Reviews

Great actors, bad writing!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Jeju scenery and the photography in this series. Some of the support roles were excellently played, and for me Kim Mi-kyung stood out, together with the other Haenyeo women. I found their interactions very believable.

Unfortunately, the lead actors were dealt a different card: Shin Hye-sun, excelling in Mr. Queen and JCW, absolutely great in Healer and Empress Ki, were cast as a couple that (to me) had no chemistry at all. But that would be hard in the first place if you are dealing with a bunch of rather misogynist writers who live in the past century. In that case the 'love' story becomes a rather ridiculous and non-entertaining spiel between two 40-year old "Never Been Kissed' virgins. Because they have been pining for each other for 30 years.... The repetitive whining, 'misunderstandings', temper tantrums, the sentimental look-backs: I found it all unromantic, unrealistic and...boring.

It made the series quite unwatchable for me. All of the actors deserved better writing. Because they are all great actors!

Jeju Island is a wonderful location, and in well-written series like Our Blues or Legend of the Blue Sea, the scenic beauty adds great value. Here it was the main attraction...

Let's hope that these SK drama writers will revert to writing strong female lead-stories, and treat their cast to well written dialogues and realistic story lines. It makes or breaks a series!

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Jade Dynasty is a mediocre movie. It is kind of entertaining, but that's not because of the plot, but because of the great actors who delivered amazing performances and the pretty scenery which blessed my eyes.

The first half was very exciting, but the second was meh. And the ending was a bit unsatisfying. The characters, I must say, were very cool, especially the main lead Xiao Fan. Such an adorable dude, lol.

What I loved the most about Jade Dynasty is definitely the cinematography and the CGI was actually kind of good? Well, some fights were a bit too ridiculous, but overall, I was very impressed.

I mean, the only thing that I didn't like about this movie is the story and the way it was presented. But it has everything else - interesting characters and relationships between them, great performances, breath-taking cinematography.

I would recommend it if you are looking for a movie to pass time. But honestly, you can just pass it and watch something else instead.

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I usually don't write reviews so this won't exactly be well written or very long. However I loved this drama! I was surprised how much I loved it, the dynamic between the two leads is really interesting and left me wanting more. I am hungry to see more from their relationship. I literally just finished watching the last episode after writing this and it seems as if another season is on the cards? So hopefully my wish comes true! Its the words that's on everyone's lips but Kento's acting really has improved after seeing this drama - I'm no expert but its rlly refreshing to see him in a very different kind of role - and he does it well. I always enjoy dramas where the lead ( in this case, the male lead - Eight) is not a good person, he is blatantly a flawed person with a selfish attitude but that's part of what makes it so interesting to watch. Not to mention the cast are all really good looking too lol.
I've said it before but potentially my favourite part of this drama was the dynamic between the two leads. Two very contrasting but equally unusual and fascinating characters coming together in a strange situation.
Eight is a playboy who doesn't believe in love, he is selfish and seduces woman for money and to get ahead in life. In contrast, Saiko is an extreme introvert - her awkward nature often makes her seem eccentric or strange - oh, not to mention her kiss kills you and takes you back 7 days to the past.
All in all I really enjoyed it! I kind of discovered this drama out of the blue and didn't expect to like it so much, a pleasant surprise.

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A Slow Descent Into Hell…

Life is rarely a straightforward and narrow road and for artist Hee Joo (Hyun-Jung Go), her road seems to be an incessant path of bumps, twists and turns as she gradually begins her descent into “ Hell”.

The storyline places emphasis upon unravelling questions towards Hee Joo’s fall from grace.The female lead seems to have all ; she had a rough start but now has two beautiful children, a doting husband, a lovely home, and a successful art career, yet something still seems to haunt the female lead . Yet when a terrible incident happens to her daughter Ri-Sa (Su-an Kim), Hee-Joo is shocked to end up meeting someone she used to know in her past Hae Won (Shin Hyon Bin); a ghost of her former lively-self. Hee Joo and Hae Won’s encounter marks the beginning of a hellish journey that will test and trial everything that Hee-Joo believes she already knows…

Adapted to the small screen by director Im Hyun Wook ( ‘ People You May Know’) and screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra ( ‘ Just Between Lovers’, ‘ Snowy Road’) from Jung So Hyeon’s novel ‘ Someone Who Looks Like You’ , ‘ Reflection Of You’ takes a noticeably darker and bittersweet tone than most melodrama revenge-tales, and a slow-burn plot which will test viewers’ patience spans to the maximum.

