Reviews

This is the kind of drama which deserves the highest possible marks in terms of directing, acting and soundtrack. The reason why I'm "only" giving it a 9, is because despite its high level of tension and the splendid typecasting of some characters, it took me an unreasonable amount of time to warm up to it and when I finally did, my brain was already complaining loudly. Admittedly, Jung Kyung Ho and his superb impersonation of a sensual and tormented Doc's Son DID capture my heart and other parts of my body very early on but, clearly, they can't be used to write a review.

I understand where this plot wants to go, and I even appreciated – to some extent - the never-ending shifts of most characters from one side to the other, when not somewhere in between. However, it gets a little surreal in the long run, to the point that the unpredictable becomes predictable: once you know nothing is as it seems, you're prepared to think the opposite of what they want you to think – hence seeing through the smoke curtain. Therefore, if it weren't for the heartthrobbing Paksa Adil and all the scenes he's in bar none, this drama would be a sequel of police actions going askew either because some corrupted high power butts in or because they are as incospicuous as a baobab tree in the desert. Not to mention the nth old, or fat, or old and fat villain sitting on some baroque chair and acting like a lunatic buddha ordering this or that killing. I need to confess: at times I yawned. And why do the powerful and corrupted always meet at Japanese restaurants? Does sashimi embody the "raw" quality of the Korean politics?

Unfortunately, there's no way to explain the faults of this plot without spoiling it. Suffice to know that I stopped watching it for the plot and just went for the way scenes were shot and acted. Now, if it were possible to rate direction and cinematography in particular, it would be a completely different story, since the drama is visually and technically impeccable. Attention to details, colouring and the use of light – or lack thereof - all are spot on and intensely evocative. I found many of the characters extremely interesting, constantly fluctuating between dark and shade – light is completely absent here – and the acting by Kim Yoo Mi and Choi Moo Sung impressed me no end. Kim Yoo Mi in particular gives life to an amazing character, extremely stubborn as a "boss" and wonderfully human as a woman. My liking of her character is all due to her acting, because, let's face it, the poor actress's actions consist mostly on moving from an armchair to a sofa with a glass of whisky in her beautifully manicured hand. It's therefore the subtle changes of her face that tell her story.

As for Jung Kyung Ho's, it'd deserve a review on its own, so mesmerizing it was. His character is the best written one: you can peel off layer after layer and there's still something to find. The actor's take of it, suavely ruthless and gracefully tormented, makes his Doc's Son into one of those unforgettable characters who are going to stay with you for a very long time. Without him, this drama would be nothing more than a morbid, blurred photograph of an improbable criminal world. His onscreen chemistry with Nam Gyu Ri and his "putative family" is palpable and great to watch, but then again, I think this actor would have great chemistry with a tree trunk, if needed.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there's Ji Hyeong Min, the super cop who got so much on my nerves I want to forget him with all my might. He goes from being as likable as an ingrown nail to suddenly grasping the situation to no avail whatsoever. Truth be told, the whole police force – the official one, that is – could have heavily contributed to the comic if this drama had a comic intention, which it doesn't. The level of corruption and the number of undercovers borders on ridicule.

The soundtrack is classy, powerful, always appropriate. In short, marvelous.

I am not going to rewatch this drama any time soon, if ever. Intense but frustrating, it is the kind of experience which leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth, since the ultimate meaning of it seems to be that justice is a mere word, a utopia for philosophers and dreamers. I have no doubt this is so in real life too, but at least when dealing with the world of fiction, I'd rather be deceived.

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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are."

Sure, people can change themselves and their life, and it's good when you are trying to better yourself and prosper. But when you want to change yourself just to surpass the standards of certain someone, you end up loosing yourself, which is immensely evident.

REFLECTION OF YOU is a story of such desires and the constant urge of vengeance from someone who had pushed you off the cliff just when you were about to embrace your dreams. This is a story about two women: one who despite of her achievements, couldn't help herself in making choices and another who after loosing herself has become revengeful; both, thereby creating unavoidable consequences, that somehow drags their families into the mess. This is a story of love, desires, betrayal and revenge, as the synopsis states.

"Reflection of You (2021)" is the live action adaptation of the novel "Someone Who Looks Like You (너를 닮은 사람)", originally written by Jung So Hyeon (정수현)

Director Im Hyun Wook has done a very good job here, even as a newcomer with lesser experience; I am sure his work in his previous drama of similar genre, has helped him a lot. Yoo Bo Ra jakka-nim is a known and acclaimed face in the industry and she must be applauded for the stupendous plot development in this drama that carries several peaks and keeps the same intense throughout the series. Her method of storytelling as well as the monologue narrations and dialogue writing are all praiseworthy indeed.

Jung Hee Joo is a famous artists and essayist, married to a rich family. He got a loving husband and 2 adorable children: a highschool daughter and a 5yo son. She loves her family to the extent she can do anything for them and has to manage it along her artist life that she has built-up through passion. Gu Hae Won is a failed artist who has lost her path to happiness and changed from a happy-go-lucky girl to a revengeful woman. Both of them share a past that has ruinned themselves to different levels. The story shows their encounter after years, which involves the unveiling of the past events that has dragged them to hell and they try to bring down each other by any means. This major plot invoves many other characters involved with their individual lives and some sub-plots that is related to the main storyline, more or less.

