palmedacocco

Friends & Enemies at the same time

When I saw that the series consists of 29 episodes I was a little discouraged, but the dynamic rhythms pushed me forward and it was a pleasure. Even the opening soundtrack doesn't get boring after listening to it over and over again.

The plot initially revolves around the search for the book of war and the killing of Prince Sado after which the theme shifts to the trade in fake ginseng and the killing of Crown Prince.
After the training of these boys, the small group of new warriors is divided into two: those who side with the prince and those who ally themselves with the assassins. Baek Dong Soo is part of the good guys while Yeon Woo turns his back on them and becomes a real bastard in charge of the assassins.

What did I appreciate?
- At the end of the fifth episode the young people become adults and therefore the actors change. Baek Dong Soo starts to be played by Ji Chang Wook and Yeon Woo by Yoo Seung Ho.
My congratulations on this change because all the new actors were very similar to the younger ones.
- I also liked the team of 3 guys who looked like the 3 Musketeers, while the leader of the assassins looked a lot like Jack Sparrow.
- interesting loves triangles
- Baek Dong Soo goes from an awkward child to a master of swordsmanship and martial arts.

Something I didn't like:
- First: The role of the sword master in this series is disappointing. I thought he will be the most tough character but he proved to be a useless person almost whole time. He stays aside and then mourns his dead friends, he's never there when you need him, he loses the baby then he goes away for 20 years (?)...
- the story goes that the real Prince Sado was not at all the kind person we see here (discordant).
- stupid King, believe everything, says the bastard and concedes everything (events, fights, archery,...), basically a puppet;
- Many warriors have been killed and there are always more and more. Where do they go to find them and recruit them?;
- Ga Ok gets pierced by an arrow and dies, "Jack Sparrow" gets pierced here and there and comes out alive? Nonsense;
- Bad 12th and 13th episodes (many good people died instead of bad guys) how nervous!
- I didn't understand why Yeon Woo wants to be the bad guy at all costs and fights against the people who helped him, even though he sometimes shows compassion and helps them. Being nervous, I admit that looking at how he acted I vented by calling him a "bastard". If the traitor had put his forces at the disposal of good, everyone would have been happy. He made a bad choice that he regrets.
-The Sword Master's daughter becomes a fighter?
-How nervous when they clashed with the bad guys and didn't kill them. In general, I never understood why they don't kill the boss first, instead of wasting strength fighting with the others and then letting the boss escape. Clear example with the son of the Minister of War? Cut off the snake's head.
-I felt sorry for how the story ended. The final "stab" from the third companion, I honestly didn't expect it. It may make sense but equally they could have found another ending.
-Cho Rip should also have been dead, given the blows inflicted on him.

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Great Queen

A Queen and 5 princes. The LOVE of a mother for her children. A great woman who fight against everything and everybody to protect these poors guys. I admire this great queen clever and heartgentle. A big support and teacher of life for princes.
Instead I hate the bastard grand mother, mother's king.
I also admired the king who support and trust her queen.
PS It's the first time that I discover this "election" of new heir prince. Cemissò / interesting.
Court life is quite dangerous, eventful and stressful.
I also loved the ending, these brothers hugging each other and this umbrella that symbolizes protection for the family.

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Cooking or dating show?

3 women and 3 men in a villa in Toscana, then to destabilize the group there are other entries: a man and a woman in Italy and a man and a woman in Korea. In total 10 people.
After a week in Toscana, they return to Korea and go to live all together in the "Pairing House". At this moment they can finally discover: the books color of each writer, who chose who, the job and age of each. Big surprises.
After a month they have to choose their partner for life.

What do I like and what do I not?
- I liked the idea of ​​choosing the person you will love based on the answers written in a book. Too bad that this method did not give any guarantee of success.
- I like to follow this type of programs to better understand people. Why a person votes for one person instead of another, if people like people like them or if they look for the opposite, who is the most voted...
- I noticed that initially there was a natural separation between extroverted and introverted people. In fact, I was surprised that everyone introduces themselves with acronyms like INFJ/ISFJ/ESFJ/ISTP... strange thing.
- Excellent choice of locations, especially the fabulous apartments in Korea.

