Reviews

It’s more than just a romance drama…

And that can be either a selling point or a red flag, depending on what you are looking for. Personally, I loved it.

The Eight Sense starts as a story mostly focused on Ji Hyun, a student that moved from the countryside to Seoul to attend a university. Trying to fit into a larger and fast paced environment, working part time and taking classes - having just one friend from the same town. And then he comes across Jae Won. And that’s when the romance starts, Ji Hyun slowly starts to get out of his comfort zone and the plot starts to shift more towards Jae Won.

For me, Jae Won is the star of the drama. His character just resonates with me more. Initially presented as this popular guy who just got back from the military. Guy that has it all: friends, girls liking him, rich and influential parents and an extroverted personality that makes his daily life so much easier. But there is so much more to this character and we slowly see the unhealed wounds as the plot starts to focus on his side more and more.

Both characters went through enormous change throughout this short drama. Both matured and learned more about themselves. While the romance was amazing, organic, well paced and perfectly delivered, the individual stories were the aspect that made me love the drama more. Creating your characters as more than just a pair, making sure they are presented as individuals with their own stories, social circles. Not locking them inside the romance bubble where they are never seen interacting with other people in a context that is detached from their relationship - that’s when you know there was some proper effort put into writing.

I cannot compliment The Eighth Sense enough on how they presented and dealt with mental health issues. This might be one of the best representations in k-bls we have seen so far. It showcases how complex of an issue it might be. How at times we don’t even know how much people around us are struggling, because they learned how to mask it. How the healing takes more than just occasional visits to a specialist. How the system of social support and having people you trust around you is also a vital aspect of recovery. How there is no one solution, magic pill that can fix it all - it’s a long process that needs many elements working together to have a positive and long lasting effect. But also, how it’s obtainable, how it’s not impossible to get out of that dark place, no matter how hopeless it might feel at the moment.

As for the acting - no complaints. Both Im Ji Sub and Oh Jun Taek did justice to their characters and delivered a realistic and believable performance. The Eighth Sense also has an amazing cast of vibrant supporting characters. I adored the female-male friendships thanks to Yoon Won’s and Ae Ri’s fun personalities and great delivery by Lee Mi Ra and Seo Ji An. I hated Eun Ji and Tae Hyung with all my passion and it was also possible only because of how well acted the roles were - props to Park Hae In and Jang Young Joon. It also made me think how we all have flaws, some just have a bit more than others… But we still need to learn how to coexist with them, otherwise it will just make our lives harder.

All that said, here comes issues I had. The editing was at times truly painful. I understand that in some cases it was probably a stylistic choice that visually represented the state the characters were in, but it did not really feel like it. It just felt like a messy and jumpy editing. In most cases the directing and editing was okay. first two episodes had an amazing indie feel to it and I fell in love with it right away, but the middle part of the story just felt a bit sloppy. Some scenes felt on the nose, but I don’t think it was the issue of the scenes alone, but rather the fact they were played one after another.

Overall, highly recommended, but not to people who just want a romance driven story with little to no distraction from that aspect. This show does not even have that many scenes of leads together, compared to other dramas in that genre. It’s more of the characters walking next to each other rather than characters walking together. Sometimes one person stops for a moment. Sometimes one person picks up the pace leaving the other behind. There are individual detours before they can both reach the destination.

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OMG! I really like it

OBS: Many people are saying that is not as good as the manga. Ok, probably yes, but I haven't seen the manga yet so my review is based only on this dorama.

First of all I want say that I'm in love with Yuuki, he's so cute (I want a Yuuki in my life).
At one point in story I was really hoping that he would find someone who didn't make him suffer, but Akira was the love of his life.
I was expecting something tragic would happen, but I really like the happy ending,

The final scenes made me think on many decisions I made in my life just to fit a society standard.

I cried when I saw Xiang Hao Ting e Yu Xi Gu from history3: MODC. OMG.

I love the story, the music, acting, visuals. Everything. If I was asked if there was something I didn't like, I would say the story was a little rushed, it could have had more episodes with a slower passage of the timeline.

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THE MOST ADORABLE BL COUPLE. :p

I was bored of watching the same school/ university plot for bls
so I was initially planning to skip it...
UNTIL I gave it a chance by watching the first 2 episodes and I'm so glad that I did give it a chance
CAUSE this is Heaven for bl fans, This is what we call pure chemistry between leads, A couple you won't get bored of. This duo is simply fantastic, It doesn't seem like it's their first lead role, they are that good at their respective roles. (or maybe I dived in with zero expectations). The emotions they are showcasing here are soo superior to their age and experience. The future of the Thai industry is in the safe hand I guess.
GEMINI AND FOURTH HAVE TAKEN OVER MY WHOLE HEART* (be it My School President or Moonlight Chicken) their diversity in acting is commendable at a such young age, they are now My Fav Couple = NO.1 :)

PLOT:
The plot may seem mediocre but its execution is outstanding, literally, it's the little things that matter and this series proved it.
with the amount of comedy, romance and soo many heart-fluttering moments how can one not fall in love with these two cuties. this series is the definition OF Love and how it heals and motivates, cause love is a power that doesn't let you sink.

