Reviews

Page turner, the drama that told the most wonderful story in only 3 episodes. So simple, so straighforward, so uncomplicated, and yet so compelling, so beautiful, and so deep!

STORY
The concept of this marvelous piece of drama, that was too small but will stay indelibly marked in our memories, is life dreams and aspirations. How important it is for us to follow our dreams no matter how stupid or unrealistic they may seem. How important it is to do what we want for us, and for nobody else, how significant it is for us to believe in ourselves even when everyone else is against us, how essential is for us to fight for them even when they seem completely unnatainable. A story about life decisions and choices, about growing up, about fighting our inner demons, overcoming obstacles, chasing dreams or giving them up, finding reasons to live and dream and ultimately how to understand and love ourselves. A perfect coming of age story that everyone should watch. The secondary concept of the show is to showcase different types of parent-children relationships, how they intefere with our dreams (and our life in general), and how we need to confront them.

The story is pretty straightforward, it centers on three teenagers. The story is set in a high school and the background is piano-playing. Embedded in the story we get to see each protagonist struggling with their demons and through their heartwarming story they learn how to face their fears, grow up, forgive, become better people. The drama, as expected, never gets dragged, it has a point and goes for it from the very beginning. It is funny, whithout being superficial, it manages to be emotional, without being melodramatic, and most importantly it is serious without getting boring. I seriously have no drawback to point out as this was simple and yet beautifully written and thought out.

ACTING
Kim So Hyun, never fails to impress and she was impeccable once again. She pulls of her character greatly, she is kinda bitchy with a quirky personality, yet she is loveable and a great leading character and actress.

Ji Soo was luscious to watch, so fun, yet so sentimental. A great performance.

Shin Jae Ha completes the wonderful leading trio with another exquisite performance. All 3 actors presented their unique and realistic characters perfectly.

The supporting cast was brilliant, namely Ye Ji Won and Hwang Yeon Hee played their respective roles amazingly, being moms, they felt very realistic. Congrats

RECOMMEND/REWATCH
This is one of those dramas which can be watched and appreciated by everyone. Definately worth watching, it is just 3 memorable and well spent hours here. Teenagers will get great life lessons, and as for the older kdrama fans, as did i, you will feel a warming deja-vu feeling of your school years, longing feelings about those times, the good, the bad and the ugly everything is presented here in the best way possible. Definately worth a watch, and certainly rewatch-worthy.

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Okay, my review of this drama will only be about the BL part. I did not bother watching it for the other couples-(too many and some were annoying), so please keep in mind that it will only reflect some aspect of the drama. I'm sure that the other couples' stories were interesting (not to me), but I could not get into them at all. I tried and gave up and ended up just watching Pete and Kao's relationship.

Onto that part then. If you like BL dramas (I actually like any drama, but lately BLs have been taking over my life) then you will definitely like the way Pete and Kao's relationship evolves. It's the typical "I hate you to then I like you" story line, but it was nice to see. Pete's cockiness and his bad boy attitude wanted me to punch him at times, but he made it up with the way he would look at Kao, not realizing that he was falling for him. I also liked Kao's way of putting himself and his feelings first and making it clear to Pete that he could not play with him and his feelings. It was so refreshing to see a character that put their needs and feelings first in order to protect themselves.

Aside from that, I also liked the way the ex-girlfriend was not made into a villain in the end. She was a bit needed and manipulative, but she also had some moments were you could empathize with her and realize that people are not just bad, they can be good and they can also change for the better.

I still don't see how this series flows into Kiss me, because it seemed like here June was aware of Pete and Kao's attraction, but in Kiss me, he was totally clueless. We also didn't see much of Sandee who was the only person to know their relationship (what the hell happened to Sandee btw?) The fact that Pete's father found out, albeit though the evil scheme of the ex-girlfriend-was a good touch, because the boys had someone else on their side. I also believe that Kao's mother was hinting at her knowing they liked each other and it's nice to see parents support their children.

If you want to see the drama for just the BL, then you won't be disappointed (I suggest Lazysubber as she is the only one who has the BL parts in order and translated). If you want to see it for the other couples, then go head and watch it. This drama suffered from too many characters syndrome and I just couldn't commit to the other couples because they were not to my liking. Some of the pairings were super annoying from the bit that I watched and that's why I stopped following the whole thing.

