Reviews

Not what I expected in the best way!

"The Secret Romantic Guesthouse" is nothing like what I expected it to be. It has a lot of elements that are in some of my favorite sageuks but has a unique balance between being seriously dramatic and comedically lighthearted. The story does take a few emotional turns without ever becoming too heavy. The title definitely doesn't do this drama any justice. Yes, romance is a big part of the story but there are also revenge plots, a tyrant king, a secret rebellion, and some truly great characters. This drama is definitely more about the whole ensemble than one particular couple, and I loved the chemistry between all of the characters as chance and fate brought them all together to become a makeshift family in a random Inn for aspiring scholars.

The owner of Ihwawon Inn is Dan Oh played by Shin Ye Eun. I loved that she is a brave, independent, and outspoken character even though sometimes her antics were frustrating to watch. I also love that the plot wasn't just the usual one girl choosing between 3 suitors trope, as the poster suggests. She really has a unique relationship with each male lead and they have the same unique relationships with each other as well. Ryeoun plays the aloof fighter Kang San who doesn't warm to people too easily, but I loved his smile whenever he did. Jung Gun Joo plays the thoughtful and scholarly Jung Yoo Ha, the most straight-laced of the bunch without being boring. And Kang Hoon plays the silly Kim Shi Yeol who never seems to take anything too seriously, and definitely became my favorite. It was easy for me to really start to care about each of the leads from the beginning, but what I loved most is that none of them were exactly as they seemed and always kept me guessing. With each episode, we learn more about each character's past and motivations, which kept every episode interesting till the very end.

The entire supporting cast is just as great as the leads, although I won't go into too much detail to avoid spoilers. The King and Chief Administer, however, were so irredeemably evil that I loved to root against them, yet even their single-minded goals made me empathize with them during some of their evilest moments. I think that's because the characters were really well written even if they all weren't necessarily complex. None of the characters felt like filler, and no scene felt useless either. There may have been a few minor moments that made me roll my eyes but it all came together and made sense in the end.

Would I watch this again? Definitely. Mostly I would want to watch knowing what I learned about the characters from the beginning. I already rewatched the first episode and certain scenes hit differently once you know how the story will evolve. Maybe some moments will drag watching it for the second time, but I liked the characters so much I would still be entertained.

My only real complaint is that the kiss moments were so disappointing. All the chemistry in the world just feels ruined by dead fish emotionless lip touch where a passionate kiss should be. Ryeoun tried his best to make it sexy, but Shin Ye Eun... just yuck.

Overall, this drama tells a great story and I think it will appeal to people who don't want a historical drama that is too depressing or a romcom that is too silly. This is directed by the director of The Princess's Man, one of my favorite sageuks of all time, so the action scenes are great too... especially the Watchman battles. If you like dramas that will keep you guessing. this one does a great job of always introducing a new and unexpected element even when you think you have it all figured out. I say this as a person who is easily bored by fighting for the crown plots but the pace was great so I didn't have a chance to be bored.
I was sad at the end of 18 episodes to say goodbye to these characters, and that's more than enough for me to recommend this drama. I didn't cry, I don't have any new favorite couples to add to my list, but by the end, I felt like I went on a journey with these characters with them finally living the lives they were meant to and that's the best kind of ending for me.

Read More

This is very well crafted layered drama which does a wonderful job of weaving multiple stories through one another. Like a very fine piece of embroidery. The writer came up with an interesting concept of combining the supernatural with the real world but full credit needs to go to the director and the producers too. The level of production is incredibly high. The action scenes are quite believable, the production team actually makes their actors sweat LOL.
The locations are gorgeous, I would love to have that house by the river!! This has it all fast-paced action, sweet romance, old love, the strength of family bonds, friendship, loss, revenge and above all, hope.
You feel for every character, there was a reason why they did what they did. Everything is so grey, nothing is black and white. Incredible acting by the actors playing the villains that in spite of their evil doings, you still feel a touch of pity and regret for them on a basic human level. In an odd way, the strongest stories were all the ones surrounding the main plot, The characters are so sensible here. no over the top hysterics! This drama was really like having a window into the basic human nature of people. There are certain scenes which just grab you with their intensity of silent emotion and dialogue.
The family ties between Prin and his grandmother, between Bella and her mother, the affection between old loves is all handled with a sweet touch. Even relation ships with the workplace, between the chief and his subordinates, the relationships within the neighbors, was well structured together. Romance takes a back seat initially, the emphasis is on the who-dunniit and what-happened, but Prin is awesome in his expressions and action scenes and Bella's smiles are infectious. The supernatural isn't forced and works hand-in-hand in moving the story forward. My particular favorite had to be Aunt Prik! You will know what I mean when you see her.
The music was very well done, very apt and sweet. I will re-watch this for sure, with a little fast forwarding, the cinematography is outstanding, the open credits and song are amazingly well done, the supernatural is handled deftly. The pace of the drama could be kicked up a few notches in certain instances, a few less weepy scenes would be good but nothing a little fast forward wont take care of :)

Read More

How to Date a Celebrity

I have never thought I would have enjoyed a youth drama such as this one, but this drama proves me wrong. I have really enjoyed it. The acting is natural, the characters are lovable and the sweet internet romance is very real and cute. This is my go-to drama after a hard day of work. It is really relaxing and funny that makes you warm and laugh out loud. There are no annoying characters and no bad love triangles. The story is simple sweet and heart-warming and the main actors are beautiful and lovely.

