Reviews

When good CGI meets questionable loveline

Having watched the trailer months ago I highly anticipated this drama. Especially with the amazing costumes, high profile actors/actresses and beautiful CGI effects. However my excitement got quickly met with disappointment upon watching the first few episodes and onwards. Not only did the plot fell flat, I also still can't wrap my head around the mainleads loveline.

Let me explain: The story starts out with a child (ML) crossing the border of Tushan in an attempt to survive an attack. After this he gets taken in by a seemingly older lady (FL) who could've passed as his aunt. The difference in age, appearance and demeanor had immediately set the tone for me as to what their relationship was: either aunt-cousin or teacher-student. Even though ML grew into a full fletched adult as the story progressed, his personality remained more or less the same to me: playful (even childlike I might say) and expressive whereas FL remained stoic and authorative (haven't seen any expression from her other than the go to pokerface). The lack of character development made it nearly impossible for me to break free from the initial aunt-cousin perception that I had formed at the beginning of the story (I mean hell, she basically raised him, saw him grow up into an adult and from time to time still mentions this throughout the drama). Their love therefore, just felt downright wrong and out of place to me.

I honestly wished that they casted a more younger looking actress for the role of FL. I mean don't get me wrong Yang Mi looks absolutely beautiful for her age but when put next to ML, the age gap can be seen and felt, making it much more difficult for viewers like me to break free from the initial "protective/stern aunt - rebelious cousin" image. That being said, I'll still continue to watch the rest of the story as we're only halfway through. I wanna give it a fair chance though I don't have much hope for it.

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VEGAS APOLOGIST

VEGAS PETE

Everything about their relationship flies in the face of all that I know is LOVE. This couple breaks into your vulnerability and turns you weak for them. They’re deeply, violently kinky, and that just does it for me, and no amount of moral's can make me doubt that what they have is real. Pete and Vegas are both people who protect their hearts, they have chains locked around their emotions so it's hard for them to define any of this. They are closed off to the world and maybe they will be each other's freedom but it starts as an understanding. Vegas is seeking validation so he doesn't want to hurt Pete because he is the only one who can provide it. He unlocks something new and exciting far from reality and beyond heaven but not hell. It's again something right but at the same time wrong. Their relationship simply can't be described in black and white. The last close-up in ep 12 is very important with Pete is smiling like he feels fulfilled about unlocking this side of him, he finally allowed his dark side to come to the surface and it's clear he feels liberated.

The dynamic between these two characters is too complex to decipher. Both of them wear professional crafted masks. Vegas is a psycho seemingly without empathy. Pete, on the other hand, is a ray of sunshine with a layer of darkness underneath. Pete's desires are covered and Vegas is bringing them to the surface, we can already see that in episode 11-- he physically reacts when Vegas licks his face, his eyes close, he is shivering under vegas's tongue. Pete feels connected to Vegas because of his own childhood, they are bonding over their trauma and Vegas is reticent to connect with Pete but the chains are already tied between them both and there is no escape any more. Both Vegas and Pete will cave in irrevocably. And we can see the last drop of their self control when the hedgehog dies. Pete chooses to console him and Vegas willingly let's him. When Vegas hurts himself, Pete is finally discovering the unseen hatred he has towards himself and he tries to reason with him without success until Vegas brings his layered, cold behavior out again. He tries to lure Pete in a new game thinking he won't play along but Pete surprises him and takes the lead, easily winning. Vegas uses his body as a catalyst and it's electrifying. Their body language lays everything they feel bare for the audience to see. They are tiying the chains around them tighter, they strengthen their connection through physical attachment. An other thing I want to point out is Vegas's blood type. AB means universal receiver, he will take any love he can get because he's that starved for it and Pete's blood type is O which means universal donar, he has the capacity of loving anyone and this is a clear metaphor for the receiving dynamics and I admire the details in the show.