Cons: MY GOD those long a&& commercial promos in the drama. Why were they always given to Pete and Kao? That soup company truly invested a lot of money into that drama. Pete and Kao spent on average two minutes just making that soup and slurping it--2 minutes we could have had of more character development.

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RUSTED SPOONS

The biggest flaw of the story is giving out way too many golden spoon, it kind of reduced the importance of an otherwise powerful selling point.

I will be honest. This is the first Yook Sung Jae series that I have completed (I tried his last show but i cant get past the second episode). This guy is handsome and has the acting chops to boot. Here, as Lee Seung Chun, he caught me in his trap from the very first episode. Something about his pain from being born poor felt effective and believable, and you want him to get out of his desperate situation even if it means somebody else will suffer in his place. As a viewer you'd want to give him the best too.

To be rich, he has to take the place of Hwang Tae Yong, who at first, seems like a despicable character. After a few episodes he managed to switch places, unfortunately for Seung Chun, it is not all greener on the other side as he found out that even the rich Tae Yong has his own personal challenges and demons of his own. Even more unfortunate for Seung Chun, Lee Jong Won's good performance as the new Seung Chun is even better than the original, that you cant help but root for him even more than Sung Jae.

Golden Spoon has managed to convey the rich versus poor comparison very well, albeit, they showed it in a way that poor is synonymous with good and rich is synonymous with evil.

We later found out that there was not only one but quite a few of these golden spoons, which, like I said in the beginning, kind of reduced the importance of the show's most powerful selling point. It felt like a lazy attempt to build the show's tension, to the point that when the last spoon user was revealed, it didnt have the imapct they hoped to create and my eyes just rolled up too high thought it left my skull. It was a waste of cameo from Na In Woo.

Has anyone noticedbhow the seemingly good hearted granny selling these golden spoons is nothing but a creepy Rumpelstiltskin-like character. She just doesn't give a sh*t if the spoon destroys lives, just as long as you buy the spoon. I would have wanted to see her true evil colors, and that she gives all those who used the spoons get what they deserve in return, which comes to that ending that I hated - Seung Chun should have been punished (or at least got the karma he deserved) but instead he got out almost unscathed and looks like he will manage to win the girl after all.

Overall, im still giving it an 8 out of 10. Would i rewatch? Probably not, although Im looking forward to seeing more of Yook Sung Jae and Lee Jong Won's other works.

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In the land of the scorpion the rooster is king.

This drama adapts Wei Yu's well loved romantic and suspenseful adventure novel Xī Chū Yù Mén /西出玉门 or West out of the Yumen (Jade Gate). The spirited and mysterious Ye Liuxi's first waking memory is of the desert with scant personal belongings to point to who she was and where she is from. A picture links her to Chang Dong, who lost all he held dear in that same patch of sand. Liuxi persuades Chang Dong to return to that most treacherous part of the desert with her. Together with a team of three others, they set out to crack the mystery of the Yumen Pass. On their quest to face their past, they stumble into a different, frightening and dangerous world where they find love, adventure, friendship and betrayal.

The most fabulous thing about this drama is that Ye Liuxi is a force of nature that simply sweeps you away with her beauty, strength and charisma. It is a role that must have been written for Ni Ni, whose portrayal of Liuxi is nothing short of iconic. Bai Yu's rendition of Chang Dong's quiet might and reserved brilliance is the perfect foil for Liuxi's more vivid personality. Their chemistry is so natural and shockingly scrumptious that I replay most of their couple scenes with a silly, lovesick grin on my face. I now have a whole new appreciation for Bai Yu's hotness. The other two romances are quite cute and endearing but neither is compelling or even necessary. Skipping or toning down one or both of these secondary romances could have helped the pacing of this drama.

The acting, rapport and comedic timing of the main cast is terrific and a heavier focus on their friendship over romance would have been no less enjoyable. It was a lot of fun to watch them humorously pull off their clone geminus selves. It is nice to see Jin Han in his element again as a misguided and flawed character. Lu Yuxiao makes an impression again as a young actor to watch. I also found both Gao Shen and Ding Liu's kick ass youthful exuberance a joy to watch. Sadly Meng Ziyi is the biggest let down in the cast. Long Zhi is an interesting role, a character with a world vision and the ruthlessness to achieve it. Sadly Meng Ziyi delivers a shallow and uninspired interpretation with two expressions - stone-faced and pissed off. She manages to turn a layered character into a cardboard and archetypal one. I used to wonder why such a lovely and charming actor didn't get more lead roles. Now I know.

