Reviews

Worth your time!

The series is still on-going but I’ll just drop my two cents here. I love this cdrama! I don’t know but I like this kind of trope. It’s cute, fresh and lovely to watch.

Plot is well written- no unnecessary jump in the story. Cringey - sometimes but I guess.. that’s how cdrama is.

Actors, Yu Wen and Zi Qi’s chemistry is *chef’s kiss*. Loved that this is already their 2nd drama as couple! I love how this is kinda continuation with Once we get married- cos they literally have a son here.

Highly recommended to my fellow c-drama lovers out there! Worth your time! ❤️

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To Catch a Thief

Cui Xingzhou, the mighty Prince Huaiyang has been trying to catch a thief, the slippery bandit Lu Wen for some time. He stumbles upon a comatose Liu Mintang and like all princes, he simply cannot let sleeping beauties lie. Convinced she must be the beloved mistress of his nemesis, he rescues her intending to use her as bait. Conveniently, she has amnesia and mistakes him for her husband ! Thus this cold and formidable fief lord awkwardly assumes the persona of an indolent and not terribly successful merchant who dotes on his wife. Miantang's true colors emerge as a determined and capable business woman with an scary knack for turning hairpins into lethal weapons. It seems Xingzhou may have bitten off more than he can chew as it becomes clear Miantang has secrets and hidden depths that she herself barely remembers. Meanwhile his elaborate charade and lies keep snowballing until eventually half the town is complicit. What ensues is the kind of comedy of errors that arises when hero syndrome meets analysis paralysis. Complicating matters, her memory and past life catches up with them just as they both become invested in their fake domestic bliss and fall for each other. How will they to resolve their past grievances and make a life together as their true selves?

What I appreciate most about this drama is both Xingzhou and Miantang are grey characters who have agency if not free will. They are well matched in terms of cunning, intellect, ability and ruthlessness. I enjoyed watching them work against each other almost as much as I enjoyed their working together. As someone who loves dark characters, I wish they toned down the comedy and dived into a darker and more passionate exploration of their undeniable chemistry and stunning visuals. While Zhang Wanyi is an exceptional character actor, comedy is not his forte. His expressions and delivery is almost too textbook perfect and his comedic timing lacks spontaneity. He pauses for too long to let the punchline sink in when he should keep going as the audience already got it and is waiting for the next joke. The humor is straightforward and not that sophisticated so it needs to unfold at a fast pace to hold audience interest. To speed things along, I watched most of this drama at 1.25 speed, something I almost never do. The comedy also masks that Xingzhou is quite a dark character that does controversial things to Miantang, manipulating her to the point of gaslighting. Zhang Wanyi could have pulled off a darker portrayal in an absolutely riveting and charismatic way so that is an opportunity missed. Nonetheless, he is compelling as a powerful and complicated fief lord who to his chagrin, falls in love with the enemy; a most unlikely and unsuitable woman.

Wang Churan is a vivid beauty and her comedic timing is more instinctive than Zhang Wanyi's. Her portrayal of the amnesiac Miantang is natural and charming. However, her character transitions after Miantang recovers her memory could be better written and portrayed. Part of the problem is in the novel, Xingzhou crosses some lines that he does not cross in the drama. Thus Miantang's rage and sense of betrayal is disproportionate to what actually happened. The stabbing scene was undeserved and this kind of violence is off-putting and has no place in a story where the couple is not breaking up for good. Beyond that, Miantang is a worldly character, a rebel who was on fairly intimate terms with Ziyu without much regard for her reputation. She played in the same sandbox with the big boys so it was baffling to see her go so full on girl angry at Xingzhou, who was just doing his job. These are mostly writing issues but there is also something lacking in the acting. Wang Churan was not able to reflect the character's evolution and approached it as if Miantang became a different person. There are unspoken ways to convey that at the core, Mianting is still the same Miantang; that the person Xingzhou fell for is still there. A more experienced actress would have used micro-expressions and subtle character traits to achieve this. And then just as inexplicably after the angst drags on long enough, she becomes sweet and forgiving domestic Miantang again! Since Wang Churan is new to lead roles and she is so lovely, I am happy to be forgiving. Nonetheless this diminishes Xingzhou as a character and made him appear no less a foolish, love brain than Ziyu. I am also left with a nagging concern that Miantang may be bipolar!

