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Completed
Forest
48 people found this review helpful
Mar 21, 2020
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Forest.
No spoilers ahead
*There are many Negative talkers about this drama I will like to tell them that it is a perfect drama with a great story and a perfect cast.
When you will start watching this drama you will feel like it is boring and it is not moving forward but trust me that's the main point to build a perfect plot for the story and after when you will come across more episodes you will feel like it is amazing*

For me, this drama was perfect it has everything that I need in a drama romance, slight action, business, and stunts and much more that you can not imagine.

It was a great journey to watch all the episode from the beginning without escaping anything and watching perfectly.

I personally enjoyed watching it.

Now for the story......
Kang San Hyuk(our male lead) is the CEO of the investment company RLI. He disguises himself as a rescue worker with the 911 special rescue team to find out about a development project of the forest.
He has memory issues, and cannot remember key details about his childhood and longs to unlock the secrets of his past.
Jung Yeong Jae(female lead) was a resident of a surgical hospital who wanted to succeed. However, due to an unexpected incident, this ace doctor was sent to a deserted hospital in the middle of nowhere: Miryeong Forest.
“Forest,” tells the story of a man who has everything except a heart and a woman who has lost everything except her heart. They have what seems like serendipitous moments, but they meet in a mysterious forest – and the pair feel strangely drawn to one another.
What is the key role the forest plays in their intertwined destinies…


Peace out.
Aniket Yadav
@theaniketyadav

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Completed
Go Go Squid!
48 people found this review helpful
Sep 2, 2021
41 of 41 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Speechless

I am very disappointed in this Cdrama. I felt like I wasted my time watching it all the way to the end.

Let me start with the positives. To me the only real standout for this series was 'Gun God' and his whole team. The were very relatable, funny, dramatic and their acting skills were up to the task. I also enjoyed how their characters where well developed, especially Gun God with his very detailed character background.

Apart from this the rest was a complete flop. The main character Squid was useless and they probably only had this character in the series to create a romance storyline, There was no depth to her character and she did not offer any value to the series. Also what annoyed me so much about her was that she is supposedly a genius that started university at 15 double majoring in AI and Cyber Security and yet she couldn't understand what the game was all about (it was literally about cyber security hacking servers and blocking intrusions).

I would have expected her to actually contribute in some way to the teams success since she was supposed to be an expert in the field (all she did was create a stupid game with pepa pig).

Don't even get me started on her insane stalker vibes (you can actually get a criminal record for doing the stuff she did). The whole series she was stalking the living daylight out of our male lead and when he finally proposes she said no? that made no sense at all. There was a part somewhere in the last few episodes where someone tells her that she has no personality and that was the most accurate description.

Now for the fillers - It gave me flashbacks of trying to watch Naruto where there was just so many senseless episodes and an insane amount of flashbacks. If they had to cut all the BS from this series we would have probably ended up with about 31 episodes of a series that was better paced and edited.

Overall I wouldn't watch this series again (only watch it if you have nothing else to watch)and in terms of comparing it to other Cdramas i've recently watched in E-Sports genre it is lacking it every aspect.

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Completed
The Emperor: Owner of the Mask
48 people found this review helpful
Jul 14, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers
I don't quite know where to begin with my review. Should I list all the good things or should I list all the bad things first? This is also the reason why my rating is probably not yet final. It might change one or two times, though it will definitely not go up any further.

So, to summon it up, this drama is flashy, cheesy, overly dramatic and sometimes seriously ridiculous. The synopsis for this show is quite scarce, so I'll try to describe some additional facts first.

The king rules over his country. That's how it should be. But in fact, he is only a puppet who is led by Pyunsoo Group, a large hidden organization that has its own trick to control the royal family quite well. The Crown Prince meanwhile has to wear a mask in order to hide his face because of an illness he got when he was born - at least that's what the people and the ministers believe. And because of Pyunsoo Group he is also forced to live outside the palace someday. There he meets Ga Eun who he will fall in love with.

