Cute and sweet, started off strong but then draaaaaaagged. Could have been 10 episodes instead of 16! It couldn’t even really keep my attention the last 6 episodes or so sadly.
Well...it's always hard for a sequel to live up to the original and I won't say this is a bad sequel by any means but it definitely did not live up to the first. I think part of what made season 1 so good was the fact that it was contained...we were pretty much in the same place with the same characters for the whole season. Of course, that could get boring but due to the unpredictable nature of "monsterization" it kept things interesting. Sure, there were some cliches and cheesy moments but the superb casting made up for that.
Season 2, however, suffered in there there were too many characters, too many storylines, and too much focus on things that really were not that important and took away from the main plot rather than adding to it. I didn't mind that we were introduced to new characters--in fact, it obviously was necessary. But it was just too much. I'm sure if you added it up Cha Hyun Soo probably had less that 40 minutes of total screen time the whole season and he is THE MAIN CHARACTER. What's up with that?!
I DID enjoy Lee Eun Yoo's transformation and getting to see her shine on screen. Park Chan Young was also a wonderful new addition that I wasn't mad about. By the end of the season though I don't feel like we ever really got anywhere. I imagine this is all a setup for season 3 though so maybe that will flow better. One can hope!
Boy did I laugh out loud at how cheesy this was at times. This drama tried so hard to be touching, romantic, and moving but yet somehow constantly missed the mark. While it captured the horrors (literally--on a whole new level) of the Japanese Occupation of Korea it's like it tried too hard to portray the suffering of the Korean people...like it was spelling it out for us rather than letting us feel it (as other dramas have done so well, such as "Mr. Sunshine"). The romantic relationship between Tae Sang and Chae Ok was also so sudden and seemed very forced. I liked both characters (sans Chae Ok's constant self-sacrificing mentality) but there was little chemistry between them, in my opinion. Some questions were left unanswered as well, which perhaps we will get to see in season 2. Overall I was just rather disappointed. I'd say it's still worth a watch just with minimal expectations (and I mean, it's worth it just to stare at Park Seo Joon...haha).
Cute, sweet…easy to watch with relatively little angst. For some reason I lost a lot of interest about half way through though. It got kinda…boring. There were still things I loved about it though…like the way Duan Jia Xu looks at Sang Zhi. The whole monologue at the end was also so beautiful and sweet. I don’t know why I feel like something over all was just missing though. I’m normally a sucker for these types of stories so it’s a mystery to me but I still don’t regret watching.
I did really enjoy this drama. It felt somewhat nostalgic with its slow-burn romance and while that would normally frustrate me, I personally think it really worked here (mostly…still not a fan of making us wait until the final credits are rolling to get The Kiss a la pre-2009ish era dramas…). What surprised me though was the mystery laced throughout the plot because I was honestly curious and interested most of the time which is not only rare for me in K-Dramas in general, but especially rare in historical dramas which usually loose my interest as they get boggled down in politics and over-used plot points as time goes on. Overall a good mix of those nostalgic elements that originally made me fall in love with K-Dramas and more modern story elements to keep things fresh and interesting. Still not a re-watch for me but one I’d definitely recommend.
Cute and an easy watch for a historical. It did tend to get a bit silly but that didn’t overly bother me until the final episode (I barely made it through honestly it was just too much for me). I expected a bit more from it…not that it needed to get too dramatic or serious because that can be just as exhausting but there were still some aspects I felt didn’t get the attention they deserved and/or were brushed over while time was spent instead on more silly things. Overall kinda a “meh” from me.
It was cute but the only thing that really made me stick it out was Lee Seung Gi…and even then, I’m surprised he chose this role which seems a bit…amateur (not his performance). Maybe he just wanted an “easy” project. I did feel a bit sad that his talent was somewhat wasted. If you’re a veteran of Korean dramas you may find this to be pretty cookie-cutter but still a decent watch for a rainy day when you’re feeling some nostalgia for a predictable (albeit sweet) plot. Nothing too original here.
Meh. I don’t get the hype. This is like a slasher copy of Liar Game (which is much better IMHO, including the Korean remake). Saw all the “twists” coming from a mile a way. It was mostly fun just to see what the games would be/how the lead characters would/wouldn’t be successful…and even then, I’m glad it was short. Just watch Liar Game instead.
It was good! My husband, who served his mandatory 2 year service in South Korea liked it because he said it was very realistic (albeit, still a little more extreme). I found it to be pretty much exactly the watch I expected…though I’m not sure about the overall message the ending left viewers with (I’m wondering if the writer’s point was “look what our stubborn old ways have pushed us to” but I felt like that came embodied with “dramatic (read: violent) things need to happen to cause change.” I’m not sure I agree with that. South Korea is the country that literally had one of the largest, most peaceful protests ever in order to get their president impeached…they took to the streets making light waves with candles/their cellphones as opposed to rioting/looting/hurting people, etc…and they were successful! Anyway, that should have been an impressive message to the world that maybe violence isn’t always the big, dramatic factor you need to inflict change. I know this drama is just fiction, but i hope it doesn’t inspire anyone the wrong way, you know)?
