Meh. It was okay. Definitely not Kim Soo Hyun’s best role but Seo Ye Ji was fantastic. I wish I could have loved it more but I found the plot to be a little predictable and slow at times. It definitely had it’s moments though and perhaps if you binge it it would be better (I watched it slowly over a period of weeks, part of which it was currently airing)...so it ultimately lost its luster. Anyway, worth a watch on a rainy day but nothing to scream about.
How I wish this drama could have stuck to the original material more. I understand that things have to be “adapted” for television but it’s like the took the names of the characters and made a completely different story. I was even looking forward to more Er Lang but his character was totally different. So very disappointing :( Maybe if you didn’t read the book then it’s okay...but those who have read it beware!
You know when you’re doing a puzzle and you find a piece you *swear* goes with another piece, but as soon as you try to put them together there is resistance and you have to force it? So you try even harder to make them fit until they are stuck together but just when you think “there!” You quickly realize that, no...the resistance had been present for a reason. Those pieces do not, in fact, go together even though they are both part of the same puzzle, even though they looked just right...The King: Eternal Monarch (TKEM) felt like that. It had all of the elements of a drama I love...all of the “pieces” looked just right...but it’s like they were jumbled up and forced together unnaturally. The way the timeline jumped around bothered me. The progression of the character’s emotions bothered me (and this coming from the girl who’s always rooting for the leads to just-get-together-already). The lack of Kim Eun Sook’s (writer’s) typical m connections and chemistry between her characters bothered me. I just felt like I was *watching* a drama rather than being *sucked in* to a drama, as I usually am with her works. I couldn’t fully connect with any of the characters. I also often found my attention wondering. Though there were definitely captivating moments (best for me was Tae Eul’s voice over “I realized he wasn’t from a different world, but a different time.” Goosebumps! But also other scenes that definitely brought on the feels, especially with some of Kim Eun Sook’s poetic dialogue), whenever I started to think everything was finally all fitting together in a satisfying manner...just as those puzzle pieces, I would soon realize that it still wasn’t quite right. This is all the more surprising given how Kim Eun Sook’s dramas normally have my full attention, even through multiple re-watches (exception: Mr. Sunshine. But while ultimately not my cup of tea, still had a genuine Kim Eun Sook feel). Perhaps this was just a fluke for her, it certainly felt like a bit of an experiment from her normal writing (way more “twists” than her usual plots, reminess of Song Jae Jung dramas...the likes of “Memories of the Alhambra” or “W” especially with all the “time” play) or maybe she had an intern on-board. It could also be in part that Kim Go Eun is still so distinctly Ji Eun Tak from Goblin for me (seriously they should have given her a *really* different look or something). The last few episodes were definitely more captivating and felt a lot more like what I was expecting from Kim Eun Sook...though I’m still left a bit disappointed with the ending. Whatever the reason for the inconsistency, TKEM will go down as a drama I mostly enjoyed but probably won’t be returning to.
In the end, I was left with questions...how did Yi Gon travel after the first time he went back and his half of the manpasikjeok disappeared? Without that, he shouldn’t have been able to. I’m also confused about that God-like character. He reminded me a lot of the God character in Goblin, but more mysterious and less developed. They showed us that he was actually present in many scenes but then left that unexplained. I suppose we could chalk Yi Gon and Tae Eul retaining their memories up to either a thank you gift from the universe or Godlike Character choosing the “just leave it be” route...but why some characters and not others (seemed like Jo Young remembered everything)? Gah. Luna’s fate sure changed in the Kingdom...but how does she not have cancer anymore (pretty sure that shouldn’t have just been the result of her previous life of crime...not sure how her upbringing changed her fate, exactly)...I’m sad that Kim Eun Sook didn’t utilize her more in the end, I was expecting something a bit more epic from her than just a quick text to Tae Eul’s dad. I don’t like these questions and unknowns, and I’m definitely not accustomed to having them after a Kim Eun Sook drama (once again: I feel like I just watched a Song Jae Jung show). What was the point of the manpasikjeok? Why does Yi Gon even have the ability to travel (why does the manpasikjeok allow it)? Seems like it’s something that’s just indefinitely around now...he can go anywhere, to anytime...but why? To what end? This part of the story was so underdeveloped...and I suppose it could be considered (ultimately) irrelevant if the focus is on the relationship between the characters but the lack of an explanation here really bothered me.
It’s totally possible these answers were in the drama, and I just missed it (I repeat: wondering attention). In which case, I apologize for giving Kim Eun Sook some flack. I still loved the flow of her dialogue and the wholesomeness of her side characters, which are both something she always excels at writing. I’m just selfish and wanted more......
As per my usual feelings towards (most) award winning movies, I do not understand the hype for this. To me, it seemed like every-other Korean move out there in this genre. I'm told its genius lies in subtleness through the film but...I just don't see it or find it all that impressive. I'm happy a Korean move broke records and was finally highly acclaimed in the international film scene but...it's just not for me.
Not my usual cup-of-tea but my boyfriend wanted me to watch it so I did. The production and acting are top notch and the story is pretty unique as far as Korean dramas go. The ending is also a shocker so it obviously is going to draw me in to Season 2. Hoping the quality prevails.
Aw geez. I knew I'd end up watching this one despite my reluctance not to. The beginning really had me sucked in but it progressively started to loose my attention. In the end, it was cute but predictable. I think "Are You Human, too?" was a lot better in this whole fantasy realm of AI's developing emotions. But Holo was endearing and I did enjoy the sweetness and sincerity of the characters here. It's worth a quick watch, just don't expect too much from it.
