Reviews

It started really good and ended even better. I'm glad I gave this drama a try. I wasn't really interested after reading the synopsis but since James Ma is here, why not give it a try right? Lol. In any case, the female lead's acting is not that good but I would say that the story and the chemistry between the two leads is enough for me to forgive all the flaws of this drama. I could go on and on but one thing's for sure, I finished this drama with a smile on my face. I love this drama so much and I would definitely rewatch this again some time. Highly recommended!!!

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If you've ever seen 'Supernatural' there is an episode in which Sam's day is repeating over and over again and he has to deal with his brother's death. He tries to save his brother many times but without any result. I've seen 12 seasons of the series but this episode will always be my favourite one. And that was pretty much the reason why I watched this movie, because it reminded me of that SPN episode.

Gladly, I wasn't disappointed. It was a good movie, one of the best korean movies I've seen so far.

The story keeps you interested til the very end, it's very well-written and well-developed. I usually predict the plot-twists easily but the plot twist in 'A day' surprised me. I seriously didn't expect that.
There's no much to say about the characters since the storyline was more important here, so we couldn't see much of the main leads. But it's understandable, since it's a thriller.
Why am I giving it just an 8 insted of 10? Well, because some parts were kind of boring.

The cast was awesome, I loved it.

I recommend this movie to everyone. It's worth your time and you won't regret watching it.

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Sometimes slow but always sweet

Fantasy romance/melodrama: A classic since its release in 2016, and it remains one of the most popular K-dramas of recent years. A 900-year-old immortal goblin meets his “bride,” who is the poor, unlucky, abused-by-her-family young woman—a high school senior—fated to end his painful existence. (You have to just NOT think about the age difference.) While the idea of finally dying delights the goblin, things get complicated when the two leads...maybe don't want to be separated? This is essentially “Cinderella” in a more tragic and complicated form.

The scenes filmed in Canada are gorgeous. Fantastic second lead couple and fun supporting characters all around. The goblin’s developing bromance with a Grim Reaper who is accidentally house-sharing with him is worth watching this alone—if handsomeness were currency, the two male leads could buy a country with their collective looks.

Lovely quote: “When you’re coming home on a rainy night, what is it that becomes your umbrella? A voice that answers when you call. A memory of seeing the same thing at the same time. The first time you matched someone’s pace. Does someone come to mind? Yes, it’s that person. First love.”

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What a ride that was! Being my first taiga, I loved and enjoyed every moment of it. This drama made me want to learn more, watch more, research more, love Japan more, love history more. It made me understand things that I had a hard time digesting before. Fifty episodes went by pretty fast and the episodes were pretty short.

This drama is the dramatization of the life of Kuroda Kanbei (Okada Junichi), a daimyo during the Sengoku period, known to be the chief strategist and an adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. As a history drama, many of the events were described accurately and at the right timeline. As for the characterization of those historical personalities, it most definitely is bias. Except for the last 3 episodes, Kanbei was always shows as this angel with saint-like qualities. The same can be said about some personalities who were know to be on his side. You can conclude that the drama was made based on Kanbei's point of you on those people. However this doesn't come in the way of learning about history and appreciating those personalities.

As I said, don't let the number of episodes scare you. The episodes are short enough and the events that are being covered can cover four times this amount of time. I found the drama well paced, and keeps you hooked throughout the whole time of his running. Every couple of intense episodes, we get a breather that is both relaxing to watch, and fun to experience the way of life of that era. The graphics and effects were alright, the drama overall is nothing fancy, but good enough to convince you of it's timing and era. Some places I loved most are the tea places. If I were to compare it to another taiga I started recently, Tenchijin, I'd say this one looks much better, but that is only because Tenchijin looks 10 years older than it really is (but once I gave it a chance I still fell in love with it XP). As for the music, that is one soundtrack I really enjoy. It has a very calming side to it that is used during the travelogue.