What I loved about the production is that the script of the drama never ran out of substances. Whenever you feel like it might become boring and context-less, leading to subsequent exaggeration, the writer comes up with another enraging scenario which serves as a side dish. First episode successfully establishes an intriguing impression upon the audience, creating plentitude curiosity. In my case, I was mesmerized from ep1 to ep6 so much on my first day of watching that my anticipations was raised high. The way everything about their pasts got revealed within those episodes just so the viewers can draw the entire picture on their own, bothered me a lot as to what else they got to offer next. But I'm happy didn't go blank at all till the end. There's in fact no episode that didn't see development or was boring. The last 4 episodes become very intense, typical makjang vibes, that is frustrating and anger inducing like usual.

Jung Hee Joo (Go Hyun Jung) doesn't lack anything other than constant love and loneliness has grasped her.. She has seen the harshest of days but to her fortune, she falls in love with Ahn Hyun Sung (Choi Won Young), who always wants to remain flawless. Her family comes first to her and she's become very strong over years, despite which she's indecisive and can be easily manipulated that lands her in pickles many a times. Gu Hae Won (Shin Hyun Been) is a budding artist and was Hee Joo's teacher years back. She was a easygoing girl back then but situation and time has made her rude, arrogant, resentful and crazy for vengeance. She can now go to any extent to get her job done. She is married to Seo Woo Jae (Kim Jae Young), another aspiring sculpture artist who doesn't have any control over his feelings and can be reckless to get what he wants.

Other minor characters are Kim Bo Yun as Park Young Sun (Hee Joo's MIL), Kim Ho Jung as Lee Jung Eun (Hwain Museum Director), Kim Sang Ho as Yoon Sang Ho (Pub owner), Hong Seo Joon as Lee Hyung Ki (Min Seo's husband), Park Sung Yun as Lee Dong Mi (Hee Joo's friend), Seo Jung Yun as Goo Jung Yun (Hae Won's mother) and Shin Hye Ji as Lee Joo Young (Lisa's friend) , who are more or less good actors with experience.

Being a mystery-revenge thriller with makjang elements, this drama comprises of many important factors of reality. Loneliness being one of them, has won over almost everyone's mental health for which they choose to keep everything to themselves and be submerged within illusion. The worst part of it is not the pain inflicted by sad memories, rather the loneliness of it. Second being revenge, is a means to intrigue the viewers in here; they say, the best revenge is to unlike them who has caused the injury. But do people really believe in that? No! We are mostly who choose to avenge through damage, even so it is caused upon us. Obsession being another factor, proves once again that it in itself is a way of ruined beings to destroy themselves further. Of all human weaknesses, obsession is the most dangerous and the silliest. Also, lying being considered the worst habit of human beings, is something that can't be fixed. But we must remember, our lies catch up to us someday, somehow. Jealousy too is a factor that immensely dominate the story. The inner consciousness of one's own inferiority is something that can eat us out completely. Domestic violence, disturbances in marriage, parental love as well as negligence, bullying culture in highschool, greed, hate speech, extra-marital affairs, cheating, competition, insecurity, possessiveness, mistrust, etc are also a part of the drama.

I was worried the writer and director might forget about the few side plots that was incorporated into the major plot via the minor characters like Ahn Lisa (Hee Joo's daughter) played by Kim Soo An, Jung Seon-u (Hee Joo's brother) played by Shin Dong Wook and Ahn Min Seo (Hee Joo's SIL) played by Jang Hye Jin. Since there were long gaps before they brought forward the consequences of those scenarios, I was uncertain about them not turning into plotholes, but thankfully!

This has a set if good OSTs. My most favourite is "The Moment" by Lim Kim which is an English song that reminisces past and resonates the consequences with a sense of guilt and regret. The harmony in the track is very soothing, indeed. "Moving Away" by Savina & Drones is a lowbeat, despondent track with immense vocal works. "I Am Lost" by Lee Seung Yoon is a melancholic song about heartbreaks whose high note rhythms are enough to melt your soul. "Knocking On" by Jannet Suhh and "Midnight Sun" by Kim Kyung Hee are the other 2 tracks.

The sound production is also well done. The background scores and the OSTs have been utilized appropriately and were able to keep up the thriller plus makjang vibes throughout.

Knowing own-self is the beginning of all wisdom and can prove a great teacher. But the attempt to imitate someone else's reflection will only bring you misery and land in a horrendous & repulsive situation. What matters is the timely realization and withdrawal, followed by self-reflection and learning.

The finale week had the most dramatic consequences. 15th episode in fact laid a foundation for a superb finale episode but to my disappointment, that seemingly amazing seqence actually got wasted somehow; the peak at the end of ep15 somehow calmed down as soon as within 30 minutes of the 16th ep and the resr 1 hour of it was heading down some unknwon path. I don't wanna comment on it firmly bcs I am uncertain about the writer's intention, nor have I read the original work to be aware of it. But let me simply put it, that it might have another season, otherwise, we'll have to move on from it, considering that the drama got some plotholes. The ending sequences in the last 15 minutes have left me all confused and I have got at least 5 questions, which can be answered with another season only.

Its not new for Kdramas to have unsorted endings just to leave the audience to interprete and assume by their own but ai believe that's not the case here at all. I would have been happier if they had wrapped up the entire story within one season bcs I don't honestly see a potentially amazing drama out its 2nd part. Sure, this one is good but adding more to it will somehow feel like an unnecessary exaggeration, I think. Hoping to listen from the makers soon, I mean they should be clarifying about their intentions by now.

