Reviews

Round of applause

I am thouroughly impressed by this seemingly unrelevant webseries.

The first meeting at the grocery store was memorable, both of them having peepees on their masks, not being able to take their eyes off of each other. Immediately after, they can't stop thinking about each other. I think that is the feeling one has when they meet their soulmate.

And from then on it just took off. Trying to meet in a pandemic, using lost medication as an excuse. Technical difficulties that almost caused heartbreak. And despite it all, still being able to meet, keep in contact through social media and text. The whole plot was done in a way that makes you keep watching.

I'm also glad they didn't take away the emotional toll this pandemic has had on everyone. From Key talking to a cardboard cutout, to Chen's sister having a serious breakdown. It shows how we all just felt the pent-up feelings, and with the added stress of this god forsaken lockdown, things exploded. And that is a good thing. Chen's relationship with his sister changed for the better. They grew.

This being said, the last episode, the explanation of this title, has got to be my absolute fave. The sudden sleepover, the fun challenges, the tension. The monologue, the kiss, the vibe in its entirety. It felt so complete.

This whole story just gives me a warm feeling inside. Despite the challenges, the love we have for each other and for ourselves will get us where we need to be.

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When I learned that two of my favorite dramas, "Kisarazu Cat's Eye" and "Unubore Deka," were written by the same guy (Kudo Kankuro), I knew "Tiger & Dragon" would be a party. Knowing that I now worship anything written by this man after watching this drama, I started typing like a madwoman in the middle of night to write a review that will hopefully convince others to watch the show as well, hoping to one day gain half the skill this man possesses.

~Story~
First off, it's a brilliantly written comedy featuring badass YAKUZA. How does this NOT get butts in seats in anticipation to this show!? This show is freakin' hysterical; I think I considered rakugo as a profession for a while (it gives me an excuse to rewatch the show too). I questioned my own manliness as I saw Tora, the most loyal, manly yakuza this side of Shibuya, grace the screen. His glare of anger will strike fear into the most hard-boiled viewers; I thought his eyebrow-muscles were permanently altered to give off such glares. When I become a Yakuza boss (in my dreams), I WILL hire Tora at all costs. Even though he's part of a questionable organization, you realize he is a man of loyalty to a great faction in Yakuza.

The show mostly features Tora's (and Ryuji's) daily life once Tora learned of rakugo. Tora really sucks at rakugo (or just making anyone laugh, as his story-telling skills are the same as Buzz Kilington), but practices like a champ. For the most part, each episode features Tora describing how a real-life event is similar to the story his master told earlier; flashing back to the moments where the real-life action took place. The drum beat when they announce Tora's rakugo act is still second-nature to me; I still expect his stories. Tora even grew better as a storyteller as the story progresses, becoming a stage-favorite.

At the beginning, the blend of his rakugoka (traditional Japanese comedian) job at day, and debt-collecting Yakuza at night was comedic. However, Kudo-sensei couldn't just leave it at that. The Yakuza part of Tora's life is a major part of who he is as a person, and owes his life to his organization. As the story DEVELOPS (mature story development in a comedy!? OMIGERDZ!), you realize how Tora and his life isn't a comedy. I won't say much about the ending, but it was PERFECT. I'm sad that the ride ended, but it was one of the best. The post-drama haze is strong. It's been about a week, and I'm still wondering when I'll hear a story from Tora.

~Acting/Cast~
The cast consists of actors Kudo has worked with in the past, and in the future. Nagase is an excellent actor; the way he shows emotion with his whole face is a rare talent. It doesn't even need to be an over-the-top moment; you FEEL his character. I first saw him as the self-conceited detective from "Unubore Deka," but that disappear once he spoke. I admire actors with versatility in their roles. I can't praise his acting enough without turning this review into "Why I love Nagase Tomoya: his face." Junichi also acted as the easy-to-anger shopkeeper who is somewhat insecure about his clothes. News flash: he sucks as a designer; brace the bizarre fashion he thinks is "cool." Seriously, these actors from Johnny's are NOT just pretty faces; they have acting chops that are on par with non-idol actors.

The rest of the cast instantly grow as their characters. The show makes you feel like you're watching a family, not a group of actors. The show features visualizations Tora sees when he hears master's stories; the cast act as the characters in the rakugo stories extremely well. I LOVE versatility in actors! The actors/actresses in this show just makes you feel right. They feel natural in their roles; which is the best thing for viewers to be immersed in the story's universe.

~Music~
Being a drama with Yakuza, they have some Yakuza music. My favorite song from the OST was "Tiger & Dragon" from the Crazy Ken Band. The song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rwW7Qx9z2E) describes the Yakuza vibe from Tora quite well. The ending theme was from V6, as most dramas featuring Johnny's HAVE to feature a Johnny's song SOMEWHERE. It was a bit out-of-place, being the idol song in a drama with a solid OST featuring the Crazy Ken Band, but the song grew on me. Your mileage may vary, as there are probably some people who aren't too keen on pop music, especially idol music.