Despite being a political drama, what makes this drama shine most is the human relationship seen here, mainly between lord and retainer, but also between husband and wife, parent and child, and those are what bring out the emotions out of you. The performances that emphasize on those relationship is what makes me want to keep watcing. Starting with Okada Junichi, don't let his background as a JE idol fool you, he did an excellent job portraying Kanbei throughout his life, from 16 years or to the end of his life. Then there's the lovely Nakatani Miki playing his wife Teru. I just love seeing those two together, even when they got to old age. They definitely had the chemistry, and the looks they give to each other makes it feel like they're looking into each other's souls not selves. Matsuzaka Tori playing his son Nagamasa also did a great job. I did feel he needed a little time to get used to his character, but that may be because he was playing a young inexperience teenager. We later see his growth and the different phases of his relationship with his father.

Then there is the retainers. This drama has succeeded in finally making me understand the relationship between the lord and his retainers. It definitely is not an equal relationship, but it is more of an equivalent exchange, and the basis of that exchange is loyalty, and that goes both ways. Seeing Kanbei's retainer's growth was one of the highlights of this drama. Takahashi Issei, playing Inoue Kuroemon, was by far my favourite. He was a natural. Seeing his reaction always told me if I need to worry about what is going on. Hamada Gaku and Hayami Mokomichi playing Zensuke and Tahe, took a little while to get into character, but when they finally did, they became perfect for their roles.

Other than the Kuroda household, there were many great personalities of the era in this drama. Oda Nobunaga ovliously tops the list, where Eguchi Yosuke's performance was unbeatable. Period. I had a hard time digesting Takenaka Naoto but later I grew fond of it. The character is pretty unconventional which is weird considering the era and people, however it seemed true to his character, and his background as a farmer. The taiga was as much about kanbei as it was Tomoyomi's rise to power. Anothers really interesting personality is Tanaka Tetsushi as Araki Murashige. His character went through the most phases, and at each phase, he shows a different face. Seeing him going from a man with ambitions to a person who has lost his mind. There are many others, many interesting women of the era, but this taiga concentrate mostly what these men go through with each battle they fight and what motivates them to go to war.

To conclude, it is a very well paced drama, with many interesting events, during a very interesting time in Japan's history, that honours many historical figures with excellent performances, and heartwarming interaction. I think it is a drama that can be appreciated by anyone if given the chance. Once you're done with it, I'm pretty sure it'll wake up the history lover in you.

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AI is doing too much heavy-lifting...

We all know why AI is used, but in this case, it was used too much. Of course I can't read chinese, but they state in the credits "AICG" and more people work for AI stuff then actors on set, which is a shame. When AI is used not to assist the creative process but to replace human actors/musicians/whatever it breaks a barrier it should not.

The story starts fine, but breaking down when Kingston has to shoot Leo. If a pistol is set on your heart, I doubt a lighter can stop you from dying. That was as unbelievable as it gets. The finale was also lackluster. I also expected a more action oriented finale with a big fight scene, but nope there was nothing. because the cute baddy has to kill himself. Maybe the script was also done by AI or the writer could not imagine another solution. I don't know if "Shawns" body makeup was also done with AI or not, but it did also not look quite right. Production lacked in cinematography and in the audio department. Of course I do not need to rant that some subtitles lines where only shown for a second or two and sorry, I can't read that fast. It's annoying when I have to go back and stop the video to read a damn subtitle, because it breaks immersion.

So while the chemistry and tension between Kingston and Leo are the highlight of this series, the rest is "meh". And because they use AI that much, the series itself is "meh". If you read reviews giving it a 10, because the reviewer can't put away his/her pink glasses and is not able to think about the consequences when AI does replace human actors, it's really a shame. Regardless if I like the use of AI this way or not, it will happen more and more to cut costs and optimize profits. The question is, should we consume such media? Everyone has to answer that question for her/himself but I might research first if a series uses AI in a heavy way. AI will constrain human creativity, because AI can't create something new, it can only combine things that already existed before. We have already too much AI-slob everywhere.

