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Till the End of the Moon
33 people found this review helpful
by Micha
May 28, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

TTEOTM compelled me to make my first MDL review

Till the End of the Moon (TTEOTM) was adapted from a DARK ROMANCE novel literally entitled, "Black Moonlight Guaranteed Bad Ending Script". Please let that clue you in but not deter you from watching the drama.

The story mostly follows the plot of the source material. On the toxicity of the ML and FL, the drama does not even compare to how cruel these characters are to each other in the novel. I do not defend toxic relationships in real life but this fictional premise is set up for the characters to hate and love in equal measures. Li Susu, who saw the annihilation of the sects and the destruction caused by Devil God, was sent back to kill evil fetus Tantai Jin. While drama Tantai Jin is more sympathetic, it doesn't remove the fact that his existence means eventual destruction. Li Susu is ruthless because their love, hate, and personal desires are secondary compared to the saving of the Three Realms. The inherent conflict is already there.

Xianxias are influenced by the philosophies of Taoism and Buddhism thus showing concepts like Yin and Yang, severing worldly desires to attain immortality, and living in harmony with the universe.
These are overarching themes that go beyond the typical love story and the reason why the drama ended so.

I personally thought the editing of the first quarter of the drama was on point but suffered from occasional editing issues after that due to the regulation change. The Bo're Dream arc should have been shortened to flesh out the mortal and immortal arcs more. It would have been nice if more focus on the resolutions of different storylines was made, too. However, the story was mostly intact and comprehensible.

The acting of most of the cast is unassailable. Luo Yunxi and Bailu embodied the different characters they portrayed with such deftness. It was amazing to see the nuances in their behaviors and mannerisms so you can tell them apart not just because of the costumes.

Speaking of which, these are perhaps some of the most beautiful and impactful costumes I've seen. The designer drew inspiration from different Chinese cultural elements and really brought forth the resurgence of the Dunhuang style.

The CGI was outstanding especially in the battle scenes and the sceneries for the different realms. I do not know what standards people have for special effects but I have seen several xianxias and TTEOTM has one of the best.

The OST and scoring were fine but nothing to rave about. There were occasional jarring use of that romcom style song that I personally thought didn't suit the drama as a whole. I do recall two specific scenes that had perfect use of soundtrack - Black Bird for the Water Festival scene and the OST used for the farewell talk between TTJ and LSS in the last episode. Those gave me goosebumps.

As for the rewatch value, let me just say that in my years of drama watching, I have not rewatched any because I feel the time I have spent watching it once is enough already. However with TTEOTM, I have not only rewatched scenes but entire episodes so that I can fully appreciate the details. I am even planning to rewatch the entire thing from the first episode. LOL!

Many of us here watched TTEOTM and know that it has its highs and lows. We love it because, even with its flaws, it resonates with us. It is perfectly imperfect and it is one for the books.


P.S. Many of us still can't over it and if it is true for you too, please join us in our friendly forum community. 😊

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Ongoing 22/22
My Sassy Princess
33 people found this review helpful
Apr 23, 2022
22 of 22 episodes seen
Ongoing 1
Overall 9.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

THE BEST LIGHT HEARTED DRAMA for people who looking for it

Its so disappointing to read other review .. such childish to just rate drama by just watching 3 episode where the female lead character not yet developing... but who cares.. because its reach 8000 bilion popularity and this morning result too being top 1 in certain social media platform... if you hate the female lead character to the core and have beef with "her" thats mean crystal yuan have successfully potray her character LOL .. that some of you being emotional like crystal yuan was really PRINCESS LIU LING lol 😂
.
What i can said is.. this is LIGHT HEARTED drama if you looking for masterpiece drama go watch LOVE AND REDEMPTION.. ANCIENT LOVE POETRY... MY GENERAL AND I... STAND BY ME... this is not drama where you have to wreck your brain or being deadly serious... its fluffy.. romantic.. but still heart wrenching...
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What i can said crystal yuan and zheng ye cheng have good chemistry and both of them potray their character very well... congaratulation to them
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So i HIGHLY RECOMEND you to watch this drama if you looking for light hearted and fluffy drama.. but you need to continue watching it because the female character annoyed at first 5 episode then its slowly develop and you will know why her character made lole that.. and you can see the other side of the female lead...
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Its enjoyable drama for me... bring all the emotion .. sad.. happy...funny... romantic