In the end Vegas is the one who is trapped. The same man who likes to be ahead of everyone, who is calculated enough to over do everyone, simply doesn't know what to do anymore. He is scared. He is actually afraid of the consequences because it'll all be like a chain reaction. He is the vulnerable one despite being free, he may not have physical restraints but I assure you his head is in a cage.

Now compared to the novel, their story seems to go faster than the speedlight, it's extremely rushed and I don't think that what they have is anything rational to begin with. To me it seems like they developed an emotional support that they gradually got addicted to. Vegas is layered with so much affection but there is an unabashed violence to this because of his trauma as for Pete, he seems to free himself into chains, he was masked with this fake appearance his entire life and now Vegas undressed him, leaving his dark side exposed and Pete can finally be himself. Vegas is the other way around, he can be evil when he pleases but his sensitivity must be hidden from the world, with Pete he is able to let it out. They are literally like Yin and Yang. They need each other for balance. Pete needs Vegas to be dark and Vegas needs Pete to be light. It's not love, it's balance.

The scene where Pete was "eating" the ramyeon and breaks down crying reminded me that he is alone, no one really knows him beside Vegas.

Vegas and Pete can't kill each other because if one of them dies, the other will crumble. If one of them is hurt the other one will shatter in pain. That's why Pete couldn't pull the trigger.

They honestly broke my heart, together & individually.

Also can we talk about the tenderness with which vegas treats Pete in the moments where he lets himself be vulnerable? He looks at Pete like he's the most precious thing he's ever laid his eyes on, he touches him as if he was a fragile treasure that was too frail to break. Especially when he comes down from his anger and suddenly turns into a little puppy, you see his eyes change and you realize he is guided by his feelings for Pete.

Honestly, even though their story is going faster than expected it surprises me how a few episodes managed to get me this invested, the writers are following through with all the angst and twisted devotion between them and it's truly gratifying to watch. I think the development was carefully done and rightfully so because it's a very complex story and I’m so happy both characters have been given adequate time to process their individual trauma and desires.

KINNPORSCHE

Porsche and Chay display their affection through physical service act of service, their care is established properly and visibly. And for kinn is the exact opposite, within his family It's always the small details that covey their feelings. They are used to different environments and I think it's important, kinn's perspective on what " caring " means is very different in contrast to what it means for Porsche, they are different but somehow the same and I loved to see their journey together, they balance each other out so well. They ended the season trusting each other, going through various extreme situations together, fighting together, keeping their mutual attraction. They had time to built their relationship, they were cared by the creators and it shows, nothing was rushed and it was all perfectly executed.

KIMCHAY

The power imbalance between them is more celebrity/fan. For most of their relationship, Chay has seen Kim through rose-colored glasses. Because Chay was obsessed with the celebrity, there’s still a lot to be discovered with their relationship and their feelings together. But there is definitely a change in control now compared to how it started, and I’m interested to see how it will evolve in season 2.

ACTING

I'll give a special row of lines to Build. Those screams are just so raw and extremely convincing. He truly made me believe his pain is real. Bible was so great with Vegas as well, I was shocked to find out how introverted and shy he is in real life, I have deep respect for them. Bible sells it at every moment, he is magnificent in his role. For every one of Pete’s panicked, despaired looks, Vegas returns an equally unsettling one, their dynamic on set is actually mindblowing. Vegas is such a convincing manipulator, he is a master minded psychopath and it’s hard to distinguish him. We see Vegas's eyes seizing Pete, analyzing him with each stare and there’s a degree of arrogance there as if he's trying to be superior when in reality he's inferior. The way they both observe with the details of their eyes is immaculate. They are delivering.

Mile and apo's friendship is so authentic and real compared to so, so many actors and musicians and other entertainers who work together and claim to be close, but these two seem incredibly bonded and their connection is brought onto the screen which makes their acting even more phenomenal, their chemistry feels natural and it's easy to watch them without cringing one bit.

Jeff and barcode managed to steal my breath for each 5 minutes of the little screen time they had, with such a short amount of time they succeed to convey so many emotions and draw the audience so deep within their story.