Overally, this is very good, if not something unique or groundbreaking but surely has different kind of moods and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing. It's more of a combination of mystery thriller and makjang, and not the typical frustrating makjang kinda drama. The last 6 episodes have the actual intense makjang stuffs, which might not be that sensitive. But anyways, enjoying this depends on your expectations and taste in makjang drama. For example, I am not a fan of intense makjangs so this mild dose was honestly good for me. It has it's own flaws of drawing plots and characters at few points but it's definitely worth the one time watch.

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This is the most unfair idol show i have seen so far

from the first episode they were attacking C groupe by showing how over confidante they are and they create a big mess from the start.
In every episode not only they showed how C groupe are bad (which is totally wrong) but also they have showed how J groupe are not good at anything and how the Great K groupe are the best and always know what to do and how they help all of them -_-.
After that Mnet discover that C groupe has many fans and votes, so they can't accept it so they start to attack every time a C trainee specially Cai bing by showing evil editing so that they can manipulate our thoughts and they have succeed.
How this is a fair competition how? more than half of the debut team are K group! and surprisingly a sister of an idol became ranked 1 -_- and that didn't happened during all the previous ranking , how can votes change in a small amount of time!!
I really hate Mnet and Korean idol shows to be honest Chinese shows are way more better (they never showed us drama or bad attitude they always showed us how friendly and helpful everyone of them), i really feel sorry for C groupe :'(
This is just evil! i will not support the debut team at all!!!

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How the Easter Bunny & the North Star Got Boyfriends

Okay, Pond, imma need you to blink twice if you need help. Cuz, P’Hill had like 2.5 facial expressions throughout this drama, and one of them read like he was either secretly mapping out the exits in his head or counting backwards from hundred waiting for lunch. Also, in case you didn’t hear it when they mentioned it for the billionth time, P’Johan is going to Boston, you know, Boston? yeah, he’s going to Boston. BOSTON.

Listen, the year just started, so I wanted to keep quiet and go sit my somewhere without reviewing this drama, buttttttt, I sat through 16 (surprisingly 17) episodes of... yeah, so imma rant about it.

I'm not even gonna sugarcoat it, Johan and North made this drama. I was this close to given up before their story started, then I was like, finally, some meat on this dry arse bone. North was my favourite character, I found everything he did enduring. For him, I stayed until the very end.

The premise of this series looked good on paper. Four couples with four different stories, and a cast with leads I’ve previously enjoyed watching. When I first heard about it, I was like, sign me the eff up! Unfortunately, the execution of the story was all over the place, and I ended up bored and waiting for the whole thing to be over. Let me explain.

HILL & TER
Boring. The story of these two started off intriguing, then immediately became boring. They spent the beginning episodes making it seem like these two didn’t know the other had feelings for them, only to reveal later they did more than friends did?? HUH??? So what was the whole point of them not knowing if the other liked them? And it was soooo repetitive, they kept going back and forth with their feelings like they was playing pingpong. Literally this was their whole plot:

HILL: I am not asking, this is me telling you that I like you and I'm going to pursue you and make you mine.
TER: OMG, North, I don't know what P'Hill wants from me, but I think he likes my sister Christmas Tree.
HILL: Let's go on a date. I like you, like a lot. Let's make out.
TER: OMG, North, I am sooo confused if P'Hill likes me or not. Yes, we made-out and basically act like married couples, but we are not together. I don't think he wants me as a boyfriend.
ME: Go hug a tree you Easter Bunny.

Like??? Arrrggg, they dragged the whole plot with unnecessary mediocre drama that in the end, I just rolled my eyes whenever one of them started talking. Just, No. Also how the hell didn't Ter know he was the guy in the face-mask? And who the hell was taking those picture collages of Hill in Ter's mother's restaurant during that time he was in the face mask? Man had a whole photo album as proof and I was like hmmm, how?? Hahahaha, alright, do you I guess. Though, I did like that backstory, it was so heartwarming and sweet. More of that from the beginning would have made some good difference.

Listen, is it just me or did Pond not wanna be here? I don’t know if it was the way the director wanted him to play the role or not, but he came off as disinterested and flat-out lost throughout this drama. Sometimes it felt like he wasn't sure where he was or what was happening, which made his acting stale. Very unfortunate, cuz he’s one of the best bl actors out there. Please, watch '180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us,' if you haven't, Pond was amazing in it.

Earth (Cooheart) playing a childish adult character… literally why are uni students acting like children? He’s a talented actor, and they turned Ter into a whiny overthinking child. And all the sound effect. Gawwwd, please let 2025 be the year thai bls leave the cringy sound effect and grown-up childish behaviour behind. Yes, I’m asking for a miracle, I’m optimistic, we only 9 days into the year, let me have this. Anyway, I loved the friendship of Ter and North, loved all their antics and conversations.

All in all, I felt very disappointed with Hill and Ter's plot. Their story dragged and became uninteresting really fast. I wish it could have been better. It’s sad, cuz these two actors had good chemistry and could have done so much more if they’d gone in a different direction, or they’d at least given them a better script to showcase their talent.

JOHAN & NORTH
First off, yes, Johan is going to Boston, just a heads up. Now, this two lifted the rating of this drama for me. Sure, they didn’t have much going on, but at least their story wasn’t boring, and I liked North’s character a lot. That scene in episode 15 when he cried, I felt every emotion, it was such a beautiful scene. He was my favourite. But dayum Susan, did everyone and their mama have to have a crush on North? Also, did anyone else go, 'Kamol, come collect your man, Kim is out here wildin' when Ton showed up as Day? Lol.