I didn't find a single moment of boredom just "BUTTERFLIES" and me not being able to control my emotions (all the joy, nervousness and excitement) I felt while watching this series :D Their chemistry feels so real and genuine, I was literally lost in the world of MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT. Their flirting is highly addictive and I almost died with high sugar level JKJK cause they are soo sweet.
There are soo many moments where Tinn is seen trying to hold back his smile when he is beside Gun (cause he finds gun cute and the sound in his mind goes SO CUTE) and Gemini is soo good at it, I love it whenever he grins from ear to ear while looking at his crush. I can't imagine any other actor replacing anybody in this series (BEST CAST), Not a single boring character or a scene which I would want to skip, instead, I kept rewinding soo many scenes cause this drama is just "AWESOME "

THIS DRAMA IS A WHOLE MOOD AND IM GLAD I STARTED IT WHILE ITS AIRING CAUSE.....
I'M LIKE A PART OF THEIR EARLY FAMILY, EXPERIENCING THEIR LIVES TOGETHER ALL PROMOTIONS AND SOO
GLAD TO BE A *KHUN NOO* (GIGGLES)

{HOW AM I EVER GONNA MOVE ON FROM THIS ONE?}

They literally know how to swoon over their audience
I felt all the emotion along them, I laughed cried smiled sobbed with them.
AND
I'M GONNA MISS
Those night phone calls, the imaginary gun that always motivates Tinn (whenever he is talking to his mother), Their warm consoling hugs, them comforting each other, their locking of the pinky fingers even holding hands at the talking stage or that not so eye contact (cause to shy to look straight into each other's eyes), then openly flirting in front of their friends, that foolishly in love smile (THEIR EXPRESSION ARE SOO TRUE TO THEIR CHARACTERS), everything is just soo PERFECT here...THEY MAKE ME BLUSH SO MUCH...
"OHHH BOYS HAVE MERCY ON MY POOR HEART"

[OSTs]

As the main plot is about Music this series has soo many beautiful songs each and every song is worth listening to, and enjoyable. and I love each and every song to the core of my heart...

[Highlights]

I DONT KNOW HOW TO MAKE ONE WATCH THIS SERIES;
-without any NC this series undoubtedly has the most amazing Cast and Chemistrywhether its between the main leads, lead's BFF or Chinzhilla gang
JUST REMEMBER WITH ANY NC THIS SERIES HAS GRABBED/ ATTRACTED SOO MANY BL FANS TO WATCH IT
-A series with overflowing cuteness:
INTELLIGENT N innocently cute lead TINN
STUPID but adorably cute lead GUN
SMART and cleverly cute THIW
FOOLISH n noisy still cute chinzhilla
-TINN, NO ONE DOES IT like Him, this man turned the PERIODIC TABLE into the MOST FLIRTIOUS LINE of BLs "SODIUM RADIUM POTASSIUM"... ohh HOW CUTE.
IM ON TEAM GEMINIFOURTH FOREVER FROM NOW ONWARDS
-CHINZILLA Band IS COOL AND FUNNY AT THE SAME TIME, I LOVE THEIR GANG SOO MUCH PLUS their secret bbq and hotpot nights
-MARK BEING THE SUPPORTER TO EVERYONE HE'S LIKE THE BACK OF BONE THE SERIES
-The rest and the side couples are just a bonus you get along the main couple 10000/10
-NO BL SCHOOL ROMANCE SERIES CAN BEAT THE CHEMISTRY OF THESE TWO, because not only TinnGun but the whole cast is so fun to watch
-BUT DONT BINGE WATCH IT CAUSE IT MIGHT BE TOO SWEET TO DIGEST IN ONE NIGHT... LOL, what I mean is that when you watch it you should savour it: like try to enjoy it to the fullest...
I LOVE #MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT

[HONOURABLE MENTION]
GEMINI IS EVERYONE'S DREAM GUY
FOURTHS IS A SUNSHINE AND THE WAY HE SMILES IS SUPERRR CUTE :D

EDIT:
initially, I gave it 9.5 after watching the finale this deserves BANG ON 1000... this is how a series should end it's just too perfect, A perfect BL. and I PROUDLY DECLARE MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT AS MY FAV BL DRAMA of all time

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A LOT More than just Gut Wrenching Comedy

This is my Initial review of the show after watching 3 episodes. I will try to update my review as the show goes on or when it ends. Sometimes some shows start out well, but then falls apart, hope that doesn't happen to this show. (I've actually edited my review along the way by now, scroll down to see them if you would like, SPOILER: It kept getting better and better with time and finished off well, but if you want to get some context look at the Edits below)

First, anyone who has just watched the trailer for the show, will obviously think this is a funny comical show, which it is, sometimes to the point it feels like I am gonna squeeze and burst my gut out with laughter. The dialogues are funny , well written and translated, but the context of the scenes are even funnier. The comedy is subtle, not forced, very fluid, something a lot of Korean shows miss in my opinion.

