I'll put a spoiler-masked-comment below to discuss my thoughts on the ending.
Since this one started I have been eagerly anticipating the next episode and they've been getting better (or worse, depending on your perspective...) at the cliffhangers throughout the show, the last few episodes have some serious "ARGH! NEXT! NEXT! NEXT!" endings, fortunately the show is complete and you can now hit next without the angst of waiting a week :)
I really enjoyed the portrayal of North Korea, and the interactions North and South. I appreciate some of these are going to be simplified, dramatised and possibly even flat wrong - but it did provide an effective contrast between the two nations I think and certainly sets you thinking. There was an interesting article posted on MDL which told more of a story about the real situation in North Korea and there was a lot to reflect on in the show, so it's worth reading that article if you haven't already. Education is the best cure for misunderstanding, after all.
There are some fantastic characters in this, from the village ladies in North Korea to the staff of Se-ri's Choice that hunt relentlessly to find Se-ri after she goes missing. I thought the substory with her step-mother was nice and while providing an insight into why Se-ri is the way she is at the start, provided a warmth later on that was also reflected in her character.
Hyun Bin was ... just.... outstanding, as always, as was Son Ye Jin. There are many really emotional scenes, happy, sad, crying you name it, and they pull them off beautifully.
Son Ji Hye plays the ML's North Korean fiancé, the last time I saw her in a drama was Black Knight - she played Sharon and it was a great performance there too.
Definitely recommended. Stop reading, and start watching, right this minute!
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Okay, I’ll be honest here. I loved Clean With Passion For Now and I was ready to give you many reasons why you should watch it. But that was until episode 13. After the 13th episode, I came to realize that this drama was nothing but a waste of time with some fluttering moments here and there. The best thing about CWPFN was the chemistry between the main leads. We had the best kiss scenes we could get. This is an unpopular opinion actually, but I like the main leads together. Yes, It was obvious that Yoo Jung was younger than Gyun Sang (and the fact that he is that huge does not help) but still, I think they suit each other.
But let me start with the negative things now. First, Yoo Jung’s character – Oh Sol. She was quite dumb in my opinion. I don’t know if she was poorly written or the writer wanted her to be like that for real. In any case, she wasn’t a likable female lead. She cried a lot and it was always her fault somehow. She always did something more or less wrong, and then feel bad about it. She was weak, but anyways, we are all like that sometimes.
Now, the plot… There’s not much about it though. The drama had a funny and sweet start, but couldn’t live up to its potential. There were too many useless things happening, too many pointless and boring characters appearing without leaving any impression on me. Clean With Passion For Now it’s that type of show in which you have to wait ages for the two mains (who obviously like each other) to confess their feelings and start a relationship. The second lead guy was sweet, but I didn't suffer from sls (gyun sang is the main lead, khm). But seriously, there were too many clichés and too much drama. Don't get me wrong, conflicts between the characters are what helps a drama develop, but in CWPFN they were kind of very poinltess and out of place. There were some ridiculous moments that made me laugh, but if you are really looking for a good comedy, then... this is not it.
The mysophobia is more like a subplot, I was intereted in it at the beginning... kind of. I don't know how realistic it was though, I'm not familiar enough with it so I can't say.
The acting was okay, I guess. I will always love Gyun Sang and the way he portrays his characters and I do love his chubby cheeks here. (I was really angry when I saw so many negative comments about his appearance). Kim Yoo Jung also did a good job.
The OST is what I loved the most! Give 'Cosmos' by Huh Gak a listen, you won't regret it!
So overall, I'm quite disappointed, I guess I expected too much. Clean With Passion For Now has a sweet romance, but nothing more. It's very drop-wrothy and you might want to skip a lot of scenes if you don't want to get bored. I don't really recommend it, but if you have nothing to watch, you can give it a try and see for yourself. At least it will make your heart flutter, at least once.