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Ongoing 52/59
Love of Aurora
32 people found this review helpful
Feb 1, 2018
52 of 59 episodes seen
Ongoing 2
Overall 3.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 2.5
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
Dramas like these are tough to review. Really. It's not BAD so much as...lame. The story is lame, the acting is lame, EVERYTHING is lame. You could see that the director REALLY, REALLY wanted to paint this grandiose picture of the leads' life amidst the (admittedly beautiful) backdrop of the Shanghai skyline, but fell flat when a cold dose of reality set in: it isn't interesting enough.

Had the story fallen into the hands of a talented writer, it could have been so much more. The potential was there. I could see brief glimpses of it when they tried narrating how exactly the female lead ended up getting amnesia and forgetting our male lead (this isn't a spoiler, btw, the description is just half done.) But after the first few minutes of the first episode- poof! We have to wait for MANY, MANY more episodes of unnecessary yammering and plot fillers to get to the actual point. And when it does- it still doesn't.

52 episodes for what could essentially be condensed into a 10 episode drama is excruciatingly painful. Each scene, each event and each action is stretched like a rubber band pulled far apart by nothing but prayer. Each episode was 40 minutes. 40-freaking-minutes. At one point early on in the show, the male lead tries persuading the female to join the contest (yeah, that's another thing they don't mention in the description) for 2 EPISODES! Hell, screw the writers, I would get massively unimaginative if I had to fill 52 episodes of this thing.

The acting is Terrible. The capital T was intentional. Is Ma Ke supposed to be attractive? I don't know. All the female supporting characters in the show seem to think so. He certainly wasn't a good (or even decent) actor. Guan Gabrielle was good as long as she didn't do anything because, in many ways, she was a worse actor than Ma Ke. The supporting characters are so utterly forgettable and recycled from other dramas they aren't even worth a mention.

Lastly, the female lead is supposed to be like, the best dancer (or something?) in the university she attended in California but SUCKS everytime we see an actual performance of hers. One of the judges instantly takes a liking to her because she reminds her of herself and (even though she ruthlessly denies it all the time) gives SO much leeway to the stupid shit our female lead does. Heck, even during this 'really important performance', she chooses the female lead's team that performed some boring shadow act with minimal dance over an actually decently choreographed, power-packed team in a DANCE COMPETITION. Why? Because the her team had actual "heart" and understood "the value of a team."

Yeah, give me a break.

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Completed
The Judge from Hell
151 people found this review helpful
Oct 13, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 10

THE SHOW GIVES WHAT ITS SUPPOSED TO GIVE!

Park Shin Hye is having the time of her life with this show...💅💅. She has executed the character to the T. Da On (downy...lolđŸ€Ł according to Kang Bitna his name sounds like that detergent) has a face you cant help but like.


One question though, does anyone know why Kang Bitna broke up with Assemblyman's son? Why is the second son also very creepy?... And the other demon dude that Arong killed coz he showed emotion?

There is no boring scene in the Judge from hell from the very first episode to the current one!
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Ongoing 9/9
Knock Off
88 people found this review helpful
Nov 16, 2025
9 of 9 episodes seen
Ongoing 16
Overall 1.5
Story 1.5
Acting/Cast 1.5
Music 1.5
Rewatch Value 1.5

boycotting pedophiles!

I feel sorry for the other lovely members of the cast and crew but when the ML is a monster nothing can be done unfortunately. THIS man is responsible for Kim Sae Ron’s death and should be in jail right now but due to Korea’s high levels of corruption and him hiring top level lawyers he will never go to jail. After all if you’re a millionaire you can quite literally ‘get away with murder’. However we should not support this pedophilic man any further and boycott him! Please open your eyes and witness the amount of lies his legal team are covering up.
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Completed
Woori the Virgin
67 people found this review helpful
Jun 20, 2022
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 4.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Either way, a waste!