What didn't I like?
- I hate people who always touch their hair, especially when they eat or cook. Here they do it all the time. It's good manners to tie your hair when cooking.
- I also don't like people who always put their hand in front of their mouth, and Jae Yeon was a master at that.
- It felt like a cooking show, not a dating show. I'm getting fat just watching this show! I know Koreans are obsessed with food, but here... they eat, go to eat, cook, talk about food, conquer and compete through cooking... Too much.
- I used to be a fan of the Ha Neul team and I feel sorry for this talented girl.
- I've watched a lot of dating shows and I've started to notice that they have something in common. There are always men who insist on one person and it seems to work. There's always a painter/lawyer/doctor/dancer/model. Most men prefer shy and awkward women.

P.S. If I may suggest a producer, do not make programs in winter. Most of the time the participants were frozen.

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"The past belongs to the past"

I stumbled upon this story on YouTube, but it was hard to follow the episode order. So, I found the complete series on Rakuten.
Like a drug, I watched the entire 41-episode series in just six days. In short: a compelling plot, a great cast, and a wonderful soundtrack.

She is a journalist and he is a doctor; they fall in love, but she leaves him because of her "mother-in-law-to-be." Overcome with sadness, he agrees to move away to work as a doctor elsewhere and dies in an accident. His friend—who is also his cousin—is furious with her for having left him; he gives her a hard time but having promised him to protect her—he ends up saving her on several occasions. That is how they grow closer, and he begins to fall in love with her (he smiles just thinking about her).
This plot surprise me a lot. You think the ultimate couple is the one formed by the journalist and the doctor, but things change.
In any case, I expected the reason for her breakup with the doctor to be more serious—for instance, that the "mother-in-law" had gotten pregnant by her father, making them half-siblings, rather than it just being because she had been abandoned and harbored resentment toward her father (?!)—that way, the sudden and painful split from this poor, lovestruck doctor would have been more plausible.
Episodes 14 and 15 really got on my nerves because of the journalist friend—what an idiot, always just wanting money from her boyfriend, and he’s a fool for not dumping her and finding someone better! (That’s why the rating dropped from a 9 to an 8.)
It’s absolutely insane, the pressure parents put on their kids to get married! And that obligation to toast and drink until you puke is just appalling.
In Episode 19, that couple—her friends—are infuriating. She’s obsessed with the house and is materialistic to the core, while he bends over backwards and gets himself buried in debt for her... what fools! An insufferable couple.
The main pair, on the other hand, are wonderful: she’s now an independent architect, and he’s her serving knight. He’s sharp in business, kind and warm-hearted with family and acquaintances (the islanders), and attentive to her without making a show of it (visiting the island to celebrate her birthday, drumming up clients for her, dropping off a snack without making his presence known, picking her up from the police station with a lawyer in tow, keeping watch at the hospital, paying the restaurant bill...). He has eyes only for her and, after a while, subtly hints at his feelings—never pressuring her, but looking for signs of reciprocation, like when he asks her to come to the airport as he leaves for a business trip; it’s almost a test to see if she cares about him, too.
But it turns out that being too efficient and righteous doesn't spare him from the malice of social climbers and opportunists who get him arrested. It’s all the fault of the assistant (the male half of the couple of friends), who let a secret slip. What an idiot!
Episode 20 features romantic moments between the two. Now it’s her turn to investigate and clear his name. Unfortunately, he ends up sentenced to eight months in prison.
Episode 25: I couldn't wait for him to get out after those eight months and for them to reunite. The truth is, the experience has deeply changed him; he’s also been hurt by his father, who no longer recognizes him due to illness. He feels abandoned. Not to mention that he feels unworthy of her, believing he’s a nobody without his job.
Ep. 27: He acts like a jerk toward her, treating her badly to push her away while he investigates who framed him.
Ep. 28: It’s so sad; this poor guy first lost his best friend, then went to jail; after getting out, his father died; then he discovered from a diary that his estranged mother had passed away; he’s unemployed and has pushed away the woman he loves... *sigh*.
Note: He sets off in an orange car to visit his mother's grave but arrives in a black Lincoln (?!).
His cellmate is a good guy; he helps him figure out who sent him to prison. His relationship with her, however, isn't going well (she doesn't like his circle of friends and feels like a fish out of water).
Poor "Uncle's" daughter. She lost her son because of her husband; she’s unhappy and ignored by everyone—she’s lost weight, is depressed, and even attempted suicide. Thinking back to how bold she was at the start of the series, she’s really in a bad way now.
Just a small point: is there nothing else besides whisky?
Ep. 34: If he keeps trying to protect her by pushing her away, he’s only making her suffer for nothing—and he’ll lose her. She’s already a saint for having waited eight months and never stopped believing in him. Fingers crossed that things work out and they end up together. They are such a BEAUTIFUL couple.
Ep. 39: A joint wedding for these two couples? No thanks.
Her turning him down and making him wait makes perfect sense.
Ep. 40: He resigns and goes to work as her assistant and contrary to what I would have thought, she still doesn't accept him.
Ep. 41: Finally together, after so much heartache.
Perseverance has paid off. The island was a blessing, a sanctuary, and a crucial place for their reflection.
Even a few days after finishing the series, I find myself thinking about it.