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The sheer level of product placement in this drama is so high, you wonder if it is a drama about the products at times instead of a romance business drama which is a big turn off. It not only can take you out of the drama but there are so annoying about it in nearly every episode. If a gift is involved in any scene, you can bet there will be product placement. It was so abrasive that throughout this review you will be seeing [Insert Product Placement] to show you my frustration. This drama was interesting until it became a repeat game of "will they won't they", miscommunication and lack of trust. Pretty standard for romance dramas [Insert Product Placement] but it was done so much in an already freaking long drama that it became an issue of 'WHY the heck are you guys even together problem.' [Insert Product Placement]
The only reason the FL and ML are together is their PURE chemistry and light sensual tension. They are the sole reason I kept watching a drama that I would've normally [Insert Product Placement] dropped after a certain point. This drama could've saved time and money by just keeping [Insert Product Placement] the FL and ML the main focus while making the drama 12-14 episodes long. Everything else was either useless fillers or annoying. They were the best in the beginning half drama before annoying things got in their way. I suppose that is life, ain't it?
Other problems/peeves: FL is not competent enough at her job. She is "good but not good enough" lame excuse. Her fashion in the drama is an indicator that this chick plays it safe. I suppose she improves but whatever. She had so many problems coming at her it was ridiculous. ML is the classic [Insert Product Placement], "I ace everything but dealing with my teenage sister" type of gege/oppa. He has a setback, but again whatever. His losses aren't significant enough or last long enough for me to say much. Both Dilraba and Johnny act well in this. This was my first drama with Johnny Huang, so I was pleasantly happy because he was [Insert Product Placement] swoon worthy at times.
I enjoy the failures of the characters and the problems they have but I have no empathy for [Insert Product Placement] them since they repeat like crazy. Learn your lessons people! I mean the two females in this drama are legit spoiled brats who have been spoon fed way too many times for me to take them seriously. They never suffer severe losses even when it is claimed that they are/have which only proves their brat [Insert Product Placement] statuses.
The other couples were cute at the start but I became increasing frustrated with the Qin Qing when her boyfriend [Insert Product Placement] was legit the sweetest guy ever. You really get some annoying ass character later who you just wish would go away because they aren't interesting enough to stay in the story and it is just lame after a certain point.
I highly suggest everyone watch episodes 1-14ish and then just STOP. You legit don't need to go any further than that, nothing happens that doesn't reset it self to the status of those episodes. Save yourself time. [Insert Product Placement]
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1I recommend this drama if you are trying to watch a high quality drama. Please thoroughly watch this and do not skim some parts cause ik y’all can be impatient sometimes. This drama will definitely make you laugh, cry, and learn *make sure you watch till the end of some episodes to know why you’ll “learn”* Also GIRL THE KISS SCENES YALLLL IF U WANTING SOME HIGH QUALITY CHINESE KISSING THEN WATCH THIS DRAMA THERE AINT NO “GUY KISSING A WALL” SCENES. Ok this my first review ever. Bye
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Kisses, Kisses and More Kisses
I liked everything about this drama. The ML (Li Ge Yang aka Shen Shi Yi) and the FL (Ke Ying aka Sheng Xia), what a great couple! You will thoroughly enjoy watching these two together.The story revolves around Sheng Xia who is a "kiss instructor" on dramas. She makes sure that when it comes to the kissing scenes that they are done right. It is the closest that she will get to her dream of becoming a star. As she is walking home a man stops her by just holding out a comic book to her. She takes it home and begins to leaf through it and is transferred into a "Mary Sue System" or virtual world of the comic book.
She does have an AI which is in the system called "Xiao Bai" that explains to her she entered the comic "She Runs, He Chases: The Fourth Prince's Beautiful, Young and Weak Wife" in which Sheng Xia was the female lead and Gu Yichen (First Prince) is her male lead. Being the female lead she is naturally immune to poison. She can cure all poisons in the world with a kiss. Xiao Bai tells her that her first kiss would have a binding effect. Her main task is to end up together with Gu Yichen, the male lead. After completing the task, she will then get a customized celebrity system which she will then enter the prime of her life. He then hands her a cell phone which has the "Mary Sue Store." This store she has to acquire her value coins which show up on her arm to be able to purchase items to do her task.