~Conclusion~
This drama is another show to add to my shrine of Kudo-worship. It's funny, grows up with you, and is touching. Really, it's a show to watch if you have a sense of humor, love Yakuza, or want to learn about a great & original writer working in the industry right now.

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一将功成万骨枯 (Yī jiāng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū)

“For every champion lie thousands withered bones.” Most of the times, we see only the glory of a champion – an Olympic swimmer, a World Champion gymnast and skater - but we rarely see the struggles, sacrifices, obstacles, pressures, emotional turmoil that each has to endure. This drama brings us behind the scenes and helps us appreciate how such successes come with the price these champions have paid and the sacrifices made.

This is a story about setting goals, perseverance, and overcoming failures. It is unexpectedly funny and enjoyable to watch. For the last decades, China has been consistently producing world champions in every sports in particular in table tennis. This drama gives us a peek at how these champions are created. Having played table tennis growing up, I have an affinity for the game and hence have enjoyed watching the matches and prolonged sessions at the table. At the end of each episode, table tennis is being explained in details: the terminologies, techniques, rules, competitions, etc. and I find myself enthralled.

The story depicts two very different characters: Xu Tan (acted by Bai Jing Ting) is scrawny, wimpy and lack of confidence, but kind, humble and friendly; Yu Ke Nan (acted by Xu Wei Zhou aka Timmy Xu), with a powerful athletic physique, is overly confident, arrogant, rebellious, impulsive and hot headed. The story begins when both are 17 years old in 2007, and follows their journey to become champions of the world. This unlikely “ying yang” pair becomes best friends and root for each other especially in their most trying period. Countless times, both get punished but unknown to them, their punishment is actually a form of training that helps them grow, such as raising pigs in a farm and becoming a janitor in a boxing gym. Daily details of the years are well taken care of with changing of technology and apparel over the years, from nameless flip phones to Apple smart phones, from Butterfly sportswear to Nike and Adidas.

The drama dwells deep into the various style of coaching by the national coaches and their relationship with their players. Xu Tan and his coach, Lei Cheng (Liu Zhi Bing), are like father and son. His coach inspires him, helps him discover himself and grow. Yu Ke Nan and his coach, Teng Biao (Wang Jian Xin), are like a pair of good old friends, continue kicking each other’s ass and calling each other names, at the same time, they love and trust each other. There is also a super strict coach who produces top ranking players but such players are also the most unhappy with high injury and burnout rates. Another coach has a soul mate relationship with his player, seeing their own shadows in each other. Every character has its flaws and faces personal obstacles. The development of the characters shows how they overcome their obstacles, grow and succeed.

Acting
Here in this drama, I discover Bai Jing Ting. He nails the role as the wimpy kid that grows to become the world champion. Bai Jing Ting has given us some amazing acting and he is so convincing as a world class table tennis player. Whether it’s his body double or not (I really can't tell), I feel Bai Jing Ting can play the game very well; he has the styles, his actions and shots are perfect. Xu Wei Zhou’s acting here is good too especially when he becomes the adult Yu Ke Nan. Like Bai Jing Ting, his playing of the game is immaculate and convincing, making Yu Ke Nan the most formidable table tennis player in the world. I really love watching them playing the game, and there’s a lot of such scenes to satisfy ping pong fans.

My Verdict
If you’re a sports fan and love table tennis in particular, you’d love this drama as it gives us many amazing real-life games with shots and fantastic camera work. Every smash, every torque, every curve is thrilled to watch and viewers can feel the excitement and satisfaction of the shots perfectly executed.

You’d see how China trains its youth, which is nothing like the western world. The greatest difference is, for the west, winning is for personal glory, whereas for the Chinese, it is for their national pride.

If you have watched “Hikaru No Go” and liked that drama, you may like “Ping Pong Life” too. To be honest, I like “Ping Pong Life” better because I find the character development better and more realistic, and it covers a wider range of three-dimensional characters. I love the part when the two leads begin to build their deeper understanding with each other, they really spend a lot of time, literally tied, together. They learn to feel and trust each other without words and the process in doing so is hilarious and adorable. This process is not captured enough in “Hikaru No Go”.

I really love this drama because it reminds me not to look at the glory of any success. We should not lament why we have not been as successful as others, whether in music, sports or anything else, but rather we should ask ourselves if we are willing to sacrifice everything to achieve success, and that’s the message in this drama.

A wonderful watch. Highly recommended!

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Not nice to watch but definitely worth seeing. Superbly done in many ways. Powerful. Resonating.

Prolog:
The conclusion for the protagonist in his late 30s is rather tragic: he´s getting the urge to go back. He wants the life of his late youth back. He cannot continue with who he is today. For him, there is only one option remaining – a shortcut to the exit.
However, for the audience, the end is actually the beginning. The journey goes backwards in seven chapters. And when we finally reach the start, it actually makes sense to look at the ending again... (in movie-terms: its beginning...)
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“Peppermint Candy” was one of the top ten movies in 2000. The international awards it collected are respectable. And even in 2022, “The Guardian” has it listed in 12th place among South Korean film classics. Meaning: It was topical back then and still hasn’t lost its impact. It´s cult. It can be considered particularly valuable. However, it´s not particularly nice, though. Rather particularly powerful and ferociously intense.

