Reviews

One Tough Cookie Brought Up By a Mysterious Uncle: Thrilling With Suspension of Disbelief

My final review of what I believe is the first season of this thriller drama (although no announcement of a sequel at the time I was writing this review). This plot is about the survival of the Female Lead Jeong Ji An, being targeted by professional killers, taking shelter in her uncle's house. How and why it happens is slowly unraveled through past events. Warning: this is not a comedy like the parent story.

STORY:

First of all, I didn't watch the parent story The Killer's Shopping List, nor read the novel under the same title "The Killer's Shopping List" (살인자의 쇼핑목록) by Kang Ji Young (강지영). Some comments said that there is no connection between this drama and the so-called parent story, only written by the same author. This is a survival story of our heroine, Jeong Ji An (Kim Hye Joon), because of what happened to her supposedly dead uncle Jeong Jin Man (Lee Dong Wook). Since little, after the deaths of her grandmother and her parents, Jeong Jin Man has been her sole guardian. He brought her up with a survivalist mind and tough love. During her grandmother's funeral, he made her watch a gruesome TV scene of a lion killed by a group of hyenas: "Only the weak bark, the strong don't. You must become strong to make your opponent bark. Don't be scared. Whatever makes you scared keep your eyes open and face it." When Jin Man took Ji An in after her parents's death and she fell on the ground, he didn't pick her up but said "Listen up, Jian. I'm not your parent and I can never be. Which means I can't do the things your parents did for you."

The fact that Jeong Jin Man prepares his niece in such a way as to be strong, independent, and capable of guarding herself makes sense later as the drama title is explained. Jeong Jin Man established an underground online business as the title says, a shop for killers. He not only sold guns but other weapons and chemicals as well. Jin Man was very secretive about himself and his customers so he gave them codes and even put himself and his niece in a special code: Code Green (I will describe the codes in the end under the spoiler).

I'm usually a generous rater, and am easily pleased, as long as a drama wowed me from the beginning till the end, I will rate it 10 (you can find out the dramas I rated 10 in my custom list). The reason I only gave this drama a 9.5 is because of the questionable details I saw along the way. If this is a fantasy genre I will ignore it, but the fact it builds upon modern survival and mercenary plots, it's dubious. I won't spoil them to you for this final review, you just watch the drama to find out. Basically, if you want to enjoy this story, you have to suspend your disbelief.

I will put the spoilers at the bottom of my review (you need to scroll down if you want to know, otherwise stop after the Visual)

CHARACTER AND ACTING:

Lee Dong Wook played the mysterious Uncle Jeong Jin Man with his usual traits: cold, aloof, but charming. We see more of Jin Man's actions in past flashbacks.

Kim Hye Joon played the survivalist niece Jeong Ji An. I stated above how her uncle brought her up, so we see the same cold and aloof trait in his niece. Some comments on the drama page stated that Ji An is too stupid when reacting to the attacks, but I have to defend her since she is not professionally trained and practically implemented for all that happened. Even all she did for survival is just based on her instinct to stay alive while remembering what her uncle and her master taught.

I won't spoil you with information on the supporting characters. The drama is too short to show much more about them. We learned about their background and how they came to know Jin Man, but the info about them is not enough to show that they are three-dimensional characters. I would love to see more (perhaps in the second season) about how Jin Man brought up Brother, Pasin's life (how a Thai man came and worked in South Korea), Min Hye's life after she was saved (her interactions with Jin Man, Honda, Brother, and Pasin) and how she got to know the villains, etc.

VISUAL (CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME, MAKEUP, SET)

As usual, the Kdrama visuals for this dark thriller are amazing: the daring escapes, the gunfire and bomb explosions, the bullet movements, etc. Even the hyena CGI is acceptable. I kinda questioned Jin Man's home which seems so normal and humble but its walls, windows, and furniture are strong enough able to hold the gunfires and bombs to a certain degree. I assume Jin Man fortified his home strong enough for survival, perhaps having an underground bunker, too.

I will put spoilers down below about the Codes and the ending.

SPOILERS (Scroll down below)


















CODES:
- Code Red: for killers (assassins) - they can only buy guns, weapons, bombs, and poisons.
- Code Purple: for spies (buy and sell info) - they can only buy listening devices and cameras. Also, simple weapons to be used to kill themselves when their cover is blown.
- Code Yellow: for clean-up crew - they can only buy drugs, detergents, and cleaning tools needed for body disposal and clean-up, and administrative service to evade the law.
- Code Green: for Jin Man and Ji An (though she didn't know before) - the other codes could never attack them. If they did, other Code holders have to risk their lives to protect Code Green.

