This review may contain spoilers
(For a spoilerful review, I wrote a separate, much more in-depth version here: https://dramavixen.tumblr.com/post/177526794854/)Was I expecting a trainwreck when I first started watching? Perhaps. Actually, yes; unquestionably so. Thus, even if I call this show a trainwreck, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that Meteor Garden was "below expectations."
Meteor Garden was possibly one of the most anticipated Chinese dramas of the season, rousing the nostalgic instincts of those of us who have long been attached to this story. Of course, that’s a great burden on the cast and crew. This is especially true in China, where viewers tend to prefer the “original” version of everything—novels, dramas, movies; you name it. Any kind of remake or adaptation is asking for trouble; and Meteor Garden fared the worst that I've seen, with a whopping rating of 2.8/10 when the first episode aired.
We can say that viewers in China are being overly judgmental, but the one thing they’re right about is that choosing to remake this was a shaky decision to begin with. At its core, Meteor Garden overflows with cliche after cliche; all the ones that make us roll our eyes whenever we see them: the poor girl-rich guy combo, the trash male lead/nice second male lead dynamic, the meddling mother-in-law; the list just writes itself. This isn’t to say that cliche usage equates to a bad drama, but historically, Meteor Garden has never elevated these elements to anything past mediocrity.
This adaptation still uses all of these tropes: without improvement. We can argue all day about how the writers toned down the bullying that existed in the previous versions; how Dao Ming Si isn’t as bad of a guy as he used to be. That doesn’t change the fact that this story is incredibly weak.
The conflicts between the main couple start off making sense because they have a lot of moral disagreements. Meteor Garden intends to show the evolution of a relationship as it progresses between two enemies to two people in love. However, with 48 episodes worth of problem after problem solely for the sake of dramatics, the instability of their relationship quickly becomes less heartbreaking and more obnoxious. All the side plots involving the other characters are also either boring or mindnumblingly frustrating—or (if your goddess of luck has abandoned you) both!
How do the characters play into the plot? In a word, badly. The sheer level of bullcrapery that is injected into the script makes it impossible for anyone to truly develop or interact with each other like normal human beings. Each character does have their good and bad points, which I appreciate. But more often than not, we don’t get to see them act as people; they’re just used as paper dolls for the sake of toddling through whatever conflict the writers feel like putting into the episode. It’s a real shame, especially since the actors all have so much potential to do better.
In all honesty, I’m surprised that I finished this show. Well, I guess I could be more surprised; from the very beginning, I wanted to see this ordeal to the end so that I could be as thorough in my roasting as possible without any false pretenses. So here, I have to say that Meteor Garden is but a pile of burnt potatoes. And just like there're a lot of better things to eat than burnt potatoes, there’re a lot of better things to watch than this.
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Lovestruck in the City is simply not for everybody who only loves watching KDRAMA.
You have to be open-minded on how the writers wrote those (flawed) characters and scenarios because if you’re not, it’ll much harder for you to understand how the story built. And if you know Park Shin Woo as a director, he is not someone to please viewers.It’s actually weird to see that half of the internet world(twitter), people hyping this up but on the other side(mydramalist & tumblr), dropping this. Ha!
If you review this drama based on the storyline and characters, please state your age and who resonates with you most. If you review this based on mockumentary type and how it delivers the story, please watch until episode 8.
Let me say this again, THIS DRAMA IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY, it’s for the people out there who know what love can do on and for them.
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This review may contain spoilers
who proposed this drama ??
i suppose this is an unpopular opinion, but i barely tolerated this drama. it requires zero expectations or standards to be watchable, and i couldnt manage that. most people are in love with it and say this drama uses tropes and cliches “properly”, but i didn’t think so at all. they were cringey at best, toxic at worst. i believe dramas have a responsibility to portray relationships mindfully, without romanticizing abusive behaviors that will then influence young viewers. therefore my negative feelings towards this show are mainly directed towards the characterization of the ML and a few other tropes/ideas the show pushes on the audience.
to start: there are hundreds of kdramas with the same “cold rich guy is mean to innocent girl until he falls in love with her because shes so different” plot lines. business proposal is one of them.