The basic plot is actually quite interesting. That's why it's so sad that it doesn't live up to its potential in the end. It had a steady atmosphere what I liked about this drama, but every now and then it managed to drop one or two ridiculous bombs that were either created by some nonsensical decisions or resulted in some foolish actions.

There were alot of characters who had the potential to something big, but they never rose from their grounds. Same applies for the acting. Though I can't blame half of them because they got some crappy scripts for their roles, the other half of the cast was only average or worse.

As interesting as the beginning was, I never saw an actual improvement of the Crown Prince. He might have become a little smarter, that's all. Same goes for the female lead. At a certain point in the drama, she started to annoy me because so many bad things happened only because of her. It irritated me so much, that almost every decision centered around her. She was either bait or needed protection or whatever. I don't know where it went wrong but her role felt more like a burden than a blessing/support. I admit that I enjoyed some of her scenes with the Crown Prince though. But that's as far as it goes.

At some point I started to favor the second female lead more than the actual one. There was definitely growth in her character while she was one of the most conflicted persons in the story. And although I was skeptical regarding the actress at first, I'm glad that she pulled off her character so well that I even felt sad about her efforts being in vain - though on the other hand she did accomplish some of her wishes in the end.

There are only a few performances I truly enjoyed. The Queen Dowager, the second female lead's father, the female lead's father, Woo Bo (Lee Sun's teacher) and Dae Mok, the head of Pyunsoo Group. Their acting was shining compared to the rest. Yoo Seung Ho had his moments, too, and I enjoyed most of his scenes, but damn, he's one teary guy. His hair is beautiful though...

There is indeed an unhealthy amount of crying. Alot of it. And everyone seems to be a real crybaby, it spreads like a disease. Shedding tears during almost every serious moment.

Did I like something? The clothes, the cinematography, the MUSIC (that score was good~), impressive entrances (esp from Yoo Seung Ho, his royal demeanor was intriguing) and some really good fighting scenes.

Recommendation is debatable and this is definitely not a sageuk for everyone. It's quite predictable, with alot of stereotype characters and some questionable turn of events. Despite that I still felt entertained to a certain degree. There were many moments that kept my interest throughout the whole drama and I wanted to see the finale, even though I already knew how it would probably end~

And Yoo Seung Ho's hair was so beautiful... Did I already mentioned that? Damn, that dude is gorgeous.

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Completed
Reset
48 people found this review helpful
Aug 5, 2025
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers

Just another timetravel story

Overall Thoughts:
Not a bad drama, but not one I’ll be thinking about two months from now. The pacing felt a bit sluggish at times, and I wasn’t fully engaged with the storytelling throughout. This could have been tighter and more impactful as an 8-episode series. While there were twists and turns, most of them were quite predictable. Still, that didn’t stop me from continuing to watch.

What I Liked:

The chemistry between the main couple was genuinely enjoyable and carried a lot of emotional weight.

The lead actors gave solid performances that made their relationship believable and compelling.

The bodyguard/assistant character was a standout, adding charm and balance to the overall tone.


What I Didn’t Like:

Armin’s hairstyle in the early episodes was distracting and oddly styled.

The creators leaned too much into lakorn-style melodrama, including exaggerated acting, outdated tropes, and overly dramatic scenes.

For instance, Armin repeatedly "accidentally" reveals information from the future to people in the past. This happens multiple times and starts to feel repetitive.

When Armin was shot on set, with real or empty bullet, no one would realistically aim directly close range at the heart and fire directly. a blank (or empty) bullet can still be dangerous and even deadly at close range.

The villains were particularly cliché, behaving like stereotypical bad guys from old movies, with theatrical tone, facial expressions, and gestures. The main villian ends up going insane in prison, a trope that felt tired and unnecessary.


Final Verdict:
A watchable drama with strong performances and great chemistry between the leads, but weakened by predictable storytelling and an overreliance on outdated dramatic devices. Enjoyable while it lasts, but not something that leaves a lasting impression.

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Completed
Love in the Air
67 people found this review helpful
Nov 11, 2022
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 3.5
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 2.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

felt like torture towards the end

honestly, if mame had to write anything without SA, she'd pop a blood vessel.