Even though this drama has some interesting and unique ideas and is refreshing in the way women are portrayed, I found it to be a bland watch overall. Despite some fun and memorable moments, the plot arcs are shallow and rehash well known battle for the throne tropes. Which is fine if the character arcs are well done but while the main characters are complex, they are dumbed down by the comedic focus. Miantang is inconsistently written; she starts out as a strong and independent woman who doesn't need to get married to have a fulfilling life. She abandons Ziyu's cause without a backward glance, abandons her revenge arc after a half-hearted attempt to infiltrate the palace, takes over an escort business before deciding she liked playing house best. At the end, I couldn't figure out what she was about. The character I enjoyed best turned out to be Shi Xueji. She finds so much joy in life's simple pleasures, is resilient and her quiet wisdom and dignity impressed me as much as Miantang's inconsistencies did not. I loved how the actress conveyed a layered character with deep and moving emotions via subtle expressions and a gentle smile that radiates with unbridled happiness. I also quite enjoyed Ziyu's character but the second couple was coma inducing and completely irrelevant to the story.

The drama finishes strongly at the climax in both the conspiracy and character arc but doesn't change the fact that despite its fresh premise it did not have enough substance to support 40 episodes. It would have been a more enjoyable watch at a tight 24 episodes or if they had engaged in a deeper and darker exploration of the characters. Nonetheless if you don't over analyse, it is very entertaining as a light romantic watch with phenomenal acting by Zhang Wanyi. My rating is 8/10 but I can see romance fans rating it a bit higher.

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I've given it the highest score in everything, because it's my most favorite story ever. Being a big lover of classical music and always charmed by world of musicians I really couldn't ask for anything better. The acting is outstanding, not only the leads, but also the supporting characters are all very lively and unique. Some of them may feel a little bit overdone, especially foreigners played by Japanese actors, but they will make roll with laughter. Takenaka Naoto as Franz Strezemann was just epic. Apart from all the enjoyable silliness, the drama, at least in my opinion, was very touching at times, especially the follow-up story in specials and movies. That's why I highly recommend to watch it all.Even my husband, who usually don't care about that "asian stuff" that I'm crazy about, loved it and watched it 3 times with me. If you like classical music, but you think of it rather emotionally than seriously and you enjoy anime-like gags, you will have a blast watching this. I did!

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A Hidden Gem

The Kingdom of Great Chu is a female-centric world where women’s and men’s roles are flipped. Women hold power and important office, whereas men stay home and do house chores, tend to the kids and are subservient to their wives. Here, we have a female emperor, and all the generals and ministers are women, and a powerful female shizi (世子) who holds the prestigious title inherited through her family. All families’ heritance and titles are to be passed down to daughters, and men are to be married into the women’s households. Courtesan houses are popular where men serve for the women’s pleasure.

Shen Ye (Yuan Hao) has fallen in love with Shu Cheng (Jia Ze aka Claire Jia) since they were both kids because she had shown kindness towards him. From then, Shen Ye disguises as various characters and hides within her circle, secretly protecting her. As the intelligent shizi, the Emperor is threatened by her prowess and military power her family holds, and secretly sends out assassins to kill her. Time and time again, assassinations fail because Shen Ye always protects her in the dark, and she always comes out unscathed.