ENDING:
- Ji Ahn and her uncle are alive. As I suspected, Jin Man faked his death (though are not shown what he did to 'kill' himself and why he did it if not just leave his niece to have her own show). He shows up in the end riding a taxi. He's all wound up, probably he had a duel with the top killer.
- A bunch of killers are dead. The top killer Bale and the Babylon company head are (probably) still alive if they want to make Season 2.
- Pasin and Brother are alive. Min Hye is probably alive, only shown her gun came off her hand but doesn't mean she's dead. I believe if watchers found her too attractive and charismatic to be dead, the screenwriter will revive her for Season 2.

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LOVE LOVE LOVE

This is a beautiful rom-com drama about an editor, Chu li, and a young author, Zhou Chuan. Having been online friends for 3 years, Chu li becomes Zhou Chuan's editor, both unaware of their online relationship. Revolving around a hate-to-love story, their relationship blossoms into a variety of adorable interactions, as a lovely connection is created both online and in real life. And as they grow closer, they work together to become better selves and more passionate individuals.

i absolutely LOVE THIS DRAMA i just finished it recently and haven't been able to get over it since!! Everything about it is just perfection, and i enjoyed watching every second of it. Definitely making it into my top 5!

~ STORY ♥ ~
The show takes place in a working office, but the story is very equally balanced between business and their relationship. The relationship between the leads is one of the CUTEST IVE EVER SEEN. Chu li and Zhou Chuan's relationship is our aspired COUPLE GOALS. Their character development as they grow closer to each other, added with their mutual trust and respect made them strong and confident in each other, is something not commonly seen in other dramas. I swear, couples from other dramas would be jealous of their relationship as it's unbreakable.

The FL may seem to be like the classic "weak" or "dependent" type but she is absolutely not, and is one of my favorite FL my far! Chu li continues to work hard and improve as she works her way up, making achievements throughout her publishing house that repeatedly astonish and exceed the expectations of all those around her. Proving to everyone that she is not to be belittled!

Additionally, I must make an honorable note on these following points, as it deserves a whole award: none of the characters are "dumb" or "stupidly gullible", as those characters are the worst. You won't have to worry about any unnecessary cliche misunderstandings, "disapproval from parents", or the "I'm doing this for their own good" breakups, as this drama has none of that! The characters hold a steady and powerful relationship the whole time. THE CHEMISTRY IS OFF CHARTS <33

The second couple was also quite a significant part of this drama as well considering that they had their own storyline. I love the second couple ofc, but some of their scenes were a bit dull, which would prolly be the only slight downside to the story. But don't get me wrong, it's probably only because I'm a rom-com person, but if ur someone who enjoys watching more seriously-toned relationships, I'm sure you'll love it~! (the second couple's kisses were sm better than the leads) BUUUUT even so... the BROTHERHOOD. ML and second ML's loyal bro relationship is kiiillllliiing me. Fr one of the biggest reasons why I loved this drama so much! And even though the 2nd ML did like the FL for a bit, he backed out right when the ML admitted to liking the FL as well. Like that's a loyal best friend right there, and best 2ML of the year award goes to him 100%.

*SPOILER* ..... although in the last 8 episodes or a sudden new girl popped out of nowhere claiming to have liked Zhou Chuan ever since they were in high school, no problems raised. Im sure many ppl prolly think that she was unnecessary but i think that through her, we can see how strong the lead couples relationship is.

*SPOILER 2*.... cutest ending ever! MDL doesn't let us put emojis on here but I fr would spam crying and heart emoji's right now. The script writers actually spent time making sure that everything was wrapped up neatly, and the last two episodes are just dedicated to following through to the ending MWAHHH. Amazing and satisfying, an ending that ill never forget!
*END OF SPOILER :)*

Although Moonlight is a rom-com based drama, it still carries many inspirational messages and lessons for viewers. We are shown that nothing comes out of thin air, and we must work hard in order to reach our desired goals. Chu li and Zhou Chuan are faced with multiple different obstacles that they must overcome both together and individually, and ultimately maturing into more successful individuals. Along the way, they learn the value of love, anger, emotions, and passion.