While a little outrageous in it's concept, it was otherwise a well-made drama. I just couldn't love it, and I feel like Hyun Bin's talents were terribly wasted on Ri Jung Hyuk. Not that I didn't like him or find him to be an incredibly sweet and charming character...I just feel like he was a little boring overall and he could have probably been played by anyone. Of course, I appreciate the Hyun Bin eye-candy and I'll take it. I was just a little disappointed. Overall, I enjoyed it enough to finish, and the last few episodes were definitely more engaging than the first part of the series. But I probably won't be re-watching this one.
Familiar Wife was just…okay. It wasn’t awful. It wasn’t great. It was good enough for me to keep watching (but let’s be honest, I really just kept going for Ji Sung despite not really liking his character all that much). I actually did not really like either of the leads or really the overall message of the drama. There were a couple of nice moments though, and the soundtrack was really good.
This drama was so entertaining to watch. It definitely wasn’t perfect, and it was hurt a little by some lag towards the latter half that unfortunately brought it down from what I would have otherwise rated as a 10. There was a lot of repetitive back-and-forth between our three leads that got old really fast and just drug the story out unnecessarily…but that aside, I found “Extraordinary You” to be so refreshing and unique, filtered with a nice twinge of nostalgia (It really felt like a manga/manhwa come to life). There were moments that made my heart race and other moments that had me laughing out loud. Having seen literally hundreds of dramas, that is a rare feat for me nowadays. I thought that the story remained true to itself through to the end and it wrapped up in the best way that it could, with an ending I’m completely satisfied with. I thought that everything made sense with the story we were given and it flowed together in a nice way that was “realistic” for the world it took place in (as opposed to, say, “W” which—while entertaining—pretty much lost its mind and all sense). I LOVED the soundtrack…it really added an even deeper emotional element to the scenes. Ro Woon was absolutely swoon-worthy as Ha Ru (is it just me, or are there moments when he looks so much like Seo Kang Joon)?? Kim Hye Yoon was completely natural in her role as Eun Dan Oh. I loved this couple SO MUCH. What a sweet romance and an endearing fight to be together. The side characters were also entertaining to watch with some twists and tweaks to roles. I’m so sad to say goodbye to this series. Overall it was a wholly satisfying and binge-worthy watch! I’ll be on the look-out with anticipation to see if these writers pen any more dramas!
Trying to think of the right word to describe this drama is hard. It’s a bit scattered in the plot department. A bit miss-matched. It’s serious but also a kinda corny. The directing is focused but dramatic. It’s cute and quite sweet, with a good bit of humor (in the beginning) but then also bogged down in politics. The parts I liked about it, I really liked…and it was enough to keep me going through the whole series. But I wish it had been a little more organized and mature in its storytelling overall. I enjoyed the relationship between Nokdu and Dong Joo a lot. I also especially enjoyed the whole gender-reversal thing where Nokdu was actually pretending to be a woman in the beginning (so unique in K-Drama land compared to the woman-pretending-to-be-a-man typical plotline). I guess I saw Jang Dong Yoon before in “Mr. Sunshine” but I don’t remember so I was surprised at his thoughtful performance here. He was genuine and sincere as Nokdu…and of course Kim So Hyun did great…not her strongest role, but she did the best that she could with what she was given. I also did not realize until much later that this drama comes from the same screenwriter as “Moonlight Drawn By Clouds” (aka “Lovers in the Moonlight”) but as soon as I realized that it made a lot of sense why The Tale of Nokdu made me feel nostalgic. Overall, if you skip past the (snore) boring political side-plots and focus on the leads then this is an enjoyable drama to watch. It definitely satisfied my craving for a sweet, romantic sageuk at least...
When the Camellia Blooms was a sweet drama that surprised me. I really wasn’t expecting that much from it, and while it wasn’t necessarily groundbreaking or mind-blowing…what set it apart was its sweetness and it’s catchy narrative. I really enjoyed the characters, and I especially loved Yong Shik (how could you not?). His steadfast loyalty and genuine commitment to his feelings was just so touching and romantic. What a catch for Dong Baek! She herself showed some nice character development during the series. I like how we got to see her transform from being a soft-hearted, timid woman who only flashed a bit of spunk now and again to being a soft-hearted, bold woman who wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. That’s what made her relationship with Yong Shik so perfect because she was able to grow as a person with the foundation of his love for her…which is really what relationships should be all about: growth and support of each other. The murder-mystery plot was a nice bit of suspense that kept the story moving and I enjoyed how everything wrapped up. Overall, it still wasn’t perfect but I’m happy to have spent my time watching it.
I’m a huge fan of Seung Gi and I’ve seen all of his dramas. I will watch him in *anything* and the fact that he was in another drama alongside Suzy, who I also love (and super adored them in Gu Family Book)…just made me unbelievably excited.
The first episode of Vagabond was awesome! It was one of the best first episodes I’ve seen in forever. But, unfortunately, the drama went downhill from there. It was full of clichés, co~ven~ient circumstances, poorly plotted and even more poorly executed “twists”…you couldn’t trust anyone, and I felt like it was the same storyline recycled over, and over…episode after episode.
Dal Geon and Hae Ri were really sweet and cute…but I didn’t sense quite the same chemistry there with these two as I did before in Gu Family book. Though that could also be because the romance factor here was super slim…nearly non-existent. Shirtless Seung Gi scenes though were aplenty and I’m thankful for that HAHA.
Other than the glorious eye-candy factor…there’s not much here. If you want to be extremely frustrated and annoyed, though…then this show is for you. Beware the ending. That is all.