However, There is a lot more to this show than just pure hilarious comedy. If you watch at least the first 3 episodes, you will definitely understand what I am talking about, the things that the main two characters are going through, can happen to a lot of us, to anyone of us to be honest. The struggles of these two characters, felt very real to me. Misfortunes happen, they hurt us, scar us, throw our lives into chaos. People misunderstand us, we misunderstand them, which leads us to think we are better off without people. We can't control our anger, our wrath, our obsession with paranoia, our rage towards the fact that we got sucked into the injustice that we never deserved, neither ever planned for.

The casting is good, Obviously. The acting is very good, to the point. The characters have their own charms, the male and female lead are very well played by these two actors. I gave this show a very high Re-Watch value, cause it deserves it. I personally have Re-watched the 3 episodes quite a few times myself.

Now, each episodes are just around 30 mins, which may sound like too small, but quite a lot of things happen in between just those 30 mins. And that's also the great part about this show thus far, it's not too fast, not too slow, and definitely NOT boring at all. If you think you have 30 min time to spare in between your busy schedule, then Definitely go for it. So far, it's Definitely WORTH it.

Edit 1: I've watched till the 6th episode now. It's going very well, and getting rather interesting. I would highly recommend anyone watching up until now, keep watching. We are at a crossroad where the ML and FL will have to intersect into one another's life for the story to progress in the desired/one of the desired directions. One thing to note about this drama, is that the cliffhangers are really done well, it makes you want to watch the next episode like there is no tomorrow, supplemented also by the fact that each episodes are just 30 min long.

Edit 2: I've watched till the 9th episode now. The show is going in a good direction, with just 4 episodes left we needed some new tension and some dosage of emotional vulnerability for the characters to build something real between them in between these episodes, which we got. This show kinda depicts one of the major issues in South Korea, the cyber crimes of sexual assault and such and the aftermath, with all the judgements and bullying and finding and utilizing the loopholes of law to De-humanize the victims to the general people's eyes. Overall, this show doesn't really water down the impacts, neither do they exaggerate to any unrealistic extent.
Although some K-drama-ly aspects are found in the show like a "Too animated with their movements and Talks way too much with too cute voices", it's not really overdone, which is more than you can say for some other romantic K-drama with ultra popular stars. So far, I can say that this show has been a treat to watch.

Edit 3: I've watch till the 11th episode now, and well, things have gotten interesting. The evil aren't really far away, and the main story is getting more focus. Both the ML and FL will have to face their demons, have to fight it, and it will test that relationship they have formed, that's the way the story is progressing it seems. Personally, This is one of the most UNDERRATED gem of a show I've seen in quite a while. At first I wasn't really all that impressed with the Music of the show, I gave it 8.5 because it was decent, however, along the way the music have improved, or rather, they have actually shown all their cards with the music, the first 4-5 episodes they didn't really explore that part much. Now, I am upgrading the Music to a Solid 9. I am also upgrading the Re-Watch value to solid 10, cause, I feel you would love to come back and see many of the episodes again and again, cause I personally have, and probably will in the future. The 30 min per episode sometimes feel very cruel, especially to us, who are watching them immediately when they release, and wait until they release the next one. However, because the episodes are just 30 mins, the show doesn't drag on, it feels dynamic yet serene, funny yet serious in the most crucial elements. Hats off to the Directors and Show-Makers for being able to create such tension in just mere 30 min episodes, while not making it too much on the nose and keeping it grounded.

Edit 4: Finished watching episode 12. This episode was, hands down, The BEST EPISODE up until now. The way the story progressed, was, EXCELLENT. With this kind of relationship, the misunderstanding and the impulsive and emotional decisions that took place in this episode, was bound to happen. People who have been Seriously Abused in a relationship, people who have been hurt by previous relationship not working out, being abandoned in their worst times, have a seriously hard time to really trust themselves with the new relationship. They hardly believe themselves, hate themselves, blame themselves for those misfortunes. This episode, honestly felt very real, and they pulled it off in just 30 min. GREAT ACTING, PERIOD by both these two actors. I am giving the acting an absolute 10. The Music, wow, it now keeps getting better and better every episode it seems. Whatever happens in the last episode, whether we get the ending we deserve or not, either way, I will suggest anyone reading this review, to Really, GIVE THIS SHOW A GO.

Edit 5 (Final): Finished the Finale, ep 13. It was Good, quite a few things happened in just 30 min. Everything came to a conclusion, It was pretty much the best ending you could ask for in a 30 min episode. And that's one thing that I didn't like, they had so much to do in just 39 min, and that they did, but missed out on some details, the gaps to fill, purely because of not having enough time. If this episode was just even 50-55 min long, they could have checked all the tick marks, they could have slowed some developments down a notch and could really sort out things in a steady pace from beginning to end. But nonetheless, it did very well for it's time and gave us all the necessary closure that we needed.

Final Thoughts: WATCH THIS DRAMA, it will be worth your time, and you will remember this drama, honestly. I will call this drama "SEVERELY UNDERRATED". If this drama was casted by IU, Hyun Bin , Park Shin Hye, Suzy Bae, or some ultra popular stars, even with a very mediocre acting, the ratings and popularity would have soared through the sky. Point is, It's a Great show. And Rather than focusing solely/mostly on the cast, which is a problem with Drama-watchers of Kdrama or even any Asian drama, if you are one who is willing to focus more on the story and acting and execution and all those stuff that truly should matter, then watch it. GIVE THIS SHOW A PROPER TRY, that would be my heartfelt suggestion. That's all.