~ CAST ♥ ~
I was a huge fan of both the actor and the actress way before i watched this drama, and prolly one of the reasons as to why i loved this drama soo much. I was so happy when i found out they were acting together, and the result definitely didn't disappoint!! Everyone in the cast fit their character excellently, and I am genuinely so thankful that they brought this piece to life for us! Many times i wished that I could see more of some of the side characters as well as they were such an enjoyable part of the show, so thank you for making this masterpiece!

I also heard that many ppl think that the female lead's voice is too high or "childlike" to fit her character, but imo, it fits perfectly. Chu li's voice is dubbed by the actress herself, Esther, which I'm very happy about. Having the character's voice as the actress's adds more of a natural flow to the character.

And of course, Zhou Chuan's character played by Ryan Ding was just flawless - like always :)

~ MUSIC ♥ ~
I honestly don't have too much of an opinion on the songs, they weren't amazing but they weren't bad either. I think most of the songs were used repeatedly throughout the drama, which is okay because it ran quite smoothly with the scenes and everything else in the drama made up for the music weakness.

~ ♥ ~
I personally love everything about this drama from the BOTTOM OF MY HEART. ITS SO BEAUTIFUL AAH. I was giggling throughout the whole drama, and the leads are just too cute. So if your a rom-com lover, i recommend you 101% to give this drama a shot you surely wont regret it :)

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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Very difficult to write this review without giving out spoilers.
I would die to see Krist and Singto in any show together and this a god sent gift to mankind.

The story is sad and it will remain sad no matter how many funny bits they throw in it. It's amazing how many emotions the characters portrayed in a mere 17 mins and how much insight we got into their relationship in that little time.

The acting was brilliant, especially during the climax scene. I was sobbing by the end of it. Indeed, Singto and Krist's chemistry is on a different level. They just flow?
Tod was so so so so adorable and funny.

I usually don't notice the music much aside from actual songs with lyrics but I saw this like 4 times already, with and without subs, so I did notice the instrumental songs in this. The music director should get a raise because they did a really great job with the music. The music complemented the funny and sad bits and elevated the storytelling.

Even though this is a bittersweet drama it is full of fun and hilarious snippets. No regrets crying in the end because I actually laughed out loud at many parts. Would rewatch it like a 100 times. The fact that it's only 17 mins but made this big an impression on me is admirable.

I wonder how their relationship would have turned out. If anyone is good at writing and later writes a fanfic about this please let me know lmao

edit- I just saw that mdl has put the synopsis so my keeping this review spoiler free holds no significance but oh wellllllllll

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A drama with an engaging storyline, good production quality and enticing romance.

When I first saw the trailer for Wonderland of Love, I was intrigued because it looks impressive and grand. It generally received good reviews, so I decided to watch it as soon as I finish another series, and I’m glad I did!

What I like:
1) It's a fictional historical drama with romance, which is one of my favorite genres. The story is grand – there's romance, friendship, politics, intrigue, strategizing, battles – but it also has humor and it's not too heavy, so there is a right balance. The pacing is just right, so it's not boring. I especially like episodes 30 to 40!

2) The ML (Li Ni/Shi Qi Lang) and FL (Cui Lin/A Ying) are both smart, charming, strategic, and very skilled in martial arts and military tactics. Both are strong-willed, which is a double-edged sword. They are not one-dimensional characters, so there are layers and depth to their personalities, partly influenced by their backgrounds and upbringing.

3) Great chemistry between Xu Kai (Li Ni) and Jing Tian (Cui Lin)! I like their banter from the start, and their chemistry grows stronger as I continued watching the drama; it gets better as the story unfolds (I didn’t feel it strongly in the beginning). I’m so glad the production team is not stingy with the sweet and romantic scenes! They definitely enhanced my watch experience.

4) Xu Kai as Li Ni / Shi Qi Lang – He is a great leader, commander, friend and lover. He's also strategic, principled, prioritizes relationships (重感情), values his freedom and is not interested in palace intrigues, though circumstances forced him to be involved. He doesn't like infighting and competing for the throne. I think Xu Kai played this role quite well.

5) Jing Tian as Cui Lin / A Ying – She is a brave, smart (sometimes even cunning), strategic and independent woman. She is beautiful but not in the traditionally expected sort of way. I may not agree with some of her actions, but I do understand her motivations, where she's coming from. Right now, I couldn't think of anyone other than Jing Tian who could pull off her character.