Anyway, I loveddddd the chemistry between these two leads. I’ll argue that the second kiss in A Time of Fever was the best bl kissing scene of 2024, but that kiss in the cafe between Johan and North is worth mentioning. And their backstory was also so interesting, like how long Johan waited for North and didn't want to steal him away from his girlfriend. When North cried after hearing it, I was like, same Susan, same. No, these two deserves more episodes and like another season.

That being said, I was not a fan of the whole money playing a bigger part between them, kiss me and get so so, send me a video and get so so, my brother you like him, just give him the money without all the strings. And the part where North suddenly became sad and quiet, and basically unable to function because Johan went to Boston made me roll my eyes. Sure he missed him, and not getting a call from him made him anxious but damn Susan, y'all doing too much.

Speaking of Boston. I’ve heard astronauts going to the freaking moon talk less about their travels. Did the scriptwriter enjoyed hearing people say Boston, or like it was a big deal in their novel? CUZ, I GET IT, JOHAN IS GOING TO BOSTON!!! They mentioned it so much, I legit thought something was going to happen to him when he left, only for us to not even see him at the airport. Dude went for like two screen changes and like three sequence of North looking like his husband went to war with his left foot. Like??? Give it a rest.

OTHERS
The other two couples didn't have any or little to no screen time, so I'm looking forward to their stories in the part two, heard there was gonna be a second season for them. Though we did get Fah and Typhoon looking real hard and sad at each other for like a couple of seconds, so I'm curious to know what's eating them. I legit laughed out loud when Arthit said he got bitten by a piranha and all the friends were like, that's your friend. LOL, the way no one wanted to claim him.

OH, I lowkey liked Ger and Nao's side story. I kept screaming for Ger to just tell him, cuz dude was clueless as eff. Ger being in love was so cute, and North teasing him for it. Wish he was braver and didn't waste so much time pining.

FINALE:
The story was wrapped up nicely for the two main couples, so there were no loose ends. They both had their happy endings. North and Johan's mother being snitches had me laughing. The dinosaurs finally came around, so it seems the happy ending is gonna be forever and ever. That last scene with the Hill and Ter and the necklace was cute. Seeing the scene of the four friends together at their drawing club, I wanted more of them, the way North said 'huh, that's how your face always is?' had me rolling, the poor sleepy cat. As for the side couple, Ger and Nao are apparently going to Boston together...seriously, what's there? Hopefully he braves up and confess in Boston.

All in all, this could have been waaay better than it was. The beginning dragged and just when it picked up and got a bit interesting it ended. I'll still recommend it, if not for anything, for Johan and North's story, cuz those two did their thing, but that's like towards the end of the series, so you gotta sit through all the other mess. I am looking forward to more work from these four leads. Pond already have ResetTheSeries coming soon, so I'm excited for that. I'm always down for anything Cooheart, and I want more MaxzyBas, so I'm seated for them all.

Season two was announced so I can't wait to see the story of the two others, and hopefully get glimpses of the old couples.

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Could have, would have, and should have been epic but just isn't.

This drama's thrilling opening had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat. It is one helluva start that brilliantly sets the stage for the backstory. We are immediately transported to ancient Wei, a wicked, immoral, debauched kingdom where the dissipated nobility hunt slaves for sport. Our titular character Xing'er/Chu Qiao is no ordinary slave she is a superhero; assassin, gladiator, warrior and survivor. Her courage and fiery fighting spirit draws the interest of many suitors including her owner and spymaster Yuwen Yue, Yanbei hostage prince Yan Xun, Prince Yuan Song of Wei and Prince Xiao Ce of Liang. If not for the fact that she pulls her weight when it comes to the rescuing, this would sound absurdly Mary Sue. As it turns out, the most powerful men across three rival kingdoms simply have a death wish and are fatally attracted to dangerous, irascible and bad-ass women. Recognising her indomitable spirit and lethal fighting ability, Yuwen Yue trains her to be a top notch spy and assassin.

I enjoyed every moment of the first half of this drama - despite some discontinuity in the editing, the plot is intriguing, the characters are flawed and complex, it moves at a fast pace and the fight scenes are powerful and exhilirating. The chemistry between Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin is off the charts and their supercharged one on one fight scenes are hot, hot, hot. The way Yuwen Yue grooms her, her gratitude and resentment and the push and pull attraction between them and their strong personalities results in a highly combustible build-up in passion between them. I just love how his eyes reveal how vulnerable he is, his grumpy sullen glower conveys his displeasure at being enslaved by his slave while the tiniest wry smile suggests a sense of acceptance and humor about it. The fierce answering spark in Xing'er's fiery eyes and her combative, resentful stance is a dead giveaway as to who this spitfire also most unwillingly longs for. I believe she would never have left with Yan Xun if her pride had not been so wounded at the thought she was nothing more than a lean mean killing machine to Yuwen Yue.