the cold ML archetype is overdone and horrifying, and in 2022 i didnt think id have to watch this arrogant, spoiled man literally blackmailing a poor girl into fake dating him and then harassing her about it even at work. imagine if the ML was unattractive or sixty years old, it wouldnt seem so romantic then. but media romanticizes stalking, borderline harassment, pushy men, and this affects how we see relationships and set standards.
specifically, i hated how the show romanticized ML being pushy with FL. his profession of love: “it you reject me again ill ask you out again and again. i wont give up until you like me back” was appalling. first he blackmailed her into fake dating him, then he says he wont give up even if she rejects him? not only is he a powerful wealthy man, hes also her boss. this is the DEFINITION of a power imbalance. no matter her reasoning for saying no, she said no and i would’ve loved to see him respect that choice. it couldve been written that FL realizes her feelings on her own and comes to him, without making it look like he pressured her into the relationship.
and this is not a one time situation: the drama does this with youngseos cousin who keeps pushing herself onto sunghoon who clearly drew a line. notice how in this situation its weird and uncomfortable but with hari and taemu its okay, because we the audience know she secretly harbors feelings. i dont appreciate this show telling viewers that if someone says no, you dont give up.
in the past major dramas such as boys over flowers and heirs, MLs would be pushy and FLs were doormats and this ended in true love. now, we finally have characters setting boundaries and yet STILL dramas say “never give up! no means yes!” i definitely wouldve been a lot more lenient and willing to just watch this as a lighthearted fluffy drama had they not used this male lead archetype.
perhaps you think this doesnt matter. but there are impressionable viewers learning what is acceptable and romantic based on these dramas, no matter how silly or obvious the tropes may seem. even if these dramas are far from reality and are clearly meant to be taken lightly, this all couldve been omitted while still keeping the plot the same.
in terms of writing and production: they didnt spend enough time fleshing out the characters and i just didnt care about them or their romance. there was barely any build up, they saw each other a few times and suddenly he was in love with her. the scene in ep 11 everyone was so excited about felt so random to me and for the first time ever i did NOT want to watch a main couple show be affectionate.
the ML spends half the drama harassing and blackmailing the FL, and the FL spent half the drama lying to him. the characters felt very 2d and they were basically built off the cliches rather than having actual personalities. the side characters like haris old crush and his gf had a single personality trait each and i forgot they existed at all. oh, hari has a brother that shows up once in a while for no reason. all of this i didnt really mind as it was obvious from the start that this drama is not meant to be revolutionary. rather i think the worst part is i didnt feel chemistry between the main leads at all.
overall, this drama is highly predictable and lacks any real depth. i know many people enjoyed it, and thats fine. perhaps you will enjoy it too. but i hope my review tells you what the description and ratings do not.
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Well written romance with questionable friendships.
One of the most wholesome friends to enemies to friends to lovers scenario I have seen. I believed in everything that happened between Pran and Pat. The chemistry might not have been sizzling from the start, but it was undeniable and extremely natural as the plot progressed. Both Nanon and Ohm did an amazing job portraying actual emotions and love, instead of simple attraction.That said, almost everything that surrounded the romance was mediocre at best, and bad at worst. The friend groups were ridiculous. It was not just teens disliking each other - we had harassment and abuse that could not be explained by them being young. The parents were just as immature and selfish, which led to a number of problems for the main duo.
Luckily, a lot of scenes were saved thanks to the female characters Pa and Ink, who seemed to be the only people with some brain cells and willing to use them.
Bad Buddy was carried on Nanon and Ohm’s backs, and if it was not for their stellar performance, it would not get half of the love from the audience. Me, and many others were willing to ignore quite a number of flaws, because what these two actors did not screen was worth it.
Another great aspect of the show was the OST. Not only were all the songs perfectly fitted for the scenes, but also… they are simply great songs that I wanted to listen to even outside of the drama.
The production value was definitely good. I loved the set design, the filming and editing. Sadly, I feel like all the focus and hard work directing and writing wise were put into making the romance storyline, forgetting that all the supporting characters are also what make the show. The pacing of all the side plots was not great and some conflicts had a Disney type of resolution.
Overall, worth the watch for the main couple. Truly amazed by the skills of Nanon and Ohm. Even with at times questionable writing, they made me enjoy the show and giggle more than once from both the comedy and the romance.