So this drama has been on my radar ever since I watched “The General and I” and fell in love with Wallace Chung. Then, upon realizing how much I adore “Love O2O” and discovering that Gu Man (the author of the story that drama is based off of) also wrote the original novel for this…I kinda felt like I had to watch it. But I kept putting it off, worried it would be angsty and not totally sure I was down for the plot. Plus, after finishing “Boss & Me” (also penned originally by Gu Man) I lost a little of my trust in her storytelling (it’s not that I hated “Boss & Me” so much as I wasn’t a big fan of Shan Shan).
Thus, My Sunshine sat on the back burner for me until it was recently brought to my attention again after learning that Mo Bao Fei Bao co-wrote the script along with Gu Man. Now, I’ve come to L-O-V-E Mo Bao Fei Bao’s novels after watching “Go Go Squid” and kind of plowing through a bunch of them. So, with the realization that “My Sunshine” has a screenplay written not only by the author/screenwriter of one of my favorite Chinese dramas, but also by the author of some of my favorite Chinese novels…combined with the fact that Wallace Chung plays the lead…was just overkill. I simply had to watch it, uncertainties be damned.
32 episodes later (I watched the full version) and I definitely have conflicting feelings. I’ll try to simplify them:
The things I loved x. Wallace Chung as He Yi Chen (obviously) x. Tiffany Tang as Zhao Mo Shen (her portal was so natural and genuine) x. The absolute sweetness and adorable chemistry between Yi Chen and Mo Shen LATER ON x. The steadfast love and loyalty Yi Chen has for Mo Shen x. Cute side characters x. A female rival that never crossed the line (I actually really felt for Yi Mei and could relate to her in a lot of ways. I thought she was flawed, but very realistic and well portrayed)
The things I loathed x. Lack. Of. Communication (Mo Shen could have very easily cleared up that HUGE misunderstanding from the get-go by just telling Yi Chen the full story) x. Yi Chen’s initial anger towards Mo Shen (he *did* say all of those mean things to her, and even though he clarified later that it was their first fight and he could be impulsive sometimes, too (implying that she should have trusted him more), it really was a little far-fetched for him to begrudge her all of those years for leaving him after HE told HER that he didn’t want to see her anymore…) x. The over-dramatic music (initiate eye roll in 3…2…1…)! x. Tiffany’s bob-wig that she wears for a majority of the series. Like come on, if a wig *must* be worn let’s do better… (it was quite fake looking and thus distracting) x. Using different actors for the flashbacks to their college days. I can understand why they chose to do this but at the same time it really takes away from story, since you just have to accept that these adult characters are the same as their younger selves when it doesn’t feel that way since different actors played them. I don’t know why they had to do that for college-aged characters. I would have understood it much more if they were like in high school or something.
So, as you can see…overall there were quite a few things that bothered me and aspects that I didn’t like. But in the end, I don’t regret watching it and I really do think that Yi Chen and Mo Sheng were an absolutely adorable and perfect couple once they got past all of their misunderstandings.
Can we get more of Wallace Chung in roles like this please?
This really is an underrated hidden gem in K-Drama land. It wasn’t perfect, but it had all of those elements that make a drama good: relatable characters, interesting plot, a good soundtrack, nice chemistry, and some well-done directing. Kim Ah Joong is gorgeous but she’s more than just a pretty face. There is a sincerity to her acting that helps make Choi Yeon Kyung such a lovable character. Kim Nam Gil completely stole the show though! Where did this man come from? He’s so charming and adorable as Heo Im…making this couple totally steal your heart.
I breezed through it and it was fairly easy to watching, only lagging just slightly at times but never enough to really make me bored. It’s definitely worth a watch and I highly recommend it when you’re in the mood for some good ol’ time-travel, historical fusion entertainment!
This adaptation of the Itazura na Kiss story was great! I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for all remakes of this and somehow the story never gets boring. I do enjoy how new versions continue to improve on the (somewhat dated) plot and always try to give us new, adorable moments between our leads.
Fall in Love at First Kiss does not disappoint in this regard. It had two challenges to combat with: first, it needed to give viewers a fresh take on these characters and second, it had to condense everything down into a single film.
If you’ve seen the recent Japanese cinematic remakes for Itazura na Kiss, you’ll recall that they broke the story up into 3 movies, which I think was probably just about the perfect amount of time to really flush out those arches of the story without having to add in a bunch of stuff like the dramas do. Condensing everything down into a single film, however, must have been a challenge for the producers of this new movie.
But, overall, I think they did a good job. Certainly there were parts that felt rushed and some scenes that I normally enjoy were left out. But all of the important parts were there and then some. Our fresh version of Zhi Shu is a good combination of the typically cold/uninterested Naoki character mixed in with elements of the much sweeter version of his personality that we saw in the Thai adaptation. Plus, Darren Wang played him perfectly with just the right amount of coolness and soft looks in his eyes to make your heart race.
Xiang Qin was mostly just “meh” for me here. Her character is already a bit difficult to love at times and so I think that despite how “basic” she may seem, it’s actually a rather difficult role to perform genuinely. Jelly Lin’s portray wasn’t my least favorite but it also wasn’t my favorite, either. Luckily—and probably due to a lack of time in general—Xiang Qin seemed a little more “normal” here and less unintelligent/silly as she can also be in some versions. Not quite as good as her Thai counterpart but also not nearly as bad as her character in It Started with a Kiss (as much as I did enjoy Ariel Lin’s performance…*cringe*).
The little bits of sweetness that they included in this version of the story were pretty perfect. From Zhi Shu reading her letter while he watches her sleep, and then laying back down next to her…to his reveal and confession at the end. These moments all gave us more of a glimpse into how he fell in love with her, and how he saw himself changing.