The system is based on dramatic and cliche plots, with love above all. To summon the system administrator, she has to snap her fingers and call Xiao Bai. To get out of the comic book she has to claim the male lead which in this case is the First Prince. But like the best laid plans there is always something that happens. As she was told by Xiao Bai her first kiss would have a binding effect, and she ends up kissing the villain, who is so fine, Shen Shi Yi. By her kissing him she changed the direction of the comic and inadvertently made the villain the male lead. Because these two were now bound together due to her kissing him and not the First Prince. Whenever Shen Shi Yi was poisoned, she would kiss him and take the poison out of him. In return, when Sheng Xia was in danger he would show up and save her.
Trust me, he had no problem kissing her all time. The first episode I swear he kissed her 4 times or more. But you could tell each time they were getting more intense with the kisses. You will be swooning for sure.
Xiao Bai does show up at various points to tell Sheng Xia that she has to keep the comic on track in order for her to return. She tries too but it is apparent that Shen Shi Yi is meant to be the male lead of the comic which does happen after the reboot. In order to do that, they both ended up dying but because it was a sacrifice of true love, they were allowed to do a reboot.
Prior to the reboot, Sheng Xia explained to Shen Shi Yi many things which made him understand that he was in a comic book world. But because of the reboot, Shen Shi Yi was now the male lead, and he was getting weaker from this reboot, she had to save him. As Xiao Bai told her in the beginning, she was to get together with the male lead and since Shen Shi Yi now was, she knew what she needed to do. She asks Shen Shi Yi to marry her, which he does. The next morning, she wakes up only to find Shen Shi Yi gone. She runs outside calling him and is sent back to the real world by the system. She completed her task.
Sheng Xia is totally devastated because she had found her one and true love and he was gone. She went back to the street where she encountered the man that had handed her the comic book and tried snapping her fingers to call Xiao Bai back, nothing. Crying endlessly on the street, you hear the footsteps of a man approaching and he says, "Respected user, the system has received the contents of your complaint. How can I be of service to you?" She turns around and yes, you know it is our man Shen Shi Yi. He says to her, "From now on you do not have to call Xiao Bai, anymore." They both are crying and yes, kissing like crazy! He told her he remembers what she said about him coming to her world and he said it took a lot of effort, but he was there for her.
In the very end, you see her waking up on a couch with a director and crew saying how good she was in her scene. Hence what Xiao Bai told her...she was now a female lead, celebrity in the prime of her life.
Again, good ending and it was just one of those rare gems that you just can sit back and binge watch in no time. Plus, the ML who I have seen in "Trick in Love" is definitely one man that is truly meant for historical dramas. With that flowing hair and looks you will thoroughly be caught up watching him. The FL, she is just cute as can be and she complimented the ML so well. I would like to see them in another drama together.
Truly one that you don't want to miss, get ready to swoon.
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That was disappointing...
First, there is a "dog" cafe without dogs... that's strange as hell.There is ONE dog in the whole show.
All Koreans understand Thai for some reason without translation devices or so it seems.
The story was soooo slow going in the beginning and then the ending was rushed. What did they wait for? Most of the inbetweens scenes did not much for the love story. The "traitor" was still in the final shot - I only thought WTF? There was a chance for an emotional outbreak for what he did, but nothing happend.
The production value was high, but for such a subpar story it was wasted.
The chemistry between the two leads was ok-ish, I guess a language barrier is not so easy to overcome. They still lacked passion and longing for each other.
All in all I could have skipped it and not miss a thing.