I genuinely enjoyed the first half of this show. Noeul and Boss have great chemistry and it showed on screen. their stroy was alright. I don't mind a simple plot of people falling in love, but that being said, it didn't wow me either. their 18+ scenes were crazy though, never expected the things to happen the way they did. but these scenes sadly carried the show. if you were to take them out, I don't think the show would be as highly rated as it is right now (over 8).
except for cringy scenes and ambiguous consent, I don't really have too much of a quarrel with the first half. if it was just that, i would've given a solid 6 stars.

the show completely fell flat in the second half though. it felt as if they pumped 90% of the budget in the rain X phayu story and were left with 10$ and a dream for sky X prapai. the already bad sound design suddenly became worse as well as the acting.
the actors seem sweet irl, and I'm sure they gave it their all.. but even with bonus points for it being their first big role, it was simply painful to watch. emotional scenes were carried by fort, since he was able to get a tear or two out.
what bugged me the most was the sudden infantilisation of sky. Sky was sarcastic and snarky, but all of a sudden he acts like a baby in every scene. pouting, hands in front of his chest, super submissive and needy...
even if prapai "cracked" his "stone heart" that doesn't mean he has to change personalities.

that brings me to the second but also most important criticism. the ending perpetuates that love can suddenly heal your trauma. what a person with sexual trauma of this caliber needs isn't a rich, good looking hunk who borderline harasses them. it's therapy and a good social support system. there are 100 better ways to approach the topic of r*pe. idk why they keep letting mame write stories that use it as a plot device to have two good looking men make out on screen.

and with this, I'm out. I wish I had stopped after rain X phayus story wrapped up. I wouldn't be so upset now.

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Completed
The Fabulous
67 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2022
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 2.5
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 1.0
Music 3.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

Over the top, exaggerated

Not sure if this story even touches the reality of the fashion world, but the whole thing was so clichéd and looked like parts were borrowed from many other fashion movies.
Not sure if it was meant to be a romcom or a slice of life - it didn't fit either genre.

It could have been classified as a light hearted sweet drama - but no!
I'm sorry it is not sweet. The over acting of all the characters makes you grit your teeth and bang your head for watching it.

Except for three , EVERY other character acts atrociously over the top. It could very well be the director or writer's imagination of the behavior of people who work in the fashion industry, but those poor fashion folks should validate this overbearing nonsense.

The only one who did a great job is the supermodel. Not only was she stunning, but she flowed through her role as a supermodel and kept her emotions beautifully underplayed. She was really a superb actor.
The other two actors who stood out were the ex- boyfriend and the editor of the magazine - who had really small roles.

The ML was so lost, the FL was all over the place trying to be the eternal goddess of goodness.
And everyone else - seriously- behaved like they were in some exaggerated street mime show.

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Completed
Soundtrack #1
86 people found this review helpful
Apr 13, 2022
4 of 4 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Short, Sweet and Decent.

This drama reminded me of a excerpt from "Me Before You", a romance novel by Jojo Moyes with a successful movie adaptation, which goes like: "...I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other."

Created by NHN Bugs and Produced by Red Nine Pictures plus Xanadu Ent., "Soundtrack # 1 (사운드트랙 #1) [2022]" is one of the initial Disney+ Original Korean Drama ventures. Written by Ahm Sae Won and directed by Kim Hee Won, the drama got only 4 short episodes with approx. 45 mins runtime, and stars Park Hyung Sik & Han So Hee as leads.

Soundtrack #1 is a story of two best friends of two decades at their early 30s, who have stayed together through thick and thins, but the fine edges of friendship & love becomes hazy as they are attracted towards each other while staying with each other for two weeks. Will they end up together?

Even so it is this short, given the title, characters living through words, lyrics and music was expected (at least it was me who did), however, this wasn't true for most of the part; not disappointed, still.

I think the synopsis and the concept of "friends to lovers" trope tell it all and provided a total of around 170 minutes short runtime, it's pretty much guessable what's gonna happen; but what we should be looking forward to are: the execution and the ending, while peeking through the messages. In my opinion, the show was able to revive and relieve the hidden thoughts within us, while attempting to achieve a decent score. Although the show feels short and felt lil off at few instances, the development was squeaky clean and satisfactory.