After saving Shu Cheng yet again in an ugly humpback cover that leads to her falling in love with him, Shen Ye changes his identity and reveals himself to her as the owner of Feng Lou, a courtesan house where wealthy women come to drink and to be entertained by male courtesans. Here, Shen Ye is considered as a stunning beauty in the Kingdom of Great Chu. He is charming and fast to please, frivolous and loves money dearly; but all these are on the surface. Under that good-looking skin, Shen Ye is intelligent and schemeful; he is always ahead of everyone around him, and always has a solution for every problem he encounters. He has multiple identities which add additional mysteries to his character. Despite being such a complex character, Shen Ye is devoted and willing to give up everything for the one he loves. He has so many secrets that he says he would reveal to Shu Cheng at the appropriate moment, this has created a lot of hilarious suspicions and misunderstandings by Shu Cheng. How Shen Ye continues to overcome such obstacles and maintains Shu Cheng’s love for him is brilliant.

I am intrigued by the Shen Ye character. I almost spit out laughing when he wears a veil covering his face when appearing in public or meeting with other women (think of ancient women wearing veils). His visor-looking veil is really ugly and looks funny on his face. Perhaps this is the purpose – to make viewers laugh. Yuan Hao’s portrayal of the character is very believable. He has a face that can look feminine (to be called beautiful in the land of Great Chu), and yet he is also very masculine.

Shu Cheng has to pretend to be a playgirl to make the Emperor let down her guard and stop wanting to kill her. So, she frequents Shen Ye’s courtesan house and proclaims he is hers; she tries to look as bad as possible. She is taken by surprise when she finds out that the man she’s being decreed to marry by the Emperor is Shen Ye under a different identify, Su Rongqing, the only son of one of the Emperor’s high ranking ministers. Even after they get married, Shu Cheng still doesn’t fully know Shen Ye’s real identity and what is under his sleeves. She loves him and yet doesn’t trust him, whereas for Shen Ye, he respects and loves her with no holding back. Despite their sweet romance, the secrecy spurs the plot on.

This is the first aired drama for Jia Ze playing a main lead. I find her acting better than many better known names. As the shizi, Jia Ze manages to bring out her commandeering charisma, courage, earnesty and upstandingness, and yet she also shows her feminine side when she is tormented by the conflict of her love for a man whom she believes to be a usurper, and her love for her country that she swears to protect. Jia Ze is natural and convincing.

The second couple is amazing with a very compelling story. Both Li Zhehao and Peng Yaqi (aka Yakisa) put up a fine performance as a heart-wrenching couple, Shen Cong and Murong Wanqing, who endure revenge and love, romance and guilt. The Murong Wanqing character reminds me of the sweet-silly characters played by Zhao Lusi. In fact, Peng Yaqi and Zhao Lusi look somewhat alike in their aura and demeanor under certain instances.

My Verdict

Unusual, refreshing, great plot, captivating storyline, intense, lovely characters, good humor, sweet romance, fine writing, directing and production. Unfortunately, not many viewers are watching this wonderful drama because decent English subtitles are not available at the time of airing, therefore, the rating here is lower than it deserves.

An enjoyable watch. Don’t miss it!

P/S: A sneak peek of next season seems to be dark and even more intense with amnesia, deaths, and protagonists turn antagonists.

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I was immediately enthusiastic. It is exciting. Intelligent. Complex. Stylish. Cinematic. Touching.

In "Secret Boutique", the boutique itself is actually not the main focus, but rather its boss. With what her boutique secretly offer she has made herself irreplaceable for the established upper circles of society .
- An eye-catcher: Kim Sun-a as Jenny Jang in always exquisite, stylish fashion and with sunglasses that are extravagant in every lighting condition. She acts mostly calm, controlled, superior, with a poker face and in every situation a suitable solution to the problem.
- A joy: Go Min-si as an intelligent Baduk (Go) player and equal strategist who suddenly stumbles into Jenny Jang's team.
- A ray of hope: The fact that this KDrama lives on the many powerful female leads. Three Jaebeol ladies (!) included. The 'men' here tend to be tame shepherd dogs in the service of 'their' ladies...

