virgievirgie

Subjetive Rating - 7.75

A collection of short stories that are connected because of the antique store, Good Old Days. Each story is 2-episode long, and not a lot of depth is given to the characters. But enough to tell a simple story. Most of them have a connection to a family member and/or romantic interest. Some stories are better than others.

Ep 1-2: Bond and Relationship - my second least favorite story and almost did not hook me in to continue watching. Luckily, I find Lee (ML) attractive and watched it for him.

Ep 3-4: Memory of Happiness - I enjoy this one. The leads are likable and I think the story is believable.

Ep 5-6: Road to Regret - my least favorite and I only watched the first 10 minutes. I find the three main characters loud and annoying, and did not want to continue on.

Ep 7-8: Our Soundtrack - I like this one as well. The song is catchy (I found it on Spotify!) and the story is easy to follow. Not too deep but enough to keep me interested.

Ep 9-10: Love Wins - the title is the cheesiest but it's my favorite. Their love touched me even though I had a hard time getting into the story in the beginning. But following the couple and their challenges of a long-term relationship keep me engaged for the most part.

Ep 11-12: Somewhere Only We Belong - a decent one to end the anthology. Though it's quite predictable, it is sad to see how it all ended.


Completed: 7/11/2023 - Review #330

Read More

I wanted more Chemistry between the Leads

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

“Call It Love” is a melodrama through and through. The pacing is slow, the conversations are meaningful, and the romance is slow burn and quiet. South Korea really likes its revenge drama in all genres. However, what differentiates “Call It Love” from other revenge dramas is that love, healing and forgiveness are more central to the plot, than revenge itself.

I had high expectations before I watched this drama. Kim Young Kwang was the main attraction and he did not disappoint. What a versatile and amazing actor he is! From an adorable and sexy CEO in “The Secret Life of My Secretary”, to a psycho serial killer in “Somebody”, and now a lonely and sad CEO, he was just perfect for the lead role. Han Dong Jin (ML) is a man of few words and walks with a sad and slightly crouched posture. He exudes loneliness, yet his caring side shows when he’s with FL. Kim Young Kwang is able to portray subtle facial expressions and looks/eyes that can convey all he wants to say without actually speaking the words.

On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about Lee Sung Kyung’s portrayal of Shim Woo Joo (FL). I am happy to see her venture out of the rom-com genre and challenge herself to play this role. Shim Woo Joo is another sad and depressed character. However, I find Lee Sung Kyung’s acting one-note throughout most of the drama. She often maintains that one facial expression - a sad and bland look/gaze. I actually like her character in the first ⅓ of the drama. Woo Joo speaks her thoughts with no filter and no reservation. I like her no nonsense approach and doesn’t care what other people say. But then, she seems to lose that straightforwardness and barely utters a few words.

Another reason I want to watch “Call It Love” is because I was craving some angst and melo-romance. I thought this drama would satisfy this urge of mine but I am disappointed. The first few episodes reminded me of “My Mister”. When the romance starts to slowly build up, I was hoping for the angsty, sizzling chemistry similar to Mr. Gu + Yeom Mi Jung in “My Liberation Notes” or Lee Boo Jung + Lee Kang Jae in “Lost”. Unfortunately, I did not feel that tension and longing in Han Dong Jin and Shim Woo Joo. I do like how honest and open they are with each other (in their own introverted way). I enjoy the depth of their conversations. Without really having long conversations, they are able to speak their minds succinctly. But they don’t move me. I wasn’t sad. I didn’t cry for them. I didn’t pray that they could live happily ever after. The chemistry was not bad, but did not live up to my expectations. I am sure many feel very differently and am in love with the leads.

“Call It Love” does explore the message of healing and forgiveness. I do think the drama does a good job by showing the effects of the father’s betrayal and the mistress’ calculated scheme. Oh yeah, I hated ML’s mother but I’ve seen worse parents in K-dramas. However, the secret was so long drawn out. At times, I wanted ML to know the truth already, so we can deal with the aftermath and damage control. On another note, I like the somewhat dysfunctional Shim family and the love/hate sibling relationships. I love what Shim Hye Seong (eldest sister) said to ML that, their family doesn’t know how to comfort each other, and feels awkward consoling someone, thus, they went out to karaoke and party hard instead.