"Peppermint Candy" dates from 1999. It tells the story of the previous two decades of South Korean history using the example of an arbitrary, inconspicuous individual. For audience who isn´t firm in recent South Korean history, the KMovie may be reduced to the protagonist as an individual - to his very personal story and his tragic ending. For all those who know something about the historical, social background (see the side note below if you like), the KMovie becomes a memorial on screen that commemorates all those in society who were probably thus affected in one way or another, too, and may have had a similar experience. And there were quite a few.

In 1999, South Korea looked back on two extremely eventful decades. Two decades that were endured, sustained, borne by the people... Two decades that, in addition to democracy, turbo-capitalism and material prosperity, also produced a whole series of psychological cripples.
I actually don't like the word 'cripple', but somehow it seems appropriate in this case, here in the sense of: people who were maltreated by others or 'by life´s circumstances' to the point of psychic unconsciousness (even if perhaps they themselves were involved as perpetrators, too). People who were broken by their fate and trauma, not being allowed to and/or able to talk about it. People who fell, lost themselves, could no longer get back on their feet, feeling helpless. Completely bent. People who could not find peace with their shame and guilt. In their inability to communicate about it and get help, they became a total human failure for those around them.

In reverse "Peppermint Candy" portrays the career of such a psychological (and physical) 'cripple' in intense scenes. We may acknowledge the individual fate. Even without historical background and regardless of socialization, we acknowledge a broken soul, of which all that is left to the outside world is actually an 'asshole'. Once a poetic, delicate, sensitive spirit... it´s hard to believe. Actor Sol Kyung-gu expands the entire range of his skills, convincingly and uncompromisingly drawing the audience into each of his divers crucial, rather unpleasant emotional life situations.

“Peppermint Candy” is superbly done in many ways. Not too much, not too little. Ruthless. And in pointed, symbolic imagery, the scenes gain in emotional power and meaningfulness as they progress - even after we have travelled a few sequences further (back) - to the extent that the puzzle of drastic life events accumulated are coherently put together into a pile of shards.

The protagonist in "Peppermint Candy" is experiencing the significant historic events of his generation at the forefront. His psychical downward spiral cannot be stopped. But this protagonist is no exception. Countless people in their late thirties in South Korea in 1999 could have told such or similar stories. During those traumatizing two decades the public was carelessly left alone to individually deal with what had happened. What a person experienced emotionally, what a person had to process and couldn't, the decisions made, the guilt, the shame, the pain – the answer to that was mainly psychological repression and silence about it. The consequences in everyday life: Outbursts of acting up and/or apathy. Sometimes the old wound hurts again. The old wound makes man fall to the ground, by its pain that he cannot escape. But it is also a phantom pain - the desperate suffering over an essential piece of 'who I am' that was taken away once and for all...

The protagonist in "Peppermint Candy" suffers on behalf of an entire generation of anonymous young people who were quietly worn down, deeply psychologically shattered and finally by the two decades of the 80s and 90s, the time of transition from military dictatorship to modern capitalism existentially bankrupt. The KMovie reaches out to all those who may have had a similar experience and/or were able to sympathize. Where communication had been lacking for decades, the KMovie, with its sometimes disturbing insights, tries to build a bridge: with understanding that may even extend to empathy. "Peppermint Candy" manages to connect the South Korean people through the fate of this one fictional man and his personal environment. (Additionally, it may even touch the rest of the world). Yongho, who could be 'anyone', and with him the women in his life, his friends (?), his colleagues and his victims who had crossed his path, who could also be 'anyone'…

Not nice to watch. But definitely worth seeing.
Powerful. Resonating. A convincingly empathetic work.
A work of passion.









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SIDE NOTE: --- Brief overview of the historical background of South Korea - regarding May 1980 in Gwangju, the 1980s under repressive police violence, and the years of economic miracle up to the Asian crisis of 1997-1999. ---


May 1980 in Gwangju, South Korea, featured a bloody massacre that the police and military were ordered to carry out on their own people. Yet, that massacre of Gwangju remained an official taboo for almost two decades. What happened in Gwangju back then was kept secret from the rest of the country. Then, the city was deliberately cordoned off. The enemy was officially called 'communism' (especially in student circles, supposedly under the infiltrated influence of North Korea.)
Those who survived May 1980 in Gwangju and perhaps could or would have wanted to talk about it were pressured, persecuted, tortured and put in camps. The others who preferred to remain silent had to figure out by themselves how to emotionally digest what had happend.

President Chun Do-hwan, who succeeded his predecessor Park Chung-hee in the aftermath of the bloody spring of 1980, did not create any less autocratic structures for the common people than before with his dictatorship. On the contrary. With him, brutal torture was carried out in the spirit of a systematic cleansing. The years of Chun Do-hwan's rule were some of the worst for South Korea in terms of political repression. His mission: The country should use all its might to present itself to the rest of the world as dazzling and up-and-coming until the Olympic Games. Whatever/whoever was bothersome was put away. However, the autocratic rule of the dictator and his brutal power apparatus with police and secret service ended in 1987 as a result of unbridled, enormous public pressure. The people's longing for democracy was finally able to prevail.