Having watched the original show “Jane the Virgin”, I was, at first, a bit hesitant because I liked that. But then I thought I should check out how the Kdrama essence changes it. And I am sadly (not really) declaring that they did fail and this was entirely a horrible attempt. It was obvious to compare this with the previous but then I thought I should actually consider it as a separate show because things must have changed with given circumstances, which did happen. Either way, it did disappoint.
Developed by ‘Studio S’ & ‘Lifetime’ and produced by ‘Group 8”, “Woori the Virgin” is a comedy melodrama plus partly romcom drama, adopted from the American satire telenovela “Jane the Virgin”. Written by Jang Ah Mi and directed by Jung Jung Hwa, the drama was broadcasted on SBS TV and internationally distributed by “Viu” in limited countries. Notably, this is not a remake of the original show, rather an adaptation since all the 5 seasons from have been summed into a single season. Also, the show reunites Sung Hoon and Im Soo Hyang after 6 years who, again, happen to have debuted together 11 years ago.
Oh Woo Ri (Im Soo Hyang), daughter to a single mother and raised alongside her grandmother, is a woman in early 30s who has been virgin due to her religious beliefs. During a regular checkup, she gets pregnant due to medical malpractice at her OB-GYN clinic. To her surprise, the sperm owner turns out to be a man Rafael (Sung Hoon) with whom she had a momentary fling five years back. As she decides to keep the baby and the story follows the consequences and unfamiliar events she faces.
Lee Kang Jae (Shin Dong Wook) is Woori’s boyfriend and a detective. Other familiar faces in the story in various major roles were: Hong Eun Hee, Yun Won Kyung, Kim Soo Ro, Lee Do Yeon, Nam Mi Jung, Hong Ji Yoon, Joo Jin Mo and Yun Woon Kyung.
Plot development was the entire problem with the drama. The remake was a bad idea; they could have made a story based on the concept but they went for an adaptation, making foolish decisions. The pilot episode did its job of creating an impression at the end but the episode, as its own, was not very pleasant. However, the furtherance following that and the set of events became interesting with plenty of comic elements and revelations done for the major characters. To my disappointment, it didn’t last long; it seemed smooth till 5th but what happened in 6th and the way the episode ended, I was skeptical about the rest of the show, because it hadn’t even reached its interval.
With only the crime scandal and the main culprit left to be unveiled, everything else became stupid and not worth of watching as soon as the 7th episode started. I can’t say that the mystery plot and the investigation process kept me engaged, it’s just I wanted to know the culprit’s face even when the show had already fallen through, that’s it. It kept getting stupider and logic-less towards the ending and for my habit of not being able to leave anything unfinished, I watched 7th-14th at 3x, ngl.
Emphasizing on my opinion, once again, adaptation isn’t an easy job as it seems. Even if the audience doesn’t expect you to justify the originality, as a writer, you must be careful not to mislay the essence of what’s been presented earlier, which the debutant Jang Ah Mi jakka-nim clearly failed to accomplish. First of all, the idea to adapt a 5 seasoned show was stupid to begin with; secondly, it could have simply referred to the story and created one of their own; finally, bringing all the 5 seasons into one was where they stooped to rock-bottom.
With not being able to create something noteworthy in his almost 15 year caarrer, Jung Jung Hwa PD-nim has again failed to bring another drama to justice. The flow of direction was inconsistent, very much. Things like screenplay management, sound editing and screen editing might have been handled to par but the erratic pacing and irregular development come as annoyances. While the first half was smooth and worth the patience, the latter half becomes too rushed in order to include everything within the predetermined quota. Imo, they could have made to more episodes, minimizing the damage.
Composed by Choi Seung Kwon, the show has a total of 5 OSTs and my ‘Kdrama OST Sucker’ heart couldn’t bring itself to love any single of them. I would say ‘”I’m In Love” by Sin Ye Young was the only likable track which also fits to the drama. While “Gosh” by Jessi is a fabulous track individually, this has no particular essence to be contributed to the show. Other 3 tracks are: “Sunday to Monday” by Woody and “I’m goin’ crazy” which has both male & female versions, sung by Kim Bum Soo & Lee Young Hyun, respectively.
What I liked