One of my absolute favorite scenes in this version is the one at the hotel, when Zhi Shu reaches over to hold Xiang Qin’s hand and she asks him to promise her that, if they were ever not together in the future, he would find someone who loves him more than she does. GOD! It actually makes me a little misty eyed. What a heart-felt and selfless thing to say (and his response, “Do you think it’s possible?” GUH! He knows she loves him more than anyone else ever could)! I have to give this Xiang Qin credit here…while she (naturally) got jealous at times, her love seemed a lot more genuine and mature to me. Especially towards the end when she still thinks Zhi Shu is engaged, and rather than cursing his “fiancé” out…as she looks at the pictures she instead says that she is thankful towards her for being by his side. So. Sweet. From my own personal experience alone, I can verify that not only is wishing someone that you love happiness with someone else extremely difficult, but being thankful towards the person who *is* by their side has got to be one of the hardest things to do and definitely a sign of True Love.
The ending was nicely done, though I was slightly disappointed we did not get to see that typical drenched-in-the-rain Zhi Shu grabbing Xiang Qin and passionately kissing her as his confession. That’s really one of my all-time favorite declarations. This, however, was a little more in line with the Thai version as Zhi Shu instead reveals to Xiang Qin that he’s actually been interested in her for a long time. It was a deliberate, planned, and thoughtful confession, instead of one made in an unexpected moment of revelation. I suppose that kind of makes it sweeter, in a way, as Zhi Shu was well aware of his feelings and he wanted Xiang Qin to finally know. It wasn’t an attempt to get her to break up with Ah Jin or to selfishly keep her all to himself, as it kinda plays out in some versions. It was written more in theme with director Frankie Chen’s other movie—Our Times—and if you’ve seen that movie you’ll know what I mean when I say that the conclusion to Fall in Love at First Kiss kind of had a similar feel.
Anyway, whether you’re a fan of the Itazura na Kiss series, a fan of Darren Wang, or just enjoy a cute romantic comedy, then this movie is definitely worth a watch. I will probably even re-watch it at some point. And I do hope that maybe…just maybe we’ll get a sequel, as there is still so much more of this story to tell and so much more of Darren Wang as Zhi Shu that I’m dying to see…
I finished this drama a few weeks ago but am only just now commenting because it was really hard for me to come up with the words to describe it. To put it simply: I have mixed feelings.
Without a doubt, this drama was positively stunning. From the setting, to the costume design, to the special effects…to IU just being a freaking Goddess! It was so damn lovely to just look at I probably would have been fine watching even if the story sucked (which, luckily, it didn’t). I’m trying to think of another drama that even came close to this level of visual appeal and I just can’t. Perhaps the likes of Mister Sunshine or Memories of the Alhambra…but I still think Hotel Del Luna wins here. Someone please give IU’s stylist a huge bonus!
The music was also satisfyingly fitting and perfectly timed, with camera angles and seamless transitions that were flawless enough to give any aspiring cinematographer an orgasm. Good lord. Hotel Del Luna was surely a masterpiece of directorial artistry. The graphics were also high quality…no low budget amateur work here (where was all of this beauty and visual appeal when Hwayugi came out, huh? Still not over that cringe worthy CGI dragon…). And to top it all off, the actors and actresses all put on such a wonderful performance. Each was suited perfectly for their role, and once again I just have to emphasize that IU was an absolute GODDESS! Her portrayal of a badass, GORGEOUS, heartfelt, and impeccably flawed Man Wool was simply divine. She has once again showed her ability to play complex characters…and to make us fall in love with them. In addition, Yeo Gin Goo was charming and sweet as Goo Chan Sung. Though his performance paled in comparison to IU’s (IMHO), he brought a lot of genuinely and appeal to what may have otherwise been a rather lackluster character.
All of these components: beautiful cinematography, a moving soundtrack, an outstanding cast, a unique and intriguing story, a screen play by THE HONG SISTERS…should have all equated to—pretty much—the perfect television drama.
But…somehow, it wasn’t.
At times, the story line was a bit inconsistent. Though I understand why, initially, they could not show us Man Wool’s past in a single sequence…or even, for that matter, along a more specific timeline…I was still a bit frustrated with the presentation of those flashbacks. It was confusing at first, and then it made sense, but I really wish that after all of those pieces had come together, we could have got a look at a longer version of the sequence of those events with all the missing chunks filled in. But, I do acknowledge that in some ways the objective of the story here was for Man Wool to come to an acceptance for her past and move on. Lingering back there (even for the sake of the viewers) would have been beside the point. But still.
There was also a bit of a lack of consistency and flow throughout the story. This happens a lot when Korean dramas try to fuse in some episodic elements. It works fairly well in police procedurals, medical dramas, etc…and it *can* be done sufficiently in other cases, too (take, for example, how the side stories were handled in The Master’s Sun). But somehow, in Hotel Del Luna it just didn’t flow all that well at times. You would think that it would, given the premise…but maybe the stories of all of the main characters themselves were already just so enticing that suddenly trying to incorporate other anecdotes took away from the overall experience. The best example I can think of off the top of my head was the whole story line involving Sanchez and Veronica. Sanchez was a main (side character) so having a mini-plot involving his girlfriend could have been quite natural…but it felt like Veronica’s character came out of nowhere and was almost instantly used as a huge emotional device before we even had a chance to get all that attached to her. Had she been involved in earlier episodes and somewhat seamlessly brought to the front for the climax of her and Sanchez’s story, that would have felt more primitive to the plot.
These little inconsistencies really bothered me while watching. I would get super invested, internally raving about how good it was, and then have to sit back and be like “Eh, this particular point is just alright.” Thus Hotel Del Luna was kind of like a roller coaster to me.