He's an all-rounder straight A’s college student and a gamer, and she's an alumnus and a popular singer. He's her secret admirer and, she barely knows him. Then they meet playing online game and their romance begins, without knowing who each other is; they just fall in love.

Dating a celebrity is hard work, and a celebrity’s dating is also a hard work. Both cannot do things that normal lovers do. But both are willing to sacrifice for the other.

Playing the character Liang Chen, Xu Lu is very convincing. As a true singer herself in real life, Xu Lu pockets her role perfectly and effortlessly. She is immaculate and natural as if Liang Chen is her. She absolutely nails it and more. Xu Lu is beautiful, fashionable, and so adorable that anyone can fall in love with. No wonder Lu Jing (Lin Yi) falls head-over-toe in love and cannot have enough of her.

Lin Yi has also nailed his character. Long legged with slender long fingers, Lin Yi is so good looking with a boyish face. After all, he is 4 years younger than Xu Lu in real life and as in the story. But their chemistry is amazing. They are so convincing as two lovers. Their kisses (a lot of them) are real and passionate. They really love each other so much and cannot have enough of each other. And they are explicit about their feelings for each other; they don’t hide their love in front of their friends and relatives. It is really sweet and beautiful when two young people fall in love. Being so tall, Lin Yi looks exquisite in his large wardrobe of trench coats.

The OSTs

As Liang Chen is a singer, various songs are sung constantly throughout the drama. These songs are beautiful and the lyrics are touching. I particularly love it when Lu Jing plays the Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto which is one of my favorites, and it is being done rather extensively. Though not perfect acting playing the violin, Lin Yi’s tall figure, long legs and slender fingers make up the imperfections.

My verdict

This drama raises an interesting question:

Should a woman choose a successful and mature man or a young impulsive big boy to be her future partner? For Liang Chen, she has no doubt that Lu Jing is the one. So the answer is, it all depends on what one wants in life and what one's values are. For me, I would have chosen Lu Jing too. Who would you have chosen?

This is the best big sister/little brother rom-com I've ever watched. Bravo!

Read More

Refresh Man is a sweet romance with some corporate games thrown in. The corporate story is good, but nothing that is intense or gripping. I felt like it was predictable and sometimes boring. However, if you look at it from the love story side of it, then it is beautiful and fun. It is a little cheesy at times, but it seemed to go with the flow of the story. The side stories for each character actually add to the story and to the understanding of the male lead. Also, it helps with character development. I think the ending was well done, but could have spent more time on the lead couple.

I don't watch many Taiwanese dramas, so I don't know the actresses well. I wonder if Tseng Joanne is a popular actress. She drove me crazy with that frown look. Very rarely in this drama was she smiling naturally. I don't know how to explain my aversion to her acting, but she is pretty. She did an ok job as Zhong Yu Tang. I didn't think she had any chemistry with Ji Wen Kai played by Yan Aaron. Maybe it was because they knew each other since high school. I hear Aaron plays a lot of CEOs. I can see why since he does it well. He was efficient but not cold. I enjoyed his character a lot. This is the second time I have watched Lee Jack play the second lead. In this one he was more of a jerk as Wang Zi Yu. He is cute though. LOL The other actors are good also.

Some of the music I really enjoyed and some of it I absolutely hated. Lalalalalalala

I won't rewatch this.

If you like romance where the guy loves the girl from beginning to end, then this is the drama for you.

Read More

i haven't seen the Chinese version

I haven't seen the Chinese version, so I can't compare it. I look at the Korean version separately. It was beautiful, she showed her friendship very, very beautifully, but there were some problems. For me, there were places where it should have made an impression. It didn't make an impression. I don't understand the reason why the girl was wearing the boy's necklace. In some places, Kim Damie's character was too full, while she should be ashamed in front of her friend. . In some places, I did not understand the decisions of the characters, what was the reason, how did they feel when they made this decision. I didn't understand the reason why Kim Dami didn't tell the truth to the boy, but overall, I think it was a work worth seeing once

Read More

Breathtakingly beautiful

This drama was just perfect, I rarely write reviews
but I highly recommend this to everyone...
starting from the story line, to the characters performance, the music, the script and their monologues.. everything about this drama was on point.