Bad Buddy was a bit like taking a walk in a beautiful mountain, but then seeing trash here and there, that’s just slightly ruining the view. Then you get to the top, but it's a restricted area… that sums up how I feel about the ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
Addictive, Great Chemistry, Great Actors & A Good Second Chance Drama (but watch only until ep 30)
We all love second-chance romance dramas, but we hardly find any good second-chance romance dramas. This drama had the potential to be one the best in this genre. But, somehow it made a disaster in the last part of the drama and especially in the last 6 episodes. If you consider this drama with only 30 episodes, this is still pretty good. There are a lot of positives to this drama i.e. very good chemistry of the main couple, excellent casts with top-notch acting, good visuals, and good OST's.Why only till episode 30:
This drama is an adaptation of a Chinese novel. The screenwriters changed the story to some extent to write the script. Still, the drama followed the novel closely. But, they followed the novel only until episode 30. After that, they wrote the script totally by themselves which has absolutely no relation to the novel. So, After episode 30, the drama feels like a completely different drama. We got a realistic feel in the first 30 episodes. But, suddenly it became a melodramatic drama. It became so melodramatic that it could beat top melodramas with its melodrama plots. We the viewers got hugely disappointed by this. It was painful to watch those episodes. I hardly could believe how the drama turned out like that. I would suggest the new viewers, don't watch the drama after episode 30. We got somewhat of an ending at episode 30. Though it was not complete we can imagine the rest. No need to take the pain to watch the rest of the episodes.
Pros:
-Actress: Wang Churan was just impressive. This is the first time I saw her in any drama, and I instantly became a fan of hers. I just want to see her in another drama. She looked stunning in this drama. Her smile was the best thing in this drama for me. She is still new and there is a bright acting career ahead of her.
-Actor: Peng Guan Ying was great in his role. PGY acted as a cold doctor who doesn't show much emotion. He is a good guy but sometimes you feel mad about his actions, but still, he has his charm. You can't stop but root for him.
-Chemistry: Chemistry was good. There were a lot of problems in their relationship. Sometimes they feel distant but the chemistry was always there for them.
-Hospital Settings: We see a lot of medical dramas. Most of those dramas somehow feel unrealistic and sometimes cringe. This drama somehow portrayed a good hospital setting. It was not perfect but I would say It was very good, a lot better than some other top medical dramas
-OST's: I liked the opening song a lot. Overall music and OST's were good
Cons:
-Africa Arcs: Africa arcs were a complete disaster. We got to see the first 2 episodes were shoot in Africa. That 2 episodes were still ok. Then the last 5 episodes were shoot in Africa too. I just have no words for those last 5 episodes. Completely unnecessary with no story.
-Questionable actions by ML: In the past flashbacks, ML did some things that deeply hurt FL. There might have been some reasons behind those, but still, some viewers did not like those.
-Some medical plots/decisions: There were some medical plots/decisions used/taken in this drama, that were questioned by the viewers. There could be some arguments about whether those decisions were right or wrong. While watching those, we could still give some consideration as this is a drama after all. It's not perfect and actually, no drama is perfect. Some other medical dramas have more issues than this.
Ending: (Spoilers)
It got somewhat of a happy ending (episode 36). But it's not the kind of happy ending we wanted from this drama. There was an amnesia plot in the ending. Although the drama has somehow a happy ending, the ML and FL deserved a much better ending than this. We the viewers also deserve to see a much better ending.
Ratings:
8.5 from me. I could give this 9 easily if the drama had only 30 episodes and ended properly. But, I can't forget those last 6 episodes. I was disappointed and I can't just ignore that. I wanted to give this a 7.5 or 8. But, the drama was very good until episode 30. So considering everything I gave it 8.5
Recommendation:
The first 30 episodes of this drama were really good. The drama was very addictive. You dislike some parts, but you just can't stop watching. It was that good. So, I recommend this drama, but only until episode 30. If you want to watch the rest just watch that fast-forwarded.
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While I did find the overall idea behind the story compelling, I’m not so sure about the execution, especially on Ikegami Fumiya's side. He did not tell the truth with hopes it will save the relationship, as they can start over, but then he kept making sure to not cross the line between roommates and potential romantic partners. This behavior was something I did not quite understand. My guy was in a risky business - deciding to hide the past in hopes for a better future, without actually being sure Ritsu will never remember their relationship, and without actually trying to be with Ritsu in the present.
