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Sore wa, Totsuzen, Arashi no you ni..
25 people found this review helpful
Apr 23, 2011
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This drama follows the Japanese "older woman-younger guy" trend. It seems as though every Japanese idol has to pass this test at least once in his acting career.



Despite the premises though, there is something about this drama which made it into one of my favourites in its genre.

Perhaps because on further analysis it doesn't deal with falling in love with someone, but with learning to love oneself and appreciate the little, daily things one gives for granted.



Esumi Makiko is so beautiful here, one soon forgets the age gap. The story revolves around her, her internal struggle, her doubts, her self-esteem. Yamashita Tomohisa plays his part very well too, portraying a young man in that fragile phase between adolescence and adulthood in a very believable way.



Overall, a delightful, suave drama.

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Completed
Drinking Solo
25 people found this review helpful
Oct 27, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Overall entertaining, and gave me great laughs.

I went in for the theme. The idea of having time for your own, to do things alone and enjoy that time fully. It is something that is important to me, and here they exploit it perfectly. The way prof Jin enjoyed his *drinking solo* felt like he was my kindred spirit.

I think the best thing about this drama is that screen presence was evened out among the cast. It isn't just the main love story and those that surrounds it. We have a setting, and we explore the different lives and experiences of those involved there. The setting is an institution that gives classes for people who want to pass the civil exam and be employed by the government. The drama tells us two different stories in that setting, that of the teachers there (pretty similar to typical romcoms) and that of the students and the things they do cause by the pressure.

I won't rehash what everyone is saying, but I agree the trio were hilarious. First time I watch Key in a drama, but really he was effortlessly the heart of it. My favourite was Kim Dong Yeong, I could relate to him the most. He felt the most realistic person there, naturally down to earth, and a total sweetheart. I gotta add I totally enjoyed all the scenes of the impersonator, he was pure fun. As for the other teacher, she wasn't bad, but too petty for an extended period of time. The director was hilarious as well. I actually wished for him to divorce since he seems so miserable with his current life.

For me it lost points on

-Inefficiency: Not only were the episodes long, but there were many dragged out scenes or events that are there to fill the time with no purpose of advancing the story. I think the drama would've benefitted being cut to 12 episodes

-The last 2 episodes: I do hate Noble Idiocy, but the was it was done here was the most nonsensical, to the point I didn't want the couple back together. And I actually was very forgiving of the lead, and maybe one of the few that found him cute while dating. Also the secondary couple were left out too last minutes. In the end they were cute, but it would've been better to explore the relationship better.

Despite my remarks on the pacing and the ending, I'd say it's still worth checking out for the laughs, as well as the heartfelt moments here.

p.s. I do wonder though is it normal for women to be this irresponsible when drinking outside this often?

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Completed
The Song of Glory
25 people found this review helpful
by sony_t
Aug 15, 2020
53 of 53 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0

Too high expectations leads to disappointment

The story is about a Prince who is trying to make reform to government and is meeting constant objections from the ministers who are not happy with him changing the status quo. His only option is to align himself with the Shen family and get their massive military power as his backing. Good thing for this is the previous Emperor has left an edict bestowing marriage between the 4th Prince and the daughter of the Shen family.