I was immediately enthusiastic about "Secret Boutique". The KDrama is exciting. Intelligent. Complex. Stylish in the high-end segment. Often almost cinematic in light, colors, camera and set design. And despite all the sublime arrogance, sophistication and need for (self)control, it is also touching. Human traits are presented not only abysmal. A warming grounding in cordiality comes along with the characters around the Go player Lee Hyeon-ji.

Calling the story of "Secret Boutique" a romance wouldn't be appropriate. Feelings still play an important role - here and there and over there, too. Deep feelings no less. Nothing is shallow here. But primarily I would describe the KDrama as the exciting story of a revenge campaign. A story about the (emotional) price of such a vendetta. In addition, an intriguing story about the unfair, corrupt and criminal machinations of the greedy rich, who unscrupulously go over dead bodies, too. A compassionate story that offers insight into the very particular structure of the Jaebeol empires, which channel their power within the family (at the expense of trust, warmth and closeness). A touching story about love and loyalty. Also about how roles, norms and social structures as well as an ambitious ego hurt your own heart. In addition, the KDrama came up with a profound punchline that takes the Jaebeol worldview to the point of absurdity: the Jaebeol daughters, who are so convinced of their elitist, inherited noblesse and who consider themselves so much more valuable due to their lineage, actually do not have any Jaebeol-blood at all ... "Secret Boutique" portrays all of its drama characters in a complex, multi-faceted and tangibly human way.

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If you’re in the mood for an intense thriller then you’re in the right place.

It’s a shame that this drama didn’t get the right international attention despite the fact that this is one of the best produced K-dramas back in 2012.

This is a journey in the harsh world of political schemes and the higher ups power struggle where the jungle law is effective: “the strong consumes the weak”. However, a man defies that law and starts his own journey of justice to defend his beliefs accompanied by fellows and confronted by whoever who gets hold of power. The Chaser’s screenwriting is almost flawless if we exclude some events, nothing less from a genius writer named Park Kyeong Soo who never fails in delivering delicious witty dialogues full of wisdom quotes. The thrilling events will keep you at the edge of your seat; just get ready to throw yourself into a ride of consuming twists and endless turns because that’s the core of this drama: Extremely Intense screenwriting.

If I have to talk about acting, I would say it’s high-class and very penetrating especially the main leads’. With veteran charismatic actors like Kim Sang Joong and Son Hyun Joo, you’re bound to expect perfect roles’ portrayal and astonishing acting skills. Other actors were also fitting and quite enjoyable to watch.

As for the characters, you will find yourself compassionate towards the protagonist and not hating the evil figure mainly because he succeeds at making you understand his motives. The rest of characters were appreciated especially their development but if I have to mention the most absorbing character in this drama, I would say Chairman Seo Dong Hwan. He had such a complex character that can be described as a man of wisdom, who represented power but those qualities can also be interpreted as filthy power and misleading wisdom.

It's a given that intense dramas with several twists would lose its factor of surprise once it's rewatched that's why its value is low.

To summarize, you should watch this if you’re looking for a good thriller, unique plot, cliché-free storyline, top-notch acting, powerful screenwriting and deep characters. However, if you’re searching for a romantic plot, cheesy events, light drama or idol actors then you shouldn’t be reading this in the first place.

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1) The reason I watched this:

At the time, I needed something cliche to watch so this seemed to be the right option.

2) Storyline/Plot:

Well, it wasn't that special or original, it's one of the common rom-com stories that you can find anywhere but it wasn't boring.

Positive points:

*Funny moments mixed with romantic moments along with serious moments made this film appealing somehow.
*The seduction element was somehow hilarious and childish which excludes blank moments during the story's development.

Negative points:

*This is your usual rom-com so don't expect anything special from it since it had all the cheesy-cliche moments that you probably saw before.

Story: 5.5/10

3) Acting/Cast:

*Henney Daniel: his presence made this film very interesting to watch plus he was speaking good English not the sort of English that would hurt your ears. I am going to be subjective about his acting because all I saw there was only looks and *inser shallow feelings*.