Where this drama falters is in the pacing and narrative style. The transitions between sub-plots are not well handled with abrupt cuts to a side romance or worse, the narrator and the painter in the middle of action scenes or as momentum is building nicely into an interrupted reveal. The world within the Yumen Pass itself is well designed, rich in history and lore and occupied by dangerous and fascinating characters. The world building mostly takes place via exposition and usually right before the viewer needs that information. This kind of heavy foreshadowing diminishes the surprise factor in what comes next. This also comes with few pay-offs; in the end all I really needed to know is that in the land of the scorpion the rooster is king.

Even though this drama wraps up nicely with no major loose ends, the ending is anti-climatic. With one notable exception, most characters have fitting endings. However, the climax on the action adventure side takes place very early in the drama and the main romance peaks shortly after the mid-point. After that, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the plot seems to build towards a final, badass showdown that doesn't quite materialise. The writers decided it is better to jaw jaw than to war war which would be fine if this weren't a fantasy action adventure. I am also miffed that my thirst for justice and symmetry that demands some serious loss of limbs is not satisfied, nary a hair was even harmed! I console myself with the fact that the roosters once again show the scorpions who is the boss!

This is a must watch drama for just Ni Ni and Bai Yi's acting and chemistry alone. If anyone else were in the lead roles, I would only rate this an 8.0/10.0 but I am bumping my rating up to an 8.5 to recognize their riveting performances.

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I think the biggest problem with this series is that it'll forever be compared to the movie. Don't do what I did and watch the movie then jump right into this series. If you've seen the movie, wait at least a couple of months before starting the series to give yourself a chance to forget most of it. Or better yet, watch the series first.

There's simply no comparison. The movie is just a better overall production, even counting the fact that movies tend to have a higher budget. It's best to think of them as being in two different universes-having similar characters, a similar setup, but completely different characterizations, different plot, different tone, different extrapolation. I suspect that a lot of people rate the series higher because it ends happily, where the movie is tragic. As a gay man, I totally understand the bias against LGBT movies with tragic endings; there's simply too many of them. But still, the movie's better.

But I'm not dismissing this series. The series comes into it's own about halfway when it spends time with new characters and explores themes of it's own.

Overall, you won't regret watching it. I wish I had time for a rewatch as my own comparisons to the movie spoiled the beginning for me. Looking forward to Season 2 instead!

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A Romance of the "FOUR" Little Forest

A Romance of The Little Forest (两个人的小森林), is another sweet basic romantic-comedy drama narrating around a bubbly girl with her cold eventually turned warm lover. But what makes this drama stand out is the chemistry and adorableness between the two leads and.... when the main couple is actually not the main couple.

The drama narrative revolves around an internet beauty influencer chasing a botanic professor and eventually, both of them fell in love. The drama has any other cliche troupes you can find in other rom-com dramas, but the female lead's bubbly personality, adorable antics, and sweet funny and witty dialogues will make you want and unknowingly enjoy the drama!

Yu Meiren, the internet beauty influencer as well as a professor in ornithology (study of birds) is played by Yu Shuxin. This character is made especially for her, she is able to embody the character, and nobody can pull it off so accurately than her. All the adorable antics, carefree attitude, bubbly expressions and more. Though her character may come off as a 傻白甜 (those sweet, innocent, gullible female leads), but she is not. She is sweet and cute, but she has the brains and courage - she is willing to take risks for what she believes in and what she loves; she is not afraid to express herself. Especially during the end of the drama, where she finally comes to terms with her appearance and make-up.

Zhuang Yu, the botanic professor, is played by Zhang Binbin, and he did a great job, he manages to infuse himself into the character! Zhuang Yu is a cold and serious professor, but rather than making him a totally cold person, he uses subtle micro-expressions in the earlier episodes when Yu Meiren is around him or doing something funny. The subtle expressions definitely help the audience to understand and see the process of him falling for her.

What I loved about the drama is the chemistry of both leads and their character development after meeting each other. Zhuang Yu always reassures Yu Meiren - reassuring her that she is pretty the way she is, reassuring her well-being and more. And after meeting Yu Meiren, Zhuang Yu also became more lively! He can speak romantic words, that maybe cheesy but it is also romantic at the same time.