The FL (Li Ge) is an orphan raised by a wondering Shifu. She, her sisters, and brothers were raised and trained as assassins that go after Lords and ministers who ignore the blight of the common people and enrich themselves. To this object, their biggest target, and the worst of the of them all, the one born into privilege and power but is weak and corrupt, who only knows how to protect these ministers, is a Prince. To be more precise it is the 4th Prince Peng Cheng.
Hence the drama starts with our assassins, acting as a dance group, get themselves invited to said Prince’s place for the Consort Dowager’s birthday. Here is where my problem starts, the lead assassin Li Ge(Li Qin) is on the roof behind where the Royal family is sitting, the rest of the female assassins are on stage performing. You’d expect, for someone who has been preparing to kill this target for well over a year, would take this opportunity when they were distracted watching the dance and everyone is relaxed to jump down from the roof and shoot him straight. No- what happened was while she is up on the roof, the female dancers threw away their costumes and shot arrows toward the stage the Royal Family was sitting at. What happens when something like this happens? Obviously, everyone comes to attention, guards rushed in and surrounded the Royals, and this is when the FL decided to jump off the roof and shoot her arrow. It is so illogical, I caught myself screaming “why didn’t you shoot from the roof?!” at my unsuspecting screen. I was upset to have met such an outrageous thing in the first episode. But I will say this, if you leave common sense out the door, the entire assassination performance was eye catching. As you may have guessed, the year-long planned assassination went south real fast. We see a lot of fighting scenes here; I am a sucker for those, and they were pretty good.
Anyway, after the failed assassination a lot more story went on and I met my second problem. FL was trying to ambush and kill a minister that has killed one of her sisters in front of her in that faithful night, and while she is at it she runs into, you guessed it, 4th Prince in disguise. I should point out that said disguise is a mustache. Not a full-blown beard but a thin mustache. And FL did not recognize him. They made such a big show in the first episode about how they planned this assassination for a year and our lead assassin did not recognize her target because he had a mustache. [Sigh] May I ask how they had planned this assassination? Did they not do any recon? Were they told to shoot at the one sitting in the middle? How the bloody hell do you not know what the person you are supposed to kill looks like?
You will consistently run into illogical plots/scenes like the ones I point out above throughout the drama. Once or twice may be annoying but it’s forgivable if there are other exceptional stories to make up for it. But this drama neither had the sense to limit its flaws nor did it have the solid interesting plot to fall back on.

You might say I’m nitpicking, but I assure you I’m not. This drama, which is studded with talent, suffered from truly poor script. Honestly, it devolved fast with its regurgitated plot, the never-ending cycle of set-up, getting caught, getting free, getting set up again, crying, getting free, getting set up again. The plot became unoriginal, the dialogue unimaginative, the scenes draggy and the whole drama became riddled with clichés. I at one point even watched a few of the episodes without subtitles, since I was confident, I would not miss anything important. To add to this, one of the major antagonist was a “love rival”. Imagine writing in a harem drama in this setting. There are a million dramas with this same plot already, why would you bring such cliched story to a drama that should have focused more on the politics and the reforms and basically anything else especially since the FL was supposed to be a badass.
The top acting could not save this drama. I mean what can these actors do with such truly abysmal writing. They are actors not miracle workers - to be fair I count it as a miracle I watched it this far and it’s all credit to their performance.

Another issue is the palace design. This created a great disconnect with me. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautifully designed. It had pools in the rooms, huge sculptures, and I would have been impressed with it if it was a wuxia drama. However, for something that is supposed to be a historical, this did not have the beauty and authenticity of ancient Chinese architecture. I like the feeling of ancient palace designs, the aura, and the mood it sets - this one did not do that for me.
As for music, they had one. There was one song that played on a loop through the entire drama. Nice song, but it was just that one. They may have thrown in another one in there, but I did not notice.

As if I didn’t have my share of issues with this drama, they went a step further and added split screens (side-by-side shots) like a music video. If they had done a fade-out shot, I would have thought I transmigrated back to the early 2000s.

I had such a huge expectation for this drama and what a letdown it was.


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Completed
My Neighbour Can't Sleep
25 people found this review helpful
Nov 5, 2019
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
To be fair, this show is one of those shows where you have to shut off your brain and just let it happen. It's really cute and sweet and literally has no context and I kind of like watching something like that here and there sometimes because It really is just sweet. I like that the FL is just goofy and pretty sweet, the ML is handsome, pretty sweet and a simple guy tbh. I liked the friends, I like the family, I liked that there wasn't crazy insane drama and even if there "was", it wasn't terrible and it was just a fast and easy watch. Good story, nice acting, easy to like, good show overall.

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Completed
Palace of Devotion
25 people found this review helpful
Apr 23, 2021
61 of 61 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

The Hands Behind the Power

This drama portrays the life story of Liu E, one of the most prominent empress dowagers in Chinese history (b. 969 – d. 1033). She became the regent of the Song Dynasty for Emperor Zhenzong (reigned 997 – 1022) and later, for Emperor Renzong (reigned 1022 – 1063). Here, Liu E is depicted as intelligent, benevolent, decisive and visionary, far exceeds her male counterpart. Her journey from rags to riches based on historical facts, is interjected with fictional stories and figures.