*Uhm Jung Hwa's peformance wasn't bad but the role didn't fit her age, there were serious age probems in this film.
*Anyway, the chemistry was acceptable so no hard feelings about the acting department.

Cast: 6/10
Acting: 4.5/10

4) The ending:

This was your typical rom-com ending but I have to say that I didn't appreciate the final scene.

The ending: 7.5/10

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I had fun while watching this film mainly because of Daniel which means my shallow feelings took over while watching this plus it's one of the fewest rom-com films that I rewatch sometimes only for my shallow feelings.

My impression: 8.5/10

6)Overall:

*If u like rom-coms then you would like this.
*If you want to watch a good looking male lead then this is for you.

Overall: 6.5/10

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I never thought that I would ever rate a drama of 100+ episodes "10/10".

I mean that's hardly impossible. Usually, long dramas must contain few boring episodes. But this is an exception.



PPL WHILE WATCHING THIS DRAMA I WAS ALWAYS THINKING WHY DID NO ONE RECOMMEND THIS ONE TO ME?!


- The story is unique and addicting (will get you attracted from the very first episode to the very last). All the stories(including sub-stories) are interesting and never fails to entertain you. 133 episodes and you won't skip a minute.

- The acting is really good that whenever they cry, I do. Whenever they laugh,I laugh as well. The romance is so effin attracting that you can't get enough of it. Drama's love never touched my heart like this one did. I envied such a love.

- The music is catchy. Not the best but it really fits every scene.

- Even though a 133 episodes and I never rewatched a drama, I think that one day, I will re-watch this one.

- Overall I give it a 10 without a second thought. You hear me ppl, A FUCKING 10!



P.S anyone who misses it or ignore it because it's a 100+ drama, then you missed a MASTERPIECE.

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Authentic! The people, the stories, the setting. Affectionate, humorous & true to life characters

"Diary of a Prosecutor" is an extremely delightful, unconventional and, despite all the sometimes snappy, sometimes cheerful, sometimes pitch black, sometimes heartful humor, it also offers a quite serious, profound examination of jurisdiction and practically handling the law. This embedded in the simple everyday work-life of ordinary people, told from the perspective of a provincial prosecutor. The script is based on the essay "Civil War Prosecutor", written by a real prosecutor and inspired by his personal experiences.

So it is primarily about the everyday life on the office floors and behind the office doors of the public prosecutor's office. First and foremost, this is about profane workdays that often last until late, including dinner and drinks with colleagues. However, this is also about a noble task, the juggling with legal regulations, the ideals of a just society and the diplomatic basics in dealing with superiors in the strict hierarchy from the bottom to the top. And last but not least, this is a potpourri of different individual stories of quite ordinary people who face the challenges of their inconspicuous lives every day anew, and eventually grow from them - as it is in life...

In other words, you get: a variety of people you grow fond of as you get to know them better; a job-portrait that is subject to the highest expectations, but whose credibility in the country is still not easy. And a (fictional) outskirts - a town at the seaside, famous for its oyster harvest. The filming took place in Tonyeong-si in the very south of the country, where practically the entire crew (around 150 people, including cast) stayed during the five-month shooting period... Provincial life is thus breathing from every pore of the KDrama - everything is a bit more relaxed, closer to nature. Seoul is far away…

Conclusion: Authentic! The people, the stories, the setting. The dramaturgical 'trick': the greater narrative of the omniscient narrator. The humor that comes along with it. Sometimes ironic, sometimes satirical, sometimes bone dry. Bottom line: funny and complex at the same time. Affectionate, humorous and true to life personality portraits. In script and play. The cases and the ethical questions involved go deep at times. And yet it is people who deal with it. Colleagues. Eventually in competition at times. Imperfect people, with weaknesses, even if they wear robes. Yet, people who can excel themselves at times, too. Other than that, the days, weeks, months and years go by, case after case, team dinner after team dinner...