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Best romantic couple

Totally in love with this couple … must watch loved it so much already watched it three times … xing fei is beautiful, her & hu yi tian acting is so real and pure … love from India 😍😇 must must watch … its toally worth it… lots of emotions are involved … will going to watch it again as i am so in love with this couple …. Hope to see them again in season 2 or in any new drama … they are so so good in this one 😇 hope and praying that hello mr sharpshooter do well and it became super hit as i really want to see season 2 of it… beautiful portrayed story between these two …. Other cast is also amazing … everything about this drama is so prefect from my side its super hit …..

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This is the kind of drama you watch strictly to get a your romance fix! If you're not a romcom fan then don't even bother with this one, but If you are a a fan this could be worth watching if you keep your expectations realistic. This one is like a romcom snack. There are enough likable characters, cute moments, and a decent enough story to keep it entertaining, but there isn't really much substance. What really matters is that the 2 leads make a good pair, and that's what kept me watching.

Song Ji Eun is cute as the shy and repressed Yoo Mi, and Sung Hoon is perfect as the "sexy and he knows it" typical spoiled chaebol's son Cha Jin Wook. Of course their paths keep crossing in the expected ways, and their chemistry goes from annoyance to playfulness and then escalating quickly... VERY quickly. I think that's what initially got me hooked. Still, it was obvious pretty early on that there wouldn't be much to this story. As cute as they were as a couple this love story got repetitive pretty quickly, and towards the end was so unrealistic and overly cheesy that I stopped being interested in them at all. Their inner monologues tried so hard to be deep but they seemed really shallow, and the stakes just didn't seem as high as their reactions made them out to be. The more dramatic it got the worst their acting got.

I think the drama did have some entertaining supporting characters. I enjoyed the mom, even if she was a frustrating mess, and Nam Ki Ae is always good at playing a mess of a mother. I liked the second lead, although he didn't have much of a story to work with. My favorite was the Secretary, who's suits made him an instant scene stealer, and his boo in the kitchen staff. The supporting cast helped to make some of the most repetitive moments easier to sit through.

Even though this drama is shorter than most, I still think it was too long. It could have easily been 10 episodes, or maybe even less. I still found myself eager to watch more moments between the two characters, but in the last episodes it was like they just gave up and started to rely on flashbacks! Ugh! The flashback abuse in this drama is pretty epic. Not only does every episode end with recaps that were super literal, extra cheesy, and felt completely unnecessary, but the final episodes almost seemed like music videos strung together with fan compilations of all the cutest scenes. The last 4 episodes are almost unwatchable because it was mostly everything I already saw. They repeated scenes so much that they lost all of their previous charm, including the kiss scenes.

The music is also super cheesy, which matched the show well, but it was driving me a little nutty. There was even a moment where Yoo Mi sings for so long I though it was turning into a musical. So I give the music a 4 for simply not being my taste. Not to mention the damn sound effects. Someone got a little too happy with the sound effects machine!

Would I watch this again? Maybe. I would probably skip the last episodes 10-12, but it's entertaining enough to watch if I need another quick romcom fix. The ending is such a let down, so I'd really have to have run out of other things to watch.

Overall this is a quick romcom you can easily binge watch, but I say keep your finger on the fast forward button for those repetitive flashbacks. If the idea of literally falling into someone's arms sounds too corny, or if a boss using abuse of power to flirt with an employee sounds like a reason to visit HR not a premise for a love story, then maybe you should watch a different kind of drama instead. I really wish they would have put more effort into the story, but for what it was, I was entertained enough to keep watching. For those not scared away by these mediocre reviews I'd say lower your expectations, and enjoy this cheesy romcom snack. (get it... she makes food :( sorry! )

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It was one of a kind

This drama is a shining diamond. It is one of the best dramas I have watched so far and I have no regrets. I would most definitely watch it again. I think the story of the drama was unpredictable, it had many twists and turn. Now we all know that the comedic element in this drama is beyond funny and I love it, but it also made us cry big time. AND I KNOWW!!!! for anyone who watched it had SLS. I personally found the 1st episode kinda long and boring, it literally took me 3 MONTHS to finish one episode.But I pulled myself together and decided to give it a chance and I loved it. So this is a sign to y'all out there who are hesitating to watch it.

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Rookie Historian really has it all: gorgeous costumes, sweeping romance, laugh-out-loud moments as well as cry-your-eyes-out ones, and - most importantly to me - complex female characters who actively engage with the plot and confront social issues that are just as relevant today as they were in the Late Joseon Era.

You may have your issues with Shin Sekyung, or you may have heard Cha Eunwoo is a bad actor, but neither of those things matter here. The former crafts the best performance of her career with a career so vibrant that it seems to have been designed for her, and the latter rises to the occasion and improves HIS craft as the story delves deeper into his character and explores his personal growth. I personally loved their chemistry and the pacing of their romance, and I find their resolution to be entirely fitting.

