Reviews

could have been a masterpiece

Overall: I rated the beginning episodes 9.5 with the amazing production value and acting; however, I was extremely disappointed with how they portrayed something as well as the final episode. 7 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5039/when-it-rains-it-pours-2025-e01 ; re-aired on Viki April 2025 https://www.viki.com/tv/41013c-when-it-rains-it-pours

Watch Suggestions (to skip the parts that derailed it for me)
- watch episodes 1-5
- episode 6 watch 17:15-end
- episode 7 watch 21:30-end

Content Warnings: past death, off screen *rape (yes it happened, it was in the source material - see below for more info), **abuse

What I Liked
- acting
- awesome dream
- the conversation with pushback on gender stereotypes
- good consent between 2 characters in episode 5
- production value (beautiful cinematography, art in the museum was a visual feast)

Room For Improvement
- *the writers reinforced the myth that people during sexual assault either fight or flee, Sei's reaction and misplaced remorse (it was zero his fault) are common in reality; however, no character actually called a spade a spade leaving room for interpretation (in comments/online I've seen people who didn't think it was rape or that Sei was also toxic instead of an abuse victim/survivor), this was a major writing misstep
- **Fujisawa had a failed redemption arc, he was a rapist and an abuser (he isolated Sei which was emotional abuse and even admitted he was happy isolating Sei)
- too much told in internal monologue
- way too much time in episode 7 spent on Fujisawa and the other friend (the leads had 2 minutes together!)
- I have zero faith the main couple will stay together, they didn't have good communication and we didn't get screentime to see character growth

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Addictive hot mess but a disservice to mental health

Did I enjoy this drama all the way? YES.
Was this a good fictional story in general? YES.
Was Kim Yoo Jung’s performance brilliant? YES.

BUT and here comes,
For a show that introduces the FL as someone with antisocial personality disorder, did this do a good job? NO. Yes Ah Jin has traits present in people with ASPD but is it not a disservice to paint people wjth this disorder as a monster and as evil? Shouldn’t the drama actually delved into her psychology and into understanding how her traumas, her experiences made it difficult for her to connect with others and empathise with others? Having the FL repeat her trauma and act like a victim who has been wronged is mere surface-level characterisation and understanding of ASPD.
If the drama did not want to talk about mental health, why label her as someone with this disorder? What a freaking disservice this was to people who deserve treatment rather than merely being labelled as diabolical / evil / monstrous. Who is Ah Jin beyond the person that is always trying to survive? What are basic likes and dislikes? Who are the people she loves? People with ASPD are capable of loving.. just that they don’t love the same way “normal” humans do.

The documentary framing Ah Jin as a criminal while everyone else became a victim was unfair. What about Ah Jin’s perspective? Again I’m not defending or justifying her actions, but the black and white perspective and one-note characterisations the show re-iterated time and time again was really baffling.

What was the point of the CEO’s character? Was it to merely add some thrill to the show? Till the end I did not understand the purpose he served to the story and to our understanding of Ah Jin’s journey.

Ah Jin used all these men, yes. But she did not put a gun to their heads. If we talk about Ah Jin’s choice in making the horrible decisions she did, we need to talk about Jae Oh and Joon Seo’s choices. Ah Jin never promised them love or flowers. She was clear that she needed them and they willingly stepped in.

Jae Oh’s death made absolute sense. But what about Joon Seo? For someone who “loved” Ah Jin, he never tried to understand her. He always assumed the worst of her, saw her as someone making use of others but never saw her the human. He never saw her as someone who needed support or help. He saw her as someone he wanted to control, someone he hoped would change for him and in the end when she pushed him away, he exposed her to tie her down. His death was no act of martyr. He brought it upon himself. But my question is - why? The writer had the choice to either (1) have Joon Seo walk away as he did 2 episodes prior to the finale or (2) have Joon Seo expose Ah Jin and get her treated. I did not understand his let’s-go-to-hell-together like the writer was trying to spin this into some epic Romeo / Juliet romance. Also what was Jun Seo’s motive in exposing Ah Jin?

And the ending- I am a fan of open endings but this was one of the worst endings the writer could come up with after this journey. Yes she’s alive somewhere and she’ll probably continue to manipulate her way through but humans can’t live their lives on this repeat cycle all the way till the end. There has to be a stop or a change in pattern. In Ah Jin’s case it could have been death, treatment or insanity - either of the three could have been used to conclude her journey but the writer did so in the laziest way.