What I find lacking (irritating) from the drama and I believe most people find it too is... the second couple has more screen time (and probably a kiss scene) than the first couple. The second couple's narrative is also very classic, a village girl falling in love with a CEO and so on. The drama dragged the second couple's storyline so long and draggy causing the main couple's scenes to be cut by a lot. In addition, a lot of the main couple's kiss scene and sweet scenes in the drama is also cut short, the scene kiss scenes are even longer and more 🔥 than the one that made it into the actual cut. However, if you are craving more for their chemistry, you can watch the behind-the-scenes! Their behind-the-scenes are full of fun, sweetness and comedy!

A Romance of The Little Forest is truly an enjoyable drama, maybe not the best romantic comedy drama but it sure has its charm! Overall, if you are looking for a sweet romantic-comedy drama that will make you squeal do watch this!

P.s. this drama also has really good and enjoyable OSTs

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The plot has enormous potential, yet more bite and sting really wouldn't have hurt.

The share of Makjang in South Korea's series productions seems to decrease noticeably. After 3 seasons of "The Penthouse" in 2021, taking the evil within the "´War of Life´ to the extreme, it might have been somewhat exhausted? Thus, "Curtain Call" may be a noticeably 'softened' Makjang series (if at all). In this manner however, the KDrama represents a social zeitgeist that should not be underestimated: the desire for reconciliation. Reconciliation with the North. Reconciliation between generations, between the past and today. Reconciliation between duty and dream. The search, the longing, the need for South Korean society to balance itself on a new level - finding peace. To me, that's what "Curtain Call" stands for.

As so often, the focus is on the rich and beautiful. In this family clan, too, the third generation could disassemble itself in the fight for the golden spoon. But somehow things are a bit different here than otherwise in KDrama Orbit.
The head of the family is (quite progressively) a woman. Matriarchy instead of patriarchy, that makes a difference. While she probably represents business acumen and a strong leadership style, for all the respect she receives, she has NOT sacrificed her heart for her grandchildren and employees on the track. Also: For once, she (at least she) does NOT embody the incarnation of disparaging arrogance. She is NOT someone who mercilessly pursues her own interests without regard for human losses. In the contrary, there is a healthy dose of humility, because even in old age she is still close to the very simple roots of her origins. This is also because her homeland is in what is now North Korea. She remains aware of the painful separation throughout her successful life. No amount of money can turn back time or realign the political structures. Like that, she embodies a vicarious pain shared by many family histories across the country. And so an emotional bridge is practically built to the audience - ´halmoni´ gets some sympathy.

The plot has actually enormous potential: the grandson from North Korea, for whom the now old and terminally ill chair(wo)man longs in her last remaining weeks and months, was actually found. However, his personality seemingly doesn't lend itself to a peaceful happy ending - and so an actor who is versed in the North Korean dialect is introduced into the family as a fake grandson instead. He does his job so well that he ends up doubting his own identity...

"Curtain Call" manages to play out some of its punchlines in an emotional sensitive way. Nevertheless, the story remains more harmless than necessary and the potential isn´t realized. The KDrama doesn't take its chances, instead prefers to choose warm colors and soft images. All in all, "Curtain Call" might find its own pitch in the KDrama orbit, yet it keeps a low profile along the way and unfortunately does not take the next step. It rather remains kind-hearted and thus gambles away a dramaturgical chance. In my opinion, more STING really wouldn't have hurt. Too bad.

Nevertheless: "Curtain Call" is nice to watch. The cast is top notch. In places razor-sharp and at the same time pointedly funny, the KDrama also operates (especially against the background of the North-South dynamic) in a good mood with small socio-critical side swipes here, there and over there as well. The dialogues exploit this potential with relish. The bottom line is that "Curtain Call" is probably worth seeing if you DON´T feel like too much excitement, revenge, action, thriller, legal affairs or romance.

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Just finished this AWESOME drama!! The feelings are still here. I can;t even count how much tears was produced due to this drama. This is definitely a must watch drama. Although some parts of the case may be pretty graphic (according to me) it was still good. This drama definitely wouldn't be how it is without those scenes.

