunite (again) for a better drama (and maybe a romance?😁)!
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To be loved is to be seen and understood
What a show! The cinematography alone was breathtakingly beautiful, at times the show resembled a painting. A true visual feast!I really enjoyed the story, and the complexities of the characters, how each layer unfolded, and how the leads learned to understand each other beyond language. Hiro asked Ho Jin if things had gone differently, if it wasn’t for the language barrier between him and Mu Hee. But, as Ho Jin points out, even though Ho Jin and Mu Hee speak the same language, they didn’t quite understand each other at times. Despite learning Korean, I don’t think Hiro understood Mu Hee as a person; her fears, her anxiety, her self-sabotaging ways throughout the show (which sometimes felt too relatable). She needed reassurance, a pillar, stability, someone who understands *her*, who looks beyond what she says to understand what she *needs*,*wants*, *means*. She needed someone to read in between the lines, and despite his initial frustration, Ho Jin did exactly that. He looked beyond her words and saw her person.
That is not to say that he didn’t need reassurance too; they both had attachment/abandonment issues. But I just loved Mu Hee’s earnestness in her pursuit of the male lead; she was endearing, awkward, and daring in the best way. Ho Jin, on the other hand, was gigatron-master-yearner 3000, and Kim Seon Ho bodied the character so well—but he does romance so well anyway, so no one’s surprised!
The second couple … was kind of just there. Their development was weird, and the chemistry lowkey non-existent. I don’t see why they had to become a couple, but it was nice that Ji Sun and Ho Jin got their closure; it was also nice to see the manager-actor relationship between Yong U and Mu Hee! They felt like siblings, which I liked. Mu Hee meeting her mother happened off-screen, which is a bit of a bummer… I would have liked to see how she faces her, and finally frees herself from her past, but the fact that she finally found the courage to face it in the first place was nice enough! This seems to be unpopular, since everyone wants a show of its own for this character, but I never warmed up to Hiro. Despite its meaning changing over time, I didn’t like how he kept referring to Mu Hee as “Zombie”, and he was weirdly mean to her in the beginning of their partnership for the reality show. I also found it hilarious how none of them ever thought about using a translation app while communicating… they really lowkey did not care to understand each other lol.
The show took so long to see the light of day, and here I am finishing it in a couple of days … I had a great time watching it; the leads had great chemistry, I was constantly rooting for them; the cinematography was fantastic, and so was the music.
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Good!
Solid second season! I found the beginning a little slow, but still entertaining and intriguing – and soon enough I was watching the cases unfold with delight! Had a lot of fun as the different stories were diverse and entertaining, if not sometimes frightening (the (Burning) Black Sun case…!). The last 2 episodes were not my favorites to be honest because I found them a little boring and draggy for some reason. I also don’t like how Kim Do Gi’s trauma is nothing more than a plot device. Here, it served as a temporary setback before the last big fight, I was a bit disappointed. His trauma is usually not really explored, and when it is, it’s to create scenarios such as this one in which he’s disadvantaged before coming back stronger … whatever, I guess. Will watch S3 for sure, and can’t wait!Was this review helpful to you?
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Banger
This was so, so good! I did not expect to love this drama as much as I do now, but this was such a great family drama (although the initial plot is a bit … questionable, lol). I wish that misunderstanding could have been cleared earlier for the sake of the romance. Shen Yuan’s love was palpable, but the development of Yi Ning’s feelings going from sisterly to actual love was so quick…! However, I absolutely loved how they were onto each other in the beginning😈 It was so much fun to see how she knows and how he knows that she knows. Their loyalty and care, their tacit understanding of the other was done so well! Another thing I loved was Yi Ning’s relationship to Madam Lin and her grandmother! I saw the latter in “The Sword and the Brocade” earlier this year and I was lowkey so scared she was going to be the same kind of nightmare character🫣, but instead she turned out to be such a lovely grandma! Madam Lin was such a mama bear to Yi Ning, truly the mother that stepped up!Now … the second pest – ah, male lead. What a PEST. That man kept harassing and stalking Yi Ning, using his status as Marquis to appear everywhere uninvited and unwanted. He was so annoying, it was pathetic. Like, at one point you’ll have to choose your ego and let it go!! Yi Ning rejected him repeatedly, and he just kept going, like have some DIGNITY my guy!
Anyway, I grew totally attached to the leads, their families and their stories that I had happy tears in my eyes at times, lmao. Such a good show… I’m sad to let it go now. Also, I lowkey hallucinated a scene in which Yi Ning is sleeping/unconscious in bed, and Shen Yuan is sitting by her side, crying… Did I imagine this scene, because I thought I saw it in a TikTok and for some reason it didn’t appear in the show, unless I didn’t watch attentively… lol. Well, this a GOOD time I spent with this drama!🌟💚💚 Also, Ren Min had pretty princess syndrome throughout the whole show, whatever you say pretty doe-eyed princess….!!
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Worthy sequel in my opinion!
This was such a worthy sequel in my opinion! I am lucky to have started this right after the first season, that way I was still in the story and just as emotionally invested in the characters. And even though the beginning felt a lot like jumping from one tragedy/obstacle to the next, I really enjoyed the plot anyway. I loved seeing how the leads’ relationship slowly progressed, however, I agree that their development was frustrating. Not too much to irritate me, but … well. S1 did a good job establishing Mu Dan’s and Jiang Chang Yan’s communication skills as well as their tacit understanding of the other. Yet in S2 we see misunderstandings happening that result in lack of/miscommunication, which felt like a cheap trick to force tension and conflict. Did the romance still pay off for me? Yes, but the forced back and forth sure was concerning.I must command Yang Zi here, of course, because she was such a standout this season again. Her delivery in emotional scenes was insane, and she instantly held my attention🤩. A scene could be tense, and as soon as she opens her mouth, I’d have tears running down my cheeks (looking at episode 19/20👀). Also, the scene in episode 21 when Mu Dan is drunk, dreaming about Jiang Chang Yan, and wondering why she can touch him. What a gut punch… Zhang Ya Qin also pulled her weight even though she disappeared in the middle (?? Where the hell was she), but the confrontation scene in episode 6 with Liu Chang, and her desperation and anger at his relentless pursuit of Mu Dan, was so well done emotionally.
Overall, this season was really nice, and I enjoyed it a lot. It made me smile, laugh, and especially cry! Also, appreciation for She Yan, my fallen lowkey random side character I have some emotional connection to… 🥹💖
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I love women!
What a show … finally finished a Yang Zi drama, and I am glad it’s this one. Wonderful show about female resilience and innovation; I loved the flower business as well as Mu Dan’s endless ideas to expand her business! The cinematography was to die for, and so was the styling. The acting was amazing; I was especially very happy to see Wei Zhe Ming play a more complex character as I am used to his green-flag good guy characters. Yang Zi… when she cries, I cry with her, what an actress. And Li Xian’s eye-acting is just unparalleled to be honest. He brings so much warmth to a single glance, it’s amazing.Here’s a link to my small Sheng Yi character “analysis” : https://www.reddit.com/r/cdramasfans/comments/1m76otq/flourished_peony_sheng_yi/
Now moving on to S2!💖
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