Nothing really
What I didn’t like

# Sung Hoon’s acting doesn’t improve remarkably even though he has been acting for a while and his irregular casting should be the reason, but it’s obvious he isn’t getting many offers bcs there seems no will power to improve. He could utilize his time in taking classes. (Some of y’all will come at me foe this but fact never changes.)
# Character arcs for many were shoddy; not even the 3 leads had anything significance. Flaws make characters realistic but for a 14 episode fictional drama there were way too many flaws, provided they didn’t have a single fraction of development. In the second half, it wasn’t even funny rather ridiculous.
# Kang Jae’s character was horribly written with no particular sense. As a cop, he didn’t show any trait that would make him a good detective. The number of times he and his wit failed, implied his incompetency and also showed how incapable the police is. In short, this was so very unrealistic and had no logic.
# Chemistry between the 2 possible pairs were zero. While Im Soo Hyang did click with one showing little compatibility, pairing her up with the other was so useless and was presented with cliché elements as fillers only. The original show was convincing, but as the culture and essence have changed with the remake, the same felt extremely stupid here.
# The illogical plot devices were irritating in the sense that they did repeat few just to stall time and match the timelines of different subplots. Then, they used some just to fill the gaps created due to the removal of major events from the original show. Finally, the way of representation was choppy.
Final remarks... Overally, “Woori the Virgin” is not only a bad remake but also a poor quality show if you don’t take the original show into consoider. I came here knowing I might get bored but the stupidity and failures have made me mad. I understand the low budget is where the problems stem from but we have seen enough such cases, where makers have aced the race despite every hurdles. Since the show has way too many cons and almost no pro, I decline to acknowledge it as an average show, even. Don’t watch.

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Completed
Abyss
122 people found this review helpful
Jun 26, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 3.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
Is it possible we've already had the worst show of the year when it's only halfway through?

While there are still six months to go, the bar has been set extremely high with Abyss: a giant mess acted by a cast who really deserved better.

The annoying thing is, like last year's Worst Show of The Year (About Time), Abyss could have been fantastic. It has a great premise, a decent cast. It could have been an hilarious - almost farcical - comedy of mistaken identities, body swapping, and annoyed aliens. Instead what we got was a turgid, unfunny mess underpinned by a philosophy that was at times confused and at others actively offensive.

Ahn Hyo-seop has a lot of potential as an actor but he is still far too green to be given a leading role. With a good director, a good script and a good female lead he could have still produced something decent. But unfortunately he only got one of those in a criminally-underutilized Park Bo-young, - who really deserved better in her first lead show since the (sometimes equally as offensive) Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.

Both the lead roles were poorly written, with Ahn Hyo-seop's Cha Min changing from scene to scene depending on what the writer needed him to do - at times an uber genius, at others the dumbest male lead to ever appear on screen. Park Bo-young was given so little to work with for her character, Go Se-yeon, that she opted for cute - an interpretation that did not work with the character or the script.

Both these characters die and are brought back to life by a glowing alien marble. The unattractive Cha Min is suddenly gorgeous, while the stunning, willowy, Go Se-yeon is... Park Bo-young. Which is to say, she's a super adorable tiny person so the idea she's now "plain" is just ridiculous.

From beginning to end, Abyss had some profound things to say about image in our beauty-obsessed culture.
Like:
“you can’t love someone who’s ugly”
"what you look like is what your soul is like"
“plastic surgery gives you a better soul” and
“dieting makes your wedding day better”

Apart from the dumb, messy plot, the poor characterisation and the wall-to-wall stupidity of the characters, it's ultimately this utterly shallow and almost vacuous underpinning philosophy that makes Abyss truly awful.

Appearance is everything. Nothing else matters.

No thanks, Abyss. No thanks.