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She marries to please her mother and get benefits at work. It's a sham marriage, they break up immediately, and he disappears for three months, after which she finds him as an intern at the company where she works. It turns out he's the illegitimate son of the company's boss.
After discovering that he hid his acquaintance with her mother, who had fostered him for years, upon her mother's death, she angrily sends him away. He returns some time later accompanied by another woman, and she acts jealous. It turns out she's his stepsister, and they get back together.
The writer friend is dating her ex-boss, the other pregnant friend is on and off with her partner.
Plot, acting and OST, nothing special.

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The actress & the translator

Main characters: Go Yoon Jung (Alchemy of Souls) and Kim Seon Ho (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha).
Kim Seon Ho, the "translator," worked really hard to act in this series. I read that it only took him four months to learn these five languages ​​(Japanese, English, Italian, French, and Chinese) and switch between them. Congratulations.
Another strong point is the stunning locations. They're top-notch, highly Instagrammable shots.
Her split personality that emerges in times of need is initially disturbing, but then this determined and resourceful version of her helps and encourages.
The last two episodes left me a little disappointed. I found the ending a bit dragged out, and then the lead woman's background is finally revealed, which I thought needed a little more exploration, given that it's the basis of her "split personality." Then, the news that her parents were still alive, in my opinion, they could have done without it.
While his brother, who made a fleeting appearance, I would have liked him to be more involved in the story.
Seeing a "mixed" cast was interesting and here the importance of knowing languages ​​​​emerges.

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Don't judge the book by the cover!

When she seems like a loser but turns out to be a genius in her field, and even the most pessimistic boss notices it but refuses to admit it... The PLOT was promising right from the start.
This lawyer's strong even when she tells her boyfriend to fuck off on a blind date after he proposes, and she does so without speaking or shouting, but using sign language. Some of the shots are also beautiful, like the one of the shadows of him and his wife, or the perspective on the teacups. Atypical legal cases are also interesting, but that's not all. In addition to work, there was also the personal life of many characters.

The sentence:
"Love begins with passion, then meets reality, and ends with solidarity" let me impress. A brief analysis of love stories.

PS: Beyond the Bar (Netflix), I don't understand the choice of this title .

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I'll start with the PLOT: who gets married without even having met her once or at least having seen a photograph of her? They want a divorce, yes, no... A passage that I particularly remember was her clever idea to sign the contract with the imprint. There I thought they had a good idea.
CAST: no goosebumps, the faces of the protagonists are always the same, not very expressive, no chemistry, cold kisses, then his attitude of taking her rudely against her will I didn't like much his character.
OST: nothing special. Usually when I like it I look for who the singer is and add it to my playlist but it wasn't the case.