Love triangles technically don't exist in this drama and I’m glad a couple friendships did not turn into unrequited love. Men and women CAN have platonic relationships. I’d rather see more of the bromance between ML and his fellow CEO buddy, than the lukewarm secondary romance. I find Shim Hye Seong (sister) a little annoying in the beginning but I understand why she acts that way once we get to know her. Once the forced smiles are gone, she becomes so much more tolerable. Yoon Joon (pharmacist 2ML) is a great and loyal friend to FL, and I’m glad to see Sung Joon plays this role after being introduced to his handsome guy in “I Need Romance 3”.
Many commented on the pink tone and the use of different colored filters. It doesn’t bother me, nor does it add to how I feel about the drama. It just doesn’t matter to me, but it might to you. I also quite enjoy the OST.

Overall, this is a good melodrama if you are in the mood for a very slow burn and slow-paced romance. I just wanted more in the chemistry department to give this a solid 8.5+ rating.



Completed: 4/18/2023

Read More

Worthy of all the praises, but still missing some elements to make this perfect.

Subjective/Gut Rating; 8.75

I will add to the many praises that everyone has for “Alchemy of Souls”. It is indeed a great fantasy, action, romance drama. As a veteran C-drama watcher, the story isn’t hard for me to follow but I could see how some can be confused. This drama has all the elements to be a highly rated production. I have an enjoyable time watching this.

What I Like:
1. Top notch production - sets, costumes, CGI. I actually want to see more CGI.
2. Love the OST. Took me by surprise in the beginning with the English lyrics, but the melodies give me all the feels.
3. Veterans Yoo Joon Sang (Leader Park Jin) and Oh Na Ran (Maidservant Kim). These two are hilarious and I love their dynamics.
4. I was worried about the comedy in the beginning because I don’t want a rom-com. But I find that there are enough comedic moments sprinkled throughout the drama, but not enough to make this into a comedy.
5. Bromance - The four actors have very distinct personalities but when they have scenes together, they are funny and have great chemistry.
6. Lee Jae Wook - He is not my kind of handsome, but I enjoy his acting very much. He is still so young and definitely has a great future ahead. I can’t believe I’ve seen all his dramas except “Move to Heaven”.
7. Glad the romance storylines are done well and maturely, and not annoying with evil men/women.
8. Good pacing.


What I want more or with mixed feelings:
1. I want more fight scenes, not enough for an action drama. The few scenes they have are good but not long enough.
2. I wish they could showcase more of FL's badassness. There weren't enough flashback scenes when she's Naksu, and when she's MuDeok, she's a sidekick. I wanted them to show more of her wit, even if she's weak physically.
3. Missing the chemistry between Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min. Jung So Min looks like an older sister to me. Maybe because I am aware of their real life age gap.
4. Jung So Min’s acting is a hit-or-miss. I know she’s a cold-hearted assassin and could be emotionless. But I see bored eyes instead of assassin eyes. Of course, this is very personal and I know many love her.
5. Hwang Min Hyun’s acting could have been better - borderline bland and decent. . He’s handsome though. Each time I look at him, I think he’s Cha Eun Woo and it takes my brain a few seconds to adjust. I think Cha Eun Woo has prettier eyes though


Completed: 1/26/2023

Read More

Great from start to finish with enough excellent fight scenes to satisfy a wuxia lover

I usually don't watch wuxia movies as they oftentimes let me down due to incompetent writing and crappy fight scenes. After watching so many wuxia dramas that take their sweet time in world-building and setup, it's hard to find a movie that can do all of that in less than 2 hours. I'm glad I found "Brotherhood of Blades" years after it premiered. There's a beginning, middle and end to a full plot, and I was captivated and entertained for the full hour and 50 minutes.

The action scenes are awesome. There is no wired flying around, twirling and waiting around during a battle and slow motion fight scenes. We have men (yes, men not boys) who put in the effort to train hard and give us realistic and hardcore close-up fights. I love the different weapons used in this movie, and not just a sword or knife. No weak and mindless swinging of the sword but strong and determined slashes and slits of the throats.

A veteran cast (maybe not then but definitely now) delivered a beautiful performance. I've only seen Chang Chen in "Love and Destiny" and I love him in "Brotherhood of Blades" a lot more and he looks much more charismatic in his JinYiWei uniform. I've never seen Wang Qian Yuan (the oldest of the brothers) before and I am impressed. Li Dong Xue is the youngest might not have delivered as memorable a performance as the two brothers, but he's not bad. I like him a lot more in "Love and Destiny". The two female characters and love interests do not have many scenes but they're fine. It's lovely to see great actors such as Nie Yuan, Zhou Yi Wei and Chin Shih Chieh. You know they will be good. Looking back, there are many excellent actors in this movie!