The production cost for this drama is undoubtedly high with well know veteran actors, Liu Tao and Chou Yu Min, and the quality and acting are good. However, the editing is horrendous, in particular, for the first 10 episodes, making everything feel disjointed. There, events move very fast, from one big event to the next, supposedly unravelling over a span of time in days or weeks, even years, but the way the drama was cut, it feels like multiple events happening within the same day or hour, confusing and frustrating many viewers. The drama is said to have 80 episodes originally but drastically being trimmed down to 61 episodes.

Liu E has been portrayed as an evil woman in some literature which contradicts what historians think. In historical records, she was a very smart and courageous woman and had implemented many impressive projects that benefited the nation; her contributions were undeniable. Liu Tao's portrayal here is elegant and strong, and yet not lacking her feminine charisma. Whether or not this depiction is historically accurate, it is anybody’s guess. For me, compared with “Serenade of Peaceful Joy” where Liu E was portrayed in the first few episodes, I find some of the events in “Palace of Devotion” more plausible while others rather far-fetched with the writer’s imagination running wild. For example, how Liu E loses her biological children here seems over dramatic, but the request of wearing the emperor’s attire to a ritual ceremony seems out of place in “Serenade of Peaceful Joy” where a great deal of time is spent in arguing over the subject, whereas here, it becomes a brilliant idea by the Emperor himself to grant the Empress Dowager the status and privilege without much ado. Also how Cao (Empress Cisheng) comes to the life of Emperor Renzong is more believable in this drama than the previous one. However, I do love the dialogues in the former drama (“Serenade of Peaceful Joy”) which are more poise and humorous and the costume there perhaps more accurately depicted given Emperor Renzong was a very frugal person.

My Verdict
This is a rather well-done drama with decent CGIs despite the disjointed editing in earlier episodes and some inconsistencies in the logic of the fictitious events which are meant to spice up the story. Compared with “Serenade of Peaceful Joy”, “Palace of Devotion” is action packed with epic war scenes, spectacular warriors from Song and Khitan-Liao, and the settings are more opulent. The encounter of another great empress dowager, the Khitan Xiao Yan Yan, gives viewers two historically great women with strong personalities and powerful characters that leave deep marks in Chinese history; their intelligence and wisdom well supersede their contemporaneous male counterparts.

This is not a drama of great romance, and yet, Emperor Zhenzong is devoted to his Empress Liu. If not for the need of having a male heir for the throne, he wouldn’t have agreed to sleep with other women. This is pretty rare for a custom notorious for harems with thousand beauties.

Many viewers are also critical of the age of the main actors and complaint of their chemistry, Perhaps, these viewers are very used to having good looking young actors and fireworks type of romance. If so, this drama may not be their cup of tea.

“Palace of Devotion” comes with great character development and nice OSTs, at the same time, not lacking a sense of humor, tragedies and connivance.

Women have been an important force in shaping up societies and in politics. Seeing the two great empress dowagers of the time, a what-if question runs through my mind - what if women were given equal power, would we have a more peaceful and better world today?

Though not 100% perfect, this is a good historical drama for history buffs. I have enjoyed it. Great watch and recommended!

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Completed
Your Sensibility My Destiny
25 people found this review helpful
Oct 4, 2021
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers
Well, at first, I didn't expect much from this drama and watching it just to kill the time. But unexpectedly I enjoyed it, a lot. The male lead, I watched him for the first time in One and Only and even I don't like his role a the crown prince, but I like his acting. And I was so shocked when I knew he's only 19. Omo!! He's going to be big someday I bet. And I hooked with his role as Mo Qing Chen, the 2nd Prince who exiled himself from the palace because of his inability to feel or to taste anything. And I love the FL also. Instead damsel in distress formula that almost every drama follow, Lin Chi is a clever and witty girl. And I love love love the ML and FL interaction, their chemistry is over flowing. You would never know there's quite an age gap between them (ML 19 and FL 27). They're sooooo lovey dovey.
But I kind of sorry to Prince Rui. Yes, he is bad, but he is kind of lonely also. And (I forgot his name) the one who play the role of Prince Rui, I watched 3 of his drama and his role is always like this.
Overall, this drama is worth to watch. And yes, it's a happy ending drama. I myself replayed a few scenes of Mo Qing Chen and Lin Chi. Love this couple.

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Completed
Encounter
25 people found this review helpful
by Dodo Flower Award2
Apr 1, 2025
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Romantic, poetic, emotional, mesmerizing, unforgettable.