Also what kind of message does this writer want to give out with Ah Jin surviving while everybody is dead? Again this would have worked as a work of fiction but adding that tag of ASPD did this a huge disservice.

Do I recommend this? Yes. It wasn’t a bad drama per se. The performances were top notch, the score was haunting, the vibe and the dark relationships were different from the usual South Korean dramas. But having said that, this clearly fell shot of being a stellar drama because the complexity of the characters were not fleshed out well enough. In the end, I left this drama not understanding what the CEO, Ah Jin, Jun Seo and Jun Seo’s mum even wanted because they were all just so one-note and didnt feel like actual human beings with a gamut of emotions and a life beyond Ah Jin.

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So many people were excited about Yong Pal. I mean Joo Won was in a new drama! The amazing Joo Won! And even Kim Tae Hee was making a comeback, the most beautiful actress claimed by netizens. But even those two couldn't save the drama in the end. I'm quite disappointed about how the quality of Yong Pal just suddenly dropped after the second episode. This drama would have been most definitely been a 10/10 drama if that quality remained the same. Also, when I watch a medical drama, I want it to remain a medical drama throughout. And I gave up all hope of that happening even before the half way point was reached.

The story was all over the place. It started off exciting and I loved the thrill, but as soon as Han Yeo Jin became a part of Kim Tae Hyun's life, it started to drop from there onward. I watch medical dramas for the medical stuff (e.g. surgeries, transplants, medical dilemmas, etc.), but we only ever got the occasional one after the fourth episode. I hated how this become a soppy love story between the money-loving surgeon and the suicidal, rich chaebol's daughter. Not only was it really cringy to watch, I felt like that Tae Hyun was the only one who cared for their relationship. Yeo Jin only saw it as something to rely on when her plans failed, and she even put her revenge over Tae Hyun himself. That's not how a love story should be portrayed and I never want to see something like that done again. Also, too many political scenes.

A lot of people I know exclaim how much they love Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee as actors, and I can certainly understand for Joo Won, but not Kim Tae Hee. Her acting wasn't all that well done in my opinion, and I believe she made no more than three facial expressions. Although she did fit well with her character, her acting still can't be accepted for the way it was done. Anyway, Joo Won was so lovely to watch and I am most definitely watching some of his older dramas now.

Hmm, I can't say I enjoyed many of the quiet, relaxed soundtracks that Yong Pal gave to us, but I most certainly loved listening to Come To Me by K. Will. His voice is so beautiful to listen to, and he definitely makes up for the rest of the album. Oh, but I did also really like the action soundtracks. They were so exhilarating to listen to, even if the scene that accompanied it was boring as could be.

Would I want to re-watch Yong Pal again if I was given some free time? No.

Overall, the writers of Yong Pal should be glad that I even gave it a 7 out of 10. If it wasn't for Joo Won and most of the other actors, and the soundtracks, this drama would have definitely been a lower rating.

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Where do I begin...

I have been anticipating this drama since it's announcement, and even more after watching Goblin, my first Kim Eun Sook drama, and The Legend of the Blue Sea, my first Lee Min Ho drama. Waiting months and months for this drama, I can say that I was not disappointed. I got excited every time something related to The King was released before the premier. When the teaser came out, I was so excited that a drama I have waited months for was almost premiering. When the drama premiered, I skipped one of my classes just to watch it, and I do not regret that! I watched the first episode twice because I was so excited and happy. I was not disappointed at all.

Romance fantasy is no doubt my favorite drama genre. With a historical touch, The King is definitely a memorable and amazing drama to me. I already loved Kim Eun Sook's writing style, but after watching The King, I ended up loving it even more.

Now, the things I loved about this drama:

Plot:
Despite it not being exactly like the original synopsis, I loved the plot of this drama. A parallel universe is already a complicated topic to master, and adding time travel to it no doubt made it more hard. Despite this, I think Kim Eun Sook does an excellent job tackling both subjects in one drama. I also surprisingly liked the flow of the drama. I didn't mind the slow movement of the plot at first since I think it connects perfectly well to the story. The reason the first few episodes are slow might be because it represents the story, how everything slowly unfolds. The first few episodes are the the stepping stones to the drama. Things start progressing faster as Lee Gon realizes more and more. If Lee Lim and Lee Gon's first interaction was before half way point, I believe I would find it a bit rushed. Personally, I rather have a slow half then a rushed half.