This drama teaches you more than you know, it gets through you and takes you to brighter places slowly and beautifully,
if you are going through hard times, if your down, this starts its journey with you and ends up giving you hope in an inexplicable way, its more than just two people meeting each other, its understanding of the whole image and the characters, its not something to expect as overly dramatic and misunderstandings but pure mature people and conversations that you would love. At least personally that what it was for me !!
Its been a really long time since I felt this emotionally invested in a drama, I was absorbed, immersed and fully engrossed by the whole set.

Read More

Based on a true tale, 'The Case of Itaewon Homicide' is a chilling movie. It is so realistic and well-made that you would want to believe that it's the real footage of the whole case that you're watching. Why the hell didn't I watch this sooner? It was so engrossing that I didn't even move for its entire duration. I was almost biting my nails all the way through the end.

This movie has no romance and happy moments in it. It is tense when it begins and remains that way till the end. The direction of this movie is absolutely brilliant and the writing is top notch. The supporting cast was probably not as good as the main leads but both Jang Geun Suk and Jeong Jin Yeong were terrific in their performances. Jang Geun Suk was creepy and hot at the same time in this movie. This has to be his best performance till date.

Overall, it delivered excellently. In spite of being tragic and having a dark theme, it made me smile several times. There were great arguments and defenses put forth while the oppositions accused each other. It was IMPOSSIBLE to figure out the answer. I admire the prosecutors and defendants. I think we almost always forget how difficult their profession is and this movie reminds you just that.

I googled and was surprised to find out that after this came out, the victim's families actually appealed for a re-trial of the case. I can see why. It does provoke that thought in you. Kudos to the director!

I will most definitely watch this movie again because it was so enjoyable. It also has great score in the background. It has never a dull moment and remains consistent. Give this a try if it sounds like it's the genre for you. I totally one hundred percent recommend it.

Read More

I'm not an expert on Korean movies but I'd say that this wasn't bad at all. Obviously, a two-hour movie cannot have the same depth of character development as a 16- or 20-hour drama series but since the main focus was on the main characters, I think you had enough time to get attached to them. I even shed a few tears at the end of the film (or then I'm just too soft... :P)

This movie isn't full of drama but it is not a light one either since it touches upon themes like violence, alcoholism and depression. However, all these themes are illustrated in a warm-hearted manner, not too realistically, and hope is definitely present all the time. This is certainly not too serious a movie, and that is largely because of the more or less twisted and dark humour that spices the story up and makes you laugh.

The overall plot goes onwards at a good pace and has some interesting twists that I was unable to predict, especially at the end. Shin Hyeon-Jun portraits in a very endearing way the professional killer Hyun-Jun who is a serious, warm hearted and troubled man questioning his profession and quietly looking for someone he could talk to. Kang Hye-Jeong's Jin-Young is a bit crazy, not an ordinary woman, but very adorable.

This movie has some very endearing and funny scenes and that is why I liked it so much. The main characters are very likeable as well. If you have two hours to spare, go and watch it, it isn't a waste of your time.

Read More

Initially ,i was unable to accept anything related to ouran high school other than the manga and the anime,but after watching this drama till now (till episode 8)I changed my opinion completely!IT IS A GREAT SHOW ,REALLY EXCITING AND HELAROUS!the cast offers great efforts in conveying the characters ,they are not only acting like they are anime or manga characters but they take their roles seriously and acting greatly AS A DRAMA ,yamamoto yusuki born to be tamaki,haruna-san acting nicely as haruhi,daito as kuoya is acting in a cool way also masaya as mori is acting soooo funny and seriously ,chiba yuda as honny is super cute(kawaiii),Ryusei Ryo as nekozawa is funny and you will fear him **!(LOL),hikaru and kaoru are soooo cool and the menapi twins suits the role (demons).

ALL OF THE ACTORS SUITS THEIR ROLE ,ACCORDING TO THE SHAPE OR THE ACTING EFFORTS.

IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR LIGHT FUNNY SHOW AND FULL OF COMEDY SCENES AND HELARIOUS JOKES ,ALSO HAVE GREAT SERIOUS LOVE STORY AND LIFE DRAMA STORIES(OURAN DRAMA)DEFINITELY THE BEST CHOICE ,NOW I AM WAITING FOR THE REST TWO OR THREE FINAL EPISODES AND AM SURE THEY ARE GREAT LIKE THE REST OF THE EPISODES ,FINALLY FEEL HAPPY AND RELEIF AFTER WATCHING EVERY FUNNY GERAT EPISODE! ^_^