I have always considered Zhao Liying a vastly overrated, creepy life sized LOL doll with her gigantic head and eyes. This drama has given me a newfound appreciation for her acting skills and commanding screen presence. Her fight scenes are phenomenal and it is obvious that she immersed herself in this fabulous, kick-ass role of a fearless heroine with a big heart and bold dreams. It is hard to pull off the typical cold male lead well but Lin Gengxin effortlessly depicts the iceberg that conceals a dormant volcano. It is such a waste that his masterful articulation of such a complex and interesting character does not get nearly enough screen time. With one glaring weak link, this boasts an all star cast with complex, interesting and funny supporting characters with Xiao Ce (Deng Lun), Yue Qi and Yang Song being my favourites.

After peaking near the middle with a barbarous, heart wrenching massacre that results in irreversible divisions, the plot digresses into a long winded, meandering, melodramatic and ultimately trite tale of revenge as the focus shifts to the second leads Yan Xun and Chun'er. They are parallel selfish and amoral characters who go off the rails albeit for good reason and become consumed by hate and revenge. Although Li Qin does a fantastic job making a delusional, entitled and spoilt princess somewhat empathetic, the character Chun'er is not smart or interesting enough to command the amount of screen time she got and in so many gratuitous sub-plots. Xing'er/Chu Qiao's character is thrown under the bus in these arcs where she is dumbed down, stagnates and even regresses on several fronts when she excuses Yan Xun's misdeeds and lies at the cost of many lives. Like Chun'er she closes both eyes to the fact that Yan Xun sold her an empty dream and is nothing but a selfish, heartless prick with no game plan, is of mediocre ability and has no vision.

Yan Xun is a well written, complex and interesting antagonist. It is hinted from the beginning that he is innately selfish and quite manipulative, traits that rule him after the loss he experiences. This has to be said - this role however was badly miscast and that is why the drama pretty much implodes in the second half, from the moment Yan Xun takes centerstage. Shawn Dou is a blank actor that never compelled me because underneath the surface of his toothy, million dollar smile, there is not much to him. He can only pull off easy going, laid back two dimensional good guy roles and from his blank placid gaze it is clear he never really gets deep into character, he is the epitome of still waters run shallow. They would have been way better off sticking a Darth Vader mask over him rather than to inflict the wooden, constipated expression he wore for over half the damn drama on us. And the annoying sibilant "dark" whisper that became his voice made him the first male character I have ever been tempted to mute in a c-drama. To me, there is no believable triangle in this drama because there is zero spark between him and Zhao Liying. Put against an intensely masculine actor like Lin Gengxin, Shawn Dou's utter lack of sex appeal (男人味) is painfully obvious. I don't mean to offend his fans but this is too important a role that got way too much screen time to have been so poorly cast. I struggled to complete this drama because I lost all interest in the Yanbei arcs and the last few episodes are simply incoherent.

I was well warned that this drama has the worst open ending ever. The problem is that unlike The Rise of Phoenixes, it is not just about one bad ending episode. This drama starts to sink from about the halfway point where my intriguing historical spy / assassin drama turns into yet another boring revenge drama and my strong female allows her dreams to be subsumed by someone else's agenda. The only reason I didn't drop this is the remarkable chemistry between Yuwen Yue and Xing'er. I am reading the book (which is long but riveting) so I know their story does go on and the portrayal of both characters are quite faithful to the novel. Many much more interesting sub-plots didn't play out because they wasted 15-20 episodes on the most boring Yan Xun and Chun'er. Sadly the odds of this ever being completed with the original cast are low.

This drama could have, would have, and should have been epic but it just isn't. All it is is unfinished. Thus I rate the first few arcs 9.0/9.5 but the second half is at best a 5.5/6.0. My overall score is 7.5 which I consider generous. This is one that must be watched with adjusted expectations.

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Want to discover the world all MDLers are connected with? Watch King of Dramas—The Ultimate Drama-within-a-Drama for us drama-addicts. Indeed, it was an extreme remark, but what can I do? I love this drama to pieces.

Story: Basically, the plot will give you a parody about behind-the-scenes of drama-making and a man who will conquer everything for the sake of his ambition. The story isn’t really life-changing but it is certainly highly influential and enlightening in my case--at least on how drama production works. Yes , it’s supposed to be fiction but watching this one and at same time hearing news about real life drama made me wonder if in reality what was happening here is based on real life-drama filming experience.

I love the writing— Simple yet has a refreshingly engrossing storytelling and it managed to combine right amount of angst, romance, huge dose of comedy while handling issues about ratings, writer and director difficulties, financial problems, sponsorships, actor- behaviors and even extras. Of course, KoD is still a drama, there is a main story going on and I can guarantee that this one gives no dull moments. Intense and fast-paced, you’ll realize what I’m talking about if you try now and watch the first episode. Since KoD satirizes drama-making, it’s only natural for it to be funny, and if I may add, it is enjoyably hilarious in almost every episode. Comedy-wise, it’s a genuine masterpiece for me. Romance is subtle yet touching at first and tends to develop later which makes it more believable and truly romantic—not the usual wrist grabbing can determine the person you love. Did I mention a lot of anti-cliches here? Well, It has. And I love every bit of it! The ending was lovely and very satisfying for my taste.