Encounter is a visually stunning and
emotionally deep romance drama that follows the love story between Cha Soo Hyun (Song Hye Kyo), a wealthy but lonely hotel CEO, and Kim Jin Hyuk (Park Bo Gum), a free-spirited young man who finds joy in life’s little moments. Their chance meeting in Cuba sets the stage for a heartfelt romance that faces numerous challenges due to social expectations, family pressures, and personal struggles.
Kyo delivers a nuanced performance as Cha Soo Hyun, a woman trapped in a world of expectations. Her portrayal of quiet strength and deep sadness makes the character both compelling and relatable. Unlike more expressive roles, her performance relies on subtle emotions, making every glance and silence meaningful. She beautifully conveys the inner turmoil of a woman who yearns for freedom and love but is constantly held back by her past and responsibilities.

The chemistry between Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum is delicate and heartfelt. Their relationship unfolds gently, with moments of warmth and understanding rather than dramatic passion. Park Bo Gum’s portrayal of Jin Hyuk as an optimistic, kind-hearted man complements Soo Hyun’s reserved nature, creating a dynamic where he brings light into her dark world. Their love story feels sincere and bittersweet, making the audience root for their happiness despite the obstacles.

The cinematography in Encounter is stunning, from the vibrant streets of Cuba to the elegant hotel settings. The color palette enhances the emotional tone of the story. The OST also plays a significant role, featuring soft, melodious tracks that elevate the drama’s romantic and melancholic atmosphere

Encounter is a drama that beautifully explores love, freedom, and personal growth. It’s not a typical rom-com, but rather a slow-burning, heartfelt story that focuses on emotions and character depth.
Slow burn romance is so heartwarming and beautiful to watch and Encounter is a perfect example of that✨🪄 For me this is my most favourite and comfort kdrama 🤍
So If you enjoy slow-burn, mature romance with deep emotions, Encounter is worth watching☺️

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Completed
The Trainee
25 people found this review helpful
Sep 26, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Could've been a 7 if not for the last 3 episodes

Got started on this series with very little expectations and enjoyed the first 9 episodes, not because of the romance or the actors, but because of the characters (especially Pah and Pie) and great comic timing.

The struggles and growth the characters go through, how they form-break-mend relationships and chart their own break-through, how they overcome self-doubt and discover themselves, were very nostalgic and feel-good.

It really started to go downhill for me because of 3 things (most of which happened in the last 3 episodes)

1. Judy's character development and her relationship with BM just came across as v flippant and poorly thought out and done just to catalyse Tae's character development. I would've much preferred if she had not reciprocated BM's feelings because that felt rather out of character, especially for someone who maintains a strong professional image, it felt unrealistic that she would start a relationship with an intern who already had a boyfriend who was also an intern.

2. Phi Jo's comments to Jane felt very out of character, after his chat with Pah, and the subsequent justification for his actions felt very forced (not sure if it was a translation issue). Jane's flashback made me dislike Phi Jo after growing quite fond of him, especially since he was built up to be a non-judgemental coach type of leader. The office culture also felt very toxic and seemed to be deemed "acceptable".

3. Jane's sudden departure to study overseas and his decision to do so without talking it out with someone he just started a relationship with. And them not speaking for years and then conveniently getting back together again was simply unrealistic... the amount of disrespect to the audience for being made to believe it was ok...

Sadly this series did not end on a high for me but thought it still deserved a rating above 5 because i truly enjoyed two thirds of it.