That said, I actually find Ritsu harder to figure out and judge. We know little about him before the accident, and his present self was driven by what he forgot - trying to remember and being confused about his place and life. Because of that, he felt less defined than Fumiya and harder to connect to.
Since this is a relationship and character driven show, I put some effort into trying to understand the characters, and that was the mistake. If you try to dig deeper into what is happening on screen, you start to see a lot of small things that make little sense and at some point it becomes a pile too hard to ignore. I think the best way to watch it is just accept whatever they throw at you without asking too many questions.
Acting wise, it had its ups and downs. For the most part I had no complaints. The slightly dull delivery was clearly the directing choice to fit the overall atmosphere of the drama. That one time Honda Kyoya literally squeezed that one tear out of his eye made me chuckle.
That said, I still think it’s a solid melancholic watch. Some of the editing and the transitions between the scenes might be a bit confusing, but for some strange reason it adds to the charm. In a subtle way it shows how all relationships need work, and without addressing the core issues, you cannot start over and be happy, even if you get to hit the reset button.
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1
2This review may contain spoilers
I want to start by saying that My Youth isn’t a bad drama, just an unsuccessful one.. My issue with it is that it feels more like a collection of parts than a cohesive whole.. The pieces seem disjointed, out of rhythm with one another, never quite coming together into a story that feels complete or purposeful.. To me, it lacked those small connective moments that turn a sequence of scenes into something that truly moves as a narrative..I was honestly reluctant to watch it because of the low ratings.. I am not someone who avoids Song Joong Ki’s dramas, not because I am a fan but because I appreciate his work.. The ratings did influence me, but I decided to ignore them and give it a try and I would say I did the right thing.. Is it a stunning piece of drama?? No, its not.. Is its storytelling style for everyone?? Probably not.. I can understand why some viewers might struggle to connect with the tone and pacing, especially in the early episodes.. Even I agree it’s slow, but that alone isn’t enough reason to justify such low ratings..
Personally, I didn’t like the first few episodes except for the parts with their younger versions.. The characters felt a bit weak, they didn’t have much impact.. It’s a narrative driven story, so I should have felt ' I don’t fully know where this is going yet, but these characters feel real. ' But it took a while for that to happen.. I agree with the most common concern, the pacing is indeed the real issue here.. 12 episodes felt like 20.. It’s too slow and the story itself isn’t anything new.. We just see that old, overused trope told from a different perspective with a new set of actors.. The acting was definitely the highlight of the drama..
Now, my biggest issue with this drama is how they underplayed the illness part of the story.. I mean it’s a melodrama, that’s supposed to be your main weapon.. But it didn’t make me feel anything, not the way lets say a drama like Our Movie did.. There's an illness that could kill the ML, but that’s it, it’s just there.. He is struggling, things happen around it and then it’s over.. It never reaches that emotional intensity you would expect from a story built around something so serious..
The romance, well I liked their chemistry, but I think the writer let down the actors in that aspect.. Their interactions were good but the writing felt weak.. It never really gave Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee the space to show what they are truly capable of.. I sort of understand why people liked the second couple’s romance.. It was simpler and less complicated.. But to me, their story felt incomplete.. For a drama that felt too lengthy, we didnt' get enough of their story and that was a disappointment..
For me, the last 3 episodes were the best, well written, well executed part of the show.. The realization of what's happening and what's about to happen and what the first 9 episodes had been setting up for.. The emotions of each characters, even the supporting characters.. That final part, was just pure performative excellence.. But they did really dropped the ball on that ending.. It felt abrupt.. It should have been about everyone.. It almost felt like the others didn't matter.. For me a final scene bringing the whole family and friends together would have been the perfect closure..
I wanted to mention a few other things..
Saw a lot of people saying they rated the drama less because they weren’t satisfied with the romance.. But this is a melodrama, not a rom com.. The genre defines the story.. You knew what you were getting into.. If you can’t handle that, then no offense but maybe this just isn’t the kind of drama for you..
Song Joong Ki’s costumes were an absolute mess.. They could have gone with a simpler, more casual look but instead they ended up choosing some of the worst outfits for him..