Han So Hee plays Lee Eun Soo, a struggling lyricist who strives to do better with her own accord and is honest & outspoken in nature. Han Sun Woo played by Park Hyung Sik is a budding photographer with aweing skills who has a shy yet warm personality. We have Kim Joo Heon, Park Min Jung, Park Hoon and Yoon Byung Hee as supporting cast, while Lee Jung Eun and Seo In Guk play guest roles.

Wishing Ahn Sae Bom jakkanim a goodluck for his future endeavours for he was able to make an up to snuff delivery through this, and,also, congratulations on his debut. Kim Hee Won PDnim surely is one of the leading lady directors who has created qualitative up&down shows through years. And, for a short show like this, she has indeed carried out the overall execution well. The cinematography along with light hue and warm pallettes, made it an easy watch though I am a bit unsatisfied about the sound editing.

There are a total of 12 OSTs which is actually a lottttt for a show of apprpx. 3hours, but would you say you didn't want it? No, bcs the quality is so majestic to just not ask for. Not gonna write a lot but surely wanna mention all of them, for I have come to love all of them...

# "Want to be happy" by Park Boram
# "Love beyond words" by KYUHYUN
# "Your tender heart hurts me" by DAVICHI
# "My Love" by Kim Jong Kook
# "Talk to me" by KIM JAE HWAN
# "Prettiest One" by Standing Egg
# "A little more" by DOYOUNG
# "Wanna be your lover" by Monday Kiz
# "We'll shine brighter than any other" by Lee Hi
# "Love Love Love" by SEOBIN
# "miss you more, I'm sorry by" Lee Yejoon
# "Love beyond words" by DOKO

What I didn't like...

# Han So Hee seemed to struggle a little; which wasn't really visible but for someone who has watched almost everything she has acted in, she appeared to be having a difficult time to fit into a role which is radically opposite from others played by her.

#Even though I am fond of all the OSTs, I believe the show needed to be longer particularly to utilize them well in the story.

# Given the title, characters living through words, lyrics and music was expected (at least it was me who did), however, this wasn't true for most of the part; not disappointed, still.

Final Remarks... "Soundtrack #1" is indeed a satisfactory delivery about love & friendship and the essence they offer you in life, even for a short period. Screenwriting, direction, performance and execution are overally good and up to par. Won't say it's a must watch, but definitely a short and sweet journey, that will entice you to core. Please go ahead :)

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Completed
Moment at Eighteen
86 people found this review helpful
by PHope
Sep 13, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 9
Overall 6.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers
" Moment at eighteen" had a really strong start. The drama was perfect, with the issues such as bullying and gap between the social classes were nicely presented.

However, as soon as the romance started progressing, the drama lost its character and became a weak teenage rom com. The main character's problems, like the death on his one and only friend, were put aside and left for good. Let alone all those side characters whose story was never concluded. The drama got boring and the ending was open and unsatisfying.

Other than that, the performances were good from all the actors and actresses in this drama.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Completed
Marry My Husband: Japan
105 people found this review helpful
by Noctis Flower Award1 Lore Scrolls Award1 Soulmate Screamer1 Big Brain Award1
Jul 31, 2025
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

If You Wish For It, Even The Rain Gives Way To The Sun..

This is one of the best dramas I have watched this year and I loved it.. I honestly can’t decide what I loved more, the actors or the story.. There’s just so much to appreciate here.. I would easily recommend this version over any of the other language adaptations.. The Korean version was good but it lacked someone like Satoh Takeru, a perfect actor who could carry the weight of the story alongside the FL.. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish the Korean version because I just couldn’t get past Na In Woo’s bland performance..

Koshiba Fuka and Satoh Takeru delivered formidable performances.. Both vulnerable and magnetic.. Their chemistry is incredible, making us all root for their happiness.. Koshiba Fuka’s portrayal of Misa is especially captivating.. Showing her range as an actress and her ability to express so many emotions with subtlety.. It was honestly hard to believe it was the same person in the first episode.. Takeru’s portrayal of Wataru is equally remarkable.. A man determined to protect the person he loves when given a second chance..