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Completed
Somebody
46 people found this review helpful
by joo
Nov 18, 2022
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

a cinematographic thriller with an odd pacing

like most of us, i was hooked by the trailer of 'somebody'. i binged it the day of its release. a dark thriller, involving creepy serial killer kim young kwang and an intriguing kang hae lim ? could we ask for more ?

the first episodes were interesting, the impeccable acting and visuals get you very engaged in the story-line. however, after a few episodes, the story arc gets a little dull. a slow paced thriller can be very good when well executed, but in my opinion, the pacing of the scenes in 'somebody' sometimes felt inadequate. some moments lasted too long, and others that we would want to dive deeper into ended abruptly. i also wish they went in more depth into backstories to improve character development. when finishing the drama, i was left with mixed feelings, and wanting to know more.

still, i need to praise all the actor's performances. they are the ones keeping the story compelling from start to finish. kim sum's character is chilling, and yun ho's scenes dreadful ! they really nailed it on their part.

overall, it's an aesthetically pleasing, very well produced (netflix) drama, with flawless acting, so it's still a rather enjoyable watch for anyone into slow thrillers. this drama had a lot of potential, but i feel like the visual quality took over the actual substance and depth of the story.

edit: removed the 'leaving us with many unanswered questions' from the title, as it seemed to confuse people into thinking this drama had an open ending!

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Completed
Love in the Big City
46 people found this review helpful
by Bukks
Nov 3, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

A Great KBL

I really enjoyed watching the series 💯. The series teaches the important of loving oneself properly and how friendship is a very integral part of life. A very realistic ending and a beautiful story but there were so many things I couldn’t understand.
Why was his best friend not aware he had Kylie , where was she when he lost his mother and when he almost lost his life, she literally called him to hangout after not long after he lost his mother and we didn’t see her at the funeral . I didn’t really get his story with Habibi too . His friends deserved to know what he had been dealing with at least and they didn’t preach safe sex and how he was having relations with people while having Kylie , I feel like that should have been touched as well. But apart from that I loved it

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Completed
Itaewon Class
46 people found this review helpful
by Dae
Mar 21, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
This show is fantastic; it's something new. This is among, if not the best, kdrama I have ever watched. Although I do have a few sentiments to share: (1) The show had an extremely strong beginning, however somewhere in the middle, it felt lukewarm. It did pick up again eventually. (2) I almost dropped it out of annoyance towards Yi Seo because of her obsessive tendencies and unnecessarily rude attitude. I had to continuously remind myself that she was sociopathic to rationalize the way that she was acting. One thing I cannot forget, however, is the scene where she kissed Saeroyi without his knowledge. That was creepy and unneeded. I would remove that, if I could. (3) There was a lack of romantic development between Yi Seo and Saeroyi. I wish the build up were shown more gradually and naturally because I never really figured out when Saeroyi started feeling differently. Was Saeroyi already lovestruck when Yi Seo confessed her feelings? If not, then when did he fall inlove? I don't know. I don't know if it was done purposely as romance is not the storyline's focus, but the romance between the two came out forced.

Despite what I've said, I absolutely loved watching this. It was a wild ride, and it made me feel so intensely. It isn't surface level. It is above and beyond Saeroyi's relationship with Yi Seo. In fact, it tackles many aspects of being human exceptionally - the importance of bonds, the sturdiness we should possess in hardship, the search for meaning, the effort it takes to abide by our principles, the way that everything else gets clouded in pursuit of something, the effect of upbringing to one's viewpoints, self-interest, dehumanization. Not to mention it also touches societal issues such as racism, bullying, and the scorn that transgenders receive. It's just so well-made and well-executed. Moreover, the casting is simply outstanding, both the protagonists and antagonists are effective. They give full justice to their roles.

All the characters are flawed, and while they are unconventional, they are also substantial. They are oftentimes irritating, self-serving, and unreasonable - but that's what makes them all the more enthralling. While they undoubtedly manifest all these qualities, they continue to move forward, gasping, struggling, improving themselves in their own way, seeking for reasons to continue on, even if their reasons are repugnant, such is life.

The plot encapsulates being human in such a spectacular way, and I truly admire that. You would find yourself disagreeing with plenty of things. You would encounter absurd worldviews. You would question your own morals. And you won't even notice it, but you would find yourself engrossed and attached. The flow, the storytelling, the dialogues, the OSTs - everything is impeccable. The ending was pure satisfaction.

Needless to say, watching this has been a great pleasure to me. Give this show a chance to prove that it deserves the hype.