Romance:
For me, the romance was not rushed. I think the romance worked really well. Both Gon and Tae Eul are from different worlds, two worlds where time flows differently between them. I think the romance was built up perfectly and I loved how time played a big part in their romance as well. I felt their connection and how much they cared for each other. I didn't mind each emotional reunion, since it came after not seeing each other for a long time, since, as I mentioned, time flows differently between the two worlds.

Characters:
Every character was so interesting and the actors did such an amazing job portraying them. I loved how many actors portrayed different characters from both worlds. Lee Min Ho's portrayal as a king was done so well, and Kim Go Eun's portrayal as a fierce police officer was perfect as well. As many could agree, Jo Yeong and Jo Eun Seop definitely stole just about every scene they were in. Both Yeong and Eun Seop were amazing characters that I thank Kim Eun Sook so much for creating. If Woo Doo Hwan doesn't win best supporting actor then I don't know who will! I loved Yeong's bromance with Lee Gon, and every Yeong and Eun Seop interaction was priceless. Another character I want to talk about is Kim Yong Ji's characters, Myung Na Ri and Myung Seung Ah. Despite only being supporting characters, I loved every scene both Na Ri and Seung Ah appeared in, and even wish they appeared more. Kim Yong Ji's and Woo Do Hwan chemistry was amazing, I need to see these two as leads in their own drama!

Other:
The cinematography was flawless. Every episode was filled with beautiful scenes that I could not take my eyes off. I also loved the references to her previous drama's, such as Goblin and Mr. Sunshine.

Final thoughts:
The biggest key to this drama is the details. There are details hidden in every episode, which I love so much. You're not stupid if you don't get the details, it's perfectly fine if you didn't. This is why I wouldn't recommend this drama if you can't pay attention. If you watch to kill time, but don't want to pay close attention, then this drama might not be for you. So much stuff happens that it will be hard to keep track if you don't focus. That being said, I do think anyone interested in watching should definitely give it a try. I also recommend watching a few episodes a day or at least one a day. Since there are so many details to absorb, I think watching at once is the best option.

I wouldn't change the cast. I wouldn't change the script. I would add more time per episode or more episodes though. Although Kim Eun Sook managed with 16 episodes and keeping just about the same, 72 minute time. I believe more time would have made it better. I am really thankful to Kim Eun Sook for creating another masterpiece. I hope she continues to write amazing drama's in the future. Truly, in my opinion, the best Korean drama screenwriter.

No doubt my favorite drama of this year, and one of my favorite drama's of all time.

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A lot of clichés, a lot of forced drama and not really the vibe of the early 2000...

I could not get into this series from the start... I did not feel the connection with the characters and for me it was just a standard BL with a cliché story. I expected it to be much more difficult for any gay couple to get together in the early 2000, it felt too easy and ordinary.

Of course we needed also drama in the finale with an attempted murder which made no sense for me. Was it done just to make them come together sooner and stir an emotional reaction in the viewers? Was it really necessary? Could it not have done any other way? I don't like such extremes in any series.

So for me, it was on ok show, but nothing which could spark any enthusiasm in me. For a chinese production it felt disappointing for me, at least when I compare it to recent productions which are all way way more interesting. If you want to watch it, you can, but if you don't it's nothing you would miss.

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I finished The Crown Princess today at 1.30 AM 25/6/18 and decided to write a review for this lakorn as there are many thoughts inside my head waiting to be expressed because if not , I'll die unhappily ( :P) So here we go.. my thoughts upon finishing TCP..

Plus points for me :-

1) Because this has Nadech and Yaya as MC. I'm actually a Yadech's shipper since Game Rai Game Rak (2011) and TCP was my forth lakorn of them. To say the truth, my feeling is not going as strong as before. Maybe because I already got used of seeing Yadech always being paired up together in lakorns. You know.. the feel it's like when you listen to a song for the first time and you fall so in love with it. The song become so special and precious to you..but the moment you start put it on repeat , after dozens time you kinda get tired of it and the song is'nt special anymore. But if you hear the song anywhere in the public, all the old feelings will emerge again and you realize, this song albeit it is not special anymore but you still hold it dearly in your heart. That song is Yadech to me.. >.< I know that Yaya and Nadech are a very close friend in reality and many wish they're dating but who knows..they might really be in the future seeing how they acts toward each other in many clips I've seen of them. (Shout out to all Yadech's shipper out there : Guys, please don't lose hope :p )