Every time I read comments like, Ji Hoon is a much better actor than his peers, I can’t quite agree, at least not in the context of this drama.. His character simply wasn’t the kind of role that allows an actor to truly stand out.. His role could have been performed by many of his peers and achieved the same level of recognition.. I am not saying he isn’t talented, he is but this just wasn’t a challenging role.. His chemistry with the SFL was the only standout factor in this drama for him, not his acting..
I really hated how easily the parents were forgiven in the drama, especially Nu Ri’s mother.. She abandoned a young girl in the hands of her boyfriend, someone she herself didn’t trust enough to stay with.. And then she had the audacity to come back after all those years as if nothing had happened..
I really hope Song Joong Ki comes back with something like Vincenzo again.. Dramas like My Youth which rely heavily on story and performance are often unfairly overlooked.. He is one of the best actors in the KDrama industry and he doesn’t deserve the kind of hate he is been getting..
Overall, My Youth is definitely not for everyone, some might find the story too slow or bland.. But with a wonderful cast of characters and some strong performances from the leads, I would say My Youth is a good one time watch..
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it's rare when the sequel is better but here we are
production: just what you would expect on a bl production from korea... nothing too expensive but not looking cheap either... fits the story they are going for. editing could be improved but i don't mind it that much.story: well, well. i didn't expect to be so invested in the story. i saw some people saying that it's too fast but i disagree... making it any slower will make this show boring like other kbl out there because we don't have the benefit of longer running time so this is just perfect.
acting/cast: omg i love the new guy, he is handsome and he acts well... both the leads complement each other... i hope we sehyun on season 3 again... i think the acting definitely improved. it would've been perfect if the kiss is not a dead fish but whatever straight kdramas do it too...
ost: love the ost! will add it on my bl playlist soon.. i believe there's at least 3 songs and i love them all
rewatch value: i don't really like rewatching even with shows that i love but i'll be for sure rewatching scenes that i enjoyed.
overall: an improvement from the first! it helped that it was all released on the same day so i get to binge it... i think the problem with kbl nowadays is they separate a movie into episodes and the quality suffers... i'm glad that they released it all so i get to enjoy it more... can't wait for season 3!
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Only for Love has me in a chokehold!!!
I know this drama is not for everyone … BUT for me this drama is sooo amazing and addictive!!! Currently up to episode 10 and OMGGG I am obsessed!!!- 1st of Bai Lu: I mean absolute Queen!!! Every drama of hers is a slay!! I have read the novel and Bai Lu really did a perfect job portraying ShuYi’s character in the novel!! the cheesy pick up lines, dramatic acting and everything to me was exactly as the novel!! perfection!!!
- 2nd is Dylan Wang: A lot of people are saying his stiff in the drama but I feel like he has definitely improved than he past drama!!! For example whenever his character ShiYan sees ShuYi he’s face brightens up liek a light bulb!! He is definitely a “he fell first and harder”
type of guy!!
Overall, this drama to me has been a masterpiece causing me to giggle like a psycho and blush like a tomato!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
IF ALL CHARACTERS CAN BE MASS MURDERED FOR AN UGLY PLOT, THIS SHOW WILL BE THE PRIME EXAMPLE.
I’ll analyse characters with my perspective for you, because there is no plot. Only assassinated characters. This will be my review.1. YEONG RYE:
uhmmm…. sigh! I liked her so much as the drama began. But I’m telling you she feels like this two-faced green flag wrapped not so green flag. Do you get it? It’s more like, to her, Jeong Hui’s sacrifices never mattered. On the surface she missed her. Inside she didn’t like how JH came back for her friendship and love. I get that YR and Jae Pil have now become closer but she freakin KNEW that her best friend liked him and he liked her as well. You broke the girl code dude. Could’ve not longed for his love when she got to know that they both liked each other or at least, when JH left because of you!!
I’m not saying that just because JH has done so many sacrifices, now YR must be grateful to her till eternity and clean her feet or something, but YR could’ve really chosen not to still harbour feelings for her best friend’s boyfriend. Her own feelings were more important than anyone else’s. She said goodbye to her first love, but never truly did. On the surface she sacrificed, but never really did. Felt like a show. And I think there are many such things like that. MISS KOREA!!! It was your friend’s dream all along. You knew it. No, the scholarship excuse doesn’t suffice.