If you are looking for romance, it's very minimal. It's enough to drive the plot but not enough to make a lasting memory. Liu Shi Shi is beautiful as the female lead (that doesn't have many scenes). She reminded me of her role in "Lost Love in Times". There was a scene towards the end that was very touching and gave us the backstory of her relationship with Chang Chen's character.

If I have to criticize, I would have loved the movie to be a tad longer and dive more into how the brothers met and a little bit more of their background. Most of them are explained in a sentence or two. I think another 15 mins would be enough to show us more.

I am quite surprised this movie has such a low rating on MDL (7.5 at the time of writing). I am rounding up my rating from 8.75 to 9.0 to give it a little bump. 😁 If you love good old-style fight scenes and a strong acting performance by everyone, I
recommend this movie. Only 924 watchers is not enough!


Completed: 12/18/2022

Read More

Everybody Marries Jiu Ling!

Completed - 11/20/2021

"Jun Jiu Ling" seems to be a pretty controversial drama - either you love it or you hate it. I am in the former and quite enjoy watching this drama. The pacing is good for a 40-episode drama with a good mix of romance, politics, medical practices and battles, to keep me engaged. This is no small feat, as I do get bored usually in the middle of a Chinese historical drama.

Plot - If you can get over the ridiculousness of the first episode - a bad attempted murder, incredible prison break and face/voice changing, then you will be rewarded with a good and fun drama. The general plot is pretty typical - a revenge drama to expose the wrongdoings of the antagonists with the support of your friends. As I mentioned, this drama has many different elements. I am glad that it's not about a bunch of princes fighting for the throne. There's enough romance to go around for the romance lovers (like myself), a little bit of martial arts, some evil court ministers and battle scenes to save the country. This is by no means a perfect drama with a perfect plot. There are some scenes that I did do some eye-rolling, but I enjoy the drama for the most part.

Jin Han/Zhu Zan/ML - Jin Han received many negative reviews for his role as Zhu Zan because he's deemed not "handsome" enough. He might not be your typical, idol-looking ML, but I am very impressed with his acting. I think he fits very well into the character of Zhu Zan - a fun, loyal, upright, hopeless romantic. I hope netizens won't give up on this drama because they don't like Jin Han.

Peng Xiao Ran/Jiu Ling/FL - This is my first drama of Peng Xiao Ran. I avoided watching "Goodbye My Princess" but I heard she was great in it. I can see why everyone praised her as she did a fantastic job as our FL, Jiu Ling. She's beautiful with porcelain-looking skin, and her eyes can convey so much emotions. She has enough acting chops to carry this show on her back, if needed. However, I do think the character of Jiu Ling seems to be a little too perfect. She is so smart in every way possible, brave and beautiful. There doesn't seem to be a flaw in her.

Main Romance - I love the main romance here between Zhu Zan and Jiu Ling. I think it could be considered a slow-burn romance as it took a very long time for them to be officially together. However, you cannot miss the chemistry between them. There's so much emotional and funny moments between the leads. Even with 3 other love interests appearing, there's no reason to doubt the love they have for each other. There's no misunderstanding and they are honest and communicate with each other. When they do get together, there are many sweet and cute moments between them. When Jiu Ling is with Zhu Zan, that's when we see a different side of her... a fun and mischievous side that she rarely shows to others.

Other Men - The other 3 men really have no chance in being with our FL. She's honest and straightforward with them, and never leads them on. With such a perfect woman in front of them, it's no wonder they would do anything to support her. Aside from one psycho obsessive admirer, the other two are considerate and supportive. However, they are not good enough for me to have second-lead syndrome. I am Zhu Zan all the way!

Supporting Cast - There is a pretty decent sized supporting cast. It's a given that the veteran actors did a good job. But even the younger actors and actresses acted well. I was glad that there's no truly annoying character. You know who the villains are, though they aren't the most despicable I've seen.

Read More

Predictable but you still root for the Lead Couple!

10/21/2021

This drama shows the challenges that our male lead experiences after he had a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed from the waist down. I do not have have such an injury and do not use a wheelchair, so I can't really judge whether the depiction of his and his circle of support's experience is realistic or not. However, I feel that this drama does enough for us to know the hardships that they have to go through. It touches on the more common physical accessibility issues, but also the lesser known and more embarrassing challenges. It doesn't shy away from letting us know that a different kind of love from lovers, family members, and caregivers, is needed to provide and support someone with such a disability. This drama also reminded me a little of the C-drama "Crush", a story about the main lead who is visually impaired, and his challenges (great first half of the drama).