6) Interesting supporting characters who add spice and flavor to the story, such as Tao Zi, Chang Er, Pei Yuan, Lao Bao, and the other soldiers in the Zhen Xi army. Even the SML (Liu Cheng Feng) and SFL (Gu Wan Niang), both of whom I dislike especially the delusional/obsessed and ungrateful SML, were good in their portrayal. I also like how the romance between Tao Zi and Chang Er developed; it's sweet and they look cute together.

7) I'm smitten by the costume design! They're generally beautiful and elegant, fits the scenes, and have good color combinations. I need to mention that their wedding clothes are just so beautifully designed and matched. I also like the colors and interiors of the Eastern Palace. It's serene and so calming to the senses.

8) The fight/battle scenes were well-executed. Nothing looked fake.

9) Good choice of songs for the OST! I especially like the opening theme “Wonderland of Land” sung by Curley Gao, which is quite upbeat and has rock elements, and the ending theme “If Love Still Remembers” sung by Liu Yu Ning, which is more mellow.

10) The ending is great! Love how they showed many happy, sweet and endearing moments, mended relationship, and the characters got what they deserved. Basically, it's a nice wrap-up for the drama, and they dedicated one episode to it, which I really appreciate :).

Other comments:
1) The emperor is such a lousy father – he's biased and played favorites, and he's partly to blame for how his 2 older sons turned out. It’s good that both sons got their just ends. He's also an incompetent ruler – unable to make sound judgments, and easily swayed by the advice of his ministers, some of whom have their own agenda to push. Good thing he got some redemption towards the end. I think Gao Shu Guang was able to play the character convincingly.

2) The SML, Liu Cheng Feng (Gao Han), may look frail and sickly, but I find him somewhat shady from the start. And when he tricked the Zhen Xi army (who had rescued them), it showed his true colors. The SFL, Gu Wan Niang (Zhao Jia Min), is actually smart and seemed nice in the beginning, but it wasn’t long before she showed her scheming side.

3) At some point in the drama, the ML and FL seemed to be in a deadlock, unable to move forward because of their opposing views. They would disagree, have a fight then make up, then repeat the cycle a few more times. I got a bit frustrated with some of the back-and-forth arguments.

4) I wished they had shown that Cui Lin eventually found out about what Li Ni went through just to clear General Cui Yi’s name, so the outcome was a good compromise already. I don’t know if it’s in the novel, but it was not shown in the drama.

Final Verdict: I really enjoyed this drama, it’s interesting, entertaining and a good watch, so I would gladly recommend it!

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─ Beautiful things are often like this; ephemeral, unapproachable and indistinguishable.

Love of Nirvana wasn’t on my watchlist initially, but it quickly captured my attention after I stumbled upon intriguing spoilers on social media. What really drew me in was the famous scene from EP9 that showcased the dynamics between the leads.

As I enjoy watching the enemies-to-lovers trope, I appreciated how Love of Nirvana presented characters who genuinely start as adversaries and gradually learn to understand each other. It was refreshing to see their perspectives; the time they took to witness each other's lives made their eventual feelings believable and earned.

Some viewers might find Wei Zhao to be cruel and ruthless, but understanding his backstory and the immense pressure he faces helps clarify his initial attitude towards Jiang Ci, especially after she disrupts his crucial plans. Jiang Ci, on the other hand, is portrayed as resilient, maintaining her composure in the face of adversity, though it’s poignant to watch her vulnerability surface after a significant loss. Their flaws and strengths add depth to their characters, making their journey engaging.

I particularly enjoyed the cat references that both characters naturally acknowledged; these moments added a lighthearted touch. Also, since cats are believed to symbolize balance ( like yin and yang ), and even have been seen as spiritual guardians in some places, the reference matched the characters so well.

Watching them collaborate was a highlight, especially when Wei Zhao recognized Jiang Ci’s strengths. The scene where he bowed to her for saving his people was beautifully executed, symbolizing the respect he developed over time.

The chemistry between the leads was compelling, enhanced not just through their interactions but also through their individual arcs. The side characters were well-crafted as well, each bringing their own loyalty and obsession to the story. I found Yueluo’s arc especially captivating, with its constant character and story development ─ so I was actually glad to see them return there towards the finale.