YR’s character felt so shallow. I felt like she is something, but was portrayed to look like something else. Just because she is the FL the writers wanted her to look nice at the end, so they made JH the bish. But to me, YR felt like the real problem here. The writers just forcefully tried to install that she is the HERO. But it felt like a hollow well.
2. JEONG HUI:
What is she? God’s most unfavourite child or something? Like bro… is she even human at this point? Sacrificing her most important life choices left and right as if she is Jesus or smthg. Didn’t girl start off as someone who has a backbone? Now the writers don’t want her to become a bigger emotional ride on people’s minds cuz she is not the FL, so they turn her arc and make her the villain? What in the world??? SHE EFFIN DESERVES HAPPINESS!!! Tell me one character in this huge ahh casted drama that would choose JH over everyone else? Girl is like STRONG STRONG to choose these people over and over. She DESERVES the best…. away from all these people and drama. And gorforsaken for once she blurted her trauma, she is made to look like the villain? Everyone blames her and looks at her like she is guilty? Ew… they were never her people and she gave away everything she had for these very people. SAD.
3. JAEP PIL:
He is not the red flag. Sure. But definitely someone who feels things just for the sake of feeling things. All the bond that he shared with JH meant nothing to him. He was fully aware that she she still liked him before she had to leave everything and go. So now no feelings, bye???? Then YR. He wants her because he wants to pay back for what she has done to him and his family. More like repayment of loan with interest than love. It’s like he ticked boxes. We are compatible because I don’t eat tomato, she takes mine. Okay. She took care of my father. Okay. She loved me first. Okay. All boxes ticked. And then, oh competition! I must win. So let’s repay and win??? If this is real life, I swear they’ll get separated sooner or later because there was never love from his side. When the repayment is enough, there will be nothing left. I felt bad for YR in this thing because she deserved love. Not a conditional clause.
4. JEONG HYUN:
??? What happened to my Mr. Cool? His character had so much potential. But because he was not casted for the main lead, he shall suffer. No other reason. Character development what? This is character deterioration. Man had seven years to get closer to YR. He went away? Why? I understand JH for being away for seven years, but what reason did this man have? He loved her but didn’t put the effort at the right time. Anyway, his character felt like he was being reduced just because he is not the male lead.
5. YEONG SIK:
Consitently the only good guy. Bro doesn’t lift a finger tho. Never goes and puts efforts to get the girl. He just waits until she gets exhausted and comes to him. IDK if I had to feel good for him waiting and helping her when no one is there or bad because he never actively took the stand to show his love. He is just there in the background eating popcorn. He’s like- “Tell me when all of this drama is over. Things will fall in their places. I don’t have to do anything.” What in the ‘Eat Five Star and Do Nothing’ is this??? But I can never hate him. I felt like he was the only consistently been character out of the plethora of them. I only wished that he got involved a bit more.
6. MA SEONG CHEOL:
Play that ‘Eh? Eh? Ehhhhhh??? Ehhhhhhhhh!!!’ sound please. So much happened with this guy, but no one knows why it happened because it was never shown. I loved his character in the first half, it brought all the fun. But again, bro was sidelined. Then they came up with a new story for him. And no fly was convinced. How did he go from loving one woman to the other? It was only iterated that he likes taking care of the child so now he wants to take care of the child’s mom. The end??
SUMMING UP:
Worst plot. All characters are assassinated for the leads to get their ending- a story which doesn’t make sense. Waste of a beautiful cast and potential packed actors. Love you Dami and Shin Ye Eun. This drama can’t overpower my love for you. lol. This drama is more frustrating than healing. Didn’t expect this ridiculousness from a writer like her.I would rate it lower if not for the actors working hard and doing their job and the first half of the drama where the friendship between YR and JH was actually celebrated unlike the second half where all essence of the drama is lost for Hero making rubbish plot. I finished it just because I began watching it. Sick ride. Never recommend.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sometimes, you may need to believe in magic to get through dark times and make your life colorful.