2) Great acting, good chemistry of our MC .. So, as always, like in her previous lakorns (worth to mention: Klueen Cheewit!) , Yaya's acting also was exceptional here. This actress really can bring each of her characters to life. She carries Princess Alice Madeleine Theresa Phillips like the character was her all along. I love her character the most . She potrayed a kick-ass crown princess, cold from the outside but very warm inside, knews when she need to fight her enemies upfront and knews when she need to give in. The moment she find her true love yeah it was tragic because she found it on commoner , she did'nt hide or denied it but accepted it and tried to make her love come true. One thing that grated my nerves was writer made her character clumsy with her scenes tripped over the ground or something so many times and that of course will get our ML rushing over and helps her again and again. That trait was contradictory with her strong and kick ass character. Whereas Nadech as Lieutenant Commander Davin Samuthyakorn was perfect. He's sexy and damn good looking. I could stare at his face and admire his beautiful face while wondering why God made him so perfect both infront and behind camera :P. I also have issues with his character, Davin has a god level of self- restraint and a bit reserved when it came to love. I just wish writer made his character loosen up a bit and show him give in more to his feeling and brave enough to express and fight for his love . Yup, I got that he is a soldier but showing your real emotions doesn't make you less soldier than other. It will only make him more human.

3) Great acting and the backstory of the villains. I wont talk about this much because it might spoil who have'nt watch it yet. I love the twist that revealed who is our main villain because I did'nt expect it at all O.O But when I think back, it made sense. Meanwhile , speaking about the villain number 2 , Hadaeth. Strangely I did'nt hate him for all the cruel things he did. I just pity his character much. ( Okay.....I'm shocked. I just find out that Hadaeth was being played by 2 actors , Peter Corp and the other one is Jason Young. I did'nt even catch the differences while watching and thought it was Peter Corp all along. Duhh)

4) Exquisite royal attires and other characters costumes. I especially in love with Princess Alice wardrobe choice.Yaya is already pretty and to add beautiful attires on top of that, she looks angelic here. I also favoured most of Nadech attires except his light brown color uniform because it look too tight and uncomfortable on Nadech. Prince Alan wardrobe also great , I loved the royal black uniform in his last scene the most.

5) Great action scenes. Those were of high class. If romance-action genre is your forte, give this lakorn a go.

6) Good OST. I loved the ending theme song more than the opening song.

7) All those countless picturesque views where the lakorn was filmed. The waterfall views in the island where our MC met for the second times. The mountain with the tribe where our MC seek refuge in Thailand. The mountain where our MC in a journey to find Prince Alan. The massive castles with all its ornament in Hrysos. They're all a real treat to the eyes. The scenes were beautifully shot and are postcard worthy. While watching, many time I'm busy awing at the beautiful scene behind than caring about what the act was .

Minus points for me :-

1) The lack of romance. TCP made up with 50% of action, 40 % of family drama and ONLY 10 % of romance. I'm quite reluctant to say it was romance because all we got was a careful and calculating romance. For this, I'm so mad at the producer, the director and the writer because they're so stingy with it..the kiss scenes except the one at the finale were unsatisfying too . It was so unfair they could'nt give us even 1 hour full of romance between our MC considering this lakorn got I hour and 50 mins long for each episode and if I convert this lakorn into 1 hour format ,this have 22 episodes..such a long hour but so little romance..whyyy :((


2) The storyline. I could'nt pinpoint what exactly was lacking but what I know is ,it lacked the 'X' factor that will make the viewer go crazy over it. The story is just good enough and not that addicting. I felt bored at ep 4 and 5 because it was slow.



So , overally this is a very good lakorn watch this if you're a Yadech fan and love action-drama-romance genre. Thanks for reading!

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One of the better GMMTV shows but far away from a 10...

As usually the show started strong, but while it did not fall of a cliff it was a bit flat in the later episodes. The comedic parts are often over the top as usual and the finale did not catch me at all.

At least the script was better than normal, but of course the predictability was a given. So it's a light-hearted show with few ups and not many downs, on the good side overall. But it will not leave an impression for me. While their chemistry was good, I felt there was not much tension between them and I also didn't feel that longing after three years and the reason was a bit "boring" imho.