As for the rest of the cast? Top-notch acting and well-fleshed out characters all around. There are various arcs, both on the political and personal front, which bring a great deal of satisfaction without resorting to a bunch of extra beta ships that go nowhere. Park Kiwoong as the Crown Prince, Lee Jihoon as Officer Min, and the three other female historians played by Park Jihyun, Lee Yerim, and Jang Yubin are all noteworthy. The last group are especially great because we get to see a strong female friendship play out throughout the show, but Rim (Eunwoo) also gets his own set of friends who are equally adorable to watch.

There are times when the introduction of Catholicism can seem a bit heavy-handed, but overall the theme of a changing world and the impact of globalization is really well-executed and very unique compared to any saeguk (or even modern drama) I've seen. It's obvious the writer and her team did their research, and the story is engaging even if there are one or two over-indulgent episodes.

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2 months of my life I've invested in this show. From the day it aired till now, I've been following along, watching some episodes with subs, but being too pulled in to wait for the rest of the series to be subbed. There were parts of it that were a bit lacking (which I'll mention), some characters were a bit too much, others there wasn't enough. Overall, I can't be upset about the time I've put towards this drama. Even if there are some problems with it, overall it's still become one of my favorite new dramas, and possibly of all time.

STORY: 8/10

I will agree with most people that the story was much better in the first half of the drama than in the final arcs. Overall, I think the progression of the story seemed steady and flowed fairly well, albeit having a few less exciting parts at various times. Watching Fu Yao really grow as a person from the young, bubbly and bit stubborn slave girl to growing her martial arts and becoming more powerful for herself to finding out her true origins and setting everything back to the way it should have been - it felt like a very natural progression for her and you really get to see her change and grow as a person - not just being told from the get go that she's a badass for whatever reasons.

The Xuan Yuan Sect arc began a bit slow, but overall I think it was a great opener to meeting these main characters. I think this was the area where I most enjoyed Fu Yao and Wu Ji's relationship because it was the most playful part. They had a somewhat common bottom line when it came to morality and making decisions, but overall they had their own views on things and were able to help each other out along the way. LOFY did a very good job in my opinion on setting up and progressing the relationship between the main couple because you really understood why they came to love each other as much as they do, whereas many dramas it just feels like they're together because someone wrote it that way, and you don't really understand how they got to that level of relationship.

Tai Yuan arc was probably the most entertaining for me - and most people as I've read. My favorite genre for C-dramas is more imperial settings, so having that in combination with the background story of Fu Yao just made things more entertaining. At this point, the only thing that really bothered me was Yan Jing Chen and Pei Yuan story line. I could tell from the beginning that Pei Yuan was going to be one of the enemies, which is fine, but it got a bit stereotypical for me at times - blaming everything on the main girl just because the guy she likes has feelings for the other person/everything is the main lead's fault/etc. Sam with Yan Jing Chen, he made his decision over and over, but obviously regretted it every time, though still had no issues betraying Fu Yao and making the wrong choices. Everything else was great for me though. The story did well tying in the other side characters and giving them a place in the overall story.

Tian Quan arc was pretty short, so not too much bad here. The introduction of Fo Lian took me by surprise honestly, and then the crazy amazing episode with Fu Yao and Zhang Sun Ping Rong (you know which one I'm talking about). Even ? of the way into the story, there was still a good amount of rollercoastering for me - super exciting scenes and a few more subdued ones.

Tian Sha arc is probably my least favorite (and I figured it would be honestly). This was the arc where I knew that the main leads would be more support characters, but I still think that it wasn't as bad as people are making it seem. There were still important bits happening, and the relationship development for more side characters.

Xuan Ji arc brought the story full circle at this point. I think at this point it was fairly predictable what was going to happen, but at the same time, it was still fun seeing how the female run kingdom worked and bringing Fu Yao into the next high point in her life.

Final arc (Tian Quan/Qiong Sang) - I will admit that it kind of amazes me that with 66 episodes, there were still parts of the ending that felt a bit rushed. I wouldn't necessarily say it needed to be longer, but just that they needed to balance out the story a bit more. So much is going on by the final few episodes that it feels a bit like a whirlwind. But again, I'm not an expert on screenwriting so I honestly don't know which parts of the overall show they should've cut down to make things seem more balanced.

ACTING:9/10

Yang Mi - for those who've read my other reviews of Yang Mi's acting, I think she's a very hit or miss actress. TMOPB I think she excelled probably because the writing of her character was good, but still overall there were times when Bai Qian felt kind of one note to me. I think Yang Mi's portrayal of Fu Yao outshined her character in TMOPB and others - if only for the fact you get to see more personality out of her and you really see this overarching journey of Fu Yao's life. YM pulled of the mischievous, young slave at Xuan Yuan, to the more matured concubine at Tai Yuan, to really coming into her own character by the end of the first half of the drama. Overall good job.