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I have waited to watch this for about 3 months. During the last month I was constantly searching for it every day just to see if it was out. And when I finally found it u can't believe how exited I was.!! >_<

YeoJinGoo who's only 16 irl and playing the character of HwaYi was amazing. He has many scenes and the story was overall about him. His acting and performance was spectacular. The upbringing he had in this "family" containing 5 fathers and a women who was taking care of him. The things he had to go through and how it affected him. Him still being so soft and sane inside while hurting. Him laughing, crying, hurting, fighting and getting furious. The look in his eyes when he realized everything. OMG. I bet he's getting an award for this. Korea is all over him saying he's gonna be THE next TOP actor. Seriously the guy is only 16 but looks around 20. I can't believe I'am saying this but I LOVE HIM. He's smoking HOOOTTT and 4 years younger than me. His voice is so mature and sexy…. ahhh I'am boiling. xD
Every one of them deserves an award. The actors playing the father were great at their roles. They had me hooked on the spot.!!

The storyline was amazing. The concept of the monster and the symbolic meaning behind it was very well-thought. I looooveeed the action, fighting and car scenes. It was just perfect. I loved the pace of the story too. There wasn't a single moment I was bored.

Warning: It contains a lot of blood-splatter so it aint for the REALLY weak-minded. But if I was u I would watch it. It's a must watch. Goes right to my top 5.

ENJOY :D

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This story is really really amazing! Outstanding action/fight scenes, very awesome and very very cool love story that would make you fall head over heels most especially with Huang Xiao Ming's character as &quot;Zuo Zhen&quot;. Each character was portrayed flawlessly.

You won't be disappointed once you watch this and you'll definitely watch this over and over again, that's a 110% guarantee (as I, myself together with my Mom kept watching and watching this over and over and over again)!

The story is all about Love, Loyalty, Trust, Understanding, Forgiveness, Pride, a little bit of Revenge and or Outrage, Deception, Endurance/Hardships (in protecting one's love, protecting sworn brother's and turf &quot;gang related matter&quot; as well as preventing Opium to spread all over Shanghai Bund). Lastly, Humanity, Care, Compassion, Grace and above all Dignity.

A standing ovation to the Casts, Director, Crew members, Writer, Special effects dept. and everyone who made contribution on making this story/series Perfectly! This is what we can say &quot;created that's worthwhile''. I thank everyone who made this series - you guys made the impossible possible and I (with my Mom) thank you guys from the bottom of our hearts!

Huang Xiao Ming and Chen Joe's chemistry is very awesome! Hope we can see them together again on other films, movies or series or shows!

Best of luck to everyone! Looking forward to other shows as Brilliant as this! Keep up the good work! Thanks guys for making it possible for us to watch and enjoy this!

Cheers and Have a good one!!! Jiayóu!

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The story is a typical melodrama with some comedy, cute moments, and the supernatural thrown in. I get why the drama was cut short. The story was going nowhere fast. Maybe it was a lack of chemistry, but the romance was lacking. I appreciate the writer's attempt to delve into the psyche of a person with a horrible or devastatingly sad childhood. I also enjoyed the dynamics of all of the father son relationships. I just didn't see the point of the supernatural aspect. The story was just so pointless. It wasn't horrible. It is just nothing special even with all the potential. Plus the ending sucks.

I would have dropped this f it weren't for Lee Dong Wook. He strangely made Hong Bin seem real to me. Through the bad writing and quirky character I could see the man with a warm heart that was so in pain that he made himself and those around him miserable to the point that he grew blades. It is an interesting concept. Too bad that is all it was.
OMG...Shin Se Kyung will just never get better. She had her cute moments as Se Dong, but they seemed forced and in the end she reverted back to that blank stare. I knew it going in. I only have myself to blame. It wasn't all her though. The writing of her selfless character isn't great either.
The other actors are fine, but nothing stands out.

The music is OK.

I will NEVER rewatch this.

I don't recommend this drama. It is mediocre at best. I only gave it a 7 because of Lee Dong Wook. I probably over ranked it.

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Solid first half and much weaker second half

I think Fighting Mr 2nd would work better if it had not been presented as a Part 2 of WBL. Still, I like the way it pushes the boundaries of BL a little.

The first two episodes (that's one-third of the series!) are a bit of a risk--you can either say that it intrigues the viewer or you can say that it confuses the hell out of viewers. The story takes place about five years after the end of No. 1 for You. But our main characters have not seen each other for five years, and we are left wondering what has caused Shi De to not return. In a way, it is effective because the frustration of not knowing is what the characters go through. Shi De does not know why Shu Yi stops replying him, and Shu Yi does not know why Shi De seems increasingly uncontactable. For me the first 3 episodes are very good even if they defy the expectations we might have after watching No. 1 for You.