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Completed
While You Were Sleeping
169 people found this review helpful
by palak
Nov 16, 2017
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 21
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This is a hard review for me. I love the writer and I love love love Lee Jong Suk. For me, he's an actor who has a knack for good roles and the talent to pull off those roles. He's my favorite! So it wasn't until yesterday, after much introspection, I admitted to myself that maybe I did not enjoy this drama as much as I wanted to (god, I wanted to). And as soon as I let that buried feeling out, the reasons came pouring down on me.

1. The Plot - What I loved about Park Hye Run's writing (particularly in Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice) was that she knew what to say and when to say it. With Korean dramas, things can get messy and all over the place, particularly when dealing with themes of past and present. She did a fab job tying lose ends before, but in WYWS the story was all over the place. The back-and-forth of the story was really messy and the "past" didn't have the impact it intended. It reminded me of Kill Me Heal Me (another amazing drama with painful back-flashes). I loved how original her idea was but it wasn't articulated properly.

2. Suzy - I have always felt Suzy has potential to be a decent actress but so far, everything she has done has been problematic to me. I don't know if anyone else feels this way but I have spent some time thinking why I don't feel affected by her. It's not bad acting but it's the "cutesy" act. For some reason, Suzy's acting comes off as a half-hearted cutesy attempt. Instead of improving her acting, she focuses more on being pretty and sounding cute. When she acts, it feels like we're supposed to bow down to her beauty or something. And it hinders my experience because, instead of empathizing with her character, I end up feeling envious or annoyed. She has a hard time evoking that feeling of human-connection and understanding in me.

3. Lee Jong Suk - My two points are self-contradictory here. Firstly, I feel Lee Jong Suk is being typecast as this perfect character. In every drama, he practically plays the same guy in  different professional fields and having different life stories. Secondly, he did try to do something new in this drama  by pulling a Jang Hye Jung. He's literally the male version of Lee Bo Young's iconic character in I Hear Your Voice here. But sadly, he does not pull it off convincingly. So basically, he did try something new but it didn't work out well. But he really needs to keep experimenting more. I know he can pull it off and show more variety!

The chemistry was sadly lacking between the main couple. I don't know whose fault it is, but my disappointment was palpable while watching the whole drama. I was waiting for that "click" moment but they never seemed to click. At least not for me.

The rest of the cast was relatively better. I loved Woo Tak and the people in Jae Chan's office. The cases were interesting but not enough. The last case was the best out of the lot and the saving grace for me! Overall, I loved the idea but I wish they had built upon it some more and the lead pair had more chemistry.

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Ongoing 23/24
Youth with You Season 2
14 people found this review helpful
by xiuluo
May 30, 2020
23 of 24 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
I never thought I would become so invested in a 'Produce show', but Youth With You 2 grabbed my heart from beginning and never let go.
As this show finally came to the end today, after three months of following trainees journey, I thought I would share some of my thoughts and list some of the reasons why it's (in my opinion) the best of all Produce shows.

1. Production quality is really high
YWY is a competition but the production team doesn't make it look like the hunger games. The editing is not evil but actually made me burst out laughing many times and rather on creating unecessary drama, it focused on showing hard work and friendship between trainees and how much the girls supported each other.
The cameramen usually do a really good job and don't suddenly zoom into space or into the back of someone's head while filming.
Stage effects, outfits, makeup etc. (and of course talented trainees) make the performances look proffessional and impressive.

2. Mentors genuinely care about the trainees and give them useful advices
I think that the relationship between mentors and trainees is much closer than in different versions of the show.
It was a great decision to chose Cai Xukun as the main host. He knows what the trainees are going through, because he went through the same experience in Idol Producer so he's able to really empathize with the girls. Despite his young age, he already has admirable knowledge about music and performing and he tries to share this knowledge with the trainees.
Also, I think the panel with Alicia was one of the most useful panels for every trainee/rookie I've seen in Produce shows, because she actually addressed the struggles of 'celebrity life' without sugar-coating anything.

