purplenette

The story is a typical melodrama with some comedy, cute moments, and the supernatural thrown in. I get why the drama was cut short. The story was going nowhere fast. Maybe it was a lack of chemistry, but the romance was lacking. I appreciate the writer's attempt to delve into the psyche of a person with a horrible or devastatingly sad childhood. I also enjoyed the dynamics of all of the father son relationships. I just didn't see the point of the supernatural aspect. The story was just so pointless. It wasn't horrible. It is just nothing special even with all the potential. Plus the ending sucks.

I would have dropped this f it weren't for Lee Dong Wook. He strangely made Hong Bin seem real to me. Through the bad writing and quirky character I could see the man with a warm heart that was so in pain that he made himself and those around him miserable to the point that he grew blades. It is an interesting concept. Too bad that is all it was.
OMG...Shin Se Kyung will just never get better. She had her cute moments as Se Dong, but they seemed forced and in the end she reverted back to that blank stare. I knew it going in. I only have myself to blame. It wasn't all her though. The writing of her selfless character isn't great either.
The other actors are fine, but nothing stands out.

The music is OK.

I will NEVER rewatch this.

I don't recommend this drama. It is mediocre at best. I only gave it a 7 because of Lee Dong Wook. I probably over ranked it.

Read More

Mirror of the Witch is a mediocre drama. The story line is interesting and different, but it is written in circles. Some of the story is riveting, while other parts I felt were just more of the same. The production and cinematography is appealing. Also, the age difference between the leads didn't mean a thing. I probably would not have rated it as high if the lead female character was not awesome. She is written so well as smart and strong which is great to see. Although I get why it ended the way it did because it makes since for her character, it was still bitter sweet. I felt like it was a waste considering how much struggle the other characters put into keeping that from happening. I guess I would have rated it higher if the ending had been different also.

The acting is good. Kim Sae Ron is a great little actress and I hope that she can keep that skill into adult hood. I enjoyed her portrayal of Yeon Hee with both vulnerability and strength. Yoon Shi Yoon also did a good job as Heo Jun. He had the most character development and he was a cool character. The other actors were ok also.

The music is good.

I won't rewatch this.

If you like supernatural historical dramas or a Yoon Shi Yoon fan, then this isn't a bad watch.

Read More

I would have given this drama a higher score, but I got bored. I read the history of Prince Sado and the writer did a good job mixing the historical truths and rumors. I enjoyed the first 14 episodes the most, then they traded Kim Yoo Jung with Yoon So Hee and the story line also changed. It became more political and boring. I don't understand why they changed actresses when they basically dropped Ji Dam's story line. I get it if there had been more of a mature story line, because Kim Yoo Jung is only 15, but I didn't see anything that she couldn't have done believably. It was disappointing. The best part of the story line is that the king and prince are consistent through out. The ending was good, considering.

Han Seok Kyu is an excellent actor who made me hate and love King Yeong Jo equally. Above the boring politics story line is a father/son relationship that was volatile. The conflicted thoughts and emotions Seok Kyu portrayed was palpable. Lee Je Hoon is unexpectedly good as Prince Sado. He was strong, conflicted, sad and did what he needed to do to realize a world for the citizens to the very end. I wonder if he was happy even once in his entire life. I believed him and that is a tribute to his acting. I love Kim Yoo Jung. She is a wonderful actress that only seems to get better as time goes on. They shouldn't have replaced her. The other actors are good too, but for me it was all about the father/son relationship.

The music is appropriate.

I will never rewatch this.

If you favorite genre is Seaguk, then you will certainly love this drama

Read More

This drama is awesome!!! If you like psychologically disturbing, deeply emotional, life questioning dramas, then you will like this. I don't know if I am qualified to write a review for something this emotionally provoking.

The synopsis for this drama doesn't even begin to tell the story. It is dark, but somehow gives hope. The story is very detailed and all the characters are intricately combined. The imagery as well as the references to Dante's inferno and Rodin's Gateway to Hell etc. trigger so many emotions and elicit so many thoughts. The use of the tarot cards throughout gives answers and brings questions. I was blown away by the way each character’s story is told. The cinematography was so well done. There were so many scenes that I thought were perfectly portrayed. There are very few times in this drama when I knew what was going to happen next. I watched this ***with my sister, finally someone to watch drama with*** in a few days because it was hard to stop due to the perfect pacing of the drama. I almost felt desperate to know what was going to happen next. The ending is one of the best that I have ever seen. I would give this drama a 10 for the ending alone. This isn't a romance and there is no fairy tale. If that is what you want to watch, then this is not the drama you are looking for.

