Reviews

Talk about plot twister. From beginning, you'll love the romance; then you are brought along a roller coaster ride through all the plots of a typical Chinese drama. You will go through love, hate, action, tears, and frustration but it's not all overboard. It definitely is entertaining. Good story. In the end I fell in love with the 2nd lead actor, Wan Si Wei. I watched it without English sub so some of the contents were lost but the overall understanding of the story is there. I am more of a Romantic Comedy type, so I could not binge on this drama; but it was worthy enough to finish it and recommend it for others to watch. Definitely a creative genuine classic Cdrama.

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"If the world went the way you thought, I'd have lived like you, too." The very realistic and true phrase ever said.

The first thing that caught my attention, or should I say that later it totally drew me in is when I found out that our main protagonist is a villain and that he helps bad people and cleans after their dirty work. It was very unusual for me since we are all used with a hero male lead right from the beginning. But, once he finds out that he has a couple of months to life and after his most precious people got infected with the evilness of those bad ones, he changes and fights against them. He's not fighting with fists, but with his intelligence and every episode makes you excited wanting to see who will throw the next 'punch'. How much I was happy and cheering for him at the same time I was angry and furious because how much punches he thrown thinking it will lead him to the winning that much punches were pushing him back. But, I can say that this guy is a true hero and even though he's playing dirty, he's doing it for his beloved ones, for a better tomorrow. I can say that I was maximum invested in a story and I can guarantee that you'll too. If not, you can freely yell at me and get angry.

Another thing that makes this drama strong and deep is its characters. What I loved the most is that every character is not black or white, what more they're all grey with its own faults and mistakes. It was really interesting to watch what character and to what extent he/she can becomes either evil or good. Our main villain, Tae Joon is one of the best and most fascinating villains ever. In fact, I wouldn't consider him a true, pure villain, hmm I'd rather call him a villain with emotions. He knows for a loyalty, respect and love. What this drama makes more special is the relationship he and Jung Hwan shared. Their relationship is some kind of special, filled with respect. I think that he considered Jung Hwan as his own son and that's why their bond never breaked even after Jung Hwan's death.
Our main hero, Jung Hwan as I said before is a man of words, a true hero. I loved that progress in a drama how he was turning from a cold-blooded and ruthless villain to a strong man and a fighter. Since the story is in fact all about characters and their life I don't want to spoil anything about him more.
And the woman I loved the most in this drama is Ha Gyung. Even though everyone around her are playing dirty she's the only one 'clean'. The only one who's following law and principles. She's not stupid nor idealistic. Ha Gyung knows that world is a corrupt, but she took the oath to make a world a better place and she's sticking to it. In a progress of helping Jung Hwan to correct his mistakes and to take care of his responsibilities they slowly learned and felt that their passion and love they had for each other once is not extinguished yet. She's the the female lead I dig and respect most in dramaland: strong and independent.

Oh how much I love when the writing is brilliant and smart, especially when the drama has smart, life lessons dialogues! And this was a case for this drama. Every thing they said, every sentence they sent each other are so smart, clever and well said. Hehe, the funny part is how most of them are related to food giving this drama a great metaphore and comparasion. Actually, using words they throw punches to each other's face.

I have so many words for this drama, but I don't want to ruin the excitement for you. I'm just going to say that it's one hell of a drama, full of suspense, thrilling, intensity and most importantly it'll keep you glued to the screen. I didn't get bored for a second, it's fast pacing with twists and turns on every corner leaving you behind an unforgettable enjoyment.

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Stop saying it's a sad ending.

I've officially finished watching and I can surely say this is the novel adaptation that priest deserved.
I was a bit skeptical at the beginning but the characters won me over. Even though the budget is super low (and it shows) they somewhat make up for it with other aspects. A huge thank you for whoever that made this gayer than the novel.

The story is good, but some might find the political sides a bit boring. It does lag sometimes. Somewhat different than the source material but not that drastic of a difference and it definitely helps. The hidden details just make it more interesting.

CG is definitely not the best. Music and bgm are also decent as well. Costumes are so pretty especially the ML's.

I do not have enough words to describe how much I love the main CP. Butterflies everytime they interact. Their relationship is so beautiful. Every episode is just ......chefs kiss*. The side characters are also decent. If you loved CQL you will definitely love this one too.