It's pleasant to watch, it's heart-warming most of the time, but it misses the spice I have expected after all the interviews of the MLs I have seen before the show. It was just "safe" as usual by GMMTV. Success with the fangirls for the reunion of a fan-favorite couple, earning lots of money with fan-meets, concerts and merch. And that's what's a three billion ($ or €) industry is all about in most cases. Sorry to say, this series is very far away from the 10.0 many have given but we got disappointed by GMMTV much more before. Overall a decent show which can be watched without much brain-power but also a show which will not drive us insane with a stupid script either.

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Sadly, Nothing Special...

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I did something stupid...I forced myself through multiple boring K-dramas at the same time (and I’m still trying to force myself through another). I’m probably going to sound jaded when typing up these reviews. The dramas that I’ve been watching simultaneously are Castaway Diva, My Dearest Nemesis, and School 2021 (which I haven’t finished), with the strongest of the group being Castaway Diva. Needless to say, it has not been fun for me lately in K-drama world.

Acting/Cast: The cast for My Dearest Nemesis is decent. The reason I wanted to watch this drama was because of Choi Hyun Wook (최현욱), who played such an amazing character in Twinkling Watermelon. He didn’t do great in this role, unfortunately. His character has an annoying way of speaking that sounds very fake. There are times when he’s cute though. Everyone else did fine. The characters just aren’t very interesting. One of the character traits of the female lead is that she has zero interests…it’s weird and boring. 4/10

Writing: Another reason I wanted to watch this drama was because of the gamer element. I grew up with gaming as a huge part of my life and I still game pretty regularly (if there’s a game that I’m into). I thought it’d be really cute seeing them interacting through an online game and falling in love and then meeting in real life and playing games together in person. The K-drama Something In The Rain had a bit of that and it was super cute. They didn’t really do that in this drama though. I was extremely disappointed. The gaming aspect of this drama honestly doesn’t matter much. There’s only a short time at the beginning of the drama where they meet in game and form a bond, but it’s never revisited. The female lead actually doesn’t like games and had only started playing for a really dumb reason. So, they never play games again, whether online or in person. The gaming aspect was the one thing that made this drama special and stand out from the rest of these formulaic K-drama rom-coms. Therefore, once it was removed, the drama became the same as any other. The message behind the drama is to like what you like and be yourself, but that message is made laughable since liking video games, cartoons, and rock music isn’t a taboo or an embarrassing thing. It’s actually kind of offensive that they framed it that way. Another idea that the drama explores is about learning to love again (or to risk loving again) after being hurt and traumatized. This concept is explored through both the main love story and the side love story. This was actually done pretty well. Although, the second female lead asking a complete stranger to have sex with her was still kind of much. Finally, I have to mention the cliché redemption arc at the end...there’s no freaking way. I’ll just leave it at that. 1/10

Direction/SFX/Music: Nothing of note in this category aside from the music. The OST isn’t bad. It’s upbeat with a fun vibe. Some of it sounds like chill Lo-Fi music to study to without putting you to sleep. 5/10

Entertainment Value: I liked watching their relationship build in game, but that didn’t last long. After that, getting through this drama was a struggle. I wish I would have just dropped it. 1/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 1/10 because I really regretted watching this. For me, entertainment value has much more weight on an overall score. The gaming aspect of the drama (which is what attracted me to this drama) is just a gimmick; it really isn’t important and doesn’t last very long. I feel personally victimized by the plot...how is gaming and rock music embarrassing? There’s not much drama in this drama; issues are resolved quickly and everyone is pretty reasonable (except the grandma), so this makes for a boring, but light watch if you’re into that. As for me, I’ve seen this story too many times already.

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I have never wanted a Kdrama to end so bad.

This has to be the worst Korean drama I have seen so far. The story started off okay but then it majorly flopped. The plot and the romance was at all not convincing, it was just too weak and felt like a child had written it. I just could not sympathize with none of the leads. The worst part they overemphasized the kidnapping case and I did nothing but skip the scene or roll my eyes since I couldn't feel bad for the leads considering the premise of the whole story was so poor. You couldn't really point out an antagonist, I just viewed the brother to be confused. As to the lady who kidnapped them, It would have been better if she was properly introduced and a little story as to who she was and why she did what she did. I hated the leads, it felt like the FL was a robot programmed to be flawless as for the ML he was narcissistic through out the whole drama.