Ethan Ruan - Normally I'd say that these types of dramas, unless the male character is the ACTUAL lead lead character, they normally get overshadowed by the female. LOFY was NOT that case. I hadn't seen anything from Ethan Ruan since Fated to Love You, but I remember loving his acting from there, so I had fairly good expectations. Ethan Ruan knocked this out of the park for me. From his first introduction, I was hooked. He was playful and flirty, but mischievous and mysterious. His character was strong and powerful, merciless when he wanted to, but kind and loving when he needed to. I'd honestly say that I'd wish he had some kind of fault to him because his character was overall too perfect in that sense (being supposedly ruthless could be a downfall, but I don't think they really showed that side of him as much as they just talked about it). But overall I think that Ethan Ruan definitely outshined Yang Mi. He had good comedic timing, he wasn't afraid to get ugly when he was angry or sad. Legit he was so into it that there are times when Fu Yao and Wu Ji are having emotional scenes, and you can see a tear drop from his face (even when the camera is just filming from behind him). I'm honestly hoping that LOFY opens up some more doorways for him in mainland China because I really wanna watch more stuff from him ASAP.

Everyone else - this review is already super long, so just quickly, overall everyone else was very good. Qi Zhen (Liu Yi Jun) was definitely a standout bad guy, just as he was in Nirvana in Fire. Superb acting and super believable villainous qualities.

OVERALL/REWATCH: 9/10

I honestly loved this drama. It's not perfect by any means, but it was memorable and exciting for the most part. It's definitely one of my new top favorite dramas. It had just enough relationship storylines along with political plots and general human growth stories. It's definitely going to be one I watch again and again. I really never got bored with it to the point of wanting to drop it. The storyline made much more sense and had much better flow than others of its type (looking at you Princess Agents) and I think that the directing and cinematography was great. Acting overall was a huge plus - especially with such a large cast, but I think everyone did a pretty solid job overall.

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I finished this drama special last night (this morning) at around 1:00 am. There was so much adrenaline pumping through me that I wanted to write my review right then, but at the same time I had to digest this masterpiece for a while first. Because this is a masterpiece, and here's why.

First, I will say that if you like Kdramas, this one is absolutely unique in the entire genre. I've seen over 100 and nothing even seems to have been made on the same planet as this. So it definitely has the uniqueness factor - check.

Secondly, because it was a special rather than a full drama, it has a nice short run time of only 8 episodes, so it is great for those with ADHD or who like Kdramas but not the fact that they tend to be so long. Actually, my only real complaint about this drama is that there isn't more of it!

Of course, the first two positive things I've said about this drama are just shallow fluff and not really the reasons I called it a masterpiece. But they are good reasons that I think this is the ultimate drama for introducing noobs to Kdramas (particularly American noobs as those are the kind I know best).

But now on to the real meat of the matter -- why is this a masterpiece, and not just a Korean masterpiece, but possibly a masterpiece of television, period?

1. VISUALS! Did I say visuals? Oh, and visuals. This is one of the most singularly beautiful (and eerie) things I've ever watched. The PD is Kim Yong Soo and going foward I will watch anything he directs (he directed Equator Man, which while it has its plot flaws, no one can deny its cinematography is stunning). Every camera shot is perfectly framed for maximum visual and emotional impact. At times it felt more like watching a series of paintings or artistic photographs pass by rather than film. The visual harmony between the stark modern architecture, the snow, the shadows and even the physical characteristics of the actors themselves and how they are framed in each and every shot demonstrates tremendous forethought and superior aesthetic awareness. I could have watched this drama with the sound and subs off and still enjoyed it; that's how beautiful it is.

2. Acting. Considering the youth of this cast, the acting was quite good, and this drama could not have been pulled off without their sublime efforts because the claustrophobic, character-driven nature of this drama requires great acting. I read on Dramabeans that when the kids were cast that the writer cared more about physical type (because the visuals and theme were that important to her) than acting ability and that most of the actors were considered relatively inexperienced at the time; although, we know most of them very well now (Woo Bin and Sung Joon, for example). I found this revelation startling in light of the brilliance of their acting in White Christmas.

3. Music. Much like the visuals, the music was also all perfectly thought out at every moment to achieve maximum emotional effect. And for we English speakers, there is deft use of some popular tunes like AC/DC's Back in Black, Arcade Fire's Wake Up and Massive Attack's Teardrop (aka the theme song from House), just to name a few. This actually is my favorite soundtrack of any Kdrama I've seen because much of the music was recognizable and that just added to the overall impact of how well it was used to increase the emotional impact of the scenes and theme, rather than just as background music like so many soundtracks. The soundtrack in this drama practically takes on a life of its own and White Christmas would not be the same without it.

4. Theme & Writing. No bones about it, this is a DARK drama and not for the faint of heart. But once again, what makes it great is that it is not dark in the usual twisted crazy parent, birth secret, killing for money, insane makjang way of most dark Kdramas. This is dark because of the theme and the theme is a very simple and universal one relatable to anyone anywhere (that I am not going to go into here because I don't want to give anything away). Much like with the visuals and the music, the writing was also very focused in this drama, without any of the meandering, unfocused, repetitiveness that plagues the live shoot portion of so many Kdramas. Sure it was only 8 episodes, but every scene, every word, of those 8 episodes was perfectly thought out to elucidate the main theme with nothing extraneous and nothing left out either. EXCEPT....