Of course this isn’t to say that there isn’t intrigue for viewers surrounding the plot premise or initial start; it wastes no time hooking audiences ( shown as a literal metaphor through the fishing line thrown into water in the first episode) and adds a few little threads to keep the series interesting; the mysterious and unconscious John Doe visited by Hee Joo’s husband who later disappears, the tension between Hee Joo and her affluent , aloof mother-in-law , Hae Won’s use of an alias as well as her evident connection to Hee Joo .

The acting front of the series was admittedly fairly good. Whilst there were a few questionable line deliverances at times it’s undeniable that our main cast really shone throughout . Hyun-Jung Go delivered a brilliant performance as her complicated onscreen persona Hee-Joo whilst Shin Hyon Bin would often steal the limelight as Hae Won ; the chillingly vengeful, enigmatic and mysteriously paradoxical character who acted as the main foil and plot drive throughout ‘ Reflection Of You’.

Yet amongst screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra’s smoke and mirrors tactic through using mysterious subplots and haunting scenes to shield viewers from the actual truth of the past and events to follow, ‘ Reflection Of You’ isn’t without its more evident loose threads either.

The series is undeniably slow-paced. Whilst this is a necessary tactic for keeping the storyline afloat and the input of cliffhangers during most episodes helped the drama to gradually reach its apex , ‘ Reflection of You ‘ could often ward off viewers and potential newcomers. The series would often become bogged down with its arbitrary soap-opera trope-worthy moments, occasional out-of-place transitions and use of over-the-top dialogue and line deliverances. Whilst it does present a form of ( intentional or unintentional ) dramatic irony in the lavish and melodramatic world of ‘ Reflection Of You’, it could often create a sporadic and disjointed plot with many loose plot ends sticking out like a saw thumb by the ending of the series.

The finale of ‘ Reflection Of You’ undeniably divided audiences; a final conclusion towards the twisted world of the series, but leaving a lot of unanswered questions and logic on the sideline with main characters Hae-Won and Hee Joo’s arcs feeling underdeveloped .

So is ‘ Reflection Of You’ actually worth watching or is it a waste of time? ‘ Reflection Of You’ is a drama which will admittedly engage or disengage audiences dependent on expectations. Whilst this is generic situation for a lot of K-dramas, ‘ Reflection Of You’ often finds itself digging its own grave at times by its snail-paced progression and dragging out plot points behind its expiry date . This isn’t to say the series is “ terrible” or “ unwatchable”; the acting is fairly dynamic throughout the series, the plot premise is intriguing and there are some wonderfully-interweaved scenes by director Im Hyun Wook to give viewers goosebumps. However the incompletion of a series which was dragged out for viewers alongside mismatched storyline and plot points, can admittedly lead to some mixed-feelings and uncertainty towards the finished product.

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So sad!

Mos and Bank aren't my favorite couple but they deserve so much better than this. They need to get rid of the person who's telling them to do these horrible shows. This and big dragon are based on books that honestly are like 80% NC but the story in Sunset is so good but they turned their relationship and Lin into this immature puppy love BS. I was so looking forward to the confident and lovingly possessive Sun who can't keep his hands off Lin but I got this timid we can just hold hands Sun and I have to wonder what the screenwriters were thinking, or maybe the problem is they weren't. This show will be my biggest disappointment this year.

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The Spy Who Loved Me.

This espionage thriller about the making of a communist spy begins in 1936, a pivotal year in modern Chinese history for both then ruling Kuomintang and the rising Communist Party of China (CPC). The look and feel of this Republican era spy drama from the muted palette to the understated characters to the way even action scenes are shot is markedly different from its flamboyant, glamorous and absurdly bullet proof peer, The Disguiser. What I like about The Rebel is the realistic portrayal of spies who are much more like George Smiley than James Bond. None of the main characters have deep political or ideological convictions beyond a burning desire to expel the occupying Japanese forces from China, thus their allegiances and motives are easy to understand and relate to. The dumbing down of the competing ideologies and political factions of the day however gives the overall impression of a lack of substance that is at odds with how seriously this drama takes itself. And that is my biggest gripe: yes, those were chaotic, stressful and dark times and spying is a serious business but does it have to be so completely and utterly lacking in wit and humor?