After their return to the palace, the pacing slowed a bit, but the last few episodes till the finale picked up the pacing once again ─ although it ended with tragedy and left us with bittersweet feelings. Part of me thinks it fitted the whole storyline while the other part expected a happy ending.

The OST was another highlight; each song complemented the scenes perfectly, enhancing the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, I recommend Love of Nirvana for its storytelling, characters ( and their dynamics ), beautiful OST and cinematography!

Link to edits: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxplWeBw3y5gFVgHNC1_31EcNdD5m1d63&si=5HzX9p7wU1NO619Y

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Be prepared for your heart to ache but also to be disappointed

Medical-themed C-dramas are pretty much the same: solving complex cases, doctors with different philosophies getting into conflicts but ultimately making the right decisions, and romance bubbling between people in white coats. "Thank you, Doctor" also had the "arrogant but brilliant doctor" trope, but unlike other shows, the drama added the back stories of the main leads to freshen the storyline.

This show was a lot better than I expected. The writer's ability to write a touching story for each medical case that truly tugged at one's heartstrings and the excellent acting by the main leads were the combination that saved this drama from becoming yet another run-of-the-mill medical show.

The cases were the usual amalgam of challenging ones that medical shows always feature, and not surprisingly, the doctors miraculously were able to solve most of them. However, the show provided a good balance. Instead of only celebrating idealized superhuman doctors, it also observed societal prejudices and problems, as well as the unpredictable nature of humans. All of which forced the doctors to attempt superhuman feats. I appreciate the show's acknowledgment that for doctors coping with impossible pressures, being good at one's job was not always enough to win the battle of life and death.

There were light moments to temper some of the heaviness of the medical stories, and the slow-burn romance added extra flavor for me. It was a slow burn done well, with lingering longing gazes, little selfless gestures, and secret unconcious smiles.

In the first few episodes, Bai Shu was an arrogant ass, undermining Xiao Yan, but she was always able to stand her ground. She was not scared of his gruffness or intimidated by his medical brilliance. This sequence repeated for a while, but they learned more about each other through the implicit rivalry between them. Along with Xiao Yan, the viewers saw more depth to Bai Shu, which made us appreciate him more.

Overall, Bai Shu underwent character development that made Xiao Yan like him and found him more charming over time. At the same time, the more they worked together, the more Xiao Yan impressed Bai Shu, ultimately earning his respect and admiration, professionally and personally.

Bai Shu was more assertive once he realized his feelings, but Xiao Yan had her inner demons to overcome, causing the relationship to stall for the whole show until the very end.

Yang Mi and Bai Yu were compelling to watch, individually and together. With their great chemistry and good writing, "Thank you, Doctor" rose slightly above the other medical dramas. Sadly, the other relationships and characters did not evolve well enough for me to deem this show a masterpiece. Certain characters were poorly written and not only were they one-dimensional, they were annoying too.

"Thank you, Doctor" had much to recommend it, but the disappointment of most viewers about the romance should be acknowledged. Framed as a romantic drama, it should have been more accurately described as a medical drama with some romance in the background. Additionally, this drama's ending did not deliver at all. It was clearly a rushed ending, too abrupt, and it felt like the details were cut out. It was frustrating when the show did not even feature both leads in the ending scenes.

Despite the unsatisfactory ending, I still rated this show highly because it kept me entertained and engaged throughout the 40 episodes. It was an enjoyable emotional roller coaster ride, and I stressed, cried, and rejoiced so much with the characters. Last but not least, no matter how secondary the romance was to the overall story, the dynamics between Xiao Yan and Bai Shu were the focal point for me. Watching the romantic tension and build-up between them was achingly good.

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This drama started out great! Everything was adorable and cute. I liked how they explored relationships with the story lines and everything wasn't so black and white with the characters.

But too bad you can't rate a drama off it's beginning even if it's a special.

The ending was not what I expected. After I stared at my computer screen dumbfounded for several moments I realized that this would be the ending for the this drama. I almost thought that they might have added another episode and started to look around but I then realized that the ending I saw was the closing of the drama.

It completely ruined it for me because it was too rushed. So rushed that it's hard to make sense of what's happening. The writers obviously didn't have enough time to make a good ending but I think they could have done better than that.

Besides that I think that the cast did a great job. BoA did great too. I believe this is her first time starring in something and she's a singer so I was kind of worried that she wouldn't be good but I think she did a really great job. Choi Daniel was of course excellent as well.