There was one flaw in this otherwise perfect drama and it's a pretty major plot hole that occurs in the last episode that sent my bulls*** radar pinging. And despite my great love of this drama I refuse to let the writer off. If you've seen it, you probably know what I mean. However, I understand why the writer had to do what she did for the overall structure and theme of the drama, and, therefore, I forgive her. Because, in the wake of this glorious tour de force, I am willing to let a little final-hour-what-the-f**ckery slide.

In summation, watch this drama! You will NOT be disappointed. And if by same crazy miracle you are, there is a scene in episode 6 where all the guys take their shirts off, so hold on until there at least!

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I came for Jung Hae In, and I stayed for the issues

This is just beautiful, like a walk in to some pretty cold waters from a beautiful beach, slowly getting deeper, and deeper, while the winds rise up to the perfect storm....

If you are looking for a comedy this is not the place to look, even if it does use quite a bit of humour this is certainly a drama dealing with some pretty heavy issues and will probably make you feel a whole lot of anger, sorrow and may even make you cry. The early episodes will probably make you laugh too but the further you get the deeper the issues and by the fifth episode you will have been close to tears, kept on your toes and angry at the world.

What I love about this drama, besides the obvious presence of Jung Hae In, is that they dare to show the complexity to the characters, how one thing leads to another and tackle important issues such as bullying, suicide, group mentality, domestic violence, poverty and the all important bystanders in a beautiful way by using all means available. Music, cinematography, lighting all work perfectly to set the mood and are just up my alley. So I rated it with ten stars. However you should know this is my type of drama and I am extremely bias towards Jung Hae In. But if you like me enjoy issues, dark humor and Jung Hae In this drama will leave you hoping for a second season, and thinking it was way to short , they should have given it at least 10 episodes instead of the short 6.

For fellow Jung Hae In fans his character here (as well as the drama ) are more like Prison playbook than the flirty guy in Something in the rain, and yes he does this role perfectly (like always)

All in all I definitely recommend this to those who are not afraid to dip in to some dark deep waters...

P.s I laughed every time Jun Ho repeated his name and rank... I hope you will too

Edit: make sure to stay all the way, the epilog in the end is really important and worth watching (even though jhi is not present)

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This is really the perfect drama when you want to watch something not super serious, the evil people aren't frustrating and don't drag, the romances and friendships are super cute (the only thing ill complain about is in like the last 4 eps, they just had to bring the ex gf back to cause some trouble, which i found a bit overkill and cliche, but the rest of the story is realy nice and it only happens for a short time ad the ML never wavers for her anyway so yeah, if you can roll your eyes for like an episode, you'll experience such a great feel-good drama, really.

want to know about the couples? you've got:

secretly very sweet ceo + charming employee who started the company together and have been together for so long any kind of attraction they could have had is destroyed by habit

the single mom with the cutest little kid ever + boyfriend with opposing mother (who has lots of character development)

And the cutest playboy who's world turns upside down when he falls for his bestfriend (who's watched him and his playing-the-field BS for years)

NOW TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU ARE ASKING IN YOUR BRAIN:

Yes, there are a number of kiss scenes. Yes, the girl actually responds to them. yes, the ceo is still swoonworthy without being a jerk. No, their colleauges are not bitchy and jerks, they're very cute and like a family. No, the parents are not seceretly satan: ready to bitch-slap or money-envelope-slap the FL. No, the ML doesn't have a very cliche tragic backstory, but it's still a backstory to make him look very lonesome-heroesque, don't worry (because is a swoonworthy ceo really a swoonworthy ceo without the #darkpast? i. think. not.)

well, it's also short to binge in a day if you really try hard (24 eps, baby, the best number to see on a cdrama profile) . just trust me, you'll love it if you're looking for this kind of cute love story.

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(Slightly) EDITED:
“A story about three brothers in their 40s and a girl in her 20s facing the hardships of life and helping each other through the process.” The initial description of “My Ahjussi” was something along these lines, and as far as the storyline goes, that is enough to tell you the essence of it. A look at the daily lives of three middle aged men and a young girl. How interesting could it be? What could possibly be happening in their lives that makes it engaging enough to have a whole show about them? Is it something extraordinary? Definitely not. Is it something you have never seen before? Not really. But, is it worth watching? Oh god yes.

This show has fascinated me more than any other K-drama so far. If you ask me why, I probably won’t be able to tell you a specific reason. After all, what is so fascinating about going to work, walking your co-worker home, and drinking in a bar with your friends? What is so fascinating about 2 brothers running a cleaning service together? I don’t know. But after you see this show you will see that it most definitely is. “My Ahjussi” got me hooked since the first episode. I found myself waiting for the new episodes each week just to see three brothers suffer at work during the days and drink away their nights. There is no one particular thing that is special in this show, but all the elements of it put together make an extraordinary masterpiece. The actors, the characters, the music, the atmosphere, everything fits so perfectly. The story is not abrupt, it doesn’t have many dramatic moments, yet it can go from heart-breaking to heart-warming in an instant. It is not this fast paced show that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to end, but it is rather this soft field filled with snow that you will find yourself falling in more and more with each episode. And after it ended, of all the things that can be said about “My Ahjussi”, all I could really mumble was….WOW. You know a show has been exceptional when it makes you feel so satisfied that you watched something so beautiful, yet leaves you with a void in your heart, because it is over and you won’t get to see any more of it.