Story: This is by the best story line I have ever seen. All the actors are perfect. I felt their pain, their happiness, their frustrations, everything. This drama made me smile, laugh, and cry. Nothing can explain the feelings I had while waiting every week for new episodes.
The writer did such a good job at keeping the suspense always there. The fact that the story has many questions left to answer and is kept for the audience to decipher on what they want to happen is so breathtakingly beautiful. Its just so amazing that the writer and director was able to mesh all that and bring this wonderful work. This drama is definitely by far one of the best detective dramas, or drama overall.

Actors: I love the actors. Every one of them meshed into their character so well, I couldn't even tell they were acting. The child actors just hit my heart so so bad, especially the famous omelet scene. Gotta give it to the boy, I cried so much watching that scene. After this drama, I am definitely having an ahjussi-crush on Jo Jin Woong. The mains of this drama was just the best ones the directors could have gotten. I can't even imagine any one else playing their characters. Kim Hye-soo was also superb. Her acting during the shock scene was just...no words possible. Last but not least, Le Je Hoon was not just eye candy. The emotions he showed touched my heart soo much. I fell for him even more after this drama. Overall, the actors and actresses were TERRIFIC. I wished this drama never ends.

Music: Love the OST. Been jamming with it every day. It's definitely going to be on repeat to relinquish my withdrawals from this drama.

So many questions are left after I finished this drama... Despite that fact, this is still a must watch drama!

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This was the first Japanese drama I've ever watched and I still find it difficult to find another that compares. Whether you are a musical person or not, this drama will definitely find some way to lure you into the musical world.
First things first. The music: Absolutely amazing. I love the way they make the music the epicenter of everything in this drama. Sure, it has a cast of wacky characters, but when it comes to the music, everything else just goes to the background. You forget the silliness and instead get lost in the musical atmosphere.
Secondly, character-wise I think Nodame is by far the cutest most silly and lovable female leads of all time. Chiaki, is just an absolute stud in this and I fell for this guy instantly. Some might complain about the romance between the two characters, calling them childish and what not. But I found it to be so entertaining and enjoyed ever minute! The rest of the characters are hard not to love and I found myself wishing a happy ending for each and every one of them.:))) (Especially disco guy! Hahaha.)

It was because of this drama, that I started playing the piano again. I had given up on it in high school, but this drama brought me back to it and helped me appreciate the world of classical music once again. :)

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Apple+ hit the trend with best intentions.

The reasons I had anticipations for this mini drama were:
1. It's Apple+
2. The amazing cast
3. The storyline

The fears I had:
1. It's a debut for Apple+
2. The drama is only 6 episodes
3. The director's debut in drama

And overcoming all my expectations as well as doubts, Dr. Brain has been able to present itself as a series of quality and it's an absolute treat, I want to aasure y'all that.

Dr. Brain (브레인) is adapted from the webtoon with the same title writhen by Artist Hong Jac Ga (홍자가).

Dr. Brain is basically a sci-fi plus investigative mystery thriller keeping Koh Se Won (Lee Sun Kyun) at the center of the story. He's a brain scientist who has been working on syncing two brains for a long to establish communication through memories. Born with peculiar brain characteristics he has had a horrible past yet manages to make family and do excellently well in his career. One day his world breaks apart as his family falls victim to terrific accidents in a short span of time, but being an emotional man, he rather invests even more time in his research. And oweing to his inventions he now start accessing memories of his wife as well as the people around her to get to the root of everything. He puts the best of his efforts to combine the fragmented memories together in order to draw a complete figure. And while doing all these, he gets to unveil the conspiracies and the biggest culprits who have made him miserable.

I must say, the plot development is absolutely wow in here. For a 6 episode mini-drama, it is very important that each and every part should impress the audience, which was successfully achieved by the drama. I personally wasn't much intrigued by the 1st episode (except the neuroscience research stuffs, since I am a post-grad guy in zoology) but the 2nd one got me awestruck, ngl. The suspense buildup throughout the series is indeed marvelous and the progression is well executed. The way everything unfolds bit by bit using the pieces memories from various different persons is really very intriguing as the story progresses. The revelations have been made at appropriate timings and the pacing of the entire show couldn't be more perfect.