The script also seemed to lack some of the Hong Sister’s typical wit and charm. Oh, it was there…occasionally. But I think back on some of their past dramas and usually, no matter how serious or emotional their plots might get…the scenes and characters are still consistently peppered with bits of hilarity and meta. These sisters are especially brilliant at constructing their side characters, who usually nearly steal the show! And although I really did like most of our side characters in this story, they didn’t capture my heart in quite the same way. We got little samples of the Hong Sisters’ traits in this drama, but nothing near what I know they are capable of (looking at you, Hwayugi).
* * The following thoughts contain some major spoilers, as I can’t really discus these points without divulging the details…you’ve been warned! * *
I was also really heartbroken with the end of Go Chung Myung’s story. He was such a pivotal and important character….and when all was revealed I just felt like he deserved so much better. I did really like Goo Chan Sung…but I felt that compared to him, Chung Myung sacrificed so much more. He had to work the hardest to win Man Wool’s affection…and then he even sacrificed himself (essentially) to let her live and proceeded to silently watch over her for the next 1,000+ years! Chung Myung’s confession, as he faced off against Man Wool before he died…saying that all he ever wanted to was to see her in wedding clothes, waiting for him was absolutely heart breaking.
But after all of that, in the end Man Wool just let him go. She gave him forgiveness…and that was the end of their story. No second chance. No next life. Chung Myung would be able to proceed into the afterlife and thereafter…but his connection to Man Wool was over. And while that was necessary in order to give us hope for Man Wool and Chan Sung…it just seemed so unfair to me and I agonized for a while over why it had to be that way.
Additionally, I was initially quite crushed by the ending. I think this was my own fault, since for some reason (either due to a misunderstanding or bad subtitles), in the beginning I was not aware that Man Wool was…dead? A spirit? Or whatever? I thought that when she was bound to the tree/hotel, her time just stopped. So to me, it made perfect sense that when she was “set free,” her time would start again (as they seemed to imply). I didn’t realize that by her “time starting again” it meant she would proceed on into the afterlife, reincarnation, etc…I just thought that she would then be able to grow old and die naturally. I don’t feel like the drama provided a sufficient explanation for why, exactly, this wasn’t the case. There seemed to be some implication that perhaps Man Wool somehow “died” when she was bound to the tree. But whatever the case, because of this belief on my part I held out hope until the end that she would be able to peacefully grow old with Chan Sung. So when people say that the drama stayed true to the trajectory it presented us…I don’t really believe it. If they had made it *explicitly* clear in the beginning that Man Wool had actually died and was a ghost like the others, I would have been able to watch with the expectation that she would have to walk across that bridge in the end, thus no being disappointed when that actually happened. But maybe I just missed something?
Given the premise that Man Wool was actually dead and her spirit was just bound to the hotel then I find the ending much more fitting and appropriate. It’s still sad, but it also gives us a lingering image of peace and hope.
Plus, who else was an eccentric ball of squeals and fangirlish glee by Kim Soo Hyun’s cameo appearance in the end? *raises hand sheepishly*
Can I get a collective: HELLLLLL YEAH!?
* * *
(END SPOILERS)
Overall, I’m happy that I watched this…if for the glorious eye candy more than anything else. And I will, of course, anxiously look forward to the Hong Sister’s next drama…for once, I’m REALLY crossing my fingers hoping for a sequeal with a fresh cast featuring you-know-who (winkwink).
I could go on and on about all of the imperfections in this drama but I find them to be mostly irrelevant (though there are many) because of the simple fact that I loved it so much…regardless of its flaws.
It has been a long time since a drama has captivated me so, and I was perfectly content with ignoring everything that was constructed poorly (plots, characters, etc) and what would typically be considered annoying/cliché…and focusing instead on what I enjoyed watching so much and that was the completely adorable couple of Tong Nian and Han Shang Yan. This drama goes to prove that what really makes watching a romance so engaging is having a cute, sweet couple with a GOOD AMOUNT OF CHEMISTRY…and everything else can be either a bonus or ignored.
I also found the soundtrack to have this nice, nostalgic feel of both It Started with a Kiss and MARS. I don’t know, the show had that classic manga-adaptation Taiwanese early 00’s drama feel that made me all warm and fuzzy, topped off with just enough of a modern look and update to make it more watchable in 2019.
I found the story line to be a nice mesh of Love O2O, It Started with a Kiss, and A Love so Beautiful. Tong Nian was a refreshing character since although she was smitten from the get-go with Han Shang Yan (and acted a bit stalker-ish and annoying at first) she was smart and capable and remained consistently herself throughout the entire drama.
Han Shang Yan was charming and super sweet. Tong Nian really got herself a catch and it was heartwarming to watch him fall head-over-heels for her.
I really wish the side stories had been a little more interesting (ie exciting) since as it stands this drama feels like it could have been cut down at least 15 episodes or so with all the filler they put in there. But in never lagged around in angst, which I’m thankful for.
This one’s a winner for me! Though I can’t bring myself to give it the perfect 10 it has in my heart (it’s too hard for me to completely disregard all of its flaws)…it will still get a high rating from me and go down as a re-watcher (with lots of skipping, ha).