3. The contestants
First of all, the amount of talent the trainees have is insane and I was often impressed by the stage presence of some of the contestants.
The trainees really support each other and their friendships seem so genuine. There's not a single girl who's unlikable and you actually get attached to these girls and wish them best. The girls face hardships during their training but they're still able to keep their spirits up and lighten the mood.
The tone of the show is different from what I saw in Produce101. The contestants don't look like they're going to crumble under pressure. They are not afraid to express their opinion and even joke with their mentors.

4. The message
What I absolutely love about this show is the fact that it supports diversity and girl power. Rather than focusing on being cute and pretty, the girls show that you can be cool, you can have different image but most importantly you can be yourself and keep fighting for your dreams.
In my opinion, especially in Korean shows too much emphasis is put on the visuals.
Honestly I think it would be hard for a contestant with the image like Yu Zhang or Frhanm Shangguan to go far in the Korean Produce and I don't think it would be possible for a girl like Liu Yuxin to reach the top. But in Youth With You I was so happy to see girls who were not 'conventionally pretty', girls who had different styles and personalities.

To put it short: even if you're not interested in survival shows, I think you should give this one a chance.

YWY 2 is over now and I'm really gonna miss it. I wish all the contestans best of luck and of course I can't wait to see The Nine debut.


(Annotation: By using term 'Produce shows' in this review I refer to the shows which follow the same format as original Korean Produce101.)

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Completed
The Legend of Anle
25 people found this review helpful
Aug 11, 2023
39 of 39 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 4.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

Romance Drama Chemistry Is A Must

Unfortunately, they failed to build that chemistry between the main couple. It is mainly because of the male lead poor acting ability and performance. He also doesn’t have the look and charisma on an equal level with the female lead.
Chemistry is very important in romance drama.

This is another of those series that I was rooting where the second male lead gets the girl. LMX has that conflicted, dark but oh so sexy. The actor did a good job portraying his character and he is also quite charming.

Disregard the plot holes, it is a decent drama. OST is very nice especially the ending song.

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Completed
Wandee Goodday
25 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Wandee has the personality of a flip-flop

Why was Wandee ready to be boyfriends with Ter, the guy who had the personality of a two-in-one shampoo but needed 12 episode to accept Yoryak? Make it make sense?!?!

Like, I don’t understand why Wandee was playing hard to get? Dude, Yoryak found you in the dumpster, in between two trash cans. Please, stop playing hard to get, he already saw you at your worse and still wants you.

That being said, I tuned in to this show every week because GreatInn were amazing. Loved how their chemistry was chemistrying and the plot was watchable. The second couple were good as well, Cher has my whole heart. All in all, an enjoyable show, but still some things annoyed me, so here we are.

Because, for a show about having a good day, it sure as hell ruined my day.

CHARACTERS

Listen. I liked YORYAK. He was in the running for my fav character along with Cher. I was rooting for him. Sure I had no idea what was up with that random grim reaper character that showed up whenever the writers remembered there’s supposed to be a guy in a cape for the plot-line, but still I liked him.

Then the finale happened and undid all that, making me think he’s an ungrateful jerk. Because his brother, Oye, gave up his dream, got beaten up by loan sharks and almost lost ruin his relationship, all to make Yoryak’s dream come true. But what does Yoryak do when he finally makes it to the top? Immediately dedicate his win to his fake boyfriend with benefits. Literally you met him like four seconds ago!

Dafug you mean this win is mostly because of you, and this championship belt is yours??? No it’s not! Wandee did nothing, this had nothing to do with him! Matter of fact he stressed you out with his indecisiveness so much you lost a match. Get your priorities straight child!

Really, what did Wandee contribute to his victory? Is it because he told him to face that hooded figure? His brother would have told him the same thing if he’d confind in him. Nah, that part was just messed up, especially after that family episode.

Anyway, I still like Yoryak, but that last episode did him no good.

Now WANDEE. Oh, Wandee my boy. Why you gotta have the face of a supermodel and the smile of a cloud, but the personality of a slipper?

Wandee’s inability to make up his mind annoyed the hell outta me. It wasn’t because Yoryak did anything wrong or didn’t communicate his feelings, our boxer did and said all the right things, but still Wandee wasn’t sure even after they kissed. Dude, he brought you home after picking you up from the dumpsters, he’d seen you at your worse and still wants you. What more is you waiting for???