Even though it has its fair share of heart breaks the ending is happy and satisfying. They become immortals together. There is a short 37th episode & I would suggest everybody to watch that. It's a genuinely happy ending not open or ambiguous. They had to edit it out because we all know how BS Chinese censorship is.

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1) The reason I watched this: Surely because it's the 2nd season of "It started with a kiss". I was so happy to find it since I got the chance to continue the story.

2) Storyline/Plot: The continuation of the story and like the 1st season they followed the manga; this season had many important events along with many side stories; cute, romatic, sad, happy,heartwarming moments: it was all there.

3) Acting/Cast: In the first season's review I gave it an 8 but this season I gave it a 9 simply because this season's cast risen and there were cool actors especially those nurse team so cute^^ I totally loved all of them.

4) Music : Just like 1st season's music; it was nice.

5) Rewatch value : it totally deserve to be rewatched over and over again.

6) The ending : I felt sadness when it ended not because it was a sad ending but because I bid farewell to "Itazura na kiss"'s story; there was a total blank after it ended.

7-Overall : Well, I believe this is the best adaptation of Itazura na kiss comparing to other incarnations, "Playfull kiss" was nice but it was short and didn't continue until the end.
Between 1st and 2nd season there have been 50 episodes but I still want more. Apparently, The 3rd season's rumor isn't coming to life but i will never forget this drama : for real it's one of the greatest ever!

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Silly, but Cute

Overall Impression: A cute and fun story. If you're not looking for something serious or deep and you're a fan of BL romcom, you'll probably enjoy this show. Don't take it too seriously or you might not enjoy it.

Pros:
- Funny/cute characters and story, a feel-good type of show
- Music is really catchy
- Actors have good chemistry together
- Follows pretty closely to original story, but some changes are made to fix some controversial material from the original and apply to a live action format (more serious than original)
- Scenery/sets are really beautiful
- Anda's character is still cute and somewhat innocent, but not nearly as childish and naive as the original
- The side characters are loveable
- Cute fanservice
- Anda's friends are so awesome!
- Uplifting ending

Cons:
- messy international release and subtitles (now available on AISPLAY official YouTube)
- Character and relationship development feels somewhat lacking with the leads
- Ryo's character is a bit unlikable at the beginning
- There is quite a bit of "filler"
- I wonder what happened to the side plot sometimes?
- Sometimes story seems inconsistent or repetitive
- Sometimes takes itself too seriously for a comedy

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From what I've read around the web, this dorama didn't meet with a big success. I think the main reason is that it attracted the lovers of vampire stories but it didn't deal with vampirism in the traditional sense of the word. It defeated its own object.



On the other hand, for someone like me who is only mildly interested in vampires and the whole sarg-sleeping, cross-shunning, blood-sucking process, this drama was a lot more enjoyable than I had expected.



I liked the way the issue was approached, presenting the vampires as a decadent, declining, arrogant race who watches the humans with a mixture of desire and deep distaste, boarding on disgust.

It makes it all the more touching when the cards are turned on the table and the one who thought himself superior is treated with contempt for his being different, a "monster".



I confess at being invariably deeply affected by the issue "difference", and how people treat those who don't conform to the norm, either for their skin colour, their beliefs or lack thereof, their behaviour, their look. There are a couple of scenes in this dorama which are still vivid in my memory because they were intensely moving. They made me think once again of how cruel people can be when they ignore and how easy it is to be judged abnormal.



So, although the acting is far from stellar and the plot at times inconsistent, I do believe this show deserves more attention than what it got.

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I loved this drama b/c the story it was very touching. I know lots of ppl that have ended up in a similar situation but obviously not the same. I loved the actors b/c they brought a real down to earth feel to the story. I loved how they showed their feelings in different ways, which has a lot to do w/ the back ground that they came from. I understood the story very well b/c I fell in love at a young age also. Being w/ that person makes life better and having beautiful memories to remember when he is not w/ me makes those times pass easier. I think this drama touches so many ppl b/c they know how to sympathize w/ the lead characters. If you don't get it that is probably b/c u have never felt what the story is trying to portray. Watch this and enjoy it but expect to cry b/c it is that moving.