In the end, I was left with questions...how did Yi Gon travel after the first time he went back and his half of the manpasikjeok disappeared? Without that, he shouldn’t have been able to. I’m also confused about that God-like character. He reminded me a lot of the God character in Goblin, but more mysterious and less developed. They showed us that he was actually present in many scenes but then left that unexplained. I suppose we could chalk Yi Gon and Tae Eul retaining their memories up to either a thank you gift from the universe or Godlike Character choosing the “just leave it be” route...but why some characters and not others (seemed like Jo Young remembered everything)? Gah. Luna’s fate sure changed in the Kingdom...but how does she not have cancer anymore (pretty sure that shouldn’t have just been the result of her previous life of crime...not sure how her upbringing changed her fate, exactly)...I’m sad that Kim Eun Sook didn’t utilize her more in the end, I was expecting something a bit more epic from her than just a quick text to Tae Eul’s dad. I don’t like these questions and unknowns, and I’m definitely not accustomed to having them after a Kim Eun Sook drama (once again: I feel like I just watched a Song Jae Jung show). What was the point of the manpasikjeok? Why does Yi Gon even have the ability to travel (why does the manpasikjeok allow it)? Seems like it’s something that’s just indefinitely around now...he can go anywhere, to anytime...but why? To what end? This part of the story was so underdeveloped...and I suppose it could be considered (ultimately) irrelevant if the focus is on the relationship between the characters but the lack of an explanation here really bothered me.
It’s totally possible these answers were in the drama, and I just missed it (I repeat: wondering attention). In which case, I apologize for giving Kim Eun Sook some flack. I still loved the flow of her dialogue and the wholesomeness of her side characters, which are both something she always excels at writing. I’m just selfish and wanted more......
The first episode of Vagabond was awesome! It was one of the best first episodes I’ve seen in forever. But, unfortunately, the drama went downhill from there. It was full of clichés, co~ven~ient circumstances, poorly plotted and even more poorly executed “twists”…you couldn’t trust anyone, and I felt like it was the same storyline recycled over, and over…episode after episode.
Dal Geon and Hae Ri were really sweet and cute…but I didn’t sense quite the same chemistry there with these two as I did before in Gu Family book. Though that could also be because the romance factor here was super slim…nearly non-existent. Shirtless Seung Gi scenes though were aplenty and I’m thankful for that HAHA.
Other than the glorious eye-candy factor…there’s not much here. If you want to be extremely frustrated and annoyed, though…then this show is for you. Beware the ending. That is all.
Thus, My Sunshine sat on the back burner for me until it was recently brought to my attention again after learning that Mo Bao Fei Bao co-wrote the script along with Gu Man. Now, I’ve come to L-O-V-E Mo Bao Fei Bao’s novels after watching “Go Go Squid” and kind of plowing through a bunch of them. So, with the realization that “My Sunshine” has a screenplay written not only by the author/screenwriter of one of my favorite Chinese dramas, but also by the author of some of my favorite Chinese novels…combined with the fact that Wallace Chung plays the lead…was just overkill. I simply had to watch it, uncertainties be damned.
32 episodes later (I watched the full version) and I definitely have conflicting feelings. I’ll try to simplify them:
The things I loved
x. Wallace Chung as He Yi Chen (obviously)
x. Tiffany Tang as Zhao Mo Shen (her portal was so natural and genuine)
x. The absolute sweetness and adorable chemistry between Yi Chen and Mo Shen LATER ON
x. The steadfast love and loyalty Yi Chen has for Mo Shen
x. Cute side characters
x. A female rival that never crossed the line (I actually really felt for Yi Mei and could relate to her in a lot of ways. I thought she was flawed, but very realistic and well portrayed)
The things I loathed
x. Lack. Of. Communication (Mo Shen could have very easily cleared up that HUGE misunderstanding from the get-go by just telling Yi Chen the full story)
x. Yi Chen’s initial anger towards Mo Shen (he *did* say all of those mean things to her, and even though he clarified later that it was their first fight and he could be impulsive sometimes, too (implying that she should have trusted him more), it really was a little far-fetched for him to begrudge her all of those years for leaving him after HE told HER that he didn’t want to see her anymore…)
x. The over-dramatic music (initiate eye roll in 3…2…1…)!
x. Tiffany’s bob-wig that she wears for a majority of the series. Like come on, if a wig *must* be worn let’s do better… (it was quite fake looking and thus distracting)
x. Using different actors for the flashbacks to their college days. I can understand why they chose to do this but at the same time it really takes away from story, since you just have to accept that these adult characters are the same as their younger selves when it doesn’t feel that way since different actors played them. I don’t know why they had to do that for college-aged characters. I would have understood it much more if they were like in high school or something.
So, as you can see…overall there were quite a few things that bothered me and aspects that I didn’t like. But in the end, I don’t regret watching it and I really do think that Yi Chen and Mo Sheng were an absolutely adorable and perfect couple once they got past all of their misunderstandings.
Can we get more of Wallace Chung in roles like this please?
Pretty please??
I breezed through it and it was fairly easy to watching, only lagging just slightly at times but never enough to really make me bored. It’s definitely worth a watch and I highly recommend it when you’re in the mood for some good ol’ time-travel, historical fusion entertainment!
Fall in Love at First Kiss does not disappoint in this regard. It had two challenges to combat with: first, it needed to give viewers a fresh take on these characters and second, it had to condense everything down into a single film.
If you’ve seen the recent Japanese cinematic remakes for Itazura na Kiss, you’ll recall that they broke the story up into 3 movies, which I think was probably just about the perfect amount of time to really flush out those arches of the story without having to add in a bunch of stuff like the dramas do. Condensing everything down into a single film, however, must have been a challenge for the producers of this new movie.
But, overall, I think they did a good job. Certainly there were parts that felt rushed and some scenes that I normally enjoy were left out. But all of the important parts were there and then some. Our fresh version of Zhi Shu is a good combination of the typically cold/uninterested Naoki character mixed in with elements of the much sweeter version of his personality that we saw in the Thai adaptation. Plus, Darren Wang played him perfectly with just the right amount of coolness and soft looks in his eyes to make your heart race.