The acting is beyond great. Uhm Tae Woong plays Kang Oh Soo who is the detective of this drama. I won't try to tell his story, because it is too complex. I have liked Tae Woong as an actor for a long time, but his portrayal of Kang Oh Soo’s good, bad, and ugly emotions is perfect. It is hard not to find this character pitiful and lovable. Joo Ji Hoon plays Oh Seung Ha. This character is so multifaceted. He is cold but just by using Ji Hoon’s expressions, I knew there was more to him. There is no way that I could not be sympathetic to his character. I have seen Ji Hoon in Goong and Antique Bakery. I liked him in both, but I really had no idea that he could pull something like this off. It makes me want to watch Five Fingers next. I love Shin Min Ah. She is one of my favorite actresses. I don’t know why she isn't in more dramas. I’m really enjoying her in Arang and the Magistrate also which is airing right now. I hope she does many, many more. Her portrayal of Seo Ha In is so good. She IS the light in this drama. There are so many more characters that make this drama worth watching. Usually I get annoyed with secondary stories and lots of secondary characters, but for this drama every character had his/her place and the actors did a great job of bringing those characters to life.

Honestly, I couldn't tell you what music was played in this drama. I can say though that it wasn't annoying like some music in a melodrama can be.

I will rewatch this at some point.

I recommend this to anyone who likes revenge and psychological dramas.

Read More

This drama surprised me by keeping me interested. When I first started this, I wasn't sure if I would like it. It is a mix of supernatural and mystery. There is one big overall conspiracy mystery and little mysteries along the way. I know that some people may find the ending anticlimactic, but I enjoyed it.

Like most people, I feel like Kim Jae Wook as Lee Hyun Joon stole the show. He has an important role and I think he played it well. It is hard to write a review without spoilers. So, I will just write that I thought his ending was appropriate. He did what he thought was important and that was all he needed. So Yi Hyun was good as Yang Shi On, but I don't think that she is the best actress. Some people find Taecyeon lacking because he is an idol actor. However, I thought he was witty and cute as Cha Gun Woo. If it weren't for him acting with So Yi Hyun, then I don't think I would have finished this. I actually thought he pulled her up. The other actors are good too. I liked seeing Kim Ye Won again as Jang Hee Bin. I wonder when she will get a main role?

The music isn't anything I remember.

I may rewatch this if I am looking for something light to watch.

This is not horror. I didn't find it scary at all. If you like mystery (although, I think to a certain extent most people will figure things out quickly) with the mix of supernatural, then I recommend this drama.

Read More

I finally finished this excruciatingly long and boring drama that has more holes in the story than a sieve. From around episode 6 it is basically the same episode with slight variations until episode 15. I really don't want to take the time to go into all the problems with this drama. The reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 1 is the few funny, cute and sweet moments. At least the ending didn't suck.

I like the main actors, but even the best actors could not have saved this drama. I usually hate dramas with a lot of bi-stories and unnecessary actors, but this time they were actually the entertainment to me. The detective running around winking at people and the "other" girls chasing the male leads are too funny.

The music is fine.

I will never rewatch this.

I don't recommend this drama, but if you insist on watching it, then I suggest watching to episode 6 skipping to episode 15.

Read More

This drama has all the possibilities of greatness, but it fails miserably. The ending is even ridiculous. The writers are just dreadful...lol...that is why I gave the story a 2. There were so many great things they could have done with the concept of the story which I thought was pretty interesting. Long lost brothers and mother, betrayal, romance, murder, and attempted murder...sounds like a great drama waiting to happen. However, a lot of the characters are inconsistent and undeveloped. Plus, I would have liked to see more of the brothers together.

Lets start with the really bad acting of Shin Se Kyung. I admit I knew what I was doing when I started watching it. The weird thing is that Mi Do is so much like Ga Young (Fashion King)...neither characters are ever happy no matter what the main lead or even the second lead does for them. Regardless of the character, Shin Se Kyung can't act. She isn't believable. At least her face changed expression a few times in this drama. Still, it is just blah!!!

OK, enough of that.

I know there are many viewers out there that don't like Song Seung Hun, but I love him. He has in the past had an eye bulging problem when trying to show surprise or anger, but he kept that totally under control. Tae Sang felt authentic and I really like the mix feel of bad boy, gangster with naïve and soft lover and friend. He is the best part of the whole drama.

Yun Woo Jin had no hope of showing his acting skills, because Jae Hee is an atrocious character. For someone that is so smart that he went to college abroad...blah...blah...blah, why did the writers turn him into a total idiot. Are we supposed to believe that "When A Man Loves" he does a 180 in character? That is all I get from his role.

There were a lot of unnecessary characters. However, I enjoyed Kim Seo Kyung acting as Roy and the adoptive father as well.

The music is fine.

I will never rewatch this.

I won't recommend this drama. I will end with this. If you liked Fashion King, then this drama is for you. If you didn't like Fashion King, then this drama is only marginally better...you have been warned. If you have never seen Fashion King, then good for you...don't watch this either. :-)

Read More

This story isn't new and I have seen it done better. First of all, for a drama that is only four episodes long, I really was tired of rewatching the same scenes over and over. The premise is good, but the actual show is kind of boring. If you like this type of drama, then I recommend Nine: Nine Times Time Travel. It was much better.