The story line is good. I liked the overall idea and take they had on relationships. It's a extremely funny and sweet. I found myself laughing the whole way through and smiling so hard because of the adorable moments.

Since it's so short and the ending ruined everything for me I probably won't rewatch it but overall I still feel that if you really enjoy it you will probably watch it again.

Overall, the drama is hilarious and is something cute to watch when you have time on your hands. It had a lot of funny moments and really cute adorable moments too. You can also take some tips if you want relationship advice. I still think this drama is quite enjoyable and if the last five minutes wasn't so bad I would have gave it an 8.

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ENGLOT FOREVER

Honestly, this show is so cheesy, I JUST LOVE IT.

For those of you that don't follow Miss Grand, that is absolutely okay! You have 2 girls that have great chemistry in every which way, it outlines the life of being a beauty queen and it shows the life of being not just that but a regular everyday person. It shows friendship, love, heartbreak and challenges all in one. I love the back stories, I love everyone together, I love everything about this tbh.

Engfa and Charlotte are doing amazing, they are naturally easy going and have wonderful chemistry in general so for the show to portray that for them, I love everything about that. The other girls as well, they're amazing friends in real life so just all of them together is a wild ride.

I'm a fan of the music lmao plus Engfa has a wonderful voice!

Because it's so quick and easy, it's worth rewatching. I go back and rewatch episodes often in general so I'm down for it.

Overall, I'm both glad and thankful that Miss Grand did this for these girls, I love the opportunities they give them and continue to help them grow as individuals so that's really what makes this worth it.

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That 12 years gap hurt

I'm just a loser with too much pride. Even so, don't abandon me. -- Dohoe made me tear up a little when he said this. This drama had me going through so many emotions. It's one of the best dramas I've seen this year, and I've seen quite a few.

Listen, the beginning of this drama had me smiling. The awkwardness between them whrn they tried to kiss, made me go awww. So awkward, embarrassing and yet, adorable. I was sold on it already on the first episode, but then the 12 years gap happened, and I was like... huh? dafug you mean they haven't seen each other for 12 years? But they are in love. And then, when they got back together, but everything was so uncomfortable, I felt so sad for them.

Not gonna lie, a lot of things confused me in this drama:
1. Why the hell did Shin Juyeong kept in contact with Dohoe's abusive father? Sure, it would have made sense if by doing so, he got information on Dohoe's whereabouts, but he didn't, and yet he kept going back, taking care of him. Dude, he was literally beating you, and you were his student. And he did worse to his son, your lover. Like, why? what was his reason? Good people are such tree huggers!
2. Ha Hyeonho legit thought he could get Dohoe to like him. Boy, you and your friends beat him up, and your excuse was like, 'When we were beating you up you didn't cry, and, I bullied you because I like you.' Bish, did he really think that was gonna change anything? I thought for a second they were dating, and I was ready to riot.
3. Up until they flat-out showed Dohoe faking this documents, I had no idea what he did and what they were talking about. I was just nodding along.
4. If Dohoe was smart enough to fool that school to make him a teacher who was actually good, how did he keep failing his entrance exams? I thought he was paper smart, no?
5. So did he spend time in jail for that prison sentences or not? The voice over said it, then we just moved on. And what the hell happened to that boy's parents?

Yes, my fav character was Shin Juyeong because my man was such a green flag. Though, I still don't understand why he kept staying closer to that toxic father. When Dohoe showed up, and was angry with him, I understood, because why the eff would you be nice to that abuser. Not gonna lie though, when Dohoe started being pretentious and acting like he was better than Juyeong, I was so over him. Yes, you've been through trauma, but the way he kept treating Juyeong was not it. Unlike Juyeong, I almost gave up on him, and then when we found out what happened to him those past 12 years, I cried with them.

This drama was a rollercoaster of emotions, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Although in the end they seemed happy and in the process of getting there, I still wanted to know if they made it. You know, get some concrete closure. Did he finally passed the exams? Did Juyeong find a stable taekwondo job he loves? Open endings sucks, but imma just pretend they lived a good life.

All in all, great cast, the story was good and had depth and pulled you in. The actors were good and made us feel for the characters. It held my interest till the very end, so I highly recommend it to everyone who loves dramas and bls. I look forward to more from the actors in the future.