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Even though Jung Il Woo is pretty much the star of the show, he is well and truly part of a tightknit ensemble cast that have great chemistry together. Each character of the ensemble have their own quirky personality traits, and their own obstacles (personal or otherwise) to overcome as the show progresses.
The Ramyun Shop is used very effectively as the one thing that holds all of them together. Truly a family away from real family.
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A delight to watch!
I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this drama half as much as I did.I had no particular expectation for this drama, however, the more I watched, the more I grew to love the characters and simple yet intriguing plot. Each character is greatly fleshed-out, all having their own stories and secrets. With the ongoing question "what's going to happen next?" running through my mind, waiting a week for the following episode was surprisingly difficult.
The plot may seem cliché at first but it gets better as you continue watching. It's extremely well made with the beautiful cinematography and camera work, wonderful OST, great acting and interesting plot, everything is on point and just too good not to watch! Nothing feels rushed or jam packed, the story is unfolded well.
This is one of the many dramas in which I didn't skip a scene or part of an episode because they all seemed important or have a relevance to the story - I commonly find myself skipping unnecessary boring scenes a lot in other dramas so this was refreshing.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed watching Live On and totally recommend giving it a try!
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Fasten your seatbelts. Turbulence ahead.
The pairing of the leads got me interested in this drama and the setting within the Chinese aviation industry hooked me.The meet-cute is fairly tropey. Ice king boss meets sassy female pilot. Totally works for me. :)
What is more challenging is the work environment. It is next level misogynistic. Initially, I thought it must be overstated for dramatic reasons then I found out that there are less than 1000 female pilots in China! There is definitely a glass ceiling.
To add to her woes, the main antagonist wants to drive her out of the company. She did well with the support of her mentor (ML aka GnT) and overcomes obstacle after obstacle. Her steady career progress is mirrored on the romantic front as well. The ML was initially cool and distanced, but he soon grew fond of the FL. The FL is definitely in the driver seat in this relationship. She made some bold moves in pursuing GnT. The Show is heading in the right direction and it looks to be a worthy contender for the top shows of 2023. Then episode 24 happened.
For reasons unknown, the writer decided to forego all the gains thus far and make the second half full on melodrama. So much angst . . so much. The ML ended up behaving irrationally when he is the most rational character in the show. He was a Noble Idiot and managed to hurt everyone close to him for zero gain.
If that trope is not enough, the Show added a poorly constructed mid-air medical drama to push the plot along.
When you consider international aviation is one of the most regulated industries in the world with many cross checks and rules, the use of this subplot is baffling. There are so many holes and discrepancies, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The show then doubles down on the perturbation by bringing FL's onerous mum into the fray. This unruly mess drags on for several episodes (too long) which adds to my growing dismay. Why Dear Writer? Is it to pad out the length or is it some kind of script crib sheet?
The Show finally starts to reverse course at the EP.35 mark. Everyone gets a redemption, Oprah Winfrey style.
Even though things are looking up, GnT still suffers from a bad case of confession-itis. The air is filled with expectations but nada on the action front. It is exhausting to watch the “will he, won’t he” line plays out once again.
We finally get the true confession in ep.37 but it was done in a weird setting. It made sense to him (and to the writer) so who are we to judge? My opinion of the Show is yo-yoing all over the place by now. It is hard to ignore the shambolic mess dropped on our laps between ep.24-36. We are given plenty of positive hints that things will get better but the spectre of the last few episodes haunts me.
Ep.38 is all about fan service. Hallelujah! However, I can’t help but feel like I'm watching a To-do list being ticked off. We have a bunch of unrelated clips tying up loose ends then a random time skip to the next event. It ticked all the boxes but a weak narrative, nevertheless. BTW, the skinship quotient went from 0 to 100 in one scene but fades quickly as well. The progress of the 2CP is on steroids and feels kooky.
The Show had a last go at an angsty subplot at the start of ep.39, but a HEA ending was never in doubt. To be honest, the ending is fluffy and innocuous but that's about it.