I can't help but praise so much about the acting area of the drama. Not just that the drama has several master actors, also we saw their acting graphs rising to some other level than before. Ahhhhhhhh! The feelings of witnessing their plays is something unexplainable. Apart from Lee Sun Kyun at the top, we also have here: Park Hee Soon (Lee Kang Mu) as a private investigator, Lee Yoo Young (Jung Jae Yi) as Sewon's wife, Lee Jae Won (Hong Nam Il) as Sewon's colleague and Seo Ji Hye as Lieutenant Cho.

We also have amazing actors like Uhm Tae Goo and Kim Joo Hun as guest actors. Among other seemingly minor yet important characters are: Moon Seung Keun as Dr. Myung and Jo Bok Rae as Sergeant Park. I am particularly held back by Seung Keun ahjussi's acting in last 2 episodes. His pronunciations and dialogue delivery made my eyes to bawl out.

Kim Jee Woon PDnim is a very familiar face when it comes to Korean movies and he's proved his worth long back. However, Dr. Brain is his directorial debut in Kdramas and this is the fact that made me doubt about the results. But to my surprise and utter satisfaction, he has done so so so well that I can't help but applaud for him. If you see the storyline is almost like a movie's but still 6 hours is too long for making a movie. And he's successfully proved his experience despite that.

Cinematography is an aspect that's been taken care of very well. The camera movements as well as capture angles perfectly showcase the scenarios involving the puzzles put forth by the entanglement of various sets of memories inside Koh Se Won's brain, his interaction with multiple consciousnesses and his visions. The CGI is also very nice for the hallucinations, imaginations and dreams that Sewon was having as side effects. The sound production too is perfectly done to suit the moods and vibes of the drama.

Scripts involving brain and neuroscience is nothing new for Kdramas and moreover this is fiction. The theories of brain sync, put forth here doesn't make sense at all, at least for the year 2021 but the execution is so very good that it almost feels real, even to biologists like me, haha. I guess that's the magic of science fictions. Who knows these theories might become possible after a century or two.

Despite the mixed feelings, I honestly wanted the drama to do well. And for a matter of fact, my biggest fear was how the entire world is now immensely interested in investing in Kdramas. It's some sort of insecurity that I have developed recently which make me afraid about the originality of Kdramas, which is slowly becoming diluted by mediocre Netflix series. But Dr. Brain has come to my rescue as a beam of hope and I wish it continues to prosper and burn even brighter in the future.

Overally, Dr. Brain is thrilling, enraging, captivating and intriguing at the same time and in my opinion, it is a must watch. Please please please don't pass it down thinking it's apple+ debut in Korea. It's an amazing show as it is.

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This is a feminist movie. What kind of image does it conjure up for you?
I can tell you that this isn't a story about a confident, "girl crush" woman. Rather, it follows the story of an ordinary woman and the gender based microaggressions she faces.

This movie isn't an easy watch precisely because it's so real (similar to Misaeng). You could only hope that all of those events don't happen to the same person in real life though.

I knew about the general plot before watching the movie but it still really hit me hard. At the start, I thought it was really fast-paced because it just threw you into the movie. But as the movie progressed, I got used to it and was able to connect with it more.

However, I think reading the book would help you understand the movie better. There was a few scenes that didn't feel resolved in the movie, but I think were explored in the book.
I was also confused if Kim Ji Young's behavior was supposed to be more metaphorical or literal. After reading some reviews of the book, I think I understand what it's trying to say. There was one review in particular that said she didn't have a voice in this society so she had to adopt other personas / mimic other people in her life to say something.

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A really fun and enjoyable watch, must watch for people who enjoy this genre!

First thing first, I did come here for the trope of marriage (of convenience?) and I wanted to see them explore that relationship with their work and life. Sure, they had a nice relationship (I'm a fan) but I feel somehow misled by the synopsis and the few beginning episodes here because there is no marriage. I get it, they were practically married only but they were not. I was looking forward to something complex like say a break up (just an example), etc. Honestly, maybe that's why this is not a perfect 10 for me because this is not what I expected going in.