Parallel to the repression under Chun Do-hwan, the 1980s and following years were characterized by the years of economic miracle. The market became increasingly liberalized and it was all about exports. Yet, on a large scale growth and prosperity were built on credit: direct investments from abroad, credit cards for the people in the country, loan sharks for all those smaller companies that couldn't get the money from the banks. But the bubble of the expansive credit economy of the 1990s burst in 1997 with the Asian crisis. The credit boom was followed by a crash, an enormous fall in the value of the won, a series of bankruptcies, unemployment all over the place and poverty for the many.

Even though South Korea got back on its feet astonishingly quickly in the course of the subsequent years of the so called IMF Economic Crisis, the path was marked by countless fates of bankruptcies and many families suffering from for a long time since.

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I'm going to be honest, I didn't like part 1 and part 2. I felt like nothing really happened, and every episode was a repeat of the previous one. "How much repetitious suffering can a person do before they change their ways?" - I thought...

So I decided to cautiously watch I Need Romance 3 solely for Sung Joon, and wasn't at all disappointed.

GOOD - (Eye Candy) Yep, Sung Joon is absolutely charming in this one. I mean... I almost became diabetic just watching him throw one sweetness after the other. Plus he's so good looking and tall. The second lead was pretty handsome too, and even Yoochun's brother Yoohwan was cute (depending on his hair style)...

GOOD - (Acting) The acting was pretty good. No awkward moments, or not any I can think of. The girly relationships are all pretty good too, and very believable for the most part.

WEIRD - (Personality Traits) You know when a drama depicts a character who's one diminutional. And sometimes stupid. And you want to scream at him/her "wake the f up! HELLOOOOOOOO duhhhhhh"... yeah this was the case for the lead female. Sometimes you wonder... are there really people like that in the world? (I bet the answer is yes... the world is a weird place) Anyway, it can get a bit annoying.

MEHHH - (Story Climaxes) Not gonna lie... some things are predictable. Very. But most OK dramas are, right?

CURVEBALL - (The kissing) As with the previous parts, the making out in this one is intense. So, swoon away.

OVERALL - Its worth watching if you're a fan of any of the actors (esp. Sung Joon) or if you haven't yet seen this gorgeous boy in action. Also if you like modern physical affection and language. Don't watch if you don't like romance, boys, or chick flicks.

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It couldn’t of been any better.

I really love this drama from the cast to the plot, the soundtrack, the comedy, the fluffiness, and the leads. I can’t think of anything that I wish they would’ve done different or better. I truly loved it just as it was. I’m so sad it’s over, but pleased that we got this beautiful show.

Well, I liked it from episode one a few people have mentioned that it’s a show that really grows on you as you watch it and as you start to care about the characters and I could see that. Because in the first episode you’re like OK where is this going? But as you sit and watch you like oh I like where this is going this is actually very very cute..

The ending was exactly what I wanted it to be and I’m so happy that they ended it and flushed out all the stories and didn’t leave us hanging with open question marks. Nice job writers!

I have no doubt that more people will watch it and fall in love with it because it is really a hidden gym right now and I can see it being ranked videos of the year definitely and of the last few years likely.

Give it a watch, watch the first two episodes and I’m pretty sure that you will be hooked and wanting to know what happens.

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I'm loving this!

Haha... no, this is not a McDonald's joke but I really do love the drama. I mean, people used to say Hwarang was bad but aside from some endgame plot that I'm not really fond of, that drama was okay. The same would I say about this drama. I've been waiting for a new drama where Hyungsik would play another royal prince character and lo, WE GOT IT! And this time, his character has a higher likelihood to get the girl SINCE HE'S THE MAIN LEAD GUY!😃

Anyway, since this drama more or less was based on a Chinese novel... some plot might be predictable to those who are familiar with the novel. Or maybe not, since it's a kdrama some elements of the original novel would've been changed to suit the sageuk theme. That should be quite interesting to see regardless.

I really like how the characters were written. I mean, as much as there was this supposed triangle between Hwan, Jaeyi and Seung-on, the drama didn't focus too much on the triangle and just let the characters naturally grow to develop a decent friendship. There weren't too many unnecessary conflicts being made just to make the plot 'dramatic'. Which was nice. I love how Hwan and Jaeyi's appeared to start at first as an encounter between two people in crisis, which progressed into a sweet friendship between two person who could've easily been childhood friends and later having a much deeper love growing in between. I like how natural their relationship progressed into mutual love as Jaeyi grew to learn more about Hwan and help each other.

I also love the comedy element with Myungjin and Ga-ram and even more when Hwan and Jaeyi were with them. Cos seriously, I feel that a lot of the funny scenes were brilliant adlibs by the cast and that's so brilliant!