Xiang Qin was mostly just “meh” for me here. Her character is already a bit difficult to love at times and so I think that despite how “basic” she may seem, it’s actually a rather difficult role to perform genuinely. Jelly Lin’s portray wasn’t my least favorite but it also wasn’t my favorite, either. Luckily—and probably due to a lack of time in general—Xiang Qin seemed a little more “normal” here and less unintelligent/silly as she can also be in some versions. Not quite as good as her Thai counterpart but also not nearly as bad as her character in It Started with a Kiss (as much as I did enjoy Ariel Lin’s performance…*cringe*).
The little bits of sweetness that they included in this version of the story were pretty perfect. From Zhi Shu reading her letter while he watches her sleep, and then laying back down next to her…to his reveal and confession at the end. These moments all gave us more of a glimpse into how he fell in love with her, and how he saw himself changing.
One of my absolute favorite scenes in this version is the one at the hotel, when Zhi Shu reaches over to hold Xiang Qin’s hand and she asks him to promise her that, if they were ever not together in the future, he would find someone who loves him more than she does. GOD! It actually makes me a little misty eyed. What a heart-felt and selfless thing to say (and his response, “Do you think it’s possible?” GUH! He knows she loves him more than anyone else ever could)! I have to give this Xiang Qin credit here…while she (naturally) got jealous at times, her love seemed a lot more genuine and mature to me. Especially towards the end when she still thinks Zhi Shu is engaged, and rather than cursing his “fiancé” out…as she looks at the pictures she instead says that she is thankful towards her for being by his side. So. Sweet. From my own personal experience alone, I can verify that not only is wishing someone that you love happiness with someone else extremely difficult, but being thankful towards the person who *is* by their side has got to be one of the hardest things to do and definitely a sign of True Love.
The ending was nicely done, though I was slightly disappointed we did not get to see that typical drenched-in-the-rain Zhi Shu grabbing Xiang Qin and passionately kissing her as his confession. That’s really one of my all-time favorite declarations. This, however, was a little more in line with the Thai version as Zhi Shu instead reveals to Xiang Qin that he’s actually been interested in her for a long time. It was a deliberate, planned, and thoughtful confession, instead of one made in an unexpected moment of revelation. I suppose that kind of makes it sweeter, in a way, as Zhi Shu was well aware of his feelings and he wanted Xiang Qin to finally know. It wasn’t an attempt to get her to break up with Ah Jin or to selfishly keep her all to himself, as it kinda plays out in some versions. It was written more in theme with director Frankie Chen’s other movie—Our Times—and if you’ve seen that movie you’ll know what I mean when I say that the conclusion to Fall in Love at First Kiss kind of had a similar feel.
Anyway, whether you’re a fan of the Itazura na Kiss series, a fan of Darren Wang, or just enjoy a cute romantic comedy, then this movie is definitely worth a watch. I will probably even re-watch it at some point. And I do hope that maybe…just maybe we’ll get a sequel, as there is still so much more of this story to tell and so much more of Darren Wang as Zhi Shu that I’m dying to see…
Without a doubt, this drama was positively stunning. From the setting, to the costume design, to the special effects…to IU just being a freaking Goddess! It was so damn lovely to just look at I probably would have been fine watching even if the story sucked (which, luckily, it didn’t). I’m trying to think of another drama that even came close to this level of visual appeal and I just can’t. Perhaps the likes of Mister Sunshine or Memories of the Alhambra…but I still think Hotel Del Luna wins here. Someone please give IU’s stylist a huge bonus!
The music was also satisfyingly fitting and perfectly timed, with camera angles and seamless transitions that were flawless enough to give any aspiring cinematographer an orgasm. Good lord. Hotel Del Luna was surely a masterpiece of directorial artistry. The graphics were also high quality…no low budget amateur work here (where was all of this beauty and visual appeal when Hwayugi came out, huh? Still not over that cringe worthy CGI dragon…). And to top it all off, the actors and actresses all put on such a wonderful performance. Each was suited perfectly for their role, and once again I just have to emphasize that IU was an absolute GODDESS! Her portrayal of a badass, GORGEOUS, heartfelt, and impeccably flawed Man Wool was simply divine. She has once again showed her ability to play complex characters…and to make us fall in love with them. In addition, Yeo Gin Goo was charming and sweet as Goo Chan Sung. Though his performance paled in comparison to IU’s (IMHO), he brought a lot of genuinely and appeal to what may have otherwise been a rather lackluster character.
All of these components: beautiful cinematography, a moving soundtrack, an outstanding cast, a unique and intriguing story, a screen play by THE HONG SISTERS…should have all equated to—pretty much—the perfect television drama.
But…somehow, it wasn’t.
At times, the story line was a bit inconsistent. Though I understand why, initially, they could not show us Man Wool’s past in a single sequence…or even, for that matter, along a more specific timeline…I was still a bit frustrated with the presentation of those flashbacks. It was confusing at first, and then it made sense, but I really wish that after all of those pieces had come together, we could have got a look at a longer version of the sequence of those events with all the missing chunks filled in. But, I do acknowledge that in some ways the objective of the story here was for Man Wool to come to an acceptance for her past and move on. Lingering back there (even for the sake of the viewers) would have been beside the point. But still.
There was also a bit of a lack of consistency and flow throughout the story. This happens a lot when Korean dramas try to fuse in some episodic elements. It works fairly well in police procedurals, medical dramas, etc…and it *can* be done sufficiently in other cases, too (take, for example, how the side stories were handled in The Master’s Sun). But somehow, in Hotel Del Luna it just didn’t flow all that well at times. You would think that it would, given the premise…but maybe the stories of all of the main characters themselves were already just so enticing that suddenly trying to incorporate other anecdotes took away from the overall experience. The best example I can think of off the top of my head was the whole story line involving Sanchez and Veronica. Sanchez was a main (side character) so having a mini-plot involving his girlfriend could have been quite natural…but it felt like Veronica’s character came out of nowhere and was almost instantly used as a huge emotional device before we even had a chance to get all that attached to her. Had she been involved in earlier episodes and somewhat seamlessly brought to the front for the climax of her and Sanchez’s story, that would have felt more primitive to the plot.