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A Lighthearted Sweet Drama

You should definitely watch this drama if you crave a lighthearted sweet drama without stupid misunderstandings. This drama mainly focuses on the main leads, and not so much on the second leads, but the second leads still get a reasonable amount of screen time (the right amount in my opinion). Also, the chemistry between the main leads are just... AMAZING. There's not a lot of kiss scenes (since Allen Ren is married) and this drama shows that even without many kiss scenes, the drama can still be as sweet as any other dramas. The reason why I gave it a 9.5/10 instead of 10/10 was because the ending seemed really rushed and a lot of parts were missing or cut out. So, the beginning and the middle of this drama is definitely a 10/10 for me.

I usually don't really mention music since it's not TOO important, but here I have to say something about it...
There's about 100 different pieces of music used in this drama (it's an exaggeration but still) and most of them are really... weird. Not only that, but the most of the music comes in during very awkward places that doesn't seem that appropriate for that specific piece of music. Also, sometimes it's unnecessarily loud. Nevertheless, I really enjoy the music "Exchange" sang by my favorite singer Zhou Shen, and you'll hear it a lot throughout the drama lol. But as I mentioned earlier, music isn't that important in a drama so it did not affect the overall score of this drama :)

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Family ties and romance...

This feels more like a movie than a series, as the pacing, music, story, cinematography, time well everything gave the vibe of a well made movie.

The story is good, unlike many web dramas it does not feel rushed in anyway it has a beginning a middle, some kind of conflict and of course an ending too... one of those that fit the feel there could be a sequel but if the sequel would add anything to the story seems questionable.

What I loved about this movie (series that I shall now name movie), was the way it was filmed, and though the side characters where not always necessary they did add some extra flavour and had 0 annoying tendencies... I would for instance love a GL about the sister and the ML friend... The sister is probably one of my favourite siblings in all of Dramaland...

The romance here is pretty good, having the boys see each other for who they really are, or at least one of them, a guy who is very caring and sweet... But what makes this movie really good is actually the story within the story, the film within the film about the a child's relationship to weight loss and how it with the combination badly handled divorce/separation can scar a child deeply. They also show different types of not so perfect, I would even say some pretty bad parenting and it is done well!

Level of... 1-10
Bingeabilaty: 10
Cute couple: 9
Drama: 7
Exitment:5
Entertainment: 9
Annoying elements: non
Cinematography: 9

So if you ask me this is definitely worth watching!

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A new favorite in the making

Original review (first 2 episodes):
It's been quite a while since a drama had me hooked in the first five minutes. But from the opening scene of My Perfect Stranger I loved the music, the atmosphere, the cinematography, everything, and by the end of episode 2 I was not let down. The pace so far has been fantastic and there hasn't been a single moment I was bored. The acting from our main leads is stellar, be it in emotional scenes or quieter moments. They make these wild circumstances feel plausible simply by the realism of their reactions. As far as the story, this drama had me at time travel. I've often wished for more Korean dramas with this premise because it's a theme I've loved ever since I can remember and I'm really enjoying the execution here.

The overall tone is lighter than I expected and it's great. It sets it apart from quite a few other dramas I've seen involving crime/murder and makes for what is, in my opinion, an easier and more pleasant watch. The humor is clever and genuinely funny without being flat out comedy. Honestly, I would find it a little difficult to name the exact genre of this drama because it truly has its own unique feel, which I personally love. I can't wait to see how the plot develops, as well as the relationship between Yoon Young and Hae Joon. I already sense some chemistry there and I hope that if there is in fact romance in this show that it's not rushed or forced. I would totally dig a low key slow burn between them. The OST is the cherry on top, both with the instrumental soundtrack and the 80s songs interspersed. All in all, if the drama keeps this up, I may have a new favorite on my hands.

Update (completed):
Let me start by saying that most of my feelings from my original review remained true until the end of My Perfect Stranger. The family relationships remained strong and beautiful throughout and my love for the main couple only grew. It's been a while since I was graced with a such a subtle, unproblematic, and yet adorable romance in a drama, and my only complaint is that I wanted more of them. For the most part, the drama managed to maintain the pace and feelings of suspense for me. That being said, after a while I began to realize that no matter who the culprit was, I probably would not feel shocked when their identity was revealed. Why? Because I had already spent hours considering every single person in the entire cast. Any one of them could be the culprit, it seemed, and I started to feel that none of them would surprise me. Sadly, I think that turned out to be true. The reveal simply did not pack the punch I was expecting from such an intense drama, and that was possibly the most disappointing part for me. I couldn't fully appreciate the climax because I was waiting for a second identity reveal that would REALLY shock me and prove the first one just a fakeout. Needless to say, that didn't come.