The conflict was resolved in episode 12 which the show should have ended there, all Kdramas should not have to have 16 episodes. I was happy the conflict ended fast because I just could not buy the plot and I wanted the whole drama to end SO BAD. After episode 12, the drama got EXTREMELY boring, boring is an understatement. The only reason I kept watching was because of the supporting characters, I found them quite entertaining and funny, they really carried the show. You would enjoy this drama if you are a sucker for romcoms and do not care about plots. Overall this was a huge disappointment.

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"You're not dead until you die"; an ode to death and demise.

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. Someone who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." The quote from Mark Twin might be too philosophical for some but it is equally meaningful. This also reminds me a quote from Harry Potter that says that death is like an adventure for the well-organised mind. On that context, death only ends a life, not the relationships, so knowing that you're gonna die soon is more hurtful when you think about the ones who'll be left behind.

Every single day of life is moving forward towards your death and the drama beautifully brings out the essence of one's life, no matter they're on the verge of death or have a long to live. Death might be an enemy for the living but embracing it with grace when there's a call for you to bid goodbye, is considered an act of wise, thereby making their lives meaningful.

Produced by KeyEast and broadcasted on JTBC, "The One and Only" is written by Moon Jung Min and directed by Oh Hyun Jong. The production had to halt filming thrice because of staff members testing covid19 positive at different times, but they could wrap up well despite the delay.

"The One and Only" is a story about a woman in her late twenties getting admitted to a hospice for receiving care after being diagnosed with a terminal illnesses, having only few months to live. There, she shares the room with two other, with contrasting natures. Their lives get entangled with a contract serial killer who ends up falling for the first woman and the story is all about the investigative murder case, the individual lives of the three women and at their days at the hospice as they await death.

Pyo In Sook (Ahn Eun Ji) who has been brought up by her grandma, works as a scrubber and is mostly expressionless. At a young age she turns terminally ill and chooses to stay at a hospice. There she meets Kang Se Yeon (Kang Se Won), an ordinary housewife who has never lived for herself and Sung Mi Do (JOY), a social media influencer, deprived of love and a lonely young girl. All three on an usual day encounter Min Woo Chan (Kim Kyung Nam), a hitman, following which these 4 people get intertwined with a mysterious serial killing incident. All these people delivered amazing performances in their respective roles.

Yook Sung Ja (Go Doo Shim) and Pyo Kang Sun (Jang Hyun Sung) are experienced actors who played In Sook's Grandma and Father respectively. The Regional Investigation Unit comprises of team leader Hwang Ma Jin (Lee Bo Ryun), lieutenant Cho Shi Young (Do Sang Woo) and Detective Oh Jin Gyu (Jang In Sub). Gu Ji Pyo (Han Gyu Won) played Mido's boyfriend and LE group's hier.

Other familiar faces are So Hee Jung, Sung Byung Suk, Han Kyu Won, Ahn Chang Hwan, Choi Young Woo, Lee So Mi, Yoon Bora, Lee Hang Na and Joo In Young. The 2 child actress Seo Yoon Woo and Kim Soo Hyung were good too.

About plot development... I've mixed feelings about this and this is the only thing to complain about this drama. The overall story reminded me about "You are my Spring" and "When the Camellia Blooms"; obviously the vibes are different but the overall story felt similar: a feel good romance with plenty of slice of life elements accompanied with a murder mystery plot. Well, the difference is that this drama indulges a coherent investigative plot, unlike the other two where there were lots of other things; the entire script works around one single murder leading to others. Personally, I loved the progression for most of the parts (1-11th); the introductory episodes were perfectly impressive, though it might take some time to get acquainted to the mood. The furtherance was nice.

The life at hospice of people awaiting death was a beautifully emotional journey. It also includes scenes of Insook halmieone and her povs as a family to someone who is fighting death, and I would give a plus point for that. About the investigation plot, it started off really really good but somewhere around 10th, they started dragging it which became plainly visible from the 11th episode. The murder mystery thingy didn't have any pothole but it could have been wrapped up very easily way before than the finale. And the rest of the drama could have been about the hospice and other beautiful elements that made the drama unique (just saying if the case was that they thought the script will have nothing interesting left bcs everything other than that were better, i loved them). It was stretched till the finale week to an extent and I can't ignore it.