If I would say all the things I have to say for this drama, this review would be really, really long, so I will just try to touch upon everything I didn’t get to mention. First of all, the three brothers. I really can’t tell which one of them did a better job, they were all phenomenal. Each of them with a different, yet still similar path in life, each of them facing their own problems, yet managing to get through them just because they are together. You could see the pain in their eyes through each and every scene, even in the scenes when they were laughing. This is especially true for the oldest brother, it seemed as if he could break down in tears in any moment. Just by looking into their eyes you could almost feel the burdens they are carrying. And Lee Sun-Kyun…well…I really can’t see anybody else portraying the “Ahjussi” role. He was born for this drama. Everything he did was just so perfect. A friend worth keeping, a son that makes you proud, a brother that is always by your side, and a husband….yeah, I’m not quite sure how to put that last one. Nevertheless, all three of them managed to play their parts so well that you just see the characters, you forget about the actors.

From all the K-pop singers that I’ve seen in dramas, only one left a positive impression on me, and that was Lee Junho. And after this role, IU is the second one. Some may say that you don’t need much acting skills to just walk around with a frozen face and your head down, and barely say anything, but I think that that was definitely not the case here. Quite the opposite actually, she gave away so much by saying so little. You could see that she was full of emotions behind that emotionless face, and the way she managed to show us that was really unique. Small, weak, fragile at first glance, but tough, dedicated to her goal, and ultimately warm-hearted as the drama progresses. “The girl that is always underdressed for the weather” as Ahjussi described her, perfectly portrayed what it means to truly care for someone. Every moment of screen time with her was a pleasure to watch. I haven’t seen her in any other dramas, but for this drama, IU, I salute you.

All the other characters did an amazing job as well. Lee Ji-Ah gave us a mixture of emotions going from extreme hatred to even, believe it or not, sympathy at some points. The CEO and his helpers easily made us despise them, while Jung Hee and Yoora (Nara and Nara) were loveable from start to finish. Even the monk, which we didn’t see a lot of, felt like he had a big impact in the drama. That is just a hint of how good everybody was.

When it comes to the atmosphere and the setting, I usually prefer shows that are set in the countryside, or some aesthetically pretty places, rather than the city, but this one was just so well done that I had really no problem with it, it actually made me like the city a lot more. All the typical city places we see in numerous shows, the offices, the bars, the high class hotels, and middle class apartments, all have so much more meaning now. And the soundtrack…oh the soundtrack… all the melancholy songs this show had actually make me happy when I hear them now, simply because they remind me of “My Ahjussi”.

I could go on and on about this for hours, but let’s wrap it up. Time flies by in a second while watching this show. The world around you feels different while watching this show. There were 16 episodes of it, and it feels like I could watch 16000 more and I will still enjoy it as much as I do now. I long to see a drama that will touch my heart as much as “My Ahjussi”. All the other K-dramas feel so distant, as if they were of a different kind. And they probably were. “My Ahjussi”...is truly…one of a kind. And no matter how much more of this I write, the true beauty of this show can’t be put into words. Just go and watch it. Live it. Hats off.

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It's always something when strong women take over your screen, and it's happening a lot nowadays. What makes Avenger's Social Club stand apart is the fact that it focuses on strong women who are not 20-somethings trying to take on the world. Instead, it puts well-established women in the spotlight as if to say, damn it, we can change the world too.

Some might argue this, and that's fine, but as I watched ASC, I admired what I felt was a tightly-written narrative about three women who decided to take a stand in a world that would otherwise tell them to sit down, shut up, keep up appearances, and melt in with the masses. Thus, while ASG is a comedy (and it is incredibly funny), it is also a wonderful social commentary about sticking one's head out, taking a risk, and bringing down corruption.

I can't say enough about the cast, in particular, our three women protagonists, played by Lee Yo Won, Ra Mi Ran, and Myung Se Bin. Their sisterly chemistry is off the charts, and it truly shows in how they interact with each other despite being from different backgrounds. In fact, that might be one of my favorite aspects of this ensemble--the fact that three women of three distinct backgrounds were able (in drama transcript) to rally together. It's something not often seen in dramas. Lee Yo Won as Kim Jung Hye is incredible; one might find her a slight bit rough around the edges at first, but later, she shows amazing gusto with effortless poise. Ra Mi Ran is great as the neighborhood ahjumma with great charisma and an even greater heart; her bond with the two younger women is beautiful. Myung Se Bin does well with her character as well, and her observable growth in the show is great.

Revenge is sweet, of course, and is always better when accompanied by nice background music that adds details to every plan and playful mischievousness to every new revenge-filled  venture. In this, the ASC OST shined.

I'm definitely going to watch this again, even if it's just to hear Jung Hye say, "You son of a b****~" once again.

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