The mystery and political intrigues and conspiracies are nice too, but the serious plot didn't completely overshadow the lighthearted scenes. Also the ost, songs and special effects are well done as well and the visuals are pretty, so what else to ask? Seriously if you consider the time period where it'd be hard to investigate a murder and find the culprit without the modern techs we have now as well as the fact political murders and violent outbreaks of people who desire control of the throne are a common thing, it makes sense for people to not be able to trust anyone so completely, in order to stay alive . Added with superstitions and lack of complete knowledge on how things like science work in such times, life could be so scary if you're stuck in such a situation. I really like how the writer made good use to insert little clues here and there that may at first seem unrelated or pointless, only to later bring it back to form the bigger image in order to head to the final conclusion.

If you just want to enjoy some drama to fill your pastime, you can try watching this drama and you may find yourself liking it. If you're the type to be all negative and expect a drama to live up to some non-existent 'perfect' standard of what could be a great drama, don't bother watching this drama and spread your negativities here.

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"Your hand touching mine. This is how galaxies collide.”

One of the best Korean BL drama with super charming characters . A super healthy storyline .


OVERVIEW - Do Hoe , a brilliant student who grown in a brutal and abnormal atmosphere without his parents love and care . He never felt happiness in his life like other children but suddenly he met Ju Yeong who carried the light of his love in Do Hoe's life .

POSITIVE - Super handsome and soft hearted ML with charming and cute MC . Their chemistry is unbeatable . The way they always stand side by side in each other's trouble really makes my heart melt .

The visuals , cinematography are awesome . Really felt like I was watching a high budget drama . Smiles of both ML and MC are heartwarming . The ice cream and rain scene in ep 1 were definitely romantic .Tiny slow music when they did eye contact ...ah it's ear candy .

NEGATIVE- I haven't found any negative points yet .
OVERALL- People who like to watch healthy, slow burn romance dramas then they can try it . It's really so good.

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A forbidden romance between an actor and an idol, Jae Ha (Park Sung Woong) portrays a stern actor who doesn't give into Yeong Woo's (Oh Seung Hoon) childish behaviour, steamy interactions from the play turn into a heated romance in reality, despite the movie being quite rushed there definitely parts of the movie where it was exciting and scenes of Jae Ha's and Yeong Woo's passionate romance which played with your heart strings.

Story : 9.0 - like i said it was a bit rushed, many people said that it was a bad ending, but in all honesty it made sense to me, the romance was exciting and I longed for more romance scenes, and that's what I got, If you're into LGBTQ movies this is definately the movie for you.

Acting/cast 9.5 - what can I say the cast was spectacular, the romance they portrayed was beautiful, no doubt! Also the support characters did a wonderful job.

Music 10 - Oh Wow! The music was beautiful I always love violin in movies and this is perfect for the atmosphere, truly no fault in any of the pieces of music.

Rewatch Value - It's a quick movie to watch again, so I'm definately going to be watching this again in my spare time.

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May the baddest man win.

This is the drama adaptation of a popular female harem web novel "Kun Ning" (坤宁) by Shi Jing (时镜) with an interesting approach; readers voted on who the female protagonist ends up with. It is a dark and gripping tale of intrigue, conceit, betrayal, revenge and redemption. Jiang Xuening is the alluring but resentful, selfish and ambitious daughter of a court official who ruthlessly parleys her charm and cunning into becoming empress. Her schemes lead to the downfall of the royal family and the ruin of both her childhood sweetheart Yan Lin and the erstwhile incorruptible Zhang Zhe. Desperate and full of regret, she barters her life with the blackbellied Xie Wei to save Zhang Zhe. She finds herself reborn as her 18-year old self with a chance for a do-over. She vows to do better this time, to steer clear of the bastions of power and the malevolent Xie Wei. She tries to use her preternatural knowledge to save Yan Lin and Zhang Zhe from their sad fortune. As she embarks on a journey of atonement, she discovers there is an element of destiny that pulls her towards the center of power. This time, with greater wisdom and insight, she uncovers hidden secrets and unexpected allies that help her better grasp the intrigue unfolding around her. Is that enough to change their destinies or are they doomed to the same tragic fate?

This story explores the causal links between the past, the present and the future.; the idea that if only knowing what we know now, we can go back and do what we should have, could have but did not do. It begins with a Ning'er who is already a fully realised character that is not yet revealed; a charming beauty who had the world at her feet and lived a wicked and self-indulgent life. Even though Ning'er's goals change, her innate nature stays the same. The past is told in flashbacks just before the moment plays out again in the present. This works in terms of the more detailed plot points but dilutes the character and relationship stories. Thus while Bai Lu pulls off her role well overall, the piecemeal telling of the backstory doesn't capture the depth of Ning'er's regret or the layers in her relationships with some of the main characters.

Where the storytelling falls short is in Zhang Zhe's arc. To me, it is the most pivotal love story in the drama. He was the best of men, a morally upright official who betrayed his principles for her. And she was a selfish person who was so moved she became selfless for him. Their emotions were so powerful it pushed them both outside of themselves towards a mutually destructive outcome. Sadly unlike the novel, their do-over relationship is shallow and barely scratches the surface of the unfinished affinity between them. It's a pity that instead sticking to the novel which better fleshes out this arc they wasted a bunch of time on the nasty Consort Shu's boring and tropey petty antics. Wang Xingyue delivers such an empathetic portrayal of Zhang Zhe that I was disappointed his character was short changed by the narrative.