The Sound of Magic is based on Ha Il Kwon's (하일권) webtoon "Annarasumanara" (안나라수마나라). This was one of many dramas I was looking forward to in 2022, and I had high hopes for it. I'm pleased to say that my expectations were not crushed, and that it delivered far more than I expected.This drama is about a high school girl named Yoon Ah Yi who is struggling to support herself and her sister. Her mother had abandoned her, and her father, who was in debt and had fled to make money. She had to work part-time to make ends meet. Despite having many adult responsibilities, she always managed to get good grades and was near the top of the school. She believed that poverty was the cause of her misery and her ambition was to become an adult as soon as possible and to acquire more wealth.
One fateful day, on her way home from work with her earnings, her money flies and flies and takes her to an abandoned amusement park, where she meets the mysterious magician of rumours, Ri Eul. The rumour was that the park is home to a handsome magician who performs real magic and will ask anyone who visits if they believe in magic. He asked Ah Yi the same question, and the terrified girl ran back to her house. Then they had numerous encounters, which helped him gradually gain her trust. But she still didn't believe in magic, which she thought was childish and that the fleeting joy it provided couldn't change the harsh reality. But, as the end approached, she began to believe in the magician and his magic, which also led her to believe in herself.
Yoon Ah Yi had a rival at school, Na Il Deung, whom she always beat in maths alone. They were in the same class and shared a desk. Il Deng always followed in his parents' footsteps and studied hard not to disappoint them. But, after meeting the Magician, whom he initially did not believe and even resented, he realises how trapped he is. He shows him how cold and dark the path he is on is. Il Deung has feelings for Ah Yi as well.
The mysterious aura surrounding this magician holds us spellbound, making the drama really interesting, and because the magician's true identity was concealed until the end, he poses many questions, even questioning whether all of this magic was truly real. When I first started watching the drama, I was concerned that the story would be weak because there are only six episodes. But this is completely false. The story and script were both intriguing and fascinating! It had the potential to keep viewers guessing about what would happen next.
As a musical, this drama worked well. The drama's start took me by surprise! For a brief moment, I almost mistook this for an Indian film disguised as a Korean drama, because the characters were singing and dancing, as is common in Indian films. In any case, the musical aspect was not perfect because some of the songs felt awkward in their creation and placement. But I really liked the music and the lyrics, which were some of the most meaningful and thought-provoking. Furthermore, the majority of the sound tracks were sung by the leads themselves, making them feel more realistic when the characters sing them.
Should I really bring up the cast? They were, as expected, fantastic! True, there are some scenes that made us cringe in between the songs, but overall, they were fantastic! Ji Chang Wook's performance was the one I most enjoyed. He captured Ri Eul's mysterious aura as well as his childishness.
The visual effects were incredible and mesmerizing! The scenes with the blue butterfly fluttering around are especially lovely. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen because they were so beautiful. This exceeded my expectations!
Finally, I really enjoyed this drama as a whole (very typical of a Netflix drama). Anyone can watch this drama in a single sitting without becoming bored.
P.S. May be edited afterwards.
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Understanding Love
'The Interest of Love' is a well paced, well written drama and the plot is easy to follow. The characters feel real, so maybe that's why some viewers have a problem with watching this drama. Like none of them are unrealistic, and not the candy typical far from reality that Kdramas like. Everyone in the cast is doing a fabulous job portraying their roles. All the emotions, confusion and acceptance in each episode, I love it. This will definitely make your blood boil, as well as make you frustrated. Like all of this workplace bullying, overt sexual harassment, and gossiping coworkers just screams toxic environment. Moon Ga-young, Yoo Yeon-seok, Keum Sae-rok, and Jung Ga-ram are all doing amazing. Fingers are crossed that this ends happily and we don't get yet another sad ending that screenwriters like to do nowadays. For now though everything is going smoothly and I'm genuinely enjoying the drama.(EDITED)
So I finished the drama, and all I have to say is that give it some time before you decided to drop it or give it a bad rating. The ending wrapped up nicely for me and made sense.
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This review may contain spoilers
Why did I even bother?