OVERALL

I can only describe this show as vulnerable -- It was done so tastefully and grounded in humanity. It was sexy yes, but it was fragile. It was immaculate accompanied by the perfect scenery and an outstanding cinematography, watching their love bloom was so heart wrenching but evenly so beautiful.

ON A SIDE NOTE

The fantasy is aimed at the people who are mature enough to see it for what it is, and to distinguish between the morality and ethics of real life and those of a immoral fictional universe, if anyone is questioning the series based on the representation of a healthy relationship then you shouldn't watch it.

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I had high hopes for this one. The two male leads are two of my favourite actors and I know they always provide good performances. So, at that department I was left very satisfied, as the performances from all the actors and actresses were really good. However, the story was boring. It lacked intensity and it didn't ignite any interest. The plot as well wasn't anything special. It actually started slow and continued slow. The ending was good and satisfying, but there was no surprise or interesting twist happening in the whole drama. So, after the tragedy of the past was revealed, the drama had nothing to offer. So, 6.5 out of 10.

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Resident Playbook is Like a Dazzling Sunset!

If Hospital Playlist is like a warm blanket on a cold night, then Resident Playbook is like a dazzling sunset on a warm summer night. This fantastic spin-off series beautifully captures many elements of the previous series that have captivated millions. Hospital Playlist is one of my all-time favorite series. I have most of the songs on my iPod, and while I still feel that Hospital Playlist is a better series, make no mistake - Resident Playbook is simply delightful. It’s also different in many respects.

Resident Playbook follows four first-year residents in the OBGYN department. You’ll note that Hospital Playlist’s protagonists were four men and one woman. Here, we have three women and one man. One difference is that the characters from Hospital Playlist knew each other for years, and it was apparent from the chemistry they all had. Here, four first-year residents are pooled together, with only two of them knowing each other as former classmates.

Oi Young is the reluctant young woman who started the resident program previously but quit. She’s also in serious debt and living with her sister, her sister’s husband, and the husband’s brother, Koo Do Won, whom Oi Young has a crush on. Koo Do Won is a charming and delightful upper resident of the OBGYN department. Oi Young doesn’t realize that she has great, natural ability, but she’s always a bit hesitant and unsure of herself. She’s easily the most unhappy of the four, always trying to find a way out of her predicament rather than finding the joy in her work. Of course, as time moves on, she slowly begins to realize her gift.

Pyo Nam Gyeong is the drama queen of the group. That isn’t a knock against her. She actually brings a lot of charm for someone who loves to shop and read the latest horoscopes. She has an even bigger heart than she realizes, and she forms a quick attachment to a patient who appears to be too demanding. Pyo Nam Gyeong wears her heart on her sleeve.

Um Jae Il is the “energizer bunny” of the group! This guy’s got a full tank and then some in reserve. He’s very eager to learn but even more eager to help the patients as much as possible. He’s a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to making sure he does things right, which drives the second-year residents crazy! He’s a bit too cautious sometimes and struggles to learn how to be confident in his decision-making. He’s not shy about losing sleep if it means being there for a patient.

Finally, we come to my personal favorite, Kim Sa Bi. Nicknamed “the android” due to her intellectual prowess and really not caught up in feelings, she tends to drive people crazy with how much she knows. However, even Kim Sa Bi has to learn the difference between book knowledge and experience. She can come across as a bit arrogant, and she doesn’t like it if someone appears to know more than she does, which got her into a brief spat with Oi Young. She even speaks in an almost robotic-clipped manner, which, frankly, I found endearing. She rarely smiles, but when she does, she lights up the room. However, even Kim Sa Bi can’t hide her admiration for the previous all-boy band member, Um Jae Il! Their dance sequence is easily one of the highlights of the series! Her struggles are about trying to be more empathetic and caring toward her patients.

Resident Playbook is a series that gets off to a somewhat slow start. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as there are many new characters to get to know within the span of the first few episodes. However, once it gets going, it keeps going until you can’t wait to see the next episode. After only 12 episodes, I was a bit sorry that the series didn’t extend to the usual 16. I wanted more.