Two parting thoughts; I thought macular degeneration is incurable but I'm too tired to argue. The whole D191 (a thinly disguised C919) storyline is the biggest PPL I have ever seen! It was jingoistic and flag waving but you have to give them credit for trying. ;)
Acting from the leads are good. The FL is certainly given the more challenging role. The ML is handsome and a seasoned actor. He definitely has a workout on his stoic poses. The support cast are mostly one dimensional. There is “growth”, but it is fairly predictable and a means to an end.
I did enjoy most of the show. It has its moments, and the first half is certainly engaging and eye-opening. If it has stuck to the original aviation focused plot and office romance all the way through, it would be on a winner. Instead, it took us down a long and tortuous path which adds little to the proceedings. The fan service in the end might placid some viewers who just want to ship the CP’s and swoon at their belated sweet moments. To me, that’s a sneaky way to paper over the disappointing melodramas that came before.
It could and should have been better. Peace out.
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If you’re after an original and riveting crime plot, then Midnight Runners might not be your thing. In terms of the storyline, it’s pretty generic and you basically know exactly what’s going to happen from start to beginning. The strongpoint of this film was the chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul and how well this chemistry allowed for the perfect balance between great comedy and seriousness.
Whilst a light-hearted movie, it also delves slightly in the moral dilemmas that people who work in law enforcement face, there were definitely moments that made you feel helpless and sympathetic to the characters. However these conflicts were addressed well and once again, the humour within the movie does clean up and negative emotions you might feel whilst watching it.
This is definitely a pick-me-up movie, I can guarantee that after watching this most of you will walk away feeling happy inside.
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T-This was just brilliant. I can't really explain it in any other way. D: The story was super touching, the music was super cute, the cast was adorable, the surprises kept on coming and I-I just loved it!
I can't really underline my favorite parts without spoiling, but the whole movie is just pure genius. It's really well thought through, and entertaining as well as it is just beautiful. It really touched me.
Recommended for EVERYONE at ALL AGES.
You have to be a robot not to love this movie.
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Nothing is dragged or exaggerated, it flows like poetry.
I'm so full of emotions right now.
The story is simple, yet realistic and the chemistry between the two leads is really there.
It started slow, like a joke you tell your friends, and then it became serious.
They really convey this sense of blurred lines between friendship and love and they didn't rush the trasformation of feelings.
When Rae Wan told Eun Seong "I can't get rid of your smell from my body", i started crying. I don't really know why, but i'm sure: Kim Sun Ho did a terrific job.
Lee Yoo Young is new to me, but I instantly fell for her eyes and she's really good. I have no words to describe Kim Sun Ho, as I said earlier. He's just so so so so so professional.
10 out 10. Recommended to every single human on earth.
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The Best Boyfriend in Modern Dramas
Leo Wu’s portrayal of Lin Yi Yang in “Amidst a Snowstorm of Love” undeniably stands out among the green flag men on screen. For Yi Yang, a former snooker champ, it’s love at first sight when he meets Yin Guo (Zhao Jin Mai), another snooker champ, on a stormy, snowy night at a bar.Though he's at a loss for words to express his feelings, his actions speak volumes. Yin Guo is swept away by the sheer depth and purity of his emotions. His gestures, though subtle, leave a lasting impact—from booking her a comfortable hotel room before a game to warming her slippers on a cold day, and even traveling halfway across the world to wish her a happy birthday. He is stable, supportive, proud of her achievements, and happy to bask in her glory. This relationship is one of equals, and it’s his unwavering love and sincerity toward Yin Guo that drives him to go the extra mile in his own life.
Leo Wu has immortalized Lin Yi Yang as one of the dreamiest on-screen characters, setting a high bar for what makes a perfect boyfriend. Hopelessly devoted to Yin Guo, his patience and endearing charm, coupled with those heart-melting kisses, make Lin Yi Yang the epitome of boyfriend goals and the Mr. Romantic many seek.
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