Read More

Unethical and Awesome

Well... dang. This extra-mini-miniseries is demented but logical and fascinating enough (for me). The ML is metaphorically on another plane, FAR AWAY from the rest of humanity. He's NOT a status or wealth-snob, but he's so powerful, rich, and unfathomably confident, that he embodies the essence of an immortal god/demon. He's a morally-grey ANTIHERO character, that is severely controlling, fierce and deadly but is also diametrically protective, loving and forgiving (toward FL and his assistant). He doesn't allow anyone to control him, even his own mean/controlling mother. His smirk/smile reminds me of a young Damon Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries but he's legitimately powerful enough to be ABOVE the law, like Klaus Michaelson, ("I AM immortal!") 😈, and he knows it. He ALWAYS has a trusting, positive, compassionate outlook of the FL's integrity and personhood - even when she betrays him out of her ignorance. The FL is understandably scared (and frustratingly) small-minded in the face of this type of larger-than-life antihero. Like the rest of us ignorant humans, she's not able to perceive the bigger picture nor find the truth. The happy ending was way too abrupt. Their chemistry was only partially explored via the ML's passionate pursuit and his (mostly forced) 💋 kisses, so the ending is the beginning of their consensual romance.

Read More

First of all, who needs romance when we've got bromance? lol. School 2013 is absolutely the best bromance I've ever watched. And this is coming from a person who's already watched Shut Up Flower Boy Band and Can You Hear My Heart. I started it and frankly the first two episodes were a little boring for me. But once Heung Soo transferred to their school it just became awesome. And ironically, Heung Soo didn't even do much. He just sat on his desk smirking from time to time in Go Nam Soo's direction. They made such a cute couple! Seriously their cuteness made me wish they were gay and they'd get married or something. But on the other hand I don't want them to be gay at all because they're just so cool and I have a huge crush on both of them. lol. Ok, now I'll stop with the fangirling :P

I also liked Park Se Young as a gloomy, quiet, oozing-with-confidence class topper. I also loved Min Ki the angel, Chang Hwan the sweet sweet boy, Jung Ho the gangster, Jung Ho's friends, Kang Joo the bubbly bestfriend and others that I can't really recall right now.

And, you know, the thing is that romance is great to watch and all that but watching these friendship dramas once in a while leaves us with a warm, fuzzy feeling which we feel in life when we hang out with our friends at school or wherever. Friends and schoolmates - we make unforgettable and probably the best memories with them. And dramas that portray that - we can personally relate to them. What I'm basically trying to say through this mini-speech is that even though there's no romance in this drama, don't let it stop you from watching it. It's a gem.

Read More

I could just cry. This show started out with SO much potential. It started off cute and funny with adorable leads that won my heart. Then about half way through, I started to worry. This is a 20 episode show and the story was starting to flounder. Surely, they will save it and all will be well - I believed this. And those leads - gosh, they are cute! Nearing the end, and I am really starting to get annoyed with Writer-nim. What the heck were you thinking Story-Writer??? And then the last episode comes, and I am so sadly disappointed in this show. If they had cut out most of the intense, glaring, staring contests maybe they could have written a tighter story. It's almost like the writer had so many ideas and tried to shove them all in to the show whether they fit or not. There were so many loose ends and "what the heck" moments that I could spend an hour listing them all.

I cannot, in good consciousness, recommend this show to anyone. I really wanted to. I was smitten with Nam Goong Min and Min Ah - those leads were the bright spot in the pile of poo this story became. (And incidentally, this is the first time I've seen either of them act. I've not seen NGM do his villainous roles, but I think comedy suits him.) The story is named after Gong Shim. However, the title character doesn't seem to be the focus of the show in the back half at all. And her sister, who is on the cover as a "main lead" - is relegated to an afterthought. Her story goes NOWHERE. Joon Soo, the other main lead, was likable, but mostly boring. The writers essentially did nothing with his character. The focus of the show ended up with Ahn Dan Tae. They described one story to us, and we got something completely different.

The ending was rushed and the last episode was completely and totally random and thrown together. I felt like they wanted to tie up a lot of loose ends, but they did not even do a good job of that. They had TWENTY episodes to finish this story. There was NO good reason that the ending should have been rushed. I feel sorry for the actors that were involved in this story. I would absolutely watch these actors do another show, and so wish that THIS story had been executed properly.

The Good:
The cast
The music
The comedic moments
The cuteness of the couple

The Bad:
The loose ends
The bait and switch story
The length
The unsatisfactory ending (happy ending, but not done correctly)

The Ugly:
Poorly executed storyline (throw it at the wall and see what sticks)
Characters backburnered and forgotten
Unending glares and stare-downs
What the Heck moments galore

I originally intended to give this drama a score of 7 because I WAS entertained and enjoyed ADT and GS so much. As my husband and I discussed it this morning, my rating dropped to a 6.5, and then by the end of our conversation I had to conclude that (as much as I hated to do it) that this story really only deserves, at best, a 5.5. Sorry show! I wanted to love you!

Read More