Performances are fantastic, and seeing yet another collective group of performers do so well that you like all of them says a lot about the depth and quality of the characters. Of course, anyone who has seen Hospital Playlist will gasp and cry out with joy when you see all five of them make cameo appearances throughout this series. They also got together to contribute more songs!

Resident Playbook is a different type of series in which we see the struggles of four new residents trying to learn and stick it out in a very stressful department. One can only imagine the number of hours and amount of dedication it takes for someone to endure all of the trials and tribulations that go with it. One can’t help but be impressed.

Much like its parent show, Resident Playbook has a number of heartfelt moments as well as inspirational ones that will touch your heart and soul. There are also quite a few moments to tickle your funny bone too.

Resident Playbook is simply a terrific feel-good series that has the viewer wishing that there was still more to come!

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Initially, this drama felt like a breath of fresh air. It's very different from any Chinese drama I've watched that's set in modern day. The female lead is so mysterious and composed, and I was compelled to watch due to curiosity rather than any investment in the main couple. Individually they are both nice characters, their relationship is sweet, but I didn't feel like they had any chemistry. I wanted answers about her identity and past, and ultimately found the storyline disappointing and too simple. The last few episodes felt rushed and irrational. However, there were many moments that made me laugh out loud and some fun side characters (A Jiu, Er Yang).

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Trauma Girls

First and foremost, this is an extremely graphic, violent show which includes depicting rape and implied self-harm as well as nudity, stalking, domestic violence against women, etc. So please choose wisely if any of these make you uncomfortable.

When I started this show, I had barely any information about it. I did not anticipate how dark it was and I may have even passed on Mask Girl. It is not an easy watch by any means. Every episode makes you feel uncomfortable especially as a woman and if that was the point, then the director and actors certainly achieved their goals. As though the society doesn't already make us feel uncomfortable about ourselves in more ways than one. lol.

Mask Girl starts out to be about a woman who works in an office but has a persistent dream to be loved and applauded for her performance. But because her mother persistently made her feel ugly, her insecurities led her to hiding behind a mask and performing online to a bunch of incels who were praising her consistently. Due to a drunken mistake, she gets suspended. However, things start to get serious when her "fans" want to meet offline. From then on, it is just one bad thing happening after another.

This show doesn't just depict one woman's suffering but several women suffering repeatedly unable to escape the violence and abuse in their lives. Not only are the women forced to deal with the abusive men but also the abusive and unjust society. Other women also continuously attack and harm those women. Never letting them breathe. We also see women pitted against each other to settle scores.

The plot is engrossing, albeit slightly slow but you never feel satisfied. The depections smack the reality of victims who chose to fight back instead of laying down to die in your face. Meanwhile their abusers are barely questioned. It's unconscionable to ever blame the men who created the tragic circumstances in the first place. /sarcasm

The actresses in the series are all brilliant and the only positive in all this is how women centric this series is. Unfortunately, I can't really enjoy such kinds of graphic shows. The problem is that the presentation of the series never really lets you feel much empathy for the characters. Many would watch this and blame the women for whatever happened to them. If you caught yourself saying, "what did she expect when she was...", remember that it is so ingrained in us to blame women even when there is no excuse for rape. Sadly, there is always a "but" in people's minds. In that case, what is the point of such a show other than to create content for shock value? Every episode is shocking and it works for that reason but that is why it doesn't appeal to me.

Don't bother looking for a happy ending with this one. It just more trauma. All the points I'm giving is for the superb acting. All the points I'm deducting is for the handling of the story.

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This is a big, complicated story to get into. It's going to take the first 5-6 episodes before you are up to speed with what's going on so stick with it, it's worth it. The story is spread over two lifetimes, in the 1800's and in present day and I felt it was done so extremely well. The story in the present day moves along as they then cut to scenes in history to provide back story at appropriate moments, which are then re-reflected on later to provide reminders so you don't need to be worried about "how am I going to remember everything going on here?!" . I like stories that bring a mix of Joseon and modern day as I feel it adds extra depth and history to the story.