As for Xie Wei, I have a weakness for unapologetic, unspeakably damaged, vengeful and morally ambiguous characters like this. Zhang Linghe delivers an intense portrayal of this dark and complex role. Although he overdoes some of the snarls and sneers, his performance overall deserves praise and is his strongest to date. Every time the full fury of Xie Wei's fiery death glare flashes across the screen, I go weak at the knees and my brain turns to mush. Yups, I am definitely a "may the baddest man win" kind of girl. Xie Wei is far from the best man but they are well matched, morally flexible ends justify means kind of people. Their romance arc only takes off later on but it is worth the wait. A mutual understanding develops gradually between them before things get really hot and steamy. When it does, their audacious chemistry explodes in a way that sets a new bar for passionate kiss scenes going forward.

Even though the political conspiracy is not that complicated, it is well told and riveting. Xie Wei's origins are a bit too obvious early on but I enjoyed how Ning'er and Xie Wei work together to uncover the conspiracy. They are both diabolical in how they manipulate the different factions around like chess pieces. The villains are no pushovers but they are overshadowed by the force of nature that is Xie Wei and Ningér's combined dark ruthlessness. This is not an action heavy drama but all of the fight scenes were well shot. I particularly enjoyed the vicious ferocity and absolute glee with which Yan Lin cuts through a melee. I hope this fight maniac Zhou Junwei's small indiscretion does not stand in the way of future roles in action intensive wuxias. Outside of one unnecessary and infuriatingly gratuitous death, the drama ends on a strong note after a bloody, intense and thrilling showdown.

While I enjoyed this drama immensely, the storytelling left me vaguely dissatisfied; as if I only watched the cliff note version of a story that had a lot more depth, nuance and substance than the drama managed to convey. This director is not great at knowing which plot arcs to give more weight to and has an unfortunate predilection for over-bright spot lights and spinning cameras. The production values are mediocre at best. This is a story that had so much potential it deserved to be in the hands of a better director and a better budget. I still rate this a highly reccomended 8.5/10.0.

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Ah, W. How I was looking forward to writing this review.

W was certainly one of the most anticipated dramas of the season, and for good reason: a creative storyline paired with an exemplary leading cast. I, like many others, was captivated by the idea of a webtoon coming to life. And Lee Jong Suk? Huehue. Say no more.

The writers of the show crafted a plot that is bound to keep you on your toes and send your brain into overdrive. It’s not the most intelligent story I’ve seen. At times it's confusing and borders on being nonsensical, but it’s logical enough to make it worth watching. W is especially intriguing because of its unpredictability - even if you grow used to the plot, each new problem creates an addicting mystery. You become determined to understand exactly what will happen next.

While I enjoyed W and the anxiety its suspense caused me, this drama is not perfect. A show amazing in concept, it fails to deliver in some of the most important aspects.

One thing I found particularly problematic was the romance. Some might disagree, but I found Kang Chul and Yeon Joo’s loveline to be one of the most poorly-written in any K-drama I’ve seen. I’ll admit that there was incredible potential in their relationship. However, the writers never give you any reason to like this couple except that they just are a couple - it’s the unspoken drama rule that because they’re the main characters, they have to be together. Fair enough, but that doesn’t get my heart racing.

Is the romance necessary? Yes - to an extent. Love is the easiest way to connect the two main characters. But trust me; that romance sucks badly. In the beginning episodes, you find it cute. What’s not adorable about a cool guy who’s curious about this ditzy girl? Then, you suddenly hit the point of doubt: but…but why, though? Why are they together? How? Sadly, there is no satisfying answer to these questions.

Yet, as much of a letdown as the romance was, what ultimately kept me from giving this show a higher score was its characters.

I have a burning passion for well-written characters, and I thought W would be the perfect drama to see it being done. The idea of the story is that the boundaries between reality and fiction are blurred, causing a mere created character to act and feel as a real human does. What we viewers deserve out of such a concept are heart-wrenching characters whose personalities you could find within a human in this world; who would persuade you that creations are self-aware. But disappointingly, nearly every single one of W’s characters are dull.

Strangely enough, the best example is Kang Chul. Our main character happens to be perfect. That sounds great! He’s rich, goodlooking, with an incredible sense of justice (this is where I swoon). He wants desperately to live, and you feel for him because…well, he’s not just a webtoon character; he’s a human being goddammit! Look at his perfect skin. And his eyes (oh his eyes). Also his backstory is so sad! But there’s something sadder than his backstory - his personality, which is as two-dimensional as the lines that were drawn to create him.

I’ve seen a lot of people share the same justification for why he has no real flaws: he’s a webtoon character, thus not real, thus does not have to be bound by the unspoken law that all people are imperfect. Fine; that makes sense. But isn’t that ironic? His whole gist is that he’s a human being. Where does he come off claiming such a thing if he’s so flawless? You’ll begrudgingly accept this character because of Lee Jong Suk, but that’ll be the extent of it.