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Completed
Ban Shu Legend
25 people found this review helpful
Dec 9, 2015
42 of 42 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 10
I really love this drama (watched this 4 times and planning to watch this the 5th time)
The thing that I love about this drama is the superb cast. The actress who played Banshu is not a very popular actress but I must say, she exceeded by expectations! Banshu is a very rash and cheerful girl, and the actress played the character really well. Really love it. The actor who played Wei Ying is also not a popular actor but I am charmed but him. He has the looks, the charisma...and his daily outfit in the drama is a white robe (prince charming), I am not surprise that his character managed to charm so many female characters in the show coz I am here being separated by a screen and could still get charmed. His acting skills are just bonuses.
Banshu's character can be a little rash at times and her actions are often exaggerated but I love her so much! She doesn't really know the palace etiquette and doesn't act like the normal gentle female teacher (????teacher who tutors the female students), but this is what make her special. She often does not care abt her image and behaves how she wants to behave. But what makes her so likeable is that she is so selfless. She cares a lot abt Wei Ying although he always reprimand her, places people before herself, saves her students' lives more than once despite them not liking her, and so on. Although she is very strict with her students and punishes them even though they are all daughters of high ranking officials, she is actually doing them good. For example, she makes them run around the court yard after seeing them all skinny and frail and she even gave the child emperor a good beating after the males students from ?? (an imperial all boys school)played a prank on her. It's very heartening to see her managing to earn the utmost respect of all students in the end.
The empress dowager in the story is not your typical evil old lady. She is actually quite young. She's the one who instructed Banshu to tutor the female students and gave her the permission to change the way the girls behave. After that, she ordered Banshu to teach the males form ?? coz she's disappointed that only 2 students signed up for the imperial exams and that all professors in charge of teaching the male students are all on sick leave (including Wei Ying) because of the palace fire. She sent Banshu coz she knows that Banshu fears nothing, not even high ranking officials' sons or daughters, and Banshu's duty is not only to teach poems blabla, but also instill the students of both schools good moral values.
Wei Ying is a ??? teaching the students of ??? He is very loyal to Liu Xuan (??, his lover whom he could not save. Hence, he is always stuck in the past and could not forget abt Liu Xuan. He even waters the plants that Liu Xuan had planted for 3 years straight without fail. In the end, he realizes that his love for Xuan has reduced to friendship and the one he loves is actually Banshu.
There are some characters who are there for some comedic effect, such as Huo Heng and Yao Juan. Yao Juan is another female teacher who is always taken advantage of by the students coz she is short-sighted and timid. She often walks into things because of her bad eyesight but that's okay, she's also very loveable.

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Completed
Everglow
25 people found this review helpful
Sep 29, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10

Radiant indeed! Honest. Real. Powerful. Intense. Soulful. As is the life of the Haenyeo.

Remarkable. Exceptional. A Shining Star in KMovieHeaven.
"Everglow" is radiant indeed. Honest. Real. Powerful. Told in few words only, but with wonderful pictures and profound scenes with soulful encounters. Full of love for the island, the Haenyeo, the sea, the landscape, life and love - in whatever form it chooses to show itself.

Go Doo-shim has surpassed herself many times in her long career as an actress and has set an unforgettable monument to many a female archetype. But in this life-affirming chamber piece that breathes pure nature, she surpasses herself a bit more: in the role of one of the comparatively few remaining, unique Haenyeo divers on Yejudo's coasts: Grumpy, dismissive, plain, robust, simple, strong, tireless, helpful, sensitive, profound, motherly, grandmotherly, friendly, old wise woman as well as tender, vulnerable, radiantly in love. With a great pain and a big heart - but she keeps both hidden deep inside of her. "Life makes life go on." Deeply connected and yet alone. Al(l)One with everything, while diving in the sea.


------------------------------------------------------------
The Haenyeo...
...are at home in the silence of the sea. Every day for up to 7 hours, in and under water, while holding their breath for more than 3 minutes. Breaking the surface, in stages they loudly blow out the air they are holding, while breathing in fresh oxygen, too. "Sumbisori" is the name of the peculiar whistling sound, for which each haenyeo finds its own variation. When they have deposited their prey in the net and their breathing has returned to normal, they launch again and dive back down into stillness. This is a world unto itself. Mentally focused on the now. Physically hardened by sun, wind and salt water. Depending on the time of year, tide and weather, several hours in the sea are followed by long breaks in order to warm up by the fire, together with the other haenyeo. Haeneyo is what women do. Haenyeo shapes the women of the island, makes them self-confident, independent and firmly connected in matriarchal community. After warming up, it's back into the water for several hours. It is an intense, existential, essential life in total surrender to the sea.

"Everglow" honors the life and tradition of the sea women or daughters of the sea in two respects, in that the story of the story has just such a monument and legacy as its subject: A documentary about the Haenyeo, which is to be broadcast on television.