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An okay crime investigation drama but had the potential to be better

I'll be honest, I only watched this based on the comments. It is good, maybe just for a one time watch. I wouldn't call it amazing though but that's just my preference. I like the idea of every choice matter. It shows the effects of the choices from one world to the other world. A lot of "What ifs" situations which to me helps the ML understand why he did what he did even though he may have lost his love in his world, to understand if everything he did was worth it and this parallel world showed him that.

It's a slow start for the first 2 episodes but it does get more interesting once this started to reveal the parallel world. If I have to say the highlight of this drama, it would be Shi Yoon's acting. He does a great job portraying a heartbroken police detective in his world and an attitude anger driven guy in the parallel world. The only issue with this is that we didn't get to see much of his parallel self which is unfortunate. It would've been nice to see both of them working together to the end but that didn't happen.

When I read the synopsis, I thought it was going to be Do Won traveling between his world and the parallel world to solve these mysterious murder cases. That's not the case. After showing him in his world for the first few episodes, the rest of the drama was in the parallel world. That was disappointing to me. I would've love to see the interactions of both world's police investigators, working together to solve this, with Do Won jumping between worlds and sharing info or having 1 or 2 of his investigators join in going to the other world, but instead we just had the ML figuring out everything while everyone else (including the FL) was clueless and not as useful as they could've been. Let me also say about the FL. I think she was good character in the original world but then she got killed off and became just a bothersome FL in the parallel world. She was tough but a very aggravating character. I just didn't feel no sympathy for her parallel character compared to her character in the other world.

Is it thrilling? Yes. Every moment I anticipate and want to know what happens next. A lot of scenes are pretty creepy, especially with the creepy background music.

Though there's talk about love between the leads, majority of the drama is not focus on romance so don't expect any sweet or cute moments.

Did I enjoy this drama? Yes, however there are plot holes in this drama that doesn't get answer. The bad guys always gain the upper hand and it seems like the good guys are always a step behind which sucks. I liked how this drama ended (not your typical happy ending) but I feel like there should've been more and yes it did felt rushed as well. Problems to the very end but the way they concluded it was okay for me. Definitely wouldn't rewatch it though. This is a one time deal for me.

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Milocrorze: A Love Story is a cinematic experience that defies all temporal and spatial dimensions to create a psychotic entertaining mess.

Full of insanely vivid range of colours, the film is one of the most unique craziest pictures I came across in a very long time. It can be divided into four segments where two of them are strictly connected and the two others don’t belong to the same narration procedure. The film itself is a different depiction of obsessive love and its consequences on the male protagonists. It’s surprisingly a quite deeper and philosophical take than what meets the eyes.

Director and screenwriter Ishibashi Yoshimasa was able to successfully mix a wild variety of genres and styles in one film. The first part was so bright both in visuals and storytelling; it starts off quite peacefully to tell the story of Ovreneli Vreneligare – a very strange name especially in Japanese pronunciation. The narration itself was pretty strong for the most part even if it didn’t matter at all in some areas. The second sequence (my personal favourite) is about a relationships’ counsellor who advices “loser” boys in the strangest ways ever. However, the amusing part must be his “victory” show-off dance after each of those calls, as if he’s congratulating himself for a well-done job. The dancing style and the women by his side are completely hilarious if you manage to grab the essence of his actions. Next is the story of a time traveller Samurai who’s searching for the love of his life who was taken away from him, it was action packed with many engaging scenes. The whole running time was concluded by resuming the story of Ovreneli Vreneligare who grew up to create one fine finale for this piece.

One cannot appreciate this film without over-praising the indisputable star of the whole picture Yamada Takayuki. Being a big fan of his talent and acting style, I am ashamed to admit that it took me this long to watch his best acting performance to date. He’s a freaking chameleon! Yamada played three completely different characters yet he was able to grab the gist of all of them. At one moment, he’s a rude womanizer love coach, the next moment he’s one badass vengeful samurai and at the end he’s a shy boy in a man’s body. This is the best example to witness Yamada’s vast acting range and incredible versatility. All other cast members didn’t manage to shine by his side, not even for a while.

Cinematography and artistic visuals are the heart and soul of this film. Knowing that Ishibashi is originally a multimedia artist is definitely a plus that counts for the picture’s impact. The bright dazzling colours were quite captivating and the fighting sequences in the last part were highly intriguing. Although the length of slow motion action can become heavy after a while, it didn’t bore me a bit. The editing style was quite bizarre and chaotic but it still managed to come out so wonderfully. It’s worthy to mention that the soundtrack was ear-pleasing.