It's nice to see that our ML is still quite optimistic in life, is able to climb out of the abyss of despair, and lead a somewhat normal life as an architect. I am happy that he's not a gloomy ML and needs our FL to bring him out of his depression. Of course, he has his moments of weakness and needs emotional and physical support as well. Matzusaka Tori did an amazing job portraying his character. He's charismatic when he's upbeat, but when he's devastated and in pain, I cry with him. I want to hold him in my arms when he's wriggling in pain and protect him from everything. *sigh* I am always wary of FL in Japanese dramas, as they are usually too innocent and naive and are such pushovers. Thank goodness our FL here is not like that. She might be shy sometimes, but she speaks up when needed, and takes the lead in challenging injustices and support our ML. Our leads make a great couple and their chemistry is good. I wish the kiss scenes are a little more passionate =)

With such a great lead couple, we have to have some annoying second leads. I do not personally like them. I understand where they are coming from, especially when they both have been in love with our leads for decades. But I do not like how pushy and manipulative they are, when they know our leads have no interest in them at all. They are too desperate for my taste.

As my title said, the storyline is quite predictable. There aren't any surprises, but that doesn't stop me from binge-watching and wanting to know what will happen. I root for our leads and want to see them live happily-ever-after.

Read More

9/11/2021 = 8.75 rating

I read many good things about this drama and I like Steven Zhang, so I decided to give it a try, even though I am not a big fan of body-swapping. I was so close to giving this drama a 9.0 rating, but held back because I feel conflicted about the last 2 episodes.

What I like:
1. Plot - I do agree that the body swapping was done pretty well, compared to "Secret Garden". I feel that there are just enough episodes about body-swapping in the first part of the drama to keep me interested and engaged, without dragging on for too long. I also appreciate that the swapping doesn't just end when they switched back. That would be too easily resolved and the whole plot will end and just fill with other side stories. This drama could have fallen into the trap of many common tropes, but instead, it makes fun of them.

2. Acting - I have been a fan of Steven Zhang (ML) and am glad to see him in a different role. The other roles that he's in are usually the happy, outgoing teenager/young adult role. He's a more mature, cool and introverted character here, and he did a great job in portraying that. Of course, he's super funny and in character when playing the "female" character. I've seen Liang Jie (FL) in "Eternal Love" and didn't like that drama at all. I dropped it and didn't like Liang Jie's character. I am glad to wipe that bad taste off my mouth and watch her in this drama. Just like Steven Zhang, she was great in her role. I think as a female playing the male part, audience might not notice her acting as much as Steven's male character playing a female role. But I like the subtle acting and facial expressions, just the more masculine mannerisms that she portrays.

3. Characters - I enjoy watching a drama with no real villains, though I don't like ML's dad. Most C-dramas portray villains in rom-coms to be too cartoonish and over-the-top for my taste. So I am glad we don't have such characters in this drama. Moreover, another pet peeve of mine is innocent/naive/dumb characters. I am also happy to see that almost everyone is pretty smart in their own ways and act their age . Even our leads who are having their first real relationship are acting age-appropriately, and not some 30-year virgins who are too shy to even hold hands. I appreciate a real adult romance. Moreover, we have cute and supportive parents like our female lead's parents, and a great BFF for our FL.

4. Romance - As I mentioned earlier, I appreciate a real adult romance. Once the leads are in a relationship, they are honest and communicative. They are not afraid to flirt or show affection for each other. I find their romance cute but not so sweet that is unbearable or cringey. Their romance is very heartwarming to me. FL is just ML needs to be able to overcome his bad childhood memories. I enjoy seeing such a great supportive relationship.

5. Clothing - For once, not only the male characters dress handsomely, but our female characters are dressed well. I like that the girls are casual at home, but dress nicely and appropriately when at work. I've seen too many overly baggy casual well that female characters wear in C-dramas. Even though this is not a drama about fashion, I am glad to see our leads have a great wardrobe.

6. Comedic moments - The sound effects do add to the comedic moments of the show. There are many funny moments, not only during the body-swapping plot, but sprinkled throughout the drama. I find these moments funny but not over-the-top or slapstick funny. It was quite funny when FL explained why she never gave the love letter to doctor.... that's quite creative and unpredictable.

