WOW... It's worth the hype
As an avid k-drama fan, I was always aware of the presence of Reply 1988. I mean, it's at the top of most lists as one of the best k-drama's of all time.I don't know why I put it off for so long, to be honest. Maybe I saw the fact that it was so family focused and assumed there wouldn't be any romance or comedy—two things I NEED in a drama. Maybe it was the first two episodes that didn't immediately make me fall in love. Maybe it was how young the characters started off, or the frequent flash forward moments into time. All I can say is that I usually would not gravitate towards this type of drama, but I have no regrets.
All I know is, it was the best decision to binge the rest of it in a week when I came home for vacay during college. This coming-of-age tale is so amazing, heartfelt, and tender that I have difficulty putting it into words. The comedy was so underrated. I'm not the type of person to laugh audibly while watching a show or movie, but Reply 1988 had me CACKLING.
And don't even get me started on the PLOT TWISTS! Y'all, I was not ready for some of them. And I'm still trying to process a few now. My mind did a 180 a couple times and I was on the edge of my seat during specific scenes.
Not gonna lie, I probably wouldn't rewatch... the whole thing. Maybe I'd rewatch the second half. It's just a lot to process all over again. Regardless, it was a beautiful production with love, family, and COMEDY!
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I hope there's a second season ~~
This drama was super cute and kinda cliché–very similar to 'I Hear You'–but I did not regret watching one minute of it. For those who have seen 'I Hear You'... this might actually be better.I love that even though the FL is clumsy, bubbly, and naive, she's driven and passionate. She works hard and the ML supports her fully without imposing the stay-at-home-wife stereotype on her that I notice in a lot of dramas. What I love the most about her, though, is the fact that her character isn't the typical shy and passive FL. Most of their saucy scenes are initiated by her, whereas the ML is on the more innocent side.
The main couple had the best chemistry and a relatively healthy relationship–considering it started off contractual. They respect each other and aren't easily broken by misunderstandings. I would definitely rank this high on my list for rewatch value. I hope there's a season two!
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I'd say around halfway through the drama, things kinda started to settle down. I don't want to use the word boring, but it kinda got a little bit boring. It was almost like watching reality TV. The characters were living their lives and I was kinda just... watching.
Towards the end, things kicked up a little bit and I got interested all over again. I finished the last ten episodes a few days ago and I've been meaning to write a review.
I think the drama could have actually ended in like 30-40 episodes. The rest kinda felt... extra. Don't get me wrong, though, I LOVED the beginning, but I just can't see myself rewatching all 72 episodes again.
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This review may contain spoilers
Ok. Just like everyone else, I watched this because I heard it was similar to Boy Over Flowers. I even heard that some people liked this drama more so believe me when I say I walked in with high hopes. I just finished watching the sixth episode. Usually I wait until the end--or even after a rewatch--to do a review, but I just felt the urge to do it now. This drama is kinda cute, kinda funny, and kinda GOOD. The best thing about this drama, though, is that the characters are CHAOTIC asf. Literally, they are all a mess
I said I wouldn't spoil (and I WON'T) but I just wanna say that the antagonist female lead has me CRACKING UP. She is so fricken STRESSED with every decision the male lead makes. Don't get me wrong, I still hate her guts. The guy who is in love with her also makes me CRACK UP because he is STRESSED by the fact that she is STRESSED. Now moving onto out main male lead. My conclusion so far is that he is having an internal struggle while also living it UP in college. On one hand he's like 'I hate my family and life is one big responsibility' and on the other hand he's like 'I'm low-key looking for wifey'. Now onto the female lead: also stressed. More-so confused though. No I mean seriously, this girl is ALWAYS confused (which is such a mood) but I kind of feel bad for her. At first I hated her character because she is REALLY annoying and kinda stupid. She's starting to grow on me though. Stay tuned for updates.
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This is a funny, feel-good drama. The music is so good, especially My Love and Illa Illa. I recommend this drama to people who like a classic romance. The humor fits in perfectly and the character development is spot on.
The acting is great. Only a good actor can make you truly hate their character. This was my initial feeling toward Se Ra. Don't worry, I'm not spoiling :)
The ending is also sooooo good. It nicely wraps everything up in a cute and spring-y way (like the theme of this drama).
To describe A Gentleman's Dignity in a few words: spring, funny, cute, love, friendship.
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It was an emotional rollercoaster. There was a small hint of a little romance, but not as a huge theme. What I did love was how relationships were made, broken, and betrayed.
It's not THAT violent and almost everything is censored. The finale had me quite literally shaking out of nervousness and I cried for 20 minutes afterward. I would recommend this for everyone, even if mysteries aren't your forté. It's worth it.