Cast/Acting: Another thing to love about this drama was the evident character development on the main casts. In the end I have no choice but to love all of them. When I first watched this, I had known little of the casts and it was a great surprise watching all of them. Kim Myung Min also played stellar performance, the character change is very convincing on his part. He is amazing that he can take full control of his facial muscles while conveying the right expressions on his role. I love the strict, straightforward Representative with a sexy voice. Yes, I have to add that, lol. Jung Ryeo Won’s character is loveable-simple yet strong and determined. Her expressions are adorable. Their chemistry was noticeable just with their eyes and gestures, oh well, it comes with the leads personality, that’s why it’s like that—at first. The chemistry was wonderful, with just their gazes alone, I’m melting; Anthony Kim-Lee Go Eun has just become one of my top OTP’s this year. The biggest revelation, I credit it to Si Won—He is simply a truly great actor here. At first it was all funny just because it innates from his personality and self-love, then his expressions, his eyes, and then it comes a time that just his presence evokes hilarity. That’s how funny he is. Min Ah’s character is annoying at first but becomes likeable later on. World’s boys, who wouldn’t love them? Let me join your group! Tehe-

Music: Blind for Love, Keep In Your Heart and Tuesday Song are memorable OST’s for me, now another fave added. Even the instrumentals were catchy.

Rewatch Value: 10 because I rewatched some episodes already while waiting for the new one.

Overall: If a true drama lover runs in your veins, I believe you should watch this!—err, scratch that, I mean you would appreciate, relate and enjoy this refreshing, funny, one-of-a-kind drama as much as I did. :P

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I started this drama on a whim and ended up loving it. It's one of the better romance drama that I've watched in recent years.

The plot is very simple. It is about a teenager crush that evolves into a beautiful relationship once reciprocated. While it is simple, I think the show did a good job overall in portraying the different stages of the relationship. There is no unnecessary angst and the tone remains light and fluffy throughout.

The only thing that makes me rate the story lower is the lack of scenes showcasing ML thoughts. The drama could have used an extra episode to flesh out ML character more. His background story is way too short and he changed from brotherly affection to full on loving the FL so quickly that I find it a bit abrupt. It would be better if there are more scenes showcasing his hesitation and motivation. The novel did a much better job fleshing out his character imo.

The casts are definitely the highlight for me. Everyone fits their role so well and the acting feels quite natural. I love all the 3 leads, though I am most impressed with Chen Zheyuan. His eyes deliver so much emotion! The chemistry between the 3 leads are amazing. I definitely will be checking out their future projects.
I also really like the OST because they fit and added so much to the scenes.

Overall I really like this drama. It is well produced and I could tell a lot of thought and effort went into it. It was good from beginning to the end. Although I feel like they could use 1 or 2 more episodes, but overall I'm very satisfied with the series.

I would recommend this drama for anyone that likes romance, slice of life, and something simple in general. This drama has been my happy pill after a long tiring day at work for the past 2 weeks, so I would definitely missed it.

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In Amazement!!

I thought this drama was perfect! I am in amazement at how many reviews have missed the whole story line and decided to focus mainly on the acting skills of the ML and FL. Living in North America, it is fascinating for me to learn about other country technologies and their perspectives as they apply to the world market. I certainly won't take anything away from Dylan Wang and Bai Lu as they both are exceptional actors. It is refreshing to see Dylan Wang accomplish a more serious modern day role and how he brings a mature level to his acting. I have seen Bai Lu in many dramas and her acting gives a "real" feel to her roles. I would definitely rewatch this drama again.

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It's not Little Forest of Two People anymore - it's Four.

There's too inappropriately much airtime for the second couple to the point that drags the whole story down. From about ep.15 onwards, I can't bear watching the second leads' scenes anymore.

First off, the second couple isn't worth watching as their acting skills are not up to par. Second, there's nothing substantial in their storyline, just some cliche boy falling in love at first sight > lying to get close to girl > girl being angry after knowing the truth > boy chasing girl -- but wait... why their story anyway?? It's supposed to be the first leads' story, isn't it? To be the most honest, I feel that the second leads' airtime is equal to the first leads'. I don't know why they have to put two totally different but equally weighed stories to compress in one series to be compared eye-to-eye for the weaker storyline to be suppressed and looked down on by the audience.

After a few episodes of too many improperly show-up scenes of the second leads, I start to be annoyed so much and have bad impression on them instead. I've been skipping their scenes the whole way through since early episodes (and still get their story -- see how simple-minded their storyline is?!) This series can be a lot more interesting if they'd reduce these wasteful scenes of the second leads.

Apart from the rant, I'd like to praise a bit about the first leads' chemistry. Their chemistry is great, so sweet and so authentic (unlike the second leads that I don't feel any chemistry between them at all.) I've watched Zhang Binbin in Love O2O, Eternal Love and The King's Woman before. I never liked his acting in any of them. He was either cringey or stiffed or forceful or all of above. He always looked like being forced when he had kiss scenes (even when it's with Dilireba. Both of them looked being forced to kiss in The King's Woman). I thought Zhang Binbin doesn't suit to play love scences. But in this series, he has done too good. I like all the subtle smiles and all the eye movements in his scenes with FL, especially love his eyes that I used to think were too cheesy because of the big eye size on a face that is too sweet for a guy. In this series, all of his features have become the complements for compliment.

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I watch a lot of dramas. Why? Well, lots of reasons but one is because my work is some heavy shit and sometimes I need something that is pure distraction. And this drama delivers on that.

So this is not the drama to watch if you want to think deeply about the world or be moved by something new or profound. It IS the drama to watch if you just had surgery and you need something to keep your mind off the pain while you recover, or if you are that combo of bored and distracted that means you can't keep track of complicated plotting, or if you're feeling sad generally and want to watch an angst-light bickering couple be adorable at each other for a while.