What I don't Like:
1. Product Placement - I understand PP is a big part of Korean and Chinese dramas, and I accept that. But in this show, I am sick and tired of seeing those snacks. They advertise those snacks in every episode (at least it feels this way). It's a bit much. Also, do we need several characters to suddenly catch a cold to advertise the cold medicine?

2. Music - I like the songs OK, but they play the English song " I See You" a bit much. The worst is that the background music is so loud and makes it hard to listen to the dialog.

3. Ending - I have mixed feelings about the noble idiocy and the time jump. I understand why the leads have to break up and I see where the ML is coming from. I just wish there's a better way to show that. I really dislike the trope where the leads break up before the final episode, then a time jump in the final episode and they reunite and live happily ever after. We know they are going to break up, as it's hinted in the very first episode. I was also a little taken back that all this happened in a novel written by FL. For some reason, I expect her to quit being a reporter and become an author, and then write about her love story.

Want more:
I am interested to see more about Tong Hua and Pei Jia Shu's relationship. They have pretty good chemistry and I wanted to see them get together.

Read More

Started off sweet and fluffy, then a little more serious

8/25/2021

As part of the Sweet On series by Tencent, it's expected that this drama has a lot of fluffy and sweet moments, and will probably have a happy ending. The plot is interesting since it involves a child psychologist. However, everything is quite predictable, so if you want a comfort watch, this is it. The acting is generally good but the dubbing is pretty bad (for a 2021 modern drama). There are a few impractical things that happened, e.g. how did ML get a picture of him and FL's first kiss for his laptop wallpaper? Who is taking the picture? Why would a mom/FL let a kid play bubbles indoors when it could be slippery and dangerous?

I am a fan of Miles Wei after watching him in "Perfect and Casual" and his character here is quite similar to the other role. He's cuter in in P&C though. He's visually pleasing in his suits and casual clothing. It's my first time watching FL and she did a decent job. The star of the show, as many reviewers mentioned, is definitely the child actor, Lennon Sun. He is so adorable and you want to see him interacting with everyone on screen. The supporting cast did a good enough job, but I am not as interested in their storylines. I am happy that for a sweet drama that we don't have any too annoying and irritating characters.

The show did turn a little more serious towards the last part of the show, when we know more about the car accident. There aren't enough fluffy moments to lighten to the mood. Overall, it's a decent drama if you want something quite easy to watch, with good visuals, decent OST and a super adorable kid.

Read More

8/6/2021

I watched the HK version when I was young but I don't remember much about it aside from the main actors/actresses. I have also never read the book. So, my review is just basically how I feel about this particular show, and not in comparison to anything.

Negatives first:

In the first episode, I already dislike the fight scenes. For a wuxia drama, why do they use slow-motion on fight scenes? I want fast-paced, live action to get into the mood. Fortunately, they ease up on the slow motion as the show goes on. I still find the fighting to be not satisfying enough. (If you know of a wuxia drama with amazing fast-paced fight scenes, please let me know).

I also dislike the dubbing for this drama. This is a 2019 drama and it's not that old, I am surprised to see how the dubbing still doesn't line up. Additionally, I really dislike the voice of the female actress who plays the villainous Er Mei older disciple. It's like nails on the chalkboard each time she opens her mouth. I applaud the actress acting for making me hate her.

I don't like the character of the ML. He is so wishy-washy with love and he would make a horrible boyfriend. You can still be good to the ladies but set some boundaries. This is no fault of the drama, just the novel. I also don't feel the chemistry between the leads. I am not sure if it's the acting of Zeng Shunxi as the ML or what. It's my first time watching him, and I am not super impressed. I also felt the acting of Zhu Xudan as Zhou Zhiruo to be weak as well. She has this one face throughout most of the drama.

I feel that the last 5 episodes seem to be rushing a bit. There are events that I want more explanation but they are all glossed over. I was expecting more about the general in the end and how things might blow over for him, but it never happened. It didn't quite build up enough tension for a great finish.

Positives:

The child actors playing both the young and teen Zhang Wuji are great, esp. the youngest one. He is adorable and believable. When he cries, my heart breaks. I also enjoy the acting of our main female lead, Chen Quqi who plays Zhao Min. I like her sassy, feisty character and also believe her when she's sad and heartbroken. The acting of the supporting cast is great as well, esp. the veteran actors. I enjoy seeing Lin Shen as Yang Xiao. I thought I would see more of him since he's listed a a main character, but a little disappointed that he was missing for most of the last 5 episodes. I enjoy his cool and smart character and the subtle changes of emotions through his eyes. He is also pleasing to the eyes (but I think he's more handsome in "Dating in the Kitchen".