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Usually, I stay away from dramas involving mental health because I am a very emotional person and I take dramas very seriously. This drama was so deep and amazing that I could not stop watching it. I replayed so many key scenes that SHOOK me. I also ended up learning so much from this drama. I have always taken mental health very seriously and I think that this drama effectively depicts it. The acting was so realistic that I felt personal connections to the characters.
Story: 10/10. I have no words.
Cast: 10/10. Kyungsoo is not only an amazing performer, but his acting is phenomenal.
Overall: 9.5. AMAZING. I do not regret watching this drama and sticking with it until the end.
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Overall, it was really good. There was kind of a slow start but I COULD'T give up on it. I ended up loving it so much, I rewatched it a week later.
I'm normally quite an emotional person. With this drama, I think I cried a grand total of 2.5 times with the first watch and 1.5 with the second. It was such a good movie. There were a few scenes in particular (not gonna spoil) that I literally replayed 50 times. I'm also so glad I watched until the end--DO NOT STOP WATCHING THIS BEFORE THE END--because the end was so amazing. The end was also not cliché at all, which was kind of what I was expecting. That's another thing: This movie is NOT what you are expecting and will surprise you MULTIPLE times. That's probably what kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time.
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Around episode 9-10 though that ALL changed. Everything was good until the whole plot did a 180 and that's when I started to dislike it. This was when it switched from my watching out of enjoyment to watching just to get to the end. If they had just ended the season after episode 9, then I probably wouldn't have started disliking certain characters.
I honestly think that the writers didn' t know what else to do, so they decided to create a bunch of random plot twists and take turns drawing them from a hat. Well.. that was a BAD IDEA. I didn't like it. They really shouldn't have done that.
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This review may contain spoilers
it's a commentary on everything really
This drama is a heavyyyyyy on commentary. I'm gonna list what stuck with me the most:1) on social circles and friendship
2) on the status quo and consciously avoiding it
3) on trauma bonds and their lifetimes
4) on DL men.
5) on living with an illness that defines your life, controls your life and sometimes makes decisions about your life for you
6) on manipulation and toxic relationships
7) on guilt, regret and mental health
8) on what it means to have a home
9) on what queer community looks like and how important it is for survival
10) on the plight of the troubled writer
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Killer story, but the ending was just okay.
Things I liked: the cast was wonderful, the storyline was fresh and exciting, the music was hauntingly beautiful and thriller/supernatural element was awesome.Things I didn't love: the romance subplot. Honestly, I would've preferred the drama without romance between the main leads—they really didn't have the best chemistry and the story was so much stronger without it!! I normally am the first person to uplift a romcom (or action/thriller/romcom in this case) but I could not get myself to enjoy that part. Maybe that's just me.
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ATTRACTIVE PAIR
Forget the review. I'm just gonna say SmartBoom is a visual POWERHOUSE of a pairing. Oh my gosh. I found myself replaying every close-up scene just to watch their eyes. Literally.Aside from the visual suckerpunch, Top Form is a really great watch—especially if you're a fan of Lovely Writer and 25:00 in Akasaka. It's an industry look at the world of acting, for both budding and experienced actors. It's a versatile show that touches on mental health, SA, stalking, love/learning to love, miscommunication, discovering self worth, grief, homophobia and more. I will definitely say, if you're looking for a lighthearted drama, this ain't for you. It's heavy and really tugs at your heartstrings although there are a few goofy moments. But it's so worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sweet and heartwarming with one of the best BL scenes of all time (spoiler at the bottom!!)
I've probably rewatched Unintentional Love Story three times now. I just rewatched it again recently after watching The Time of Fever spin-off (and LOVING it).ULS is sweet and adorable. The acting might not be Oscar-worthy, but it's still so good and so heartwarming. I thought the casting was great—the main couple offers a great balance of the cold, stoic guy paired with the bright, naive guy. It's a light yet candid love story that won't break your heart. The music is also really pleasant and the B couple is super captivating (watch Time of Fever if you haven't yet).
*SPOILER COMING! Stop reading here if you haven't seen the drama yet*
***SPOILER: One of the best scenes I have ever seen in a BL is this soft moment between Wonyoung and Taejoon: TJ asks WY to use him as much as possible, and WY responds "I'm not gonna use you. I'm gonna love you instead." Every single time I rewatch that scene, I cry. It's so authentic and tender! There are very few moments of true love in current KBL drama canon that make me stop in my tracks like that moment. ***
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Please give us a sequel!!
I just finished the last episode 10 minutes ago and I'm so happy with the ending. After the emotional rollercoaster the past two episodes took me on, the finale did not disappoint!One thing though–I'm obsessed with the side couples. Badly. So badly that I NEED a sequel where we get some more character development for them. I'm specifically talking about one side couple that was introduced in the last episode (I dare not spoil) but I BET I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE FEELING THIS WAY.
Anyway, if you're on the fence about watching this and you love jang ki yong and hyeri as much as I do... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? Watch it! I did and I have no regrets.
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