One of the most memorable lines from the drama comes from the ML..
“I would be an unnamed extra… Not even in focus..
Just Student A, Interviewer B, Boss C..
A background extra with no lines..
I never would have been a part of her story...
Or so it seemed.. But on September 18, 2015, she jumped in out of nowhere.”

And he went from being an extra to the main character in her story..

I really wanted this drama to do well.. I was worried people might see it and think "Eh, just another remake / adaptation".. But it’s not that at all.. This is so much more and so much better.. This drama is elegant and there is a certain magic to the story.. I also liked that it got violent and bloody at the end.. After all they are fighting for her freedom, love and happiness..

It felt like the “Did my dad send you to me??” dialogue from The First Frost would have worked really well here.. They could have used it if you ask me..

The scene where the ML quietly takes her urn and leaves, just so he can take her to a place where she felt safe and loved, was heartbreaking.. The whole situation just made you feel so sad for the FL.. Her husband and best friend are arrested for her murder.. Her mother in law is being detained for insurance fraud and not a single person at the funeral stopped a literal stranger from walking away with her ashes.. How alone was she, really??

The supporting characters in this drama were excellent too.. Whether it was the sister or the colleague or even the friend.. They weren’t just there to elevate the main cast.. They also added so much to the story.. And Esaka Reina?? She was seriously obsessed and crossed some unsettling lines.. Splendid performance by Shiraishi Sei.. I also appreciated how nothing felt dragged out.. And there was no love triangle or unnecessary additions like the fiancee in the Korean version..

Overall, this drama had everything.. Even a satisfying, happy ending.. And I loved that ending.. Instead of the couple being portrayed as rich and powerful, we see the leads doing their best to live out their dreams.. Misa reopening her favorite dessert shop and Wataru going back to university.. They waited ten years to get married, probably because they were afraid of the side effects of altering the timeline too much.. Either way, I loved that proposal scene.. It was beautiful and showed two people truly in love..

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Completed
The Princess Royal
120 people found this review helpful
Jul 14, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 21
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0

Alternate Drama Title: The Legend of Su Rongqing

The premise of The Princess Royal is a rather unique and intriguing one, but it soon felt like I was walking along a bridge that could collapse at any moment. The bridge looks to be sturdy, but in reality is missing the most important nuts and bolts to keep it standing. I was drawn to the drama due to its lead actors (Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe), beautiful production and seemingly-interesting plot. The first few episodes were enjoyable, but everything soon went downhill.

The Princess Royal is a historical Chinese drama, telling the struggle of a deep, political struggle and the romance between the Princess Royal Li Rong (Zhao Jinmai) and her consort/government official Pei Wenxuan (Zhang Linghe). It is adapted from the very well-received novel "The Princess Royal" by Mo Fei Bai. What sets the drama apart from other period series from the start is that the leads are sent 20 years back into their young selves (18 and 20-year-olds). This was an opportunity for the leads to redeem themselves and prevent past tragedies from occurring. In this sense, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were a lot more mature, as they had decades of experience with politics.

I’ll say off the bat that I had no problem with the acting whatsoever. The main leads, as well as the supports, embodied their characters very well. Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jinmai had a decent amount of chemistry, which (arguably) saved some of my sanity as I watched the rest of the drama. They had some cute moments, but even these scenes weren’t enough to make up for the real issue: the overall plot.

As the power struggle between different political parties emerged, I soon got pretty bored with the drama. The plot was progressing in the way that people were plotting against one another for political gains, but it just felt like the drama really wasn’t going anywhere. It was just the usual struggle between two princes for the throne with a few suspenseful moments thrown here and there. I just didn’t feel attached to many of the characters in this drama as there wasn’t sufficient character build-up. Because so much of the precious screen time was given to our oh-so-amazing second male lead, Su Rongqing (hence the title of this review). There was even an episode where Su Rongqing had 28 minutes of screen time (the entire ep is 40 min long). There were plenty of opportunities to cut some of SRQ’s scenes to give the audience more scenes of the lead couple, or even scenes of other characters. Su Rongqing even took up a good portion of the last episode, leaving many viewers (and especially og novel fans) disappointed with the leads’ short ending. Most of the other characters weren’t given a definite/satisfying ending as well. There were also times when SRQ’s actions just didn’t make sense. I have no problem with the actor himself, but the character and his screen time is truly frustrating. I only read part of the original novel, and found many similarities between the novel and drama, but there are some unnecessary-added scenes in the drama (cough cough, SRQ). Who knew what the screenwriters were thinking.