The costumes are nice. I enjoy seeing the wardrobe change of the ML from when he's young to when he became a leader, and then a successful revolutionary towards the end of the drama. The female leads also have pretty nice costumes and hairstyle change (for Zhao Min).

I think the pacing of the show is pretty good. I didn't feel bored or that it dragged in the middle. It's a slower start to build the plot and the upbringing of ML, so if you just want to watch Zeng Shunxi, you might have to wait a little bit. But I think there are enough happening to keep me engaged for 50 episodes.

As much as I complained about the fight scenes, I like there isn't a lack of fight scenes. Fighting is spread out pretty evenly throughout the show and the choreography isn't bad.

Read More

7/18/2021

I was introduced to this drama by a MDL editorial article. I am glad more J-Dramas are recommended, otherwise, I wouldn't know where to find good ones. I am usually pretty picky about J-Dramas because most of them are either an adaptation from a manga or anime, and the acting and storyline are too over-the-top for my taste; or the FL is one of those naive, innocent, shy girls who has never touched a boy in her life. These are not my cup of tea.

Plot: I find the plot summary pretty interesting about a pseudo-romance for a manga. However, after watching the first two episodes, it became quite clear that this pseudo-romance is quite unethical and hurtful. I am glad that after the first initial episodes, the story gets better and it moves a little farther away from this hurtful premise. The plot is quite predictable throughout the show in regards to the development of the main romance, past romance, to the challenges faced by ML as a manga artist. I do enjoy the last episode quite a bit and it's a little less-predictable than I thought.

Characters: I am glad to watch a FL that is straight-forward, independent and not act like a little naive little girl. I've watched so many dramas that a 29-year-old woman acts like she's 16. It didn't happen here. She is quite likable and her acting is not anime-like over-the-top. ML's introverted, anti-social character could be difficult for some to get used to in the beginning. But he has great character development. I especially like his awkward, adorkable smile and grins. Even though he looks hawt int he last episode, his smile seems a little "slimy". I like ML's dorky look more. The child actor also did a great job. He's so cute and I love his shy smile as well. The supporting cast did a decent job and there isn't anyone too annoying.

Romance: The romance of the lead characters is nicely developed though can be predictable. I enjoy their contrasting personality and their funny banter. FL brings out the best of ML through their little fights. I still think the kissing should be a little better, esp. when it's their third kiss and it's not a surprising one. It's 2021 and I hope to see less fish-kissing in J-dramas, K-drams and C-dramas. It took a while for it to happen, but that awkward initial start of a relationship is super cute. I wish to see more of that but those moments were hard to come by. Since J-dramas are quite short, I am glad the secondary romance didn't take up too much of the time.

This is a simple, cute and light-hearted drama. This is the palate cleanser that I need after watching the more intense "Legend of FuYao" (which I recommend wholeheartedly!).

Read More

To Win vs. Not To Lose... What is the Difference?

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

Season 2 brought us less pining and fluff, but gave us more realistic challenges of maintaining a relationship. I was at first a little worried about watching this season, as I am not sure I want to see angst between them just yet. But at the end, I am happy I did watch season 2 and see how Hayama and Shirasaki have matured as actors and lovers.

It was very obvious Hayama and Shirasaki are different actors and people. Hayama is more introspective and quiet, and more famous and experienced. Shirasaki wears his emotions on his sleeves and is a newcomer to the industry. I see a more smitten Hayama who really, really likes Shirasaki and that this season shows us more of his side of the story. He wants to be loved and not to be abandoned, therefore, he pleases others before taking care of his own desires. Shirasaki obviously really likes Hayama, but he is the one that needed the pampering and doesn’t quite know how to give yet. His continued desire to be good enough to stand next to Hayama proudly, might have caused harm to his relationship and to Hayama.

There are times I do want to shake some sense into them. When they are on uneven footing in a relationship, and not wanting to lose to the other could signal danger. But eventually, they are honest with each other and their relationship is stable enough to withstand these challenges. I am most impressed with the improved acting of both actors. They are their usual self as regular people, but when Komagine Kiita and Niihara Taisuke dialed up their acting during the acting and rehearsal scenes in the play and the movie, they become different people. Their posture, their gazes and their aura change to a different person. This is probably what I like best this season. The overall acting for the whole cast is great. However, there are times I wish the rehearsal scenes could be cut shorter and give us more content outside of the studio.