Watch if:
-You’re used to weird Japanese productions.
-You’re tuned to mangas, anime and online games.
-You like a special experience and a very distinctive definition of love.

Do not watch if:
-You completely dislike strange Japanese films.
-You dislike crazy plots which can go completely overboard.

Milocrorze: A Love Story is a very special experience about the common theme of love and separation. It evokes an enjoyable light-hearted experience that’s bound to leave you with a big smile on your face.

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Good start, great potential, but...

There is one thing I am grateful with the Good Detective: once you have watched it completely (all 16 episodes), you will be able to watch ANY other kdrama from romantic-comedy to fantasy to thriller/detective etc. and find MOST of them excellent, well acted, well executed, well produced, well directed, well written, etc. You will be so happy to realize how much any random kdrama is in fact quite good and wonder why you did watch the Good Detective.

Well, it has good material and potential at the beginning, but for some reasons (probably lack of budget or internal disagreements between producers, directors, writers ??? or maybe just boredom of being forced to work on this project, or pure and genuine boredom), everything become so incoherent that you keep thinking "oh! maybe it is just a joke from the actor because he or she wasn't happy with his or her salary..." or "oh! maybe it is just a joke from the writers becase they didn't feel they were paid correctly..." etc. until you reach the end of the drama and realize that all of it was no joke, no twist, nothing...just the fact that all the characters become really stupid. The transformation for the many characters of this drama is that after going through all the twists and turns of their stories they all get a formidable transcendance and become less intelligent that they were at the beginning, less fair and less right that they were. I guess that was what the drama was about: if you want to do something good you cannot, but if you really want to become a good whatever, just become stupid. Yes, just become stupid and act as a coward, don't think before you talk, conclude just based on your blind anger and feeling and so on..., just become really really - but really ! - stupid so you then really think you did something meaningful and good.

Anyhow, the first half was kind of interesting to watch meanwhile waiting for a new drama. The second half was kind of okay but it became gradually unbearable as there were too much nonsense (or stupid thinking from most of the characters). But, come on, I did watch it till the end in case the common sense and judgment would come back miraculously in the story. That was not the case.

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Finally! A costume drama worth watching in recent years!

While I will admit that this may not be a critic's choice in terms of masterful script-writing and artistic expression, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and did not even skip through at all. Every episode was so engaging. Pacing was done very well. It evokes all the necessary feelings that makes a good drama - at times you feel stressful angst, some parts make you laugh or cry, and in the end you walk away feeling satisfied to have invested all that time. Although I do wish it kept going to 40 episodes, I felt 36 was too short!

ACTING:
- FL Song Zu Er) is my favorite actress. I've been long awaiting the release of her dramas that were put on hold, and this one did not disappoint! This is her best role ever. Every aspect was perfection. Her tortured crying scenes broke your heart, her natural comedic charm shines, and her beauty was perfectly accentuated in her character styling.
- ML (Liu Yu Ning) This was the typical role that he's type-casted for. So it's not anything new or diverse of a role for him. But he did well as expected.
- Lead couple chemistry was on fire! Not just with the passion and loyalty, but the comedic fighting and the tense mistrust and hatred. They made you FEEL it with them.
- Support characters were all amazing! The 4 generals and their comradery, while very standard and tropey - it was just so endearing and funny, especially General Wei Liang (the chubby one). And his chemistry/brotherhood with the more stoic General Wei Qu was funny and heartfelt.
- Another standout performance was Wei Yan (ML's cousin). He was the most complex 4-dimensional character. He had me on the edge of my seat and guessing from start to finish...is he good? Is he evil? Is he a fence-sitter? Is he loyal or a traitor?
- I liked that all the actors used their own voices rather than out-of-place dubbed voices, and it worked rather well

COSTUME/PRODUCTION QUALITY
- Not the most high-budget production, but it did not take away from the experience. It certainly did not look low budget at all.
- Costume - one of the best I've seen in a long time. The main characters had so many costume changes that I lost track of how many outfits they had. And they were all high quality.
- Makeup and hair was very well done. The women looked flawless, not just the main female lead (just stunning), but even the support characters were all well put together. The wigs were amazing for both male and female characters.

OST
- The music was good, but I can't say that music stands out or is memorable

Overall I would watch this again just to watch the main couple on screen together.

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