Girl power and Haenyeo go hand in hand on Jejudo. Life on the island follows different rules and rhythms than on the mainland. Diving for valuable seafood of all kinds off the coasts of the volcanic island has traditionally been a woman's job. A lucrative one at that. The seabed is like extended farmland. The Haenyeo and its contribution to the cultural life on the island is undisputed and has even been included in the UNESCO list of intangible world heritage sites since 2016. Since 2017, the Haenyeo have also been officially recognized as an intangible cultural asset of South Korea. A culture that is dying out. Hardly any of the professional divers today are under 50, most are over 60. The technical equipment is almost the same as at the beginning of their career, which begins for most at about 8 years - with plenty of swimming and diving training in shallow water. From about 15 they are then considered "Baby Haenyeos". Experience and training are everything, because it's about nothing less than daily survival using enormous lung capacity, robust physicality for high resistance to the cold and a lot of practice in equalizing pressure. Once you are a daughter of the sea, you rarely get away from it. There is no retirement age. After bathing suits became neoprene suits, the time in the water between breaks could be significantly increased. Some swim out from shore, others take boats, and still others engage in some form of island hopping. Each has their sea farm, which they reap almost daily.

And each has a tremendous knowledge of nature, the sea, the wind and the tides. The women always work in community, take breaks in community and support each other in community. Haenyeo are environmentally conscious marine experts from the very beginning and pioneers of an emancipated life. (Significantly, Jin Ok is given the suffix or title 'Uncle' - as the eldest of her group, she is both a person of respect and, as the binding matriarchal head of the community, equal to any man who would otherwise hold this position in Confucian tradition.)





----------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Uprising 1948/49 ---
Since "Everglow" deals with the simple life of the now mostly old Haenyeos on Jejudo, the memories of the 72-year-old protagonist inevitably also touches on a lesser-known event in recent history that shook the island deeply: an uprising against an anti-communist government campaign. Between April 1948 and May 1949, the resistance cost around 30,000 people (about 10 percent of Jejudo's residents) their lives.
--------------------------------------------------------

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Completed
Kung Fu Hustle
25 people found this review helpful
Jan 21, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This movie is like the twin movie of "Shaolin Soccer". I re-watched it more than 10 times and it doesn't fail to make me laugh. It is mix martial arts and gang type movie. I love everything about this especially because this movie will make you laugh to the highest level of the universe!

The Story was great and Unique. Acting/Cast is AWESOME cause Stephen Chow is here. Music is fine and serves as it's purpose.
Overall - 100% out of 100% shooting stars hahaha :))
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Completed
Wok of Love
25 people found this review helpful
Aug 26, 2018
38 of 38 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
I ignored this drama for a while and I was a fool to. I think the storyline scared me away because I had no desire to watch what I thought would just be "Pasta 2". I didn't even notice the cast, which was another big mistake. This drama has now made it's way to my list of favorites, and I easily binged watched it in 2 days. It may not be perfect, but the cast made this drama extremely enjoyable.

I'll start with the three leads, who match the chemistry and talent I loved in "Jealousy Incarnate" (by the same writer), while still having their own unique flavor. The trio of main characters is strong and I loved them all in previous dramas. Jung Ryeo Won as Dan Sae Woo brings everything I loved about her in Witch's Court. She is randomly funny and far from a timid lead, which makes her the kind of leading lady I adore. Then there's Lee Jun Ho as Seo Poong, who impressed me so much in Just Between Lovers, that I should not have been surprised that he would hold his own with his much older cast mates. Then lastly there's Jang Hyuk as Doo Chil Seong, who is always amazing. Money Flower and Fated to Love You are two more of my favorites, and this drama is no exception. All three played the comedy and emotional moments extremely well. They became characters I really cared about, and even when the story seemed all over the place, I was hooked from the moment they all met.

As for the story, I'm glad I didn't read about the plot ahead of time, because I enjoyed not quite knowing what in the world was going on. The beginning of this drama is very random, but eventually, things come together and make much more sense. This really is a standard rom com in a lot of ways, so romance fans should not get scared off by the gangster elements, or the revenge part of the story. This is still a very lighthearted drama, without any moments that are too heavy. There are plenty of palpably cute and swoon-worthy moments between Poong and Sae Woo. Even with their age gap they were extremely well matched, and their chemistry was amazing. I honestly loved the relationship dynamic between the three of them so much, because of how real it all felt, instead of just playing up their rivalry, or adding unecessary melodrama.