I thought about it a little and I think I like “At 25:00 in Akasaka” Season 2 just a little more than the first season. This is a surprise to me as I was initially reluctant to watch this and I’m currently in a Happy December mood. But I like the growth I see in both characters/actors and the excellent performances they deliver. I still would have liked to see more content but overall, this is a worthy and different sequel. Rating this an 8.25 (0.25 more than the first season of fluff).


Completed: 12/24/2025 Review #655

Read More

A simple, sweet & predictable drama that is not very Vampire-ly

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

What happens when a rural innocent kid lives with a group of sweet and kind-hearted vampires in a shared house? The result is not scary nor thrilling. Aside from showing us the vampire diet, there’s not much vampire-ly things that happened in this drama. Even the blood sucking skill is down to a bare minimum. Now that the tone of the drama is set, is this the type of vampire drama you are looking for?

For a low-budget mini drama, I was quite impressed with the acting of the cast. Most of them are newcomers, especially the two main leads, Yu Sin (who played Lee Ju Won) and Park Dong Ju (who played Han Dong Ha). I even find their acting improves as the drama goes on, and when it requires them to dig deeper for those emotional scenes. These two have great chemistry together. It’s not hard to see how they fall for each other. I especially love their first kiss. The setting was perfect and romantic, and the best part, it’s a good kiss!

The other 3 cast members act as a good friend/potential third wheel, and for comic relief. This is also one of the few dramas where I don't mind the super white makeup because, you know, they are vampires and technically don’t go out much in the sun. All characters are likable here.

The plot is very simple, and there are no twists and turns. You can pretty much predict what is going to happen next, every single time. But this doesn’t affect my viewing pleasure, as I was looking for a simple watch.

The drama is not without faults. I was hoping to learn more about Lee Ju Won’s childhood and the nightmares. The drama did share that in the end, but I wanted more and sooner. I also want a deeper dive into the friendship between Lee Ju Won and Kang Seon Jae. They obviously have gone through a lot together in the past for Lee Ju Won to rely on Kang Seon Jae as an emergency contact. Lastly, a few more cute and fluffy scenes before the emotional reveal would be nice.

But all of these are just minor criticisms. Since the drama is only 8 short episodes of 15 minutes long, it really can’t go deeper into the plot than what it is. Of course, they could have cut down on diet talk and spend a little more time on other areas. Those vampires don’t seem to do much every day.

I would recommend "My Sweet Vampire" if you are looking for something simple as a palette cleanser after watching titles that are darker and more thrilling. The acting is pretty good for this type of drama. Just don’t hold out for something extraordinary or unique or vampire-ly.



Completed: 11/16/2025 Review #643

Read More

One of the better web mini dramas despite a busy and rushed second half.

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

As a mini web drama, “Dominion and Devotion” is worth checking out if you are in the mood for it. The acting is decent and the production value is surprisingly good. The sets, costumes (esp. the male lead) and the overall feel of the drama gives the illusion of a decently-budgeted full-length drama and not a cheap mini drama. This might be due to Director Zhang Zhi Wei’s magic. She also directed “Fortune Writer”, one of my favorite mini web dramas.

I enjoyed the first half of “Dominion and Devotion” more than the second half. The early political plot of the selection of a new emperor, the development of the leads’ relationship and the rise and growth of the emperor are all well-paced and told. I enjoy the early chemistry between the leads, that bubbling attraction and romance developing behind all the political maneuvers.

Unfortunately, once the leads got together, the chemistry was somewhat gone. They gave us a few good kisses, but the plot in the second half becomes very political. There’s so much going on that it feels rather rushed. From the political schemes, to the demise of the villain and the secret of the birth stories, there’s just too many different plotlines that need to be covered in such a short period of time.

Despite a rushed second half, “Dominion and Devotion" is one of the better historical mini dramas. If you don’t have the time to watch a full-length 40-episode drama of a similar plot, this is a good thirst quencher. It has decent (but not amazing) acting, interesting plot and good production value. Even though I was not surprised about any of the stories as I’ve seen them in other dramas, it was still an enjoyable watch.


Completed: 6/14/2025 - Review #590

Read More

Upbeat and positive female lead tacking workplace challenges for women employees.

Not knowing what to expect, I started “Waru: Hataraku no ga Kakko Warui Nante Dare ga Itta?” blindly. That’s a mouthful for a drama title and let’s just use the English title, “Bad Woman, Akujo” for this review. 🙂

Not going to lie, I was a little taken back initially by the overly optimistic and bubbly female lead, Tanaka Maririn, played by the beautiful and talented Imada Mio. I am usually not a big fan of this type of female character, but I have to say, Imada Mio charms me and portrays Maririn is the most adorable way that I can’t help but root for her.