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The story itself is nothing special. In short, one could say that out of spite a woman wants to take the company away from its rival and even succeeds. But the best part is the relationship that develops between this director and her assistant. I like how he is attentive to everything that concerns her. A true gentleman and also a sweet father.
Then I was struck by certain shots, such as zooms on the hands which were scenes that speak without words, as well as the good OST, I particularly liked them.
A small note to the make-up artists, they could have dulled the protagonist's face a little, who always seemed sweaty.

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shame about the ending

A rich girl and a lawyer has married and after 3 years he wants to divorce but his wife tell him she has 3 month to live so he decided to resist next to her untill her death.

Kim Soo Hyun's role reminds me of "It's okay not to be okay", such a man who is always calm and super kind, submissive to a strong and crazy woman, who is in love with him.
There is a palpable chemistry between the couple. They act very well.
I personally liked her aunt and also his lawyer friend.
My least favorite episode was episode 11th. When the bad guy blackmailed her, I hated these moments. A trash man who takes advantage of her weaknesses even though he knows she isn't interested in him.

The last episode disappointed me a lot.
She who still keeps him on edge with marriage (after what happened, hasn't she learned that life is short? She should have been the one to propose to him), the sight of his tombstone could have been spared, the brief glimpse of their daughter without seeing the joys of this event is a sin as is the hasty summary of all the stories, including the aunt's relationship.
Then, when he runs away from the hospital in his condition (absolutely not), when he is shot with all the special forces present and no one moves to see his condition (not real).

This series is compared in terms of share to the series "Crash landing on you" which still remains my favorite.
Certain scenes seem copied, for example the field of flowers at the end, but the sensations they convey are not the same.

NB: Is Mercedes a sponsor of this series by any chance? It wasn't clear enough.

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You never know people fully

An ex-prosecutor, mother and lawyer lost her husband in a car accident. Apparently he met his death in a cliff and the police believe that he committed suicide.
She faces debts and many dangerous situations, but the biggest surprise comes when she discovers that her husband is alive and not at all the good guy he seemed to be. Kidnapping, twists, lots of bad news... all ingredients of this series.

Revenge is the key word and I won't say anything else.
The plot was quite well constructed.

Great wife! I admired this tough and intelligent woman. Even she was scared, she faced situations head on.
I also like the character of her prosecutor friend.

The end of 9th episode seems to be the conclusion of the series, in the meantime there are other "troubles".

I found it right that the series was made up of 12 episodes and not 16.

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An heiress who lives with the ability to see ghosts—and spends her life trying to help them cross over—frequently crosses paths with a prosecutor at the scenes where bodies are discovered.
After brushing against her hand, he too endures a terrifying month spent seeing these ghosts. She helps him, and they grow closer. When her grandmother insists she find a boyfriend, she asks him to pretend to be her partner.
He willingly agrees.
His grandmother wants them to break up because the woman’s *saju* (destiny) involves the "Black Monkey," which is believed to bring bad luck to her grandson. For his sake, she breaks up with him. Meanwhile, she tries to recall the details of the accident from twelve years ago—the moment it all began.
My kudos to Park Eun Bin for the way she acts in any role she is given (for examples Extraordinary Attorney Woo or The King's affection)

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A king, whose family is being picked off one by one by the Spirit of the Lake, summons a young shaman. He is joined by the king's daughter, who possesses the gift of hearing the voices of spirits.
In a *Stranger Things*-esque twist, the shaman enters the lake to reach a parallel underworld (a mirror realm); he battles spirits there, returning each time increasingly weakened.
The resentment of the slain spreads, tethering the spirit to the mortal realm and fueling its vengeful nature.
Yet, the deaths are largely caused by human poisoning.
A complex plot involving poisonings and misdeeds committed by fathers, mothers, grandmothers, and children—princes and concubines alike.
Top-notch acting. These are far from easy roles.

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