On the brighter side, I appreciated the emphasis on female empowerment in this drama. Shangguan Ya and Qin Zhenzhen are very intelligent and loveable characters, quickly becoming the female lead’s biggest supports. Consort Rou was also put into a major political position. Quite a few women played heavy roles in the political landscape, which contrasts greatly with other political period Cdramas. However, Li Rong still made some questionable decisions, although she had already lived a previous life. Her constant entanglement with Su Rongqing also dragged the show. On one hand, she is telling Pei Wenxuan how much she loves him, but also can't seem to forget about her moments with the SML. Pei Wenxuan has plenty of reasons to be upset. PWX's character was great overall. He, like Li Rong, was very intelligent and thought ahead.

However, I would like to point out that the overall production wasn’t bad. Many of the costumes and hairstyles were gorgeous, and the backdrops and props looked like some thought had gone into them (in other words, they didn’t look cheap). The OST was nice, but I still don’t understand why the production/editing team decided to use music in more scenes between the FL and SML than between the two leads.

In conclusion, there is real eye candy in this drama and the acting is top-notch, but the plot was just lackluster and disappointing. If you’re a Zhang Linghe and/or Zhao Jinmai fan, you could give The Princess Royal a try, but I did warn you! Otherwise, the drama really is a waste of time.

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Completed
White Night
25 people found this review helpful
Dec 12, 2017
Completed 4
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
Maybe I have to modify my view on Korean queer films because of this.
Unlike its counterparts in other countries, most of the Korean queer films, in my opinions, have always been dark and gloomy, but at the same time they try to reflect the reality of gays living in Korean society. This film is one of the greatest I ever watched in terms of queer films.

This film is not an exception. The overall mood is gloomy, dark, and painful. However, at the same time, Director Lee-Song Hee Il magically depicts passion and warm, heart-beating romance at the same time. I don't know why Director Lee-Song's films are mostly dark and gloomy. Maybe he thinks it is so in Korea, which I agree but don't like much.

This film is about a story that occurs in one night. But that occurrence leaves a deep impression and love in each other's heart. If you are meant to meet someone, when and how doesn't matter.

The story is so good, touching your heart soon and acting is great. The emotions of the actors are delicate and abundant. I watched this film in Korean version, so I dont know if the English translation is good or not. Maybe you cannot get the exact impression that I got if watching it with English subtitle.

I strongly recommend you to watch this film!  You won't regret  it. 

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Completed
Project S: Skate Our Souls
25 people found this review helpful
Dec 1, 2017
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I am grateful that I've watched this series last from the previous release.  The character portrayed the role superbly. He is a great actor as well as the others. The story is very timely and relevant... very unique story and somehow I can relate myself to the character. I also experienced this kind of depression and able to consult a doctor. Thank you for sharing this kind of story... and James, you are a great actor, I cried many times. More power Project S. Looking forward on the next series.
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Completed
Love Mechanics
25 people found this review helpful
Jun 21, 2022
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

angsty BL with excellent lead actors/chemistry

Overall: Although I struggled with the angst/flawed characters and especially how the series started, I think it was well done. Make sure to watch past the first credits of the final episode, more like that please! Note: this is a remake/extended version of En of Love: Love Mechanics which aired in 2020 and was about 2 hours runtime, you don't need to watch the shorter version first. Watched on WeTV.