Hmm I like it but it looses points for me from the amount of time it spent on the side character’s love story that really took away from the main plot and the (IMHO) disappointing ending. I felt like I was watching two entirely different dramas. I wish the writer had spend more time developing the main story instead of just buying time with boring side plots and allowing the main plot to drag. The leads here put on a great performance though and I’m a sucker for high stakes, supernatural romances like these. Having said that, about the ending: while I’m usually in the side rooting for a miraculous happily ever after…the way we achieved that here felt so wrong. Dong Kyung was always meant to die and I came to the acceptance that I wouldn’t have been heartbroken if she did in the end. I literally expected the person she “loved the most” would end up being herself (as it should be)…then she could have saved the world and Sa Ram at the same time, while passing on as she was always intended to. I thought that would have been a beautiful, poetic, and meaningful twist. I mean, girl was literally wearing a shirt that ironically said “Love Your Self” on it in episode 15…seriously how could they have missed that one? But cop-out happy ending aside, this couple was cute and I enjoyed gushing at Seo In Guk every week. Still worth a watch for sure!
16 episodes later and a total waste of time. Nothing original or all that entertaining here unless you want to be wrung through every pre-2010 unrealistic drama love-square cliche out there with over the top characters and a lot of nonsense that isn’t even funny. I thought we were past all this. So disappointed, not sure why I even finished.
Hm. I liked the first half, though I never could really connect much with Gu Reum and I didn’t like her character much. When the story took a more predictable (cliche) route, it kinda lost me. I will say Kim Rae Won has aged well. I haven’t watched any of his more recent dramas but he was great here.
It was engaging and kept me invested in the fate of the leads but I struggled to keep up with the story sometimes (plot holes, some inconsistencies with characters) and the ending really left me confused. All in all, it was an entertaining watch but I don’t think I’d give it a second run.
It’s got about every cliche in the book as far as a typical high school rom-com goes but that didn’t make me love it any less. True Beauty was a breezy watch with a cute couple and a lot of refreshing humor. Totally had to check if this was a “Switch Girl” (one of my favorite old school J-Dramas) adaptation (it’s not) in the beginning. I kinda roll my eyes at love triangles nowadays but I still enjoyed all of the characters and the nostalgic vibe. Definitely resembled “Gangnam Beauty” in more than just the similar story and Cha Eun Woo (atmosphere, relationships, direction, etc). I also love how despite the high school setting it’s still very watchable for pretty much all ages. We called my in laws in Korea over the lunar new year holiday and the whole family was gathered (all middle age+) and they were watching it LOL...even grandma and grandpa. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Cute and sweet at times but I struggled to stay interested and focused on the story. I also felt like the leads (while sweet) didn’t have much chemistry. The story is as typical as it gets for this genre of sageuk. Could be worth a watch if you’re in the mood for a historical drama that doesn’t make you think to much and that you can multi-task while watching and just enjoy it for what it is.
This was the first drama to get me really hooked in a while. It took a bit for me to adjust to Lee Dong Wook as Lee Yeon but once I did I was sucked right in. I loved the story and the characters. It felt really reminiscent of a Hong Sister’s drama (the likes of Hwayugi or Hotel Del Luna...something in the way the fantasy elements were intertwined with reality along with the dialogue and character relationships really made me think of the Hong Sisters). I docked it a star because I wasn’t that impressed with the last episode and the way things wrapped it but otherwise the story was impressively well done and I really enjoyed watching it.
So surprisingly (for me anyway) good! Not my normal cup of tea but it was well produced and kept me hooked. Also: The! Cast! Netflix is really bringing it on with their K-Dramas. I enjoyed the rather original world that was built for this very unoriginal genre. There were still some obvious clichés but also times it really surprised me. Bingeworthy for sure! I hope we get a second season!
I really wanted this to be darker...and perhaps a bit more original but instead it was painfully cliche and predictable. The best way to describe it is how my husband (Korean) came into the room right at the end of episode 15, as I moaned with annoyance/frustration and he looked between my aghast expression and the screen and said, "Wow, such a Korean drama." There you have it. Loved Moon Chae Won though. Just hoped for more. Sigh.
Season 2, however, suffered in there there were too many characters, too many storylines, and too much focus on things that really were not that important and took away from the main plot rather than adding to it. I didn't mind that we were introduced to new characters--in fact, it obviously was necessary. But it was just too much. I'm sure if you added it up Cha Hyun Soo probably had less that 40 minutes of total screen time the whole season and he is THE MAIN CHARACTER. What's up with that?!
I DID enjoy Lee Eun Yoo's transformation and getting to see her shine on screen. Park Chan Young was also a wonderful new addition that I wasn't mad about. By the end of the season though I don't feel like we ever really got anywhere. I imagine this is all a setup for season 3 though so maybe that will flow better. One can hope!