I've heard some mixed things about this drama and I know some people felt it became too contrived or went downhill. Personally, I don't know how contrived it was, but I enjoyed it beginning to end largely because I could almost always follow the plot. It felt like the writer prized the story more than shock value, and the same cannot be said of many in its genre. It is worth mentioning that I don't usually watch dramas as they air and it's possible I couldn't appreciate some of its flaws simply because I couldn't remember them lol. I do think it took a bit of a plunge into darkness later in the drama and that grew a little tiresome for me, but it did manage to bring back some of the humor and heartwarming elements again.

I have a few other gripes here and there, but in the end, I let them go because I think that overall, the drama did what it set out to do. It told a nostalgic time travel story that was both emotionally intense and heartwarming, and is ultimately about second chances. It wasn't afraid to delve into deep tragedy and heartbreak, which made the victories and happy moments that much sweeter. We got rare focus on family relationships and friendships, beautiful arcs both in the characters and relationships, and an extremely satisfying ending that left me smiling and feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. I definitely recommend this one, flaws and all.

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Charles Dickens once penned, "Gold conjures up a mist about a man, more destructive of all of his old senses and lulling to his feelings than the fumes of charcoal." The basic meaning applies well to Golden Empire: one taste of money infects the bearer, and those blinded by it are subject to its venom. Literary and historical references enhance this drama, apparent in the deeply evocative dialogue and vibrant plot twists taken over its course. Just as classic novels may enrich readers, Golden Empire embodies the same potential for viewers in its uniquely realized sprawl. By that same token, some will feel daunted or bored -- as some may when dealing with any form of entertainment considered "classical" or "high brow."

As a period piece, Golden Empire explores harsh years in Korean history. While we are enfolded by this unique atmosphere, the opulent poison represented by the Choi family's own corporate power and wealth begins to take hold. Managing to be highly personal and impactful (even as it tackles complicated business affairs), this is a drama without cliche. Potential viewers should note only negligible romance is present. A few dalliances do exist, but these are far from sweet. For instance, one of the first and foremost openly compares its trajectory to the ill-fated connection between Eva Braun and Hitler. Of the heavily explored ties, family and business are king. Don't expect fuzzy heart flutters here; in the world of Golden Empire, loved ones stab you in the back for even one more share and prison is just another business trip.

Some imperfections exist admittedly; early episodes are strewn with time skips and somewhat confusing cinematographic cuts. It took about five hours submerged in this drama for me to find my footing and solidify my understanding of the plot. Once I could, the rest of the experience was riveting.

The leads offer juggernaut performances. Go Soo becomes Jang Tae Joo with almost theatrical flourish, building him impressively. This character represents the unpredictable, behaving radically in the race for money and influence. As such, his portrayal adopts a delightful and intoxicating element of controlled volatility, comparable to a lightning strike. It was a pleasure trying to figure out what he might say next and just how. Son Hyun Joo and Lee Yo Won embody the brilliant, but tragically flawed Choi cousins. Both of them had an amazing ability to begin friendly conversations and end them with figurative claws out. Out of the three addressed in this section, the persistent Min Jae (Son Hyun Joo) captured my attention without fail. His scenes comprise some of the most dynamic I've encountered in any drama; truly, both character and actor are highlights. Watch out for any scene including even two of these talents; it's guaranteed to be thrilling, especially if it includes both men.

Orchestrations were generally well applied, often serving to add that extra punch to a scene. The best description that can be made of them "moody, elegant, and high drama." Beyond the incredible introductory piece though, I'm not sure any of them make for good post-view listening. Vocals are another story, with Yeon Gyu Sung ("Crying"), ALi ("In My Dream"), and Sun Soo Jin ("Shout to the World") serving up some of the best I've heard all year. Despite romantic lyrics occasionally inappropriate to the series, but hey, they sound great.

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ECCENTRIC SHOW FOR SURE

First of all let me just ask why title the series Eccentric Romance? The term eccentric literally means unusual, odd or strange. Do the makers hate same sex love stories that much to actually call whats happening odd and/or strange? Is it supporting BL genre or mocking it?