Usually hate-watching means the show is so bad it’s actually entertaining. Here, it’s just bad, with the characters so annoying it’s hard to find someone to root for. Truth to be told, if I knew the ending before I started the show, I would not bother with watching at all. I was intrigued by the interesting beginning, and not smart enough to leave when I saw the first red flags warning me, this leads to nothing good. One could say I’m Na Bi, and this show was Jae Eon - leaving me angry, annoyed, frustrated and exhausted.What seemed like a promising portrayal of a toxic relationship, ended as nothing more than another angsty young adult love story, that is even more pretentious than I could ever expect it to be. When in fact, it’s just fancy trash with pretty actors in it.
The main plot is the relationship between Na Bi and Jae Eon. Here’s the thing though - the relationship makes no sense. At first it’s presented as a strong sexual attraction, but it never really moves to anything more. Whenever the writer tried to incorporate any strong feelings from either female or male lead, it made no sense. What are these feelings even based on? By episode 4, the main romance became extremely repetitive and boring. How many times can we see Na Bi cry and Jae Eon be a jerk?
Na Bi was just painful to watch. By the end of the show I felt like she literally learned nothing. There was no development and no progress. The moment I saw some change, she took a U-turn into a crying mess.
Jae Eon was one dimensional and an empty shell. Don’t know what the writer was thinking, but you cannot develop something that does not exist. Giving him a last minute character development, when from the start he had no character or personality was a miracle in itself.
Bit Na and Gyu Hyun were more fun to watch, since both characters were stronger and had more of prominent personalities, but even they ended up on the rather shallow note. While they could have addressed some more interesting ideas about relationships and be a good mirror to Na Bi and Jae Eon’s relationship, the writer left me with little discussion and no real conclusion.
The only couple I truly did enjoy watching was Min Young and Kyung Jun. They were funny, sweet and relatable in all the best and heartwarming ways.
Except for them, there are exactly two things that Nevertheless, did well - LGBT representation and the amazing soundtrack.
While we’ve gotten more and more gay relationships in k-dramas lately, rarely ever we see lesbians presented in any way. At best it’s vaguely suggested or mentioned as a “personality trait”. It’s good to see a side story that truly explores the romance between two girls, and how they both deal with growing feelings. Sadly for me, I could not enjoy their ploy, since I could not stand Ji Wan as a character.
No matter how much I might dislike Nevertheless, the soundtrack is full of amazing bops. I listen to Butterfly and Love Me Like That daily - some of my favorite songs from 2021.
Overall, I could easily write a whole essay on why this show was basically a writing failure, but I honestly do not want to waste any more precious minutes of my life on this title. Let it die on my completed list, never to be visited again.
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let me get one thing straight about all of your concerns
i saw some one comment and was impressed as they said it correctly bcoz so many out there having concerns with sehun agethere's some actors out there portrayed as highschoolers.
Lee Minho (26) in "The Heirs"
Kim Tae Ri (31) in "Twenty-Five, Twenty-One
Hwang In Youp (30) in "True Beauty
Choi Woo Shik (31) in "Our Beloved
Summer"
Oh Sehun in Dokgo Rewind which was also a teen series
I bet, you've watched some of these written above.
okay so i know the people commenting here doesn’t want us to know that they don’t like a certain actor so pointing out a silly thing as age factor was so useless
he is already way mire famous in the outside media and the director knew this too
nope the director didn’t think oh he was almost 30 no he didn’t bcoz it doesn’t matter
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Overhyped. Quite disappointing. Mostly boring.
I was excited to watch this drama because of the high praise and rating on here. However I was quite disappointed. The story had great potential but fell flat for me. Most of the episodes felt like fillers as nothing much happened to advance the plot. You could probably condense the story into 10 episodes and still get the whole plot. In fact, that would have probably made me enjoy it a lot more.ML story is the best part of the drama and I enjoyed seeing his journey. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the FL. Known as the greatest assassin, we spend all episodes watching her be a maid - clean, cook and run errands. She does have a sharp mind which she occasionally uses well but even that wasn't enough to make her an exciting character to watch. Their love story is sadly not convincing as I felt little chemistry and most of their romantic scenes were cringy. I actually loved the FL with the SML more and the fact that they had a connection since childhood made their relationship more real, sweet and wholesome. Even the older couple's love story was more enjoyable to watch than the main lead's.
Acting was good. Settings looked awesome. Fight & magic scenes were done nice but not enough. Overall, I would personally not recommend this drama to a fantasy lover. Cdramas (xianxia) are a much better choice in my personal opinion.
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