And, the side characters are just that - side characters. Oh, sure, they exist. Yet I never really cared about them. Most of the time, they were convenient plot devices, not people. (I’ll say that I did very much like the role of Yeon Joo’s father - out of everyone, he feels the most realistic.)

If this were any other drama, I would let this go. I understand that a show can’t have everything, and characters are often the afterthought in the face of such a complex plot. However, I want to make it clear that if the writers are going to create a show based around the idea that these webtoon characters seem human, then they have to create characters that are human, and as a result, elicit my empathy. By the end, I should have been setting up a shrine in my house and counting prayer beads in hopes that they all get a happy ending! Uh…maybe that’s an exaggeration. But do you get me?

I know this review sounds bad, but I do want to get across that altogether, I did have a good time with W. Doesn’t sound like it, but it’s true! Its problems may be obvious, yet its strengths are enough to keep you going.

Its control over suspense had me hiding behind my hands at certain parts. And the cast itself is great - particularly the actor portraying Yeon Joo’s father; I cried womanly tears for you, sir. I’ve never watched Han Hyo Joo on screen before, but I did enjoy her role and thought she did a pretty good job with her character. I will also again emphasize my love for Lee Jong Suk: those emotive eyes. Gah. Almost made me like Kang Chul.

I recommend you to watch this drama, but simultaneously caution yourself against the blinding hype that it received. The end product of this show was nothing near to the perfection that I expected it to have, but it also wasn’t anything close to being bad.

Don’t expect a masterpiece. Watch it; have fun with it!

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What a journey for Weiyoung. Though the latter half of the drama fell from grace somewhat, certain elements stuck through and made it overall an enjoyable watch. But it did not deserve 54 episodes of repetition that got seriously old past the halfway mark.

Story (6/10): For those who read the novel and are curious about the drama version, it would be wrong to even call it an adaptation for it is nothing like it. "Inspired by" is far more fitting and is to be used loosely here. In a nutshell, the drama version of Princess Wei Young is about a Liang princess who tries to avenge her fallen kingdom by taking up the identity of a forgotten, illegitimate daughter of a Prime Minister in the enemy state of Wei and along the way meets those who either want her dead or love her for her wits, character and bravery. Of course, the drama is littered with people who want her dead because how else will we know she is the heroine?

The premise is exciting enough, though nothing entirely original. But it did deliver in terms of entertainment for the first half and had everything you would want in a drama: good pacing, decent story, romance, action, a likable and brainy female lead who isn't afraid to punish her enemies seeing as this is a revenge drama. Then up until halfway, the story soon became draggy and repetitive with similar conflicts in different guises, lack of development/depth in characters who even seems to have gone through reverse development all of a sudden. Even Weiyoung who was supposed to be resourceful yet showed signs of being a damsel-in-distress in the presence of her Prince Charming (aka. Tuoba Jun), completed the transformation into a full on Mary Sue and in my opinion, stopped being everything we loved her for in the beginning. It no longer became a tale of retribution or justice, but pure laziness on the writers' part.

I blame the production for dragging the series out to 54 episodes, when it could have - and should have- wrapped up by 30-40 episodes.



Acting (7.5/10):

All I can say is if there is anything worth watching here, it's the chemistry between the leads Luo Jin and Tiffany Tang. The type to give you butterflies from the way they look at each other. Luo Jin is such a wonderfully talented and natural actor, he never overacts and his crying scenes are so well done. Not usually impressed by Tiffany Tang, but she did well here and I think a lot of it has to do with her chemistry with Luo Jin (4th collaboration and reel to real relationship!)
Didn't think much about the rest of the cast in terms of acting, but a few grew into their characters as the show went on. Vanness there is something awkwardly charming about the way he portrays his character - it grows on you even though his character becomes gradually more despicable. His dubber deserves a star.


Rewatch: For the romance maybe, and especially strong beginning up until episode 30 or so. Could skip the rest until the end. But sadly no, won't be rewatching this personally.


I almost feel like the drama deserves two ratings, one for the beginning up until episode 33 then for the rest.

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"Don't give up , don't become distant"

Overall this was a very good drama. It didn't have a complicated plot nor did it have villains. It had a very realistic ending, although it was a happy ending it showed that everyone's "happy ending" differs. I recommend watching it, it's a very light drama and every character has a good point about them but also bad ones, which makes the series more enjoyable.

One of my favorite things a character said was what Hyun Seung said during episode 16, "But now i know I cant always win in love, even when I've given it my all."

Some spoilers about the episodes!!!!!

I started this series expecting nothing, especially since most of the comments were about how creepy Hyun Seung was, but after watching it, I don't regret picking this series up. Yes at the beginning Huyn Seung was a bit creepy and stalkerish, but let's be honest how many of us haven't acted at least a bit stalkerish towards someone we had a crush on. The way he broke the news to her was very crude, but after understanding her character better, I don't think she would have believed him if he didn't physically show her what was happening. He has also had a big character development since in the span of 8 episodes he went from stalkerish to knowing where the boundaries are. It's really nice seeing Yoon Song Ah slowly starting to fall for him.