The series is actually not that bad but it isnt actually good as well. At least it was better than that last Thai-Korean show starring Mew.

Lets discuss the biggest elephant in this show. This is not the first (or the worst) multi-lingual drama created, but for the love of the heavens above, could the producers just stop doing this now? It is not fun to watch series with leads speaking different languages and we as watchers should pretend that they understand each other. JUST STOP THIS INSANITY. Nothing about it is funny and watcheable. It just screams cheapness and the inability of the budget to actually afford bi-language actors.

My next gripe is this - i am so tired of watching BLs with girls objectifying the leads screaming "ohmygod hes so handsome" as if its their first time seeing a guy. Even worse, ive seen a few BLs doing this same shit and i am like who the f are they screaming at? They want us to believe that they cast the hottest actors in the world and maybe if they keep saying and doing it over and over we as watchers would believe it too. I mean the actors in this series are not bad looking but to be honest they dont look like someone who would stop people in their tracks. Stop doing this writers, this is just lazy lazy lazy writing.

Anyway, no need to recap, not worth retyping it, just read the synopsis here in MDL. I actually feel bad for this series. It is a show wanting to be different but isnt. The main story is quite unique in the BL world, conceptually, but the mediocre execution prevented it from actually being good. The acting is very amatuerish and the chemistry between the main couple is lacking. The sets are awful and screams low-budget. It feels like they shot the entire series within a day or two. The main twist and ending felt so rushed. Its a slice-of-life drama with no backstories and no real depth.

I really really cant understand why this has to be 12 short episodes with almost nothing happening. Add the fact that the 15minute episode is actually just about 12min when you have more than 90sec recap/opening credits and another 90 sec end credits. It is so obvious that the material they have and shot is just enough for a full-length movie and just divided it into 12 episodes and that they intend to re-release it in a movie version later on to milk it as much as possible. Please Im begging you Korean producers, if you want to make a series, please MAKE A SERIES. How difficult is it to add maybe 5 or 10 minutes to each episodes to fully develop your stories and characters?

Would i reccommend it? Not particularly, but if you have time to waste binge it in 1.25 speed, that would certainly make the experience better. Would i rewatch? Not even if you put a gun in my mouth. im giving it a 6.5 out of 10.

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I was so disappointed

I am not writing this review to vent but to express my utter disappointment with this show. One of my all-time favourite dramas is Love to Hate You, also directed by Kim Jung Kwon. So I had been looking forward to this series for quite a while.

But what is this? A story for kids? Fantasy? Sports? Romance? Serious tragedy? Horror? Light comedy? Bits and pieces of all this put together to create twelve episodes for Netflix?

The acting was not convincing either. I am sorry to say this because I really liked Kim Hye Yoon in Extraordinary You, and Lomon is very good-looking. The FL's voice was hard to bear and I kept telling myself the actress must think foxes would talk like this if they were human.

Plus: In nature foxes do not howl like wolves. They sort of bark which is spooky enough.

Why am I still watching this (on FFWD mostly)? Because I want to know how in the end this mess is sorted out. I wonder. While I am writing this there is only one episode left to bring it all to a (good?) ending. I will be glad when it is over.

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A nice cap off to the Ai and Nhai love story.

Quite a few people hated the main series. I understand their concerns but it was different for me because i loved it. AI lhong Nhai was a guilty pleasure watch and its such a delight to see them end the series with this.

Lets not kid ourselves, it looks like it was shot within a day and on a limited budget but there was some good camera shots and sceneries here. The locations are amazing but they could have spent a little more time with the set - the empty bookshelf when Ton and Nhai is having lunch is so distracting they didnt even bother to put a single book or plant in it.

Like the main series there will be a few violent reactions again about the script (or the very poor way it was translated). I would also like to know how expensive it is to get the rest of the gang, at least Nhai's father, and why it wasnt possible for them to even make a cameo for this occassion.

I however love them bringing back Sippakorn and Jaonan. Seeing this lovely real life couple onscreen is like rainbow on a rainy day.

I am not sure if there is a demand or a clamor for this but i really appreciate them most for giving us this special episode to end the Ai Nhai story. The main series ended quite abruptly and this special felt like they planned to do it like this all along.

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