The drama opens in a thrilling and suspenseful way with the arrest of a CPC operative by Chen Moqun, the head of the Shanghai district of the Fuxing Club, which is the Kuomintang's secret service. Together with his young protege Lin Nansheng, they use psychological warfare to turn him and use him to try to weed out the Mailman, a long hidden spy in their midst. Thus begins a chilling, suspenseful cat and mouse between two equally matched spymasters trying to out manoeuvre one another. This was by far the best arc of the drama, anchored by masterful performances by both Wang Yang (Chen Moqun) and Wang Zhiwen (Gu Shenyan). This is one of those rare dramas where the villains steal the show and on many levels they are more cunning, more ruthless and more capable than the protagonists. Chen Moqun is by far the, best most interesting character and the only one that is written with some humor - a complete sociopath, terrifyingly intelligent, flamboyant, suspicious, foolishly blinded by Lin Nansheng's competence, a surprisingly reluctant traitor and a wild party animal! Both lead actors are completely upstaged by the veteran actors for most of the drama.

I am a huge fan of Zhu Yilong and it is clear from how gaunt he looks and from the intensity of his acting that he really poured himself into this role. And he is a terrific actor so it is not to say that the role is not well acted, there are some really good moments. But overall Zhu Yilong delivers a cautious interpretation of the character and one that is not noticeably differentiated from his past roles. He has the most incredible, expressive eyes that together with the tiniest facial muscle movements, can convey an incredible range of emotions and in this case, way too many emotions. Zhu Yilong's interpretation of the character is more fitting for someone who accidentally and reluctantly becomes a spy but Lin Nansheng is a young man that voluntarily joins the spy academy and graduates practically at the top of his class - he should be more cold hearted and have a better poker face to begin with. As much as I appreciate seeing how events and relationships reshape his values and ideals over time into burning conviction, it is better to have to occasionally guess at his emotions rather than to see everything written all over his face. It is telling that later in the drama when he matures into a colder more inscrutable spy, they cover his eyes with tinted glasses to stop them from spewing his guts. His journey is portrayed as very lonely and intensely introspective; so much so that he doesn't seem to connect with most of the main characters. Thus when he mourns their loss, it doesn't always resonate.

Zhu Yizhen starts out as an archetypal character for this genre - a passionate young student CPC member that is perplexingly inspired by Leaves of Green, Walt Whitman's greatest, heavily democratic works. I don't mind the spy who loved me trope so I was really looking forward to watching her turn Lin Nansheng, recruit him and them work together as a kick ass spy team. But unfortunately it doesn't quite play out that way and she doesn't become the strong female lead character I was looking for. She remains pretty much a passionate, reckless amateur and damsel in distress that needs saving all the time. As much as I like that all of the CPC spies are written to be very fallible in the vein of John LeCarre's spies, she really takes the cake in terms of incompetence. What I find most unbelievable is she falls for the same grift twice! The only mission she manages to complete successfully is the final one. Tong Yao's portrayal of this character is textbook but bland and forgettable and her frequent blank stare with lips slightly parted gets really old very quickly. There is no spark between her and Lin Nansheng so I never bought into their rather pedestrian love story. Lin Nansheng's relationship with Lan Xinjie is deeper, far more complex, better developed from many dangerous missions and much more moving.

The first arc of this drama is everything you want a spy thriller to be. Each progressive arc is less good and they don't transition that well, leaving a feeling of anti-climax. The latter half becomes noticeably less tightly written and loses suspenseful intensity. Characters start popping up out of the blue from nowhere whenever someone needs to be rescued. Lin Nansheng's classmate has a particular knack for showing up at the right place at the right time. In order to advance the plot, many of the most important characters get dumbed down to be rather cursorily written off to make way for Lin Nansheng to step up. I didn't like how some of the best most interesting power dynamics between Chen Moqun, Gu Shenyan and Wang Shian fizzle out without coming to a climax, a moment of truth and closure. Thus when Lin Nansheng comes of age, he isn't even going up against truly worthy opponents and there is no psychological thrill. The last arc is the weakest, it is too long of a time jump, deviates into patriotic tropes, gratuitous sacrifices, leaves open threads and like most of the arcs, comes to an anti-climatic and very predictable end.

If I have to rate just the first arc of this drama, it is at least an 8.5 or a 9.0. Unfortunately the storytelling doesn't hold up and the second half is at best a 7.5-8.0. I really dislike dramas that fade at the back half so I rate this at 8.0-8.5. I would also note that I have read and watched a lot of amazing spy thrillers so I tend to be tougher on this genre.

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The most boring show I've ever seen

This was probably the most boring show I've ever seen, I honestly would have given up halfway on the show if it wasn't for Lian Song and Cheng Yu. I really wanted to give up on the show especially at the part when Feng Jiu got trapped in the A’Lanruo dream. I felt like I was wasting my time looking at a world and stories of characters I don't care about. I don't care about the people in the dreams, I don't know where they come from, or their previous life, and I didn't care. I think the show spends way too much time showing the dream that I really just wanted to give up. I only finished the drama because of Lian Song and Cheng Yu's love. I thought that their love is funny and sweet in a way that made me want to finish the show. The show was so boring to the point where I took like 5 minutes to finish an episode. I've seen better shows than this. Now Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms actually had a good storyline, I understood everything that was going on, I cannot say the same for this show, everything happens out of nowhere, and again the A’Lanruo dream was not necessary at all.