The young Moon Ga Young is totally adorable as Mimi. Chang Min does well as the really cute and tormented Min Woo. No amount of good acting could make this short drama good though.

The music is pretty good.

I won't rewatch this, but I think it is rewatchable considering it is only 4 episodes.

It is only 4 hours of your time and you may like it more than me. However, I don't necessarily recommend it.

Read More

Poor Hyun Bin. I don't even know where to begin with this review. Let's see...if you drop the first four episodes and the last four episodes, then it is a pretty decent drama. The writing is just horrible. I can't write spoilers so I can't go into it all, but if you want to know more, then PM me. First, the female lead character is horrible. I can't stand her from beginning to end. Selfless my ass. Everything she did was selfish under the guise of selflessness and she is stupid. The male leads in one person may sound interesting, but it is the stupidest thing I have ever had the misfortune to watch. What was the purpose of the circus or any of those characters that add nothing to the story? What is the purpose of the cousin or whomever he was trying to out Seo Jin? What was the doctor's purpose? Forget it. I'm done.
EDIT: OMG...I forgot about the over used hypnosis. Great idea, poorly executed.

Hyun Bin is great and some of the side actors are good. I don't know what happened to Han Ji Min. Did she always act that horribly and I just didn't notice? Sung Joon was beautifully "bad".

The music was ok sometimes.

I will never ever rewatch this.

Don't watch it. Watch something else!!!

Read More

I watched Goong probably a year ago, but recently a MDL friend mentioned that I gave it a lower rating and I couldn’t for the life of me remember why I rated it that way. So, I rewatched it. While doing so I remembered why I don’t rate it very high. It has a good story, is well acted, and overall was a good drama. However, somewhere around episode 18 I was tired of it all. They should have had the misunderstandings between Chaeg-Yung and Shin under control by then and had them together facing the hardships that were thrown at them. I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I get that Shin was brought up in an emotionally cold environment, but for crying out loud, she said she liked him about a 100 times. How misunderstood can she be??? It isn’t the writing or anything like that, because it has a well thought out plot. Somewhere near the end, like episode 22 or 23, I started liking it again. I even liked the ending.

The acting is really good. I think Joo Ji Hoo does an excellent job of playing Shin. Kim Jeong Hoon also does a good job of playing Yul. I really felt sorry for his character by the end of the drama. Yoon Eun Hye plays Chaeg-Yung. I have seen everything she has been in except The Vineyard Man and she never lets me down. Song Ji Hyo didn’t really impress me. I don’t think the wide eyed stare for every emotion is acting. Chaeg-Yung’s family is great and gives much needed comic relief at times.

I like the music in this drama.

I rewatched it so I would say that you should at least watch it once. It really is a good drama. I just like dramas like Lie To Me where the romantic aspects are different.

Read More

Refresh Man is a sweet romance with some corporate games thrown in. The corporate story is good, but nothing that is intense or gripping. I felt like it was predictable and sometimes boring. However, if you look at it from the love story side of it, then it is beautiful and fun. It is a little cheesy at times, but it seemed to go with the flow of the story. The side stories for each character actually add to the story and to the understanding of the male lead. Also, it helps with character development. I think the ending was well done, but could have spent more time on the lead couple.

I don't watch many Taiwanese dramas, so I don't know the actresses well. I wonder if Tseng Joanne is a popular actress. She drove me crazy with that frown look. Very rarely in this drama was she smiling naturally. I don't know how to explain my aversion to her acting, but she is pretty. She did an ok job as Zhong Yu Tang. I didn't think she had any chemistry with Ji Wen Kai played by Yan Aaron. Maybe it was because they knew each other since high school. I hear Aaron plays a lot of CEOs. I can see why since he does it well. He was efficient but not cold. I enjoyed his character a lot. This is the second time I have watched Lee Jack play the second lead. In this one he was more of a jerk as Wang Zi Yu. He is cute though. LOL The other actors are good also.

Some of the music I really enjoyed and some of it I absolutely hated. Lalalalalalala

I won't rewatch this.

If you like romance where the guy loves the girl from beginning to end, then this is the drama for you.

Read More

This is a very cheesy, twisted, melo, love story. I love melodramas, but I have seen better. The story is pretty easy to figure out from the beginning. I found myself frustrated at times because it felt drawn out. I think it would have been better in less episodes. I can't write spoilers, but the back and forth inconsistency of the way Soo Wan's character was written just got old. After a while I was so bored with it. I guess the ending was ok, but anticlimactic.