Lee Jae Shin is a total jerk despite his past. Yes, he was unfortunate but he decided his own path. His excuse was that t was a plea disguised as an order. but he had a choice. He could have said "no" and he could have lost everything he had but he would have gained his freedom. His excuse was that he had no choice but I beg to differ, even when you're given an order there is always a choice, and it's up to you to decide what you want, and sadly he chooses his poison, which led to him losing Song Ah. It is even more repulsive to think about the fact that he was in a sense playing with both women, and that he planned to hide it from Song Ah.

At first, it thought Lee Hyo Joo was going to be the typical bratty spoiled rich girl, who was going to do everything in her power to destroy Song Ah after she had the tiniest doubt about her relationship with Jae Shin, yet during episode 8 she started to intrigue me.

EP011/12- I completely take back what I said about Hyo Joo, she is not stable. I don't if she expected Jae Ahin to drop to his knees and love her after she basically forced him to marry her by threatening him with her life. On the other hand, our main couple seems to be going strong. I loved all the small sweet moments. Also loved how Song Ah's team members stood by her side and stood up for her when the rumors were going around. I can't wait for Hyun Sung to meet his soon-to-be brother-in-law. I want to see their reactions since from what I see Hyun Sung doesn't know his sister is dating lee Jae Woon and Jae Won doesn't know Hyun Sun is his girlfriend's brother.
I also like how the ending of almost every episode is a heart-stopper, that leaves you wanting more.

13/14- For me these two episodes were depressing. I hate how they went towards the typical break-up before the ending episodes and then getting back together on the last one. I don't blame her for picking her dream job over her relationship after all they were both on different emotional levels in the relationship. Hyun Sung is obviously more emotionally invested since he was pinning over her for such a long time. The last scene on episode 14 where they were both on opposite sides and when he saw her he walked away broke my heart. I think he finally had the time to love himself more and out himself in the first place. It's obvious that for the next two episodes it's going to be her trying to get back together with him and they will probably get back together on the last episode if we are lucky they will get back together soon and if we are unlucky it will be typical they get together again on the last 10mn and it ends with a hug or kiss. On the other hand, jaewon and jiseung are so adorable together. I am glad they found each other. I felt so bad for the other sister though.

15/ Ok this episode was not that bad. I like that Jaewoon and Ji seung are getting married. I can tell the second sister and her husband will have us guessing until the end. The second leads seem more mature. Lee Hyo Joo also seemed like she learned how to draw the line and not depend on wanting a man to love her, seems like they will be back together. The only thing I disliked was again the whole breakup. It doesn't seem smart to add a breakup 2-3 episodes before the final one, it seems the last episode will just be song ah trying to win Huyn Seung over. And I get this was based on a webtoon but seriously the whole breakup is an overused cliche.

16/ This episode was very nicely wrapped up. I would have wished to see Jaewoon and Ji Seung's wedding, also I'm glad jae won and Jae Shin kinda fixed their friendship. Jae Shin and Hyo Joo also had a very good ending. Apart from Jae woon and ji seung it was hinted during the last scene that Huyn Seung and song ah were going to get married, again I would have loved to see their wedding and the reaction of their co-workers to them getting back together. Song Ah mom also had a big character growth, at the beginning we saw how dependent she was but in this episode, we finally saw her being independent and enjoying time with her friends. The second sister broke my heart, but I'm glad her ex-husband finally started to accept himself.

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At first I was hesitant in watching the movie because I wasn't sure if it was worth it but when I actually got around to watching it I was glad I did. I would definately rewatch Koizora, actually I just finished rewatching it a few days ago.



The story overall was beautiful and touching... I laughed and cried along with the characters. Be prepared though, if you are going to watch this movie, have a box of tissues by your side because you will cry your eyes out. Anyone who hasn't watched Koizora should; it expresses the feelings of absolute happiness and pain.

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City Hunter is obviously one of the fewest well-made action dramas in South Korea.

This drama’s story centers on revenge, action, friendship and romance: the ultimate combination to create various story’s developments all the time excluding any chance for dragging or slow moments. The intense events were always present to create cliffhangers at every turn in each episode. What I appreciated the most about this drama’s screenwriting was the action and revenge departments; they were really well done in a way that will make you believe they’re the core of the drama regardless of any other subjects. I also have to refer to the masked hero theme that was used in a great way.

The acting department was actually good. Lee Min Ho can be quite stiff but that doesn’t deny that his action scenes were pretty well done. Other cast were also appreciated since they could deliver feelings especially Kim Sang Joong who portrayed the villain role in a perfect way. As for characters, I believe they were nice to follow considering the fact that their developments were quite good.

As for music, I have to give this drama’s OST credit; not only they were well chosen but they were also put at the right moment creating an enjoyable atmosphere.

This drama can be watched by those who like action dramas mixed with revenge and romance or those who like the masked hero theme and thrilling stories. However, this drama should be avoided by those who dislike Lee Min Ho or those who are looking for a light drama.

If you’re willing to watch City Hunter, get ready to throw yourself in an endless circle of intense events without a drop of slow moments.

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