The fact that in Season 1, it was mainly about Bai Qian and Ye Hua but we there were at least in total 10 episodes of Dijun and Feng Jiu which were unnecessary and then in Season 2, there is like 5 minutes of Bai Qian, which is completely messed up because, season 1 is on Bai Qian and Ye Hua, but they had to throw in Feng Jiu and Dijun when Feng Jiu and Dijun have their own love story.

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Devious Prince plots his own fake marriage

We see a beauty with amnesia is the wife of a cold ruthless general/ prince. She is the * bait* to his trap. She has no idea she is not married and her * fake* husband is using her in his scheme. How low can ML get? Pretty low, he is betrothed to his cousin. The stunning good looks of this ML & FL can falsely misleads how ruthless the ML can be to use her. But the FL is slowly feeling the husband is not a good husband she could love. The ML has it planned out. But he cannot control everything including his own growing attraction to his *wife*
Excellent plot. ✅️

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Cheese in the Trap really isn't quite your typical story, focusing a lot on human relationships and how we view others around ourselves without quite knowing them in the first place. The hype around the drama before it had aired already had me pretty pumped and when it finally started I was immediately hooked. Unfortunately I contracted Second Lead Syndrome in the very few minutes Baek In Ho had in the first ep. Despite my longing for Baek In Ho's happiness the most the other characters were so very captivating, namely our lead Yoo Jung.

The drama started off so well leaving us so very confused about Yoo Jung's true nature and shined in the moments where we would see a glimmer of the true Yoo Jung with his scenes with Hong Seol. Again Seol was also another interesting character- to be frank she was just a pushover, someone who needed to learn to stand up for herself and say no to others. This is where the drama's real charm comes into place, all the characters are like people we encounter in real life whether that be pushover's, imitators, people misunderstood by society or those who are plain lazy, we as viewers can relate to what hong seol feels when she has to deal with these people.

Regarding the controversies and disappointments with the end episodes, as a self-diagnosed Baek In Ho (Seo Kang Joon) fangirl I had no problem with his increased screen time and focus on his problems. In all honestly there was never going to be an ending the writers could come up with which would make everyone happy for this drama especially considering the manhwa is still ongoing so I do think they did a great job. Instead the ending lets us viewers fill in the gaps the way we want to which I very much appreciated.

To anyone looking for a funny, relatable story that also tackles some of the most annoying types of people you could have ever met don't even hesitate to watch this drama it's amazing. Even better is that now that its over you van binge watch it without the pain of having to wait every week!

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two green flags, could have been a 9.5

Overall: the leads were mutually interested, sweet and flirty so this could have been a 9.5 with some changes. Series got better as it went on. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI. Re-Aired on YouTube. Star Hunter Entertainment also produced: Big Dragon, What Zabb Man, Gen Y, My Mate Match and The Moment I Need You

Content Warnings: non con recording/sharing, cyberbullying, past death, homophobia, sexual harassment, transphobia, manhandling, unwanted public outing

What I Liked
- dynamic between the leads including: mutual respect, communication, ongoing physical affection (although Krom needed to work on his communication skills, even at the end)
- sweet/cute moments
- a few funny parts like the bubble tea catch
- supportive friends (although the 1 friend put his friend into unnecessary pain with his "plan" in episode 4)
- worked in anti-smoking messaging in a less preachy way, also added other messages however the 'respect a person's privacy' was undermined by Krom's friends taking video/sharing without permission and spying on them
- the interaction with his fans in episode 3 made me tear up, very sweet
- a trans character that felt like a real person instead of the stereotypical characters that we normally see
- excellent dreams
- good intimacy
- conversation about preferred position, willingness to adapt to a partner's needs
- avoided ep 11 curse

Room For Improvement
- too many comedy sound effects that actually detracted from the comedy (seemed less prevalent in the second half thankfully)
- the second couple needed more screen time and he needed to mature more
- several exposition dumps, the voice overs were used too much to tell the story
- too much time spent on the talk show stuff in episode 3, overall this could have had tighter pacing
- nonsense stuff: why didn't his (obviously not American) coworkers use AI translate apps/websites?, someone else filling a person's prescription, an allegedly good friend letting a very drunk person go off with that guy, not coming up with an obvious solution to the problem shown at the end of the series, etc
- how much time passed was unclear at times
- showing a character texting when using the bathroom

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“The crime would not have occurred if there was no demand for it.”