Despite all that, I ended up loving the ending sequence. The drama wasn't supposed to be realistic to being with even though it's a slice of life genre for most of its parts, but there were few things I didn't like or thought could've been better not done. The ending was full of life, agony, misery and sadness; I found myself crying and choking multiple times. Even so the script ran out of substance, making the script draggy for a while, it was a matter of relief getting back to track in the finale week. The intended messages were perfectly delivered.

Oh Hyun Jong PD is quite experienced having some hugely acclaimed dramas im his resume and it was reflected in this drama as well. The pacing of the drama, in my opinion, was very apt; the drama is basically slice of life genre and warm pure romance and hence needed the pacing to be slow and steady. The screenplay management and execution is up to par. The cinematography with the pale hue and yellow pallettes were very beautiful.

Moon Jung Min PDnim is quite a rookie and has had 2 qualitatively flop scripts before this drama but I see a great jump in her skills here which made me satisfied. I can't say it's something great but judging from her previous dramas, she's improved more than expected. The screenwriting is incorporated with many essence of life, death and struggle for survival, making it very meaningful. The mystery thriller plot which is equally emphasized had a very good basic outline though the execution of it went a lil draggy, but I think it was not that bad, in fact manageable. The character dynamics are well painted with some potential of improvement for few like Min Woo Chan and Ko Ji Pyo, which I think could have been better. The narrative and messages the story wanted to deliver has been accomplished, totally!

Composed by Lee Joon Suk, the OST album has total 4 number of tracks all aptly suiting the mood and vibes of the drama. There was no need of extensive background editing, neither with OSTs nor with different scores; it was a wise choice. "STAY" by SLAY & Avin is my most favorite among all which is about possibilities in life. "Happy Ending" by Yangpa is a song with beautifully written lyrics about cessation of pain and beginning afresh. "The One and Only" by msftz and "Your Name" by JOY (ReVe) are other 2 tracks.

The pacing felt perfect to me given the narrative and method of storytelling. The flux of conversations and shift in moods were aesthetically pretty. The way the characters were learning to love what they were becoming, was a pleasurable treat. It wasn't exaggerated at least.

There are numerous povs (about 10?) to look forward to. Although the story mostly revolves around the major characters as usual, the writer has tried to subsume perspectives of seemingly minor characters at parts of the story, thereby helping the viewers to relate on a larger range and understand their feelings in a deeper sense.

The trio friendship of Insook, Seyeon and Mido is another thing to anticipate about in the drama. They came from different backgrounds and had difference in their mindsets, yet the way they blended with each other and consolidated their friendship on a robust base, was an overwhelming watch.

The long conversations were my most favourite thing about this drama and let me tell you, you'd encounter that quite a lot in here. The simple yet very important topics discussed were heartening enough to jerk tears. The way the characters express their emotions was wholesomely gratifying.

The bucketful romance is surely satisfying if not something very new and has some cliché tropes. I am sure warm pure romance is not everyone's cup of tea but I wish people become fond of it. In Sook and Woo Chan as couples were both adorable and fierce; their chemistry was up to par though not very extensively portrayed, and I think it was intentional and also feel it was of appropriate amount.

Final Remarks... "The One and Only" is a drama of unique mood. It's hugely a story for those who are admirer of quiddity lf life, slow pacing, long conversations and warm romance. I absolutely loved it but given that I can't ignore the technical aspects I would have to reflect the shortcomings in my ratings too. I would definitely recommend you to give it a try.

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Not sure if I believe in magic, but I do believe in the reality this show sets us in

This drama regrettably leaves viewers with many unanswered questions by the end of the last episode. Too many plot holes and too much craziness that probably can't be fixed. Ever.

But the show's beauty lies in the fact that none of the above bothered me by the end of it. I genuinely enjoyed the glitch this show put me through and the heartstrings it managed to pull in me. The darkness of the plot is tamed by the sweetness of the relationships in it, and I can watch the actors play their roles so well all day. Probably not all will find this show to be sane or worthy of a serious watch, but if you are missing this, you might as well have lost a chance to learn the meaning of true magic.

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Wow, that was as dull as dull can get.

This had a lot of good ingredients - it's well-shot, the central love story is reasonably coherent and realistic, and it's full of charismatic and beautiful actors. Regrettably, all except the main pair.

Soh starts out well - he's strange and awkward, but he ends up more or less unlikeable for the ridiculous cliche he's saddled with to generate drama near the end of the series. Mon is dull and tiresome all the way through. The problem here is that when you put two depressed, introverted emotionally distant people together, there's really not a lot of chance of chemistry or any sparks at all.