Originally chose this one because of Shin Se Kyung having enjoyed her work in another drama and this only helped enhance my appreciation for her work.

I did Initially think about dropping it simply because one of the reasons I am so interested in K-Drama's is to learn more about Korea and Korean history and this one kicks off in Slovenia. I don't have anything against Slovenia of course, and it actually does end up spend most of its time in Korea. Ultimately I really appreciated the visuals and the contrasting scenes from Slovenia as well.

Kim Rae Won, as the male lead, also pulled off the highly charismatic role brilliantly as well.

I found little to criticise in this one, it's a deeply emotional story that will have you reaching for tissues on a number of occasions and fill your heart with warmth on just as many. You're going to really get involved in all the characters and their stories, their feelings and emotions and the long journey some of them have taken to be where they are, which makes even the "bad" character(s) such that you can empathise.

I struggled with the ending to this one, it's nicely concluded but it left me a bit of an emotional wreck for a few days if i'm going to be honest. I get it, I love it - but line yourself up something warm and fluffy like What's Wrong with Secretary Kim as the dessert for this one.

He was her black knight, on so many levels. Totally recommend this without reservation.

My final words - Red Bean Bread right back to the cast and crew, that final slide was perfect.

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It is crime physiological fantasy drama about a man who last his loved one,
Oh Hyun-jae (Jang Hyuk) was a genius profiler who cracked many cold cases using his unsurpassed profiling skills. One day, his fiancee was killed in an explosion set by a serial killer and Hyun-jae lived in seclusion after that. Five years later, a new murder takes place using the same method as that serial killer. While investigating the case, team leader Hwang Ha-young (Jin Seo-yeon) meets a detective from the countryside, Cha Soo-young, who has a photographic memory (Choi Soo-young). She introduced Soo-young to Hyun-jae and they work together to go after the serial killer.
Now they both team up to catch the real culprit behind the these murders.

I was so impressed by this drama that I waited patiently everyweek to watch this drama from last one and half months was one of my most exciting months of all time,
This drama has everything from perfect story to perfect cast and the acting of the actors was so amazing that it felt so real and our villian so amazing the way he kill people was so good and brutal by a cycle break wire (awasome).
What ever I need this drama has everything thing,
So I will recommend to everyone whoever is reading this review please watch the drama you will not regert my words I can guarantee you about this.

Peace out
Aniket Yadav
@theaniketyadav

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Great start, weak finish.

Female lead is something else, quite different from usual. The female lead is a joy and a treat to watch. She is funny, captivating, witty and actually clever. Quite a badass as well. I find it intriging especially the mystery element in it. I like how the female lead negaivgates everything, she is not a push over. She tries to get to the bottom of what happened. Then all that changed, she just became weak, like why???

The other characters are also interesting to watch, there are layers to them. The dynamics of everyone is quite good. The comedic timing is great the chemistry between the cast was good.

I thought this was going to be a show that I will use to pass time but every mintue of the first half was worth it. And then it just started to fall apart. I felt so let down, the first 8-10 eps were so good and then all just became boring. Waste of actors, poorly written towards the end.

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how a painful past affects relationships

Overall: I was very impressed with the first two episodes that had a slice of life/serious vibe; however, many plot elements, the shifting characterization and editing has brought my initial 9.5 rating down. 8 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala for Southeast Asia and most of Europe (not UK or Spain) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4854/let-free-the-curse-of-taekwondo-2024 and iQIYI for I'd assume the countries not covered by GagaOOLala https://www.iq.com/play/1713h09ez2k?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 Watch after the initial credits of episode 1 for an extra scene.