When he kept dragging his feet about being Yoryak’s real boyfriend, I wanted to reach into the screen and shake him. Like, dude you were in love with that shifty arse doctor who looks like he steal pills during his lunch breaks, but hunky boxer is where you get sense? Child, if you don't sit your arse down!

I liked Wandee, he didn’t sit around crying for weeks when he was called vanilla, which lets all agree, dude looked like the poster boy for vanilla, but yeah, he didn’t sit there wallowing, he up and got himself a sexy faen with benefits, and he had a cool grandma to add to his charm, but I sure as hell was given him the stink eye. And I did so every episode after they first kissed. He was acting like a boyfriend, but still didn’t want to commit.

And also, did anyone cringed so hard, they wanted to jump off a cliff when Wandee started singing? I get Thai Bl dramas never leave the house without a guitar, but the secondhand embarrassment I felt, yikes! Like, why is now the time to start singing in front of all this people?

This show had no business being 12 episode. It could have ended the first time they kissed on the lips. Cuz it just dragged after that and made Wandee more annoying by not being able to make up his mind. I kept screaming at my screen ‘Mfer do you want to be with Yoryak or not?

Also, did we ever find out about how Wandee was scared of traffic lights, but like, drove a car? What he do when he stopped by a traffic light?

But like, do we all agree that Inn’s smile is sooo adorable?

Anyway TER! EFFING TERRR!!! I still can’t get pass the episode where he fumbles a beautiful doctor lady for Wandee, only to fumble him too and then try to come back to the dance floor looking for her. THE AUDACITY!! Did Ter think that boss lady doctor would still be waiting for his sorry arse?? Homeboy out there acting like spare tyre and thinking he’s the belle of the ball.

LMAO, what a loser! His sorry arse out there looking like an upside down question mark, and yet he thought he still had a chance with Wandee! Any screen time he had after that vanilla scene felt like I was being forced to accept his existence. Then instead of falling down the stairs in the finale and breaking all his toes and fingers, the writers up and gave the mfer a whole arse girlfriend. WHY? FOR WHAT REASON??? ARRRGGGGG

This world has no balance, why are all my enemies winning this season? First Tong and now Ter.

And speaking of the VANILLA scene. HAHAHAH, Ter out there acting like he collects stamps and have seks with the lights off, calling someone vanilla, dude didn’t seem like he knew any positions other than missionary, cuz what player with game would fumble two people in the span of a minute at a ball?? Vanilla! Boy if you don’t shut up!

I really wanted him to end up alone, bitter, and jobless, but here we are with his annoying arse waving at me and going ‘Bish, you thought!’


CHER AND OYE
I loved these two together. Usually I watch most of the second leads scenes on 2x, but these two had me hooked. Cher the most, the bestest boy, and so supportive. I love the ending they got, so happy for them.

PLOT:
Not gonna lie, watched all the boxing on 2x, cuz that hoodie figure was so uninteresting and if you see them punch once, you’ve seen it all, but the hype of the games and their gym added to their characters, so that was good. The competition thing with the doctors was also just sort of there, nothing to write home about, feels Ter didn't even try that hard to win? Also, them forgiving that bum arse father was meh, and dragging the series only to make Wandee more annoying was also whatever. But, the talk about protective seks and asexual characters was very much needed, so kudos to them. And Plako with his bedroom suggestions, his kinky arse had me rolling.

Anywho, I did like this show, I looked forward to it every week, so I recommend to it anyone who are funs of GreatInn. I’ll rewatch it, just to grin like an idiot whenever Cher pops up.

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Completed
Memories of Murder
25 people found this review helpful
Sep 2, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
Brilliant crime thriller that keeps you guessing til the end. The fact that the story is based on a true story, moreover, the movie is scrupulously faithful to the real events, really gave me the chill.

Everything in this movie is working, and it's working very well. Just to name a few: The cinematography, the acting, and the plot development.

There are also a lot of poignant and captivating scenes that make the movie very compelling. It keeps offering questions instead of answers, that results in not merely a movie, but a truly engaging experience.
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