One point I thought worth making is that the premise of forced marriage and subsequent escape/chase as the base of a romantic relationship is tricky to handle well. The show does a great job of balancing the characters and the romantic development so that it doesn't feel like the female lead is intimidated into love or suffering from Stockholm syndrome or something. His intentions towards her aren't creepy, and while she's attracted to him early on, she doesn't fall for him until much later when the power balance between them is much more equal (side note: I would hesitate to call this a "historical".... it's thoroughly modern in terms of the ideas that the characters have about love and morality).

There's a lot of reviews already so rather than describe the show again, I'll respond to two of the major flaws that have bothered other people: plot, and the female lead's character.

Plot: This feels adapted from a web novel, and so rather than a straight plot that carries us from beginning to end, there are definite arcs: The Island Arc, the Escape/Chase Arc, the The Black Gang Arc, and the White Jade Arc. We drop some characters along these arcs and move to new locations where new characters come in, so the beginning of each arc is a bit like starting a new show, with some ramp up time before the story gets going again. The transitions to the Black Gang arc and the White Jade arc are a bit choppy, so our gang of heroes ends up talking about goals for a while and the audience is like "huh? Explosion? What? Coverup? How did we get here?"

Eventually everything makes sense again and it's pretty easy to fill in the gaps, so if you're in it for the cute couple it's not a major detractor. But if you really want a compelling and tight plot, you will definitely hate the transitions and probably not enjoy the show much overall.

Lead Female: She is a bit screetchy at the beginning, and I think the type of character (her backstory) isn't well enough established early on to make sense of some of her actions. However, she's actually a pretty good character once you get her (and the screaming subsides), so here's my take on her: She's a general's daughter who is stubborn, book-smart, and has an intense sense of justice and desire to do good in the world. She's been indulged, but not *specifically* trained. So she's grown up around martial arts and picked up some things, and she knows lots of tricks that she's read about and is decent at putting together traps or thinking her way out of a situation. BUT she's not that great at anything other than slingshot. She's got a lot more courage than experience, so when she starts having experiences, she isn't always prepared for what's happening.

What I liked about her character was that for everything except cooking, what they established that she was good at remained good throughout the show (and the cooking is a really minor exception). So, she has a photographic memory, which is useful even at the end. She's good at tricks and quick thinking. She doesn't use them every possible time, but she doesn't get "dumber" over time as some smart characters tend to; in fact her skills improve. The pirate actually changes to get better at trusting her and acknowledging her strengths, and she learns new skills. It's not *amazing* but it is well done enough to keep their relationship interesting throughout the show, which is great because the romantic arc is such that the show could have suffered from early bed death.

The show was a ton of fun for me. I even loved the cheesy costumes (caterpillar eyebrows!!!!) and props, which offered their own laughs at times. The show never takes itself to seriously, which is what you want for a low-budget comedy low on realism and loose with plot. A high production value would have made the historical inaccuracies and trope-heavy plot unbearable.

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This drama was such a contradiction.

The first half was so poignantly and beautifully written while the second half was just plain bad writing. The music was phenomenal with stunning instrumental and heartwarming lyrics, yet the drama used those songs so repetitively that I got sick of them a little bit by the end. The acting was unbelievably amazing and yet, there was a lot of over done theatrics.
I cried, laughed, cared so much, and yet there were times where I was bored out of my mind.

It appeared quite sunny and cheerful on the surface but it had a lot of deep, dark psychological elements to it. The main character Ha Rip (Jung Kyung Ho) is goofy, sexy, mean like a feral kitten and oh so adorable and yet his actions were greedy, desperate, selfish and downright awful. It's painfully slow at times and yet it moves so fast in others. It's horribly predictable in one episode and then there's mind fuckery waiting for you the next.

It's both so good and so bad. Depending on which you choose to focus on, the drama will become that for you.

Despite all the bad, I personally enjoyed my time with it. I forged a connection with all the characters and felt so sentimental in almost every episode. I wish it was better written and all the unnecessary draggy parts to stretch the episodes weren't added but I felt like the cast did their best with it and it showed.

P.S Jung Kyung Ho. Enough said.

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Red flag with a face card is still a red flag. No excuses!

If a guy never listens to you, constantly talks about himself, takes you for granted and is self-centered, would you still stay with him? Without a doubt, the answer should be no. But if he has a charming face, all his bad qualities will vanish into thin air. But that shouldn't be the case, right? We shouldn't be bewitched by someone's looks. The same goes with this TV special.

The k-drama opens with Oh Jin (played by Shin Ye Eun) getting greeted by her boyfriend Cha Min Jae (played by Kang Tae Oh) with passionate kisses the moment she steps into his house. At first, this might seem romantic and sweet but Oh Jin stops kissing Min Jae midway and insists to put away the beer and freshen up first. He didn't even ask how was her day and instead asked why she was late. Min Jae then grabbed her to continue making out but she protested again to which he didn't listen to and wanted to do it his way.

It was pretty obvious from the opening scene that this relationship is doomed to end. Min Jae constantly dismisses Oh Jin's thoughts and feelings and would always point out that she's being too emotional. Oh Jin only realizes this when her boyfriend flicked her forehead too hard after losing in a bet. The finger flick is a wake-up call to Oh Jin that perhaps she deserves better than this. What was once little cracks in their relationship started to develop into a tremor that will make or break their connection.