Content Warnings: child abuse, violence, beaten up, death, trauma, dub con kiss, fraud

Watch Suggestions (to get rid of angst between the leads and the love rival)
- watch episodes 1 & 2
- watch episode 3 up to 25 min
- skip episode 4
- watch episode 5 21-23
- watch episode 6 11-14:35 and 32:45-end
- watch episode 7 beginning to 4:45 and 27 to the end
- watch episode 8 6:12-8:10, 19-19:45 and 21-36:45

What I Liked
- chemistry
- caring/sweet moments especially in episode 3
- realistic nervousness/awkwardness
- good kissing
- production value (except the confusing editing)

Room For Improvement
- ominous voice overs
- wish they had established the year in episode 1 (was established as 2004 at the beginning of episode 2)
- the cut to black after a certain moment/not showing the reaction
- plot elements were not well explained, there would be a brief flash or 1 sentence about major events that the viewers didn't get to see
- the plot element at the end of ep 3/beg of 4 was too long and not seeing something very important was cliche
- flashbacks/flash forwards made things unnecessarily confusing
- love rival and other side plots (student, drawing) instead of fully developing the main storyline
- I didn't ship the 2 characters romantically, felt like the cliche 'love heals all trauma'
- the very ending of episode 8 was anticlimactic

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Great concept!!!

My Stand-In has multiple layers, making it a highly textured and emotionally complex BL series.

The show has a highly refreshing concept, which brings up some interesting questions on the relationship between love and personhood. If the person you loved died and revived as someone else in a different body, how does that alter the nature of the relationship?

The series should be lauded for not shying away from complex, and deeply flawed characters. It explores fairly mature themes, given the show’s sexual relationships and the characters’ manipulative nature. Perhaps it can be criticised for romanticising toxicity, but I don’t think it is any series’ job to be an ad for civics and moral education. Characters like Ming are everywhere in real life.

Ming’s mercurial tendencies and obsessiveness makes him challenging to like and root for as a character. But for Joe, who has been collateral damage from getting caught in the crosshairs of power struggles – he finally gets his turn to understand what it means to have somebody to fight for you.

And it was superbly satisfying to watch.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2024/07/20/my-stand-in-2024-bl-review/

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Aye rolling 12 step I mean episode cringe

The leads are kind of sweet and so are the friendships and people around them but the humour is low, the acting varies and the amount of times I rolled my eyes made me slightly worried they would get stuck there...

The second hand embarrassment in this is enough fill the glasses in a korean after work gathering.
The plot was so predictable one could smell most of the twists from Buchan to Seoul.
And the yelling, oh so much chasing and yelling, and chasing and ylling, gossip and yelling, and gossip, and cliche, and yelling, nd boohoo its all my fault... Im a terrible (insert family status)....

The leads over all character are kind of cool, dare I say bad ass, just not when they interact with their family. The romance between the leads was cringe, oh so cringe... Still loved the couple for some unexplainable reason making me stick with this eye rolling awful drama.. Through our male leads saviour complex, through the monologs....

The second couple feel a bit like a puddle left after Something in the Rain (the drama), They had their moments but I kept getting de ja vu and not in a good way.

No one could read the room and I kept wondering why oh why do they treat grown ups like you (should probably not )treat small kids. That said almost each character had its moment of bad ass, sweet, shiny lovable, but also have their moments of wtf... oh come on get over yourself... Can a person be this stupid and still function as an adult? The only person who was pretty decent to watch from start to finish was probably the married mechanic best friend.

To be honest it felt like a 12 episode anti drinking campaign...one minute, hour, day, week, month at a time people...

So do I recommend this?

NO

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As the new Ji Chang Wook Drama, Suspicious Partner had big shoes to fill. Ever since Healer, fans seem to be waiting for another epic drama that will sweep them off their feet. Suspicious Partner from the get go had all the makings of a great drama: a great cast, a respected producer and an interesting premise.

This drama has such a good start. The chemistry between the leads was perfection. Watching Noh Ji Wook get drawn into always aiding the helpless Eun Bong Hee was so endearing. As this couple is forced to live and work together, their relationship drives the drama forward.

So it shouldn't be surprising that when the relationship between Ji Wook and Bong Hee hit the breaks so does the momentum of the show. During the last third of the show, the noble idiocy runs rampant. As always this is supposed to show depth and character development, but it just kinda falls flat. I just wanted to see my OTP back together again.