But facts be facts, what we do get in actuality is absolutely beautiful and amazing. This show has given me three of the healthiest relationships or approaches to a relationship (with the best friend) I've seen in Cdramas for a very very long time. Nobody is perfect and neither were our characters here. I was pissed with Xiao Ning for the blind date, I have been mad at Yu Heng for his absolutely poor communication skills and Rao Jing came off as very offensive at first. But how the show slowly unpacks all these characters, their quirks and individualities is beyond amazing. I have enjoyed watching the relationship develop between our leads and how they've constantly supported one another, resolved their issues like mature adults and maintained their work-life balance. Similarly, Rao Jing and Zhao Fang have given me some of the most hilarious moments in this show and their banter is really fun to watch. They complement each other perfectly and it's nice to see how ZF helps RJ heal her wounds. Lastly, for the best friend, I loved the mature take on the relationship. I agreed 100% that neither of them was wrong and for them to acknowledge that and face reality needs strength. Sometimes you just need to prioritise yourself and your own morals/dreams/desires. All in all, we see three healthy relationships where they tackle issues instead of running from them.

The other aspect I quite enjoy is how they've not shown women as these pseudo-intellectuals. We finally have female friendships where their advice to one another is well thought out, practical and actually helpful - instead of being super toxic. Also how none of the women overstepped their boundaries and gave the leads (in their respective stories) the decision-making power without influencing them. I liked this mature and more realistic take on friendship. No one really has the time to gossip with friends every day after a tiring day at work and no, you do not let your friends dictate every single step you take in a relationship - good on them for portraying that!

Another thing - usually shows with 32 episodes become a drag. I did not feel that way with this one. The story flew very nicely and coherently and not much felt like it was out of place. I'm someone who likes business plots, so I've enjoyed the business aspect, team bonding, and how they worked together as well.

I also think all the actors have done really well in their roles. Xiao Han made me despise her character and the parents were entertaining to watch. Everyone has worked well!

Overall, this is a really great show with a good storyline (though misleading), a nice soundtrack, brilliant acting and a good pace. I've not seen Karlina's works before and I have to say, I've become a fan. She's so stunning and good at her work. You should definitely give this one a try, it'll be worth your time!

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Absorbing & intense 500 minute road movie. A taxi ride to a soul´s nowhere. Brilliant from A-Z.

For me, “A Bloody Lucky Day” is one of the KDrama highlights of 2023.

It is a psychological thriller. Without makeup. Set in a fairly grounded, solid, authentic everyday world, which gets challenged by a maniac´s incredible psychological logic. Stirring. Brilliant from A-Z.

However, everything revolves around the abysmal work of a psychopath. Accordingly, things get mercilessly brutal at times. The cumbersome police don't come off so well. Common sense, on the other hand, does... when it is in fact emotionally cornered to the extreme, so that it can no longer help but function at full speed, without distraction whatsoever.
One-pointed concentration, already having lost too much, getting your teeth into it and being ready to go to extremes – could that be the recipe to counteract the psychopathic 'monster'? Could... Maybe... Or not... Or is it?

“A Bloody Lucky Day” could be considered an absorbing ca. 500 minutes long road movie - a taxi ride to a soul´s nowhere. For the poor taxi driver a rather involuntary participant observation study on a psychopathic killer...

Emotionally highly explosive. Intense. Acting is first league. As a I mentioned earlier, a brilliant production from A to Z.

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HIStory stories had quite some pressure on them after the release of Obsessed, so I was very curious how "season 2" would do. I expected to be either utterly disappointed or be full of high praise. Well, fortunately the second one is the case.

Story: Right or Wrong gives us a lovely storyline that does not actually start with a love line but a main "get to know the life of the characters" plotline. Soon though, it picks up the pace and gives you a lot more than you expected. The story gives you some drama, a lot of funny remarks or conversations (at least I sometimes found them quite funny) but mostly it gives you loveliness...RoW is lovely from beginning to end and when you start you don't wanna stop because the characters grow on you rather quickly. Also it gives us a little unusual storyline for BL series and movies, so that's something new and fresh.

Cast: The cast was a little bit awkward at first but after getting to know the characters better, you start loving them and the awkwardness disappears. The acting is good enough, for me to forget that they are actors and for me to want to know what they will act in next. Also the cast managed to give their own flavour to the characters.

Music: The music was great. I love the ending song!!

Rewatch: Oh yes, definitely. Probably right now ^.^

Overall: Overall the story did not disappoint at all and was interesting and refreshing especially for a BL series. The characters were lovely, the cast did a great job, the music is noticeable and nice to listen to and I definitely love this as much as Obsessed. Well, the expectations for the rest of HIStory 2 are rising...

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