I feel like the whole cast performed as if they had fun making this drama, and that made me have fun watching them. I know that many of the cast members have been in dramas together before, and it really felt like an all-star cast. The minor characters may not have had strong storylines, but they did each have their own individual charm that made me care about all of them... except two (but it's not their fault). The only character I absolutely couldn't stand was played by Lee Mi Sook. She does take on double duty in this drama, playing two characters, but one of those characters became such a nuisance, that I began hating every moment she appeared on the screen. Maybe that speaks to how great of an actress she is, but it also speaks to what an unlikable one-dimensional character the writer created. The other character was played by Cha Joo Young, who although she is a large part of the plot she was barely around or involved, so she was very forgettable.

Is the actual plot original? no. Are there cliché moments? Definitely. Are there gluttonous food scenes, and are you likely to get really hungry while watching? Absolutely. There are definitely food porn moments that are almost as gratuitous as in Let's Eat. Anyone watching while on a diet should be warned. I'm also impressed by the kitchen scenes, and how interesting they made cooking look (which I have no interest in). I also liked some of the creative choices the director made with some scenes, including the random horse moments.

There are moments towards the end that felt repetitive and extra annoying, but the character's charm kept me from getting bored. I just wish they didn't rely on such a standard and annoying obstacle.

I also forgive the gratuitous Kia and Subway product placement.

Would I watch this again? This is the kind of drama I could see myself watching repeatedly. I already miss many of the characters, and the bad and slow moments were overshadowed by how much I enjoyed the rest of it.

Overall, this is a drama that satisfied my craving for a fun romance, with addictive episodes. It may not suit everyone's taste, but if you are a fan of anyone in this cast I would definitely recommend watching. I would say this drama is less of a meal, and more like a sweet dessert. I happen to have a sweet tooth, so I thought it was delicious.

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Completed
Project S: Side by Side
25 people found this review helpful
Jul 28, 2017
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
This short series was very promising. The first episode was full of emotions, it had me that emotional that I was on the verge of crying. Autism is not a disease, it is a disorder and I am happy that they put this in the spotlight to raise awareness about people having it. We should not hate them, instead we should be patient with them...they are the most talented people in the world. I admired the pacing the story and the actors are very convincing.

I cannot wait to the next episodes to come. So far, I rated this as perfect, because everything about it is great.

This is one of the best Thai Dramas that I've seen so far.

Kudos to the whole production in this project!

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Completed
Gou - Himetachi no Sengoku
23 people found this review helpful
Dec 20, 2011
46 of 46 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
I began watching Gou-Himetachi no Sengoku because I am a really big fan of the history from Japan.Until then I have already watched a few historical asian dramas.But I didn´t find so many good japanese dramas.The most outstanding dramas were koreans;)
But I must say that I was really impressed by this drama!
When I am bored by a drama I usually skip some parts but this drama here made me so addicted ,that I didn´t want to stop watching it.I watched the first 10 episodes and then I always contined to wait exited for the next episode :D You never know what will happen next and it really moves your feelings.In the first moment you must cry and the next moment you just laugh out loud! Even though it isn´t a comedy,the Cast in the drama is performing really exeptionally.You can perfectly understand their point of view and because the story is based on a true story, it feels even more real.
For the plot;
Basically the story is about a princess who is used from the birth for political matters but in the end she becomes the wife of the Shogun whom she really loves.This drama shows her strong personality and how she fought through her life until she finally found happiness ;)
I can only recommend it for everyone who wants to learn of the japanese history and who wants to see an exeptionally played drama with outstanding actors! Even when someone might don´t prefer watching historical dramas , it is worth the lenghts of 47 episodes

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Completed
When Time Stopped
25 people found this review helpful
Dec 2, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 6.5
It kicked with a great start ! But gone to downhill in the middle. But it's still a drama worth of your time. KHJ returned after a long long break after his controversy. I thought it'd be a boring and not exciting one at first. But this story is quite good and had me hooked up to the finish.

I just wanted you guys to know that it's a good drama ! You've seen way way worse drama than this ! It's way better ! Specially what people are describing it from my point of view ! It has some peculiar theories ! lol ...
Casting was so good, everyone was professional ! And the music in it was a blessing <3 I really like those OST they were playing in drama !

#PEACE

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