The suspense portion of the story could have offered more. Throughout the drama, there is a main murder mystery that weaves its way in and out of the story. Dong Ha does a very good job as the main antagonist. His interaction with Ji Chang Wook is very compelling. It seemed like whenever the tensions were high between these two, viewer ratings saw a spike. This arc is supplemented by short one to two episode vignettes that do little for the overall story. Personally, I think these one off cases, distract from the main story and delude the tightness of the plot. The time taken to spend of these little cases took time away from answering questions about the main story.

This drama's best selling point is its cast. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun do amazing jobs portraying the main leads. In addition, the dynamic of the supporting characters was so entertaining and funny. Noh Ji Wook's firm consisting of Bong Hee, Eun Hyuk, Chief Bang and CEO Byun kept me in stitches. Their regular office banter was a highlight of the show.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. I do feel that there is a lot of untapped potential, but the characters are too endearing to pass up. This show is a pretty light and breezy watch. I did enjoy the 30 minute episode framework. It made this show very watchable. If you do hit a bit of snag in the last third, I recommend you stick with it, since the ending is very cute.

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Worth your time if you get past the controversial premise

This series starts with a very controversial premise, FL got drugged by a 'friend' and was 'sold' to the ML who mistook her for a prostitute (not putting spoiler tags here as this is basically on the first 10mins of the drama). If you in any way cannot stomach this, then DO NOT CONTINUE WATCHING as this drama (similar to other lakorn) has many other questionable scenes and it will only for sure upset you and it is not fair to give it a very low rating because of this. Lakorns are their own kind and shouldn't be compared to Kdramas and real life. If you know you are being served chicken, you should not expect it to taste like pork.

If you are able to get pass Episode 1 and willing to open your mind and just be entertained then this Lakorn is WORTH YOUR TIME.
Now rating this as a lakorn, I would say I enjoyed it a lot and perhaps it is the best this year.

-it is surprisingly fast-paced with no annoying filler or secondary plot (I remember even in KluenCheewit which I like, I tend to skip scenes that are not with the maincouple as I find them tedious)

-on the first 5 episodes the ML is basically an obnoxious caveman, grabbing, force kissing, verbally abusing, literally harassing the FL. He seems non redeemable, but things actually gets better episode 6 onwards.

-this lakorn has the best second couple, usually I don't care so much about second couple but in this one I really enjoy seeing Chen and Na. Their relationship was the most natural, normal and comedic. I love this combination of the spoiled rich boy and the tomboyish no non-sense bff of the FL. Na's character is definitely one of the best, she's super chill and the voice of reason on this drama.

-the ending wasn't rushed. They took 3 episodes to start wrapping it up. Unlike other lakorns where you only get like 5 minutes of happy moments, in this drama it is satisfying to see how it ended for each character. It is also refreshing to see that the antagonist are not as evil or ridiculous as in usual Lakorn. By the end of the drama, they were able to humanize the characters.

-there are many eyerolling moments, but this is lakorn so just roll with it HAHA. It kept me watching and entertained the whole time so not much complaint there.

-The editing is also good, the story itself as mentioned is questionable at certain point, but the flow was good. I remember watching Husband in Law and the editing and cuts made by the director is so confusing.

-The script could have also been improved to justify the character's behaviors, specially on the controversial scenes mentioned. It would probably lessen the hate directed at the ML if he got a better script explaining why he did what he did.

-The actors seems to be rookies but overall okay. Kem's acting (ML) is no way near the level of Mark Prin or even Mik Thongraya but he did pretty well for a beginner. He is also handsome but I would say it's obvious he's still very young, there are angles where he looks kinda chubby with his baby cheeks. He could work out a bit to get more chiseled. Mookda (FL) is also okay, nothing spectacular but she delivered. Her makeup sometimes looks off though, the orange lips doesn't suit her and she looks prettier with her hair down. The person in charge of the clothing also seemed to think throwing in as much designer stuff into an outfit will make the characters classy, but sometimes it just looks tacky.

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