“Bad Woman, Akujo” has a pretty simple plot of women empowerment and advancement in the workplace. Through the career advancement of our heroine, she was mentored by Minegishi Yuki, to advance through her career in the old-fashioned company, trying to break the glass ceiling. Supporting Minegishi with her plan, Maririn grows and meets lovely colleagues along the way. The mentor/mentee relationship is lovely to witness with a few hilarious scenes.

Romance is a side plot. Maririn is liked by two awesome and handsome male characters, yet she goes after the supposedly ‘perfect’ Mr. T. O. (Boooo!). Don’t expect much of the usual rom-com fluffiness as this is a backdrop to a more powerful and important plot.

Each episode tackles a different issue that women employees might encounter at work. Due to the drama format, it does seem like everything is resolved rather easily within an episode. I am glad that enough time is dedicated to JK5 and the hardship to execute a system and change habits in the last few episodes, and also not to ignore issues that other employees also faced. But if you want a deep dive into each issue, this is not the drama for it.

I have a very enjoyable time watching "Bad Woman, Akujo" with a lovely and adorable female lead who won’t back down in the face of challenges. A few good-looking guys don’t hurt either. But if you don’t like Maririn’s personality, this will be a difficult drama for you to enjoy. Despite not having big complaints, this drama also doesn't give me that emotional punch that I feel with dramas I usually rate 9+. My gut tells me this is an 8.5 drama.



Completed: 1/19/2025 - Review #535

Read More

The OG Korean version is better in almost every way.

First Half: 8.0
Second Half: 6.5
Average: 7.25

Seeing “Unlucky Ploy” on Viki, I impulsively decided to watch it, thinking this is going to be a happy rom-com. I watched the Korean version, “Another Miss Oh” a long time ago, so I don’t really remember much of it. I only remember the general premise of two Miss Oh, steamy kisses and a great OST. With all this still in my memory, I started “Unlucky Ploy”, trying not to compare the two dramas too much.

I had a good time watching the first half of “Unlucky Ploy”. It has the standard Thai flair and humor in our female lead’s personality. She was going through a tough time after a breakup for the most ridiculous reason. She is also still suffering from the trauma of living underneath the shadow of Pretty Ploy. But I quite like this somewhat crazy female lead. That is until the second half of the show when I want to slap some sense into her. She needs to grow a backbone and say NO and BYE to ML. The Ploy that I liked in the first half became over-the-top weak, cringey and clingy. She is a 32-year old woman but acts like a child. She also cries in every single episode and it’s depressing me.

The Korean and Thai male leads seem to be a little different. Korean ML appears more arrogant and stand-offish. Thai ML, Naii, appears more introverted and shy (and a little bland). I like them both (at least in the first half of the drama). Both Ploy and Naii have decent chemistry at first and I enjoy seeing how they first met and then became neighbors. But just like what I described earlier with Ploy, I started to dislike Naii in the second half. I am annoyed with his indecisiveness and mixed signals. I can understand being indecisive once or twice, as there are factors he needs to consider. But the wishy-washy behavior lasts way too long. He acts like he’s never been in a relationship before and doesn’t know how to act like a boyfriend. Naii’s once adorable shyness and ‘subtle’ acting when he shows his caring side as a neighbor, becomes wooden acting on the actor’s part.

Personally, I think the Korean version has more handsome men (LOL), especially ML’s best friend and FL’s ex-fiance. However, the Thai version has prettier women. Pretty Ploy (Mind) is a lot prettier than the other Miss Oh. Even though ML’s sister, Nang, is prettier in the Thai version, the casting in the Korean version is much better. Nang was so badass in the first half, but she lost her sassiness and cool in the second half. The acting is OK. I like the two Ploys (Green and Mind), FL’s mother and certain scenes of Nang. But the men’s acting isn’t as good.

If you were to choose to watch only one version, I would pick the Korean one. That one has better writing, casting, acting, chemistry and kisses. I actually went back to YouTube to watch clips of “Another Miss Oh” to refresh my memory. Also, do not mistake this for a happy romantic comedy. The comedy tag should probably be taken off, as it feels more like a melodrama with the crying scenes in almost every single episode. I do like the songs in both versions.




Completed: 12/28/2024 - Review #531

Read More