Content Warnings: dub/non con kiss, non con sex (very drunk), briefly held against will, past suicide attempt?, manhandling, homophobia, vomiting, violence/beaten up, punch/slap, domestic violence, victim self blaming

What I Liked
- acting of Yin & War and their chemistry
- cute moments
- funny moments
- for once I didn't hate an ex (Mark's)
- they address wealth differences and homophobia
- production value

Room For Improvement
- very disappointed in the sex scene. In many places being mentally incapacitated means you cannot give consent and clearly Mark was mentally incapacitated as he thought Vee was a different person. Although we see 3 beer bottles in the garbage, Vee does not appear to be at an equal level of drunkenness. I don't care at all that Mark was the initial aggressor, Vee should not have had sex with Mark. I would say this was non con no matter what sexual position Mark was. If they wanted to go the drunk sex route then Vee should have also been totally wasted and saying that Mark was his girlfriend and both been freaked out in the morning. (this would also make me hate Vee less as he just casually cheated on his girlfriend)
- hearing vomiting sounds is not my ideal way to start a series
- Vee said something in episode 6 to Mark that I think would end many relationships, sometimes apologies are not enough
- cliche plot point in episode 7
- Vee has some bad friends, they should have at least talked to him to hear his side
- poor communication
- side couples starting out in the final episode
- lack of intro credits/OST and basic closing credits

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Completed
Not Me
25 people found this review helpful
by Xavier
Mar 21, 2022
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 6.0
This is quite a big mash-up of BL in the thick of action-drama series about social issues.

THE STORY: In short, I like both the BL story and the non-BL story, it's a rarity that both stories actually work. I love the theme, I love on how the script could cover a lot of social issues in Thai (read the news, folks, three fingers salute) without having to bore the viewers, but yet simple enough to understand. Looks like, everything can be outfront, except the monarch. One more thing to appreciate is this BL series does cover LGBT rights, something that often missed out on other popular BLs. However, I have to admit there are some parts that doesn't go: the heist and escape drama needs more thrill, White's journey disguising as Black are filled with "side" quests that gave virtually no point other than "our gang members can be fucking cool", and twice the episodes are ended with fake alarms ("it was just my friend testing me").

ACTING: We've seen Gun Attaphan's award-winning acting in The Gifted, so it's no surprise that Gun can play two different characters of a completely different aura. We've seen White for so long and when we finally get to be introduced to Black, it feels amazing, I'm once again in awe of his acting skills. I also give applause for other actors and actresses: Off's acting is an upgrade (his acting under the rainbow flag scene is on point!), First and Gawin's love story stole the show, and others too.

DIRECTING & OTHERS: Nuchy herself is an award-winning film director, so I feel relieved the series is on her hand. Otherwise I cannot imagine how horrible the series would be without her (and her amazing team). The series put excruciating details on the visual; and notice that many of the camera techniques used throughout the series were cinematically different than other GMM TV series; I feel like watching a movie rather than a TV series. How about the music? Rather than staying with a set of basic scores, Not Me has put some 200 different songs sampled to accompany different scenes and moods, and this creates another cinematically different experience compared to other GMM TV series.

CONCLUSION: I see BL fans might get disappointed because the non-BL story dominated the overall series, but this is what I want from BL series. Many BL series put too much effort on romance and fan service, abandoning overall story and other aspects - Not Me successfully balanced it. Kissing scenes and other romantic moments were built without stereotyping and while they are intense, they don't hypersexualizing it. While Sean & White's love story were built under poorly made bricks, Yok & Dan's love story is concrete and solid. Looks like the action and non-BL drama needs more improvement, but Nuchy still can cover it and make it enjoyable, quite decent for a TV drama standard.

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Completed
She and Her Perfect Husband
25 people found this review helpful
Dec 13, 2022
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

LOVE the romance between the leads! but the plot synopsis is misleading :(

I mainly started this because I had nothing to watch and it turned out to be one of my favourites. This was not cheesy at all unlike most chinese romance dramas are, in fact I think it portrayed a realistic relationship nicely. Although i loved this overall, i was unsatisfied with romance scenes only covering around 50%. I definitely wished to see a lot more lovey dovey scenes between Yang Mi and Xu Kai when they undeniably have overflowing chemistry. All in all, i enjoyed this drama and have no heavy complaints. Fun to watch!
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