As far as Korean life and culture is concerned, with this KDrama you can get pretty close to the people and their everyday world in many ways. Because of this and a wonderful overall concept, whose good spirit works on all scales, I consider “Diary of a Prosecutor” highly valuable.

Maybe it's a bit unusual at first. Don't let it irritate you. Keep going. I´d say it is worth it...

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The Chemistry? chemistrying and Censorship? Bet

The MLs dynamic is a kidnapped forced marriage lol, then enemies to "bromance" even when they're enemies they stand up and protect each other they have their own moments. Despite being short it's detailed and done well like any full length drama, even side characters have a nicely detailed style, acting and cast stands out the most they are brilliant and carried well.

Plot is very serious a seek for revenge and the events are portrayed in a nice pace, there's a couple funny moments but most of it is angsty and the focus is the male leads, the side female character is a sister figure she's not portrayed terribly thankfully but rather a kind person who supports the people around, so if you're seeking a bromance focus it's doing that.

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If someone had told me I would watch Switch Girl one day, I'd have laughed. This show is the most random thing I've ever watched, so full of absurdities and manga-like situations you either approach it with no intellectual expectations or you'll sue the production.

And yet, here I am writing a review for the 2nd season, after having marathoned through the first in one night and this one in the next.
The plot is full of cliches - from a narrative point of view, the 1st season was much better - with a little too much lingering on evil sex slave dealers laughing crazily and raising their malignant eyes to the skies. There have been moments I wished they would just go on with the plot (whatever that was), since the drama only has 4 hours time to tell it.

The force of this show is therefore not in the plot, but the characters. Nika, our heroine, is possibly the most adorable being in the northern emisphere. I simply love her. Not because I can rely, or because she's realistic, or because she's flawed but for a combination of those and an amazing ability to surprise me. I couldn't stop laughing at her antics, her sitting in the middle of a square crying about her pubic hair showing from under her underwear. The second after, I would empathize with her. Yes, she's a crazy character whom you can either love or hate, but not ignore.

Arata is the silent hero every girl dreams of, and the chemistry between these two is quite striking if you think this drama is romantic despite having no such ambition.
All the side characters are insane and some deliciosuly hilarious. The villains, on the other hand, are so stereotyped they are forgotten the moment they are out of the screen.

Music is nothing special in this one, while I thought it was quite well chosen in the 1st season.

All in all, I am ready to recommend this drama to:
1. clever people who have put their brains in the fridge for some time to recharge it and don't want to use it for a while
2. fans of Renn Kiriyama (someone has called my name?) and/or Nishiuchi Mariya
3. girls who want to learn what to avoid before a romantic evening with their boyfriend, such as wild hair removal or litres of aphrodisiac perfume
4. lovers of manga-like, over the top comedy

If you're one of the above, enjoy your watch!

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Top Tier Chemistry

Anyone hesitant to watch this drama because of the "fake-sibling" tag, it's not like what you think. Let me help break it down; Shenyuan, played by Zhang Wang Yi is the illegitimate son of the Luo family. He never considered Yining, played by Ren Min as a sister or anyone in the Luo household "family" because of the negligence he faced. He is only kind to her because her mother was the only person that looked out for him when he was young. They both grew up separately and when Yining returned, he approached her with an intent motive. He finds out early on that she is not his "half-sibling". He later notice that he was beginning to look at her in a different way but remained respectful due to their "relationship status". Yining is also kind to him because she feels guilty about an accident that happened when they were young (that's the only memory she has of him). She also feels connected to him due to the similar unfair treatments they receive from their "father".

Their relationship transition was respectfully well-written. ZWY and RM executed their roles well and their chemistry is top tier. Their characters are resourceful and complimentary. I love the dynamics between them and you'll find yourself wanting more of them. They're consistent, know what they want and get what they want.

Overall, this drama is very cliche but ZWY and RM did well on delivering it. They kept me engaged and this is the first time that I bough fast pass for a drama and it's worth it. I hope to see more of them together in future projects. I love their on and off screen interactions.

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