I have to admit that part of my frustration with this drama could be Koo Hye Sun. I swear she has got to be the worst actress ever. I felt nothing for Soo Wan as an adult. Nam Ji Hyun as the young Soo Wan was infinitely better. I loved everything about the young Soo Wan. I'm not sure if it was the writing of her character or Koo Hye Sun herself that made me just want to yell at her to wake up. SPOILERISH>>>I was cheering on the island ahjussi at the end when he lectures her.<<<END SPOLIERISH Both Kang Ha Neul and Lee Sang Yoon did Dong Joo's character proud. His story and character were consistent through out. He never wavered even when he learned all of the horrific truths. He was a loving and kind character.

Now, for the reason I watched this drama...Kim Ji Suk. He is such a wonderful actor. He needs to be cast in a leading male role where he gets the girl immediately. Kang Ji Woon was such an honest, loving, tragic character that Kim Ji Suk played excellently.

As for the other characters, mostly unnecessary, but not annoying.

The music is really pretty.

I won't rewatch this.

If you like melo, love stories, then you may like this more than I did. However, I don't necessarily recommend this to anyone.

Read More

I just marathon rewatched Secret Garden. I looked at my rating for this drama when I watched it back in 2011 and was not sure why I gave it an 8. I have watched a lot of drama since then. I would say this ranks as an outstanding drama. Sure Joo Won is a total jerk at the beginning of this drama, but he more than redeems himself by the end. Some may feel like Ra Im lets him walk all over her. I think she stands up for herself and finally can tell the difference between him being an ass and just stating facts in his own direct (sometimes harsh) way. I prefer harsh truth to kind lies...those lies would have hurt her worse. Plus this drama has one of the best endings ever.

The acting is, of course, off the chain. Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won had great chemistry and they both played the body switch to perfection. I usually hate body switch stories, but because of the great acting, I really enjoyed it. Yoon Sang Hyun as Oska and Yoo In Na as Ah Young were also good and I loved their story. Lee Philip as Jong Soo is just too manly. I liked the other side characters also. I had forgotten just what kind of evil mom Park Joon Geum played as Joo Won's mom. Total crazy.

The music is good.

It is rewatchable. Obviously, since I just rewatched it.

I think every one should watch it.

Read More

I know my review won't be received well by other viewers, but I have to be honest. My sister says I'm never happy with a melodrama unless everyone dies at the end. That isn't all together true. I like happily ever afters if they make since with the story. I guess I just don't understand dramas that have 14 episodes of lead up to a tragedy, then everything changes.

I also dislike a story when the writers have the characters do something that is totally out of character. I felt like in episode 15 and 16 that the writers did that with Young and Jin Sung. Honestly, after episode 15 I could care less what happened to Young. I hate wishy washy characters...Is she strong? Is she weak? The writers should have just picked something. It is like they thought they needed to add something to make it more interesting. I felt more deeply for Moo Cheol than Young and that is sad considering I saw a heck of a lot less of him in this drama than her. Beyond that, I think most of this drama is well paced and the cinematography is out of this world. I enjoy the basic story line. There are just so many things that I would change. I just felt disappointment as I ended this drama.

As far as the acting is concerned, it is excellent. Jo In Sung as Oh Soo is by far the best acting that I have seen in a long time. His facial expressions, the use of his hands, and the way he speaks just brings the character to life and I feel deeply for Oh Soo. Song Hye Kyo does an excellent job playing a blind person. I have seen her in other dramas and I think her acting improves with each role that she takes. If I didn't know better, then I would have thought she was blind. Of course, it is good to see Kim Bum again and I hope he gets a main lead soon so I can see more of him. I loved Kim Tae Woo as Moo Cheul and his character is by far one of my favorites in the drama.

I think the music was beautiful.

I won't rewatch this.

If you like melodrama, then this is one you should watch. Most people like it, so don't make a decision to watch it or not based on my review.

Read More

All About My Mom needs a WARNING label. This may be kinda spoilerish, but I think the information needs to be provided. If a person has ever lost a parent from an illness, and doesn't want to vicariously experience the same emotions and pain, then this drama is not to be watched. I wish I had known, because I wouldn't have watched this.

Now on to the story. It is a well written family drama. It isn't that makjang since there are no birth secrets, amnesia and other type Korean troupes. I have a few complaints about how the parents sometimes treated their children even though they went through the same thing. There are a few unnecessary characters that make unnecessary grief for some of the characters. But I guess there were side story lines needed. However, the character development is extremely well done and I became invested in the lives of the family. I like the pacing and the ending is daebak!

Each actor took on their role splendidly. I don't believe anyone could complain about a single person's acting. Go Doo Shim is amazing as Im San Ok. Watching her progression and seeing her life felt real. I didn't realize Oh Min Suk was such a versatile actor. He impressed me the most.

The music is good and appropriate.

I will never rewatch this.

If you like family dramas with deep emotions, then this is the drama for you.

Read More