It’s not an easy watch. Even the reenactment of how the perpetrators usually trap their victims that was shown as the opening sequence just sets you on an anger trip. It’s impossible not the feel both the pain, frustration, fear and anger of these young girls who ended up in these situations.

Honestly speaking, I wanted to cry even before the intro with credits started. One of the most terrifying things about it was the number of perpetrators involved in it. We all know bad people exist, but we rarely truly understand how prevalent some actions are in society.

It also had a glimpse of hope? It was good to know there were people, even just university students, who risked a lot to expose and investigate these issues - otherwise it would be still buried and no one would know. It is reassuring to know that where there are bad people, there are also good ones. It was a rather detailed narration about the investigation process done by both the police and the journalists. The biggest heroes of the stories were the victims who stepped forward and helped the investigation to happen in the first place.

The commentary done while the credit rolled at the end was a perfect conclusion to the documentary. It’s not the victims’ fault. Anyone can become a victim. The way the society judges and blamed the victims makes it more probable for them to then do what perpetrators tell them to do, as they don’t feel like society will support them if they come forward and report the crime.

That said, one thing that bothered me was how they tried really hard to make it movie-like visually pleasing. At times it did not feel like I’m watching a documentary, but a drama. Just the style of filming the reenactment did not sit right with me. It was beautiful, but I honestly don’t think I should be getting distracted by the visual storytelling and pretty frames in a documentary about topics like that.

Another thing is the fact the documentary switches its focus from victims to the investigation process. I wish we got to see a bit more about the effects this horror hard on people involved and how strong and brave were the people who got through it and helped with the investigation.

On a personal note, exposing myself right now, but the topic is serious enough I think it’s worth it.

How big of a problem sexual exploitation and scams are in Korea? Me being a polish girl, got an email in Korean stating they have a video of me masturbating and if I won’t pay them, they will distribute it on the internet. Luckily, I knew a video like that cannot exist so I just ignored the email, but I know there would be many people who would fall for that scam.

Another personal story: one day before I started high school I was also threatened on the phone by a group of guys that they know where I live and they will have fun with me - it’s easy to understand what they meant. They told me which school I will start the next day. I assumed they were somehow related to a group of students that bullied me in middle school, but getting that phone call almost 2 years after the bullying happened was truly a terrifying experience. It ended on that one phone call and nothing happened - I was lucky. But being a victim of an incident like that myself, even though it was far less severe than anything described in the documentary, made it that much harder to watch it.

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You NEED to watch this!

I started watching this without many expectations and but I got hooked up from the very first episode!! I thought the story was dumb, a boss locked inside a phone?!! And I wasn't very satisfied with the casting line up BUT the drama told F*UK U in so many ways!!

The cast had very good chemistry, from the lil baby girl to the evil witch in the story!! an absolute best performance!! The story basis is very simple, a jobless guy finds a phone with a CEO of an AI company stuck inside, and the jobless guy becomes the temporary CEO overnight and starts to investigate to what happened on the day his boss disappeared with the help of his secretary and a bodyguard. The three musketeers go on an adventure to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of their missing boss.

The story is simple but it was written with perfection with no loopholes, keeping the suspense until the very end and was perfectly delivered by the cast.

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The not a BL continues...

I have no clue why MDL says it's the "Side Story" when it clearly is not. This is chapter 2 of the series and it continues from the last series. https://kisskh.at/profile/11366851/review/475568

The premise is different this time... There is a new young man seeking out the tutor, but he has an ulterior motive which gets revealed in the end, but the story is not finished when this series ends. So I hope there will be another three or six episodes to complete the whole story.

While it's not a a side story, this also turns it up a notch. More story, better NC scenes and much better chemistry between the two actors imho. It did not feel akward in the least and both actors did a great job. So, if you have not much experience, you should watch it regardless, because you may learn some things. Otherwise it may be too much for the fangirls, because it's pure and raw without fluff.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Mr. Plankton '' is a dramedy with a crazy plot mixed up with a tragic core.

The drama has some pretty tragic characters who fight against the odds to be happy, often, however, failing to achieve that happiness. Also, the process of that was filled with many comical elements.

Alas, that mixture was a failure. The comedy didn't blend smoothly with the drama, and the plot was more often than not all over the place, with the characters constantly moving from one place to another so quickly that the plot didn't organically develop. Thus, the story fails to engage.

Fortunately, the performances were stellar and the actors and actresses handled their characters nicely.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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