The character of Saint is interesting and different, and played by the etherial and beautiful Offroad Kantapon, who I hope we see a lot of in the future, but I'm not sure what the point of the character was - but you could say that about almost all the characters.

The cast is gigantic, with characters coming in, taking up some time, then disappearing without ever accomplishing anything., and somehow led to not even one secondary couple, which was desperately needed to contrast with the almost supernaturlly dull main couple. One of Soh's bandmates, Q, has an interesting interaction with Mon's youngr brother Micky that had so much more chemistry than the main pair that I wanted them together badly, even though Micky's a bit too young to date a college student - I hope we see more of the actor, Copper Phuriwat, too. He's adorable and charming. The characters Poon, Q, and Tack also made impressions, but the caliber of the supporting actors was in general high.

The problem with this series is the pacing. Not the pacing of the plot, but the pacing of each scene, more specifically the dialog. They are way too long, with people taking 45-minute pauses between each phrase, a strange virus that's infected Thai BL lately. The acting style of the genre is already very understated - adding to that an incredibly slow line delivery is just fatal.

This also had the misfortune of airing on the heels of the much better You're My Sky, another basketball series. Why is basketball the only sport allowed in BL? It's not even in the Top 10 of popularity in Thailand - far behind volleyball and badminton. I guess because it wouldn't be the same if ukes got hit in the head with a shuttlecock whenever they stray near a badminton game.

Anyway, I can't recommend this. There's no payoff for the time invested, and it's so boring that it feels dull and slow even set on 2X speed.

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Representation of mental health topics does not get any better than this. From writing, directing, acting, up to editing - everything was well thought through to convey the message and the portrayal of the depression and the consequences it has on the patient, but also people around them.

James did an amazing job as Boo. I believed every second of his acting and it truly broke my heart. I could clearly see how vulnerable he was. How he fought, gave up and fought again. The few glimpses of hope he showed, how it motivated him to take action, but also the fear that paralyzed him at times. The whole arc of the character was amazing. The parallel between the beginning and ending scenes created this perfect, cohesive picture. Truth to be told, when I saw the ending sequence with Boo's narration I was shocked by how perfect it was. I would not change anything. The most satisfying ending I have ever seen in a drama. I could see that a lot of thought and planning was put into filming and writing it.

The good writing can also be seen with Bell's character. In the beginning the conversation she has with her superior about the connection and empathy she feels to her patients was foreshadowing of what's to come. She was an amazing friend to Boo, but she was truly not that good of a psychiatrist. And I am 100% fine with it, as it was well written for her character. Not only was she just an intern, so she did not have that much practical experience yet, she also picked that specific job because of emotional and personal reasons that made it hard for her to stay objective.

I love how the show tackled the issue of how depression can affect others around the patient and how hard it is for people who have never been depressed and have no psychological/psychiatric knowledge to understand it. Starting with the dad, who had a hard time accepting his son might have such a big problem, to Simon who might have had good intentions, but at times his actions were not fitting when dealing with someone struggling emotionally like Boo.

The show hints about many issues concerning mental health. One of the lines that is stuck in my head is "You think because he's depressed, he can't do anything wrong?" said by one of Simon's friends. Just this one line made me pause the show. I started to think, how much responsibility can a person with severe mental problems really take, how can a victim of their actions feel and react when they can't even truly blame anyone for what happened? Who should take the responsibility? There were many moments that just made you stop and think about the presented topic.

I also have to talk about the clever editing and them trying to visually present the symptoms of depression and Boo's feelings. I felt like they truly wanted to make sure the audience would understand the presented content. The perfection of the scene that was Bell explaining to Boo's dad the core idea of what depression is, was too perfect for me to describe. Her psychiatric approach and explanations intertwined with Boo describing how these symptoms express in him... wow. I literally clapped as I was watching this scene, because I was simply so impressed.

That said, even though in my eyes, this show is pure perfection, it's not for everyone. It's extremely graphic and at times emotionally exhausting. It presents the severe case of depression with all the symptoms of it (including self harm and suicide attempts). It might be too heavy for some.

I would recommend it for anyone who struggles with grasping the idea of mental health struggles and feels like it's hard to imagine how it can manifest in a daily behavior and what it truly means. The explanation does not get any better than here.

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