These little inconsistencies really bothered me while watching. I would get super invested, internally raving about how good it was, and then have to sit back and be like “Eh, this particular point is just alright.” Thus Hotel Del Luna was kind of like a roller coaster to me.
The script also seemed to lack some of the Hong Sister’s typical wit and charm. Oh, it was there…occasionally. But I think back on some of their past dramas and usually, no matter how serious or emotional their plots might get…the scenes and characters are still consistently peppered with bits of hilarity and meta. These sisters are especially brilliant at constructing their side characters, who usually nearly steal the show! And although I really did like most of our side characters in this story, they didn’t capture my heart in quite the same way. We got little samples of the Hong Sisters’ traits in this drama, but nothing near what I know they are capable of (looking at you, Hwayugi).
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The following thoughts contain some major spoilers, as I can’t really discus these points without divulging the details…you’ve been warned!
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I was also really heartbroken with the end of Go Chung Myung’s story. He was such a pivotal and important character….and when all was revealed I just felt like he deserved so much better. I did really like Goo Chan Sung…but I felt that compared to him, Chung Myung sacrificed so much more. He had to work the hardest to win Man Wool’s affection…and then he even sacrificed himself (essentially) to let her live and proceeded to silently watch over her for the next 1,000+ years! Chung Myung’s confession, as he faced off against Man Wool before he died…saying that all he ever wanted to was to see her in wedding clothes, waiting for him was absolutely heart breaking.
But after all of that, in the end Man Wool just let him go. She gave him forgiveness…and that was the end of their story. No second chance. No next life. Chung Myung would be able to proceed into the afterlife and thereafter…but his connection to Man Wool was over. And while that was necessary in order to give us hope for Man Wool and Chan Sung…it just seemed so unfair to me and I agonized for a while over why it had to be that way.
Additionally, I was initially quite crushed by the ending. I think this was my own fault, since for some reason (either due to a misunderstanding or bad subtitles), in the beginning I was not aware that Man Wool was…dead? A spirit? Or whatever? I thought that when she was bound to the tree/hotel, her time just stopped. So to me, it made perfect sense that when she was “set free,” her time would start again (as they seemed to imply). I didn’t realize that by her “time starting again” it meant she would proceed on into the afterlife, reincarnation, etc…I just thought that she would then be able to grow old and die naturally. I don’t feel like the drama provided a sufficient explanation for why, exactly, this wasn’t the case. There seemed to be some implication that perhaps Man Wool somehow “died” when she was bound to the tree. But whatever the case, because of this belief on my part I held out hope until the end that she would be able to peacefully grow old with Chan Sung. So when people say that the drama stayed true to the trajectory it presented us…I don’t really believe it. If they had made it *explicitly* clear in the beginning that Man Wool had actually died and was a ghost like the others, I would have been able to watch with the expectation that she would have to walk across that bridge in the end, thus no being disappointed when that actually happened. But maybe I just missed something?
Given the premise that Man Wool was actually dead and her spirit was just bound to the hotel then I find the ending much more fitting and appropriate. It’s still sad, but it also gives us a lingering image of peace and hope.
Plus, who else was an eccentric ball of squeals and fangirlish glee by Kim Soo Hyun’s cameo appearance in the end? *raises hand sheepishly*
Can I get a collective: HELLLLLL YEAH!?
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(END SPOILERS)
Overall, I’m happy that I watched this…if for the glorious eye candy more than anything else. And I will, of course, anxiously look forward to the Hong Sister’s next drama…for once, I’m REALLY crossing my fingers hoping for a sequeal with a fresh cast featuring you-know-who (winkwink).
It has been a long time since a drama has captivated me so, and I was perfectly content with ignoring everything that was constructed poorly (plots, characters, etc) and what would typically be considered annoying/cliché…and focusing instead on what I enjoyed watching so much and that was the completely adorable couple of Tong Nian and Han Shang Yan. This drama goes to prove that what really makes watching a romance so engaging is having a cute, sweet couple with a GOOD AMOUNT OF CHEMISTRY…and everything else can be either a bonus or ignored.
I also found the soundtrack to have this nice, nostalgic feel of both It Started with a Kiss and MARS. I don’t know, the show had that classic manga-adaptation Taiwanese early 00’s drama feel that made me all warm and fuzzy, topped off with just enough of a modern look and update to make it more watchable in 2019.
I found the story line to be a nice mesh of Love O2O, It Started with a Kiss, and A Love so Beautiful. Tong Nian was a refreshing character since although she was smitten from the get-go with Han Shang Yan (and acted a bit stalker-ish and annoying at first) she was smart and capable and remained consistently herself throughout the entire drama.
Han Shang Yan was charming and super sweet. Tong Nian really got herself a catch and it was heartwarming to watch him fall head-over-heels for her.
I really wish the side stories had been a little more interesting (ie exciting) since as it stands this drama feels like it could have been cut down at least 15 episodes or so with all the filler they put in there. But in never lagged around in angst, which I’m thankful for.
This one’s a winner for me! Though I can’t bring myself to give it the perfect 10 it has in my heart (it’s too hard for me to completely disregard all of its flaws)…it will still get a high rating from me and go down as a re-watcher (with lots of skipping, ha).