It turns out that Shi De has faced problems that he can't tell while Shu Yi has misunderstood Shi De, thinking that he is in a relationship with someone else. Shu Yi seems to hate Shi De now even as Shi De enters his life again due to a coincidence. Their intense longing for each other, a longing that Shu Yi tries to hide, culminates in what's probably the best scene in the series: a drunken Shi De starts kissing Shu Yi, who can barely conceal the love that he still has despite not daring to show it. For me, the camerawork, music and acting work together very well here to show the emotions of the characters. I particularly like the performance by YU, the actor acting as Shu Yi in this scene.

Unfortunately, the story soon goes downhill after this point. The real causes behind their separation are revealed, and Shi De and Shu Yi soon make up. Their story then doesn't really get developed much further. The scenes between them are sweet and cute, but somehow don't seem to reflect the intensity of emotions that you can imagine will arise when you are reunited with the love of your life after a long separation that leaves you baffled, frustrated and pinning.

Furthermore, the series has to give some attention to the side couples. Despite the attention given, I still get the sense that the side couples' stories could have worked much better had there been sufficient development.

This series does end up to be quite likable because of its strengths. Its weaknesses still seem quite glaring to me, however. So I'm a little conflicted here.

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Firstly, this drama was made around 2018-2019 or something and was delayed until 2021, lmao. I don’t know the reason clearly—maybe some production issue. So, if you're planning to watch this, you should know what to expect.

It is just another rom-com with poorly written characters filled with clichés and old tropes. The story is pretty simple. The FL has a bad impression of the ML, and now they meet at "So I Married an Anti-Fan", a variety TV show, and discover much more about each other.

Not gonna lie, the ML had some toxic behavior in Ep 1 because he lacks listening skills. He wasn’t as toxic as other MLs I’ve seen, but definitely, he has that mean behavior in the first few episodes. The ML has trust issues for various reasons, and even the entertainment industry is scary. He doesn’t have friends and lacks social skills too but isn’t a cold lead—I mean, he expresses his care for the people he loves. Choi Tae Joon, playing as Hoo Joon, was just OKAY, nothing great at all.

The FL’s character really disappointed me. She never stood up for herself. She gets herself into every possible embarrassing situation. She lets people make a fool out of her and doesn’t take any action against it. She swallowed her pride completely. She was just an "Anti-Fan" but was treated as nothing less than trash. Choi Soo Young, as Lee Geun Young, acted really well, but I really didn’t like her character.

The SL is really toxic and annoying. I couldn’t stand him ever. He has reasons to be so, but none can justify his own toxic behavior. The SFL is pretty annoying too. She always cries. The SL and SFL really have a toxic relationship. All the abusive and violent behavior is a HUGE RED FLAG.
I really didn’t like a lot of side characters EXCEPT for the FL’s friends and the ML’s manager.

None of the characters actually had any character development, nor were they likable.

The music wasn’t that impressive but suited the scenes well.

This drama really had a GOOD "Enemies to Lovers" trope. Romance was the only reason I didn’t drop this. But the leads, once they fell for each other, RARELY had any bickering, which made this even more boring.

Overall, the drama is nothing WOW as a rom-com. In the name of comedy, it was much more like "embarrassing scenes." I’m pretty disappointed. It was an OKAY watch for me. Definitely NOT a must-watch, but you can give it a shot.

THAT'S ALL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF MY REVIEW WAS HELPFUL ^^
END :D

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It’s been a long time since I watched anything that’s not a K-drama…

Note: I will be constantly updating this review as more episode comes out. For right now, I am enjoying this show. I am not familiar with the cast yet, but they seem to be great actors/actresses. I have judged cdrama actors/actresses acting for a long time (or maybe those were from the short dramas I watched?), so this was a complete surprise to me. Most of the time I watch K-dramas because of their acting, but this one did just as well in my opinion. Both leads are also very good-looking, so it’s a plus.

Update: Already done!