Shin Ye Eun portayed Oh Jin with naturalism and nuance. We empathized with her as she navigates a breaking point in her relationship. It broke our hearts when she come to realize that her boyfriend is not cherishing and treating her right the way she should be. Ye Eun channels Oh Jin's confusion and ambivalence toward her boyfriend and a budding romance with the PE teacher. Ye Eun's maturity was also shown as the story progresses.

Tae Oh adopts a smug and broody approach to depict a self-centered and insensitive boyfriend. In reality, a possessive and cold-hearted guy turns out not to be hot at all. He constantly turns the tables and puts all the blame to Oh Jin for being too emotional. Thankfully, Oh Jin sticks to her guts and was firm on her decision.

Meanwhile, Hong Kyung plays Koo Won Bin, a PE teacher who is harboring a crush on Oh Jin. He is very soft-spoken and is straightforward about his feelings, a stark contrast to Min Jae's personality. He is sheepish yet has a way with words and it feels as though he is straight out of fiction books.

Overall, this is a quick, nice watch with a compelling storyline. This kdrama is not about getting pissed off over a finger flick, it's highlighting growing out of love and also touches on gaslighting which is a prominent issue nowadays in relationships. Watching this can also be a wake-up call to viewers that loving someone can just be something that is done out of habit without us realizing it. This sounds painful but it is the reality of love. The fact that this special episode was able to narrate a heartbreaking yet light-hearted story in a short amount of time is such a feat and is all the more reason for watching.

PS. If you were rooting for Kang Tae Oh, there is seriously something wrong with you. I bet you rooted for Song Kang in Nevertheless, too.

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The Kmovie would have been a good queer film if not for the plot. I watched the movie earlier with a friend and am not surprised as to why 1million viewers tried to watch this film within two weeks. How could four-hot-good-looking-irresistible stars not garner these amount of fans?

In this movie, what was really interesting was how each character had their own story to tell. I'm also glad that the director and producer gave the chance for these characters to show their own side of the story. The movie is quite long, with bits of musical pieces in between that I almost thought it was going to be like a broadway musical show up to the end.

Joo Ji-hoon (from Goong and Mawang) who played as Kim Jin Hyeok, Antique's owner was the most complex character in the lot. He had this terrible past which he doesn't have closure with up until he made up the Bake shop. Jin Hyeok do not actually like sweets because of an incident 20 years ago. The only way he could move on from that was to catch the person who inflicted trauma in his past but the story does not only revolve around him. There's more...

Kim Jae-wook (from Coffee Prince) as Min Seon-woo, the gay Patisserie (my favorite character) was VERY queer, charming, hot and definitely devious when it comes to making men; straight or gay fall for him. Only Jin Hyeok is the exception for some certain reason related in the past (again). He is the only guy who is able to resist his charm thoroughly up to the present but there would be some side story between their friendship and how things work out in favor for both of them in the end.

I loved the way Jae-wook presented his character, it seemed so real and not icky to watch all. There were several kissing scenes with a guy in this movie to show how gay his character really was. What fascinated me more was that before I actually watched the movie, I have read several comments from him as to how he was able to portray the character in a realistic manner. During the filming sessions, he admitted that he was having a very hard time internalizing his gay character because in reality he wasn't gay. What's more interesting is how it seemed so natural on screen, you wouldn’t even think he was uncomfortable with the whole process. He was so darn convincing that I would think he was gay if I didn't know any better.

Yoo Ah-in (Sungkyunkwan Scandal) as Patisserie apprentice Yang Ki-beom, a punk kid who wanted to eat cakes and is running away from something. The kid is an insistent worker, stubborn but has a high respect for Seon-woo and would only acknowledge him as the best Patisserie in the whole world. He also has a sweet tooth that he became the official taster for the bake-shop.

Choi Ji-ho as Nam Soo-yeong, the guy who is unbelievably stuck with Jin-hyeok. He is the son of the Kim's house nanny and became Jin-hyeok's body guard in the process. He may be a bit slow, and could have been affected by the charms of Seon-woo but he has a great respect and kin-ship affection (not in a gay kind of way) towards Jin-hyeok. He always sees to it that he will be able to cater the needs of his young master.

There are other characters that have their own roles, but it would be too tedious to mention them one by one. Over all the movie's quirkiness is thanks to these four wonderful guys. They have brought the entire film to the best of its ability that even in its 109 minutes, did not once made me feel it was draggy or boring. The mixture of humor and suspense was perfect, even the soundtrack fit so well with the whole movie. There might be some several graphics that was a bit too exaggerated but the colorful atmosphere and acting took that tiny glitch away.

The movie may not show any love interest between a man and woman, but it would certainly show how people could connect deeply with each other no matter how one is scarred from the past or has a marred future. It only shows that in the end, everyone would be able to cope up with their own personal demons.

A must see movie for those who has a queer eye and a different perspective in life.

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A handsome ML and some satisfying PDA

OK - so the story was full of holes and didn't have much substance - but the chemistry between the actors was terrific, and I appreciated the little twists in the story along the way and at the end. The ML was worth every scene he was in especially because he's gorgeous - but the FL was irritating as hell. Maybe her sister would have been a more fitting FL.

The best part of this production for me was the PDA - real kisses, not those pressed lip fake kisses. Not overdone or shocking - but real and romantic, and that made the series for me and earned a 7.5 rating. That's why I look for ROMANTIC historical stories. If you're looking for something light to watch in between serious drama, this one will do! (And looking at the ML is worth it!)

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