Acting: 10/10

The acting in this drama feels incredibly refreshing and unlike anything I've watched before, especially Xiao Wuyi's performance. I absolutely love it. As someone who's mostly watched K-dramas, I'm used to highly expressive emotional scenes where characters cry loudly, shout, and break down dramatically. This drama took a completely different approach, and I found it far more captivating. Wuyi’s emotions felt restrained yet deeply powerful and more realistic for a man like him. It was remarkable. His facial expressions and, especially, his eyes do so much of the storytelling. Whether it's intentional "eye acting" or simply exceptional acting, it's one of the strongest male performances I've seen in a long time.

Some of my favorite emotional moments include: *Crying while forcing a smile, with heartbreak visible only through his eyes.
*Holding back tears in anger, trying to remain composed while the tears fall anyway.
*Expressing sadness without saying a single word.
*Looking genuinely terrifying and murderous one moment, then soft, vulnerable, and innocent the next.
*Seamlessly switching between the aura of a calculating villain and a harmless deer within seconds.

The way his eyes change with every emotion is magical. It's subtle, nuanced, and incredibly immersive.

Story / Script: 10/10

This is one of the best-written dramas I've watched in a long time. The script constantly kept me at the edge of my seat with its suspense, emotional conflicts, political intrigue, and unexpected character dynamics. Every episode ended on a cliffhanger that made it almost impossible not to immediately watch the next one.

One of my favorite trope was the relationship between the male lead (ML), female lead (FL), and second male lead (SML). Instead of the usual love triangle, the ML was actually helping the FL run away with the SML. That alone made the story feel fresh and unpredictable. It almost felt like the ML is placed in the "second male lead" position, but because the story was told from his perspective, I ended up rooting for him. With Limao, I never experienced second lead syndrome because the main character Wuyi himself already gave me that bittersweet second lead feeling (in a good way). It was such an interesting dynamic that I haven't really seen before.

I'm also a huge fan of morally gray characters and villains with compelling backstories. So having a protagonist who carries a villain-like aura while occasionally revealing flashes of innocence is exactly the kind of character I enjoy watching. The story also balances multiple genres extremely well. It combines historical drama, warfare, political strategy, friendship, family, romance, suspense, comedy, and emotional character development without making any of them feel neglected.

Xie Jiayu underwent the most significant character development here, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. From a young girl who couldn't even tell the difference between being a couple and being close friends to a mature woman who endured life's ups and downs without ever wavering. She was the light in Xiao Wuyi’s life, and I loved that about her.


Why some viewers may find it confusing:

I can understand why some people might struggle with the first few episodes. The pacing is quite fast, and the story immediately throws viewers into a complex historical setting involving princes, regents, nobles, warlords, military strategies, and multiple factions competing for power. This isn't the type of drama you can casually play in the background. You really have to pay attention to the dialogue and subtitles, especially because there is a twist almost in every episode. No matter, I think the political intrigue was executed very well because even when I occasionally had to rewind (a me problem because I read subtitles slow and my eyes are just not that good, iqiyi subs also not as good as viki), I was never bored. If anything, I became even more curious.

Action

The battle scenes were epic, exciting, well choreographed, and contribute meaningfully to the story instead of existing purely for spectacle. However, I do wish there were more.

Comedy

The comedy in the first half provided the perfect balance to the heavier political and emotional moments. I especially enjoyed the female lead's humor. Her comedic timing lightened the atmosphere without making the story feel less serious.

Makeup, Cinematography & Visual Style

One thing that surprised me was the natural visuals. From the Chinese historical drama clips I've seen on TikTok and Facebook, I expected heavy beauty filters and thick skin smoothening makeup. For the most part, this drama looked surprisingly natural with no filter on. I actually prefer this style because it suits the historical war setting much better and gives the drama a more classic, immersive atmosphere.

Overall

I loved the action, suspense, soundtrack, comedy, acting, storyline, political intrigue, the female lead's humor, and the male lead's villainous aura mixed with unexpected moments of innocence. Everything came together in a way that kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end. Kudos to the writers, actors, actresses, and director!

My reaction on the finale: I’m speechless. Instead of losing momentum, the plot somehow kept getting better with every episode. They really kept the suspense until the end. The writing became even stronger, and so did the performances: especially Xiao Wuyi, Xie Jiayu, Empress Dowager, the Grand Tutor, Eagle King and Li Lejun. Their acting elevated every emotional and political scene.

This drama genuinely exceeded my expectations. Going into it, I thought only K-dramas consistently delivered this combination of excellent writing, compelling characters, emotional depth, and outstanding performances. I'm so glad this drama proved me wrong. It deserves far more recognition than it's receiving, and so does the cast.

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Somewhat boring love story between two really good looking people

I must be in the minority here because I didn't find this a very good drama. Yes it is watchable because the sets, the people, the clothes are all very beautiful, but the story itself is so boring. Nothing really happens in the plot that makes you want to stay up to watch the next episode. The acting is ok. Nothing too impressive but not bad either. Both leads suit their roles well and they do look really good together. Such a beautiful pairing but I personally didn't feel the chemistry was that strong with them. Dilraba seems to have better chemistry with Gao Wei Guang and Zhang Bin Bin. The aerospace and gaming plots didn't really catch my interest either.

If you're looking for a fluffy love story with two very good looking leads, or are into gaming then this might be for you!

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The Best Korean Dating Reality TV Show Ever!

I don’t usually give shows 9.5 stars but I really enjoyed watching Transit Love / EXchange. Going into it I didn’t know what to expect and I was pleasantly shocked at the emotions this program brought out of me. The storytelling was amazing and you could feel how genuine the cast was as they expressed themselves. I loved how they were all anxious at first but eventually everyone became comfortable with each other as if they’d known each other all along. I went through so much and I feel like I got invested to the point where I became attached to certain cast members. My emotions went from 0 to 100 at times. You’re going to feel happy, sad, angry and confused while watching their stories unfold but remember these are real people and it’s their life and their decisions so there’s nothing you can really do. The last 3 episodes stressed me out the most but I was happy because one of the couples I was rooting for since the beginning came through. Yeah… couples you may be rooting for won’t work out but don’t worry too much because in the end everyone grew from the experience. I even felt like I learned so much from watching these ex couples talk about their breakups, find closure, love and more importantly friendship. You can tell that the producers really put effort into choosing the cast because they all seem to be very charming individuals. I hope the friendships and relationships formed there last for a very long time. I hope they make season 2 with a new cast so I can experience a show like this again!

Parts I didn’t like: The ending. It seemed too rushed (especially when the persons who brought in at the end only had a week to get to know everyone and make a decision) I didn’t like how everyone ended up confessing their feelings to each other. It would’ve been nice for them to meet each other individually as the car scenes made the environment and situation really tense / pressurizing. I also think next time around the producers should have challenges and actually pick the dates for persons so that everyone gets to go on a date with people they wouldn’t normally choose and get to know each other instead of picking the same persons all the time (at least in the first & second week) After that the contestants can be free to continue picking the person they feel a strong connection with and going on dates etc.

Other than that she show was definitely worth the watch. I don’t regret stumbling across this because it’s a show I feel like anyone can watch and easily like.

**I highly recommend it to persons who don’t know what to watch but want to watch more Korean dating reality shows like Single’s Inferno :) **

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I started watching it by accident and absolutely loved it. The concept is intriguing. Gamers will find it riveting but non gamers will be awe struck. The visuals were beautiful and animations extremely realistic and convincing. Everybody would go bananas if a game like that would hit the market. For sure! Very interesting to see the interactions of a different culture that I have not been exposed to. I found it absolutely exquisite and intriguing. I had quite a crush on Yoo Jin-woo for a couple of weeks!
The constant replaying of the previous scenes were at times necessary but mostly unnecessary in my view. I skipped them quite often which is something I dont like doing as the series is so beautiful ,that I am scared I will miss a scene and I would like to watch each series without intervention to appreciate it optimally.
I enjoyed Ko Yoo-ra's antics especially in the end when it was said that she only marries rich guys. It was SO funny!
The main characters are very attractive and they play their roles very convincing. The end was a bit disappointing but I understand that a second series is probably planned. I will definitely be watching season two. Cant wait!

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