Reviews

Not since "Nirvana in Fire" and "Ten Miles" have I seen such an amazingly written, acted (two leads made me feel their love was real and I LOVED their chemistry and facial expressions), and produced series. There's so much crap today that nothing's been catching my interest until I caught avenuex's youtube review of this. Boy, she sure wasn't kidding when she labelled it the best contemporary drama she's seen since starting her channel.

Finally, a romance with the most intriguing time travel mystery plot that's intricately written and doesn't fall apart. This is the time travel story I've always wanted to read or watch: Main girl time travels into the body of another girl and gets that girl's crush (male lead) to fall hard for her (he didn't like the original inhabitant). I've always wanted to read about a romance plot like that because it'll be such fun to watch the male lead slowly fall for someone he's never liked, but now is drawn towards only due to the main girl's soul inhabiting the body. It's like he truly falls for her soul/spirit and not the body. Sooo romantic!!! And the drama does such a good job at showcasing the male lead's "falling" process layer by layer and doesn't rush it. So delicious and swoonworthy!!!

No episodes feel like filler and such care is placed into the narrative and character development. This feels like a breath of fresh air! So many dramas these days waste screen time with bloat or scenes that add absolutely nothing to the narrative that I can hardly believe a drama like this can exist. Thank you Taiwan!!! This drama is on another level and I love the love story and overall plot!!!

The ending totally justified the means and resolved the narrative in the best way possible. It's both an incredible love story and a story about self-worth and the drama achieved both without seeming forced or preachy. Wow, can't believe how seamlessly the writers were able to intertwine both the love/self-worth plots without sacrificing either. Both heavily overlapped with the other, so it was impossible to become invested in one and not the other -I loved this as I hate too many plot threads that go absolutely nowhere.

Almost every plot thread in this drama was resolved in a satisfying manner, without leaving you feeling cheated. There was only one forced/conveniently written plot thread and even then, it made way for a good twist and didn't influence the most important aspects of the drama, so I was easily able to overlook it by the end. Overall, not only did this drama have my dream time travel plot , but also wrote it masterfully and had the best actors bringing it to life. Masterpiece through and through and will go down as one of my favorite dramas of all time along with "Nirvana in Fire" and "Ten Miles". Boy did this one steal my heart!!!

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Story: I felt the drama had no defined, real story. I also felt it was all over the place since it didn't feel consistent. I actually skipped a bit towards the later episodes.

Acting: It was just OK (though some were less than OK), but to be honest I had hoped that Kang Sora would do a better job since she was one the actresses in the group. I did like JinWoon, he did better than I had thought he would and I, also, liked Jung Yeon Joo's character and her portrayal of it.

Music: The music was great. For me, it was the best part of the drama. I loved the performances and the preparation scenes which took place before them. I also liked the "non-competition" music scenes.

Re-watch: I do no plan to re-watch this drama since I found it lacked a lot and I can just search for the clips involving the music parts, which is the reason why I even rated it a 5.

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Good Doctor     
 
The story line of this drama is quite peculiar – the fact that an autistic person could adapt fully and work in a hospital nonetheless is quite impressive because in reality it is unheard of.
 
The pilot episode had given me the impression that it was going to be a very promising drama, then by the end of the whole series I proved myself right. Although like any drama, Good Doctor has it high and low points along with loop holes. Due to the unbelievable premise, I say the writer was very much imaginative although farfetched for having such a plot. An autistic person basically has a lot of limitation but given the patience and perseverance to the people surrounding the person with a disability, it could be managed. Setting those thoughts aside, I love this drama because of the story and characters. It was like watching the movie Forrest Gump only in a clinical setting.
 
The main character Park Shi-on (acted by Joo Won) was such a lovable character. During the first few episodes, he may be an annoying autistic man who knows everything but after awhile his character grows on to you even his mannerisms become endearing… or maybe it’s just me because I find him really cute and funny? Anyyyywaaay… not to get side tracked, Cha Yeon-so (acted by Moon Chae-Won) is a woman with a strong personality. She has this tough exterior but deep inside she has a really fluffy heart which has a soft spot for our main lead.

I am not going to elaborate on that or else I might post unwanted spoilers. As for the supporting cast, they are essential in the series because they provide the substantial element of acceptance depending on the character's relationship with Shi-on.

Music wise their is nothing really memorable about it except that it adds to the drama.

Good Doctor may not be in my rewatchable list but it is very much in my recommended one. You don't have to be a medical literate to appreciate this drama because there are notes which would explain the terms & procedures. Over all it is a wonderful drama and it has exceeded my expectations.

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far better than the original...

While the original dragged on for ever this version is very compact. The "Ai" and "Rak" characters were played very similar while the "Kaishin" and "Mut" characters are quite different. The japanese version is less fluff and more animalic in the first half. The story plays out in the same fashion with the difference that the GL "to be" couple is far less abnoxious.

Now that MDL changed the episodes there are two special episodes after that but MDL could not be bothered to add them in the index yet. I felt the finale was a bit disappointing even with an happy end for all. The acting was far superior to the original series, the chemistry was there and they did not hold back in the NC-scenes either. Production quality was also high but less polished to the original series, so imho it felt more "natural".

Overall I prefer this compact version compared to the thai version which felt boring most of the time. So, if you didn't like the original version, chances are high, that you will be more comfortable with this version.

Update: Because MDL does not have an entry for the special episodes I like to mention them here. They are much more finale then ep 10 imho. Which rounds up the series nicely.

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Okay so Pretty Boy was really intersting at first. I can give that to the show, despite the ridiculously shalLow obsession of Bo Tong ( IU's character ) over Ma Te ( Geun Suk's character). It started of with a really interesting concept of the Pretty Man conquering 10 succesful women while learning something with them. But while the story developed itself the hole concept was completly lost and it got to a point where it seemed the writers were only throwing some random women to complete the total number of people they needed. Needles to say, this show had no logic, with really obvious dramatic plot twists. Overall Bel Ami was quite a disapointment and a waste of great actors, that, even with such a poor script, could make the hole chemestry thing between the main leads amazing.

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A Standout Animated Film

KPop Demon Hunters is easily one of the most compelling animated films released this year. It manages to blend modern pop culture with supernatural action in a way that feels fresh without trying too hard. The premise—K-pop idols secretly fighting demons—could’ve gone gimmicky fast, but the film handles it with a surprising level of care and style.

What really stands out is seeing this film listed on kisskh. Usually, animations—especially ones from non-Asian countries—don’t make the cut there. But in this case, it actually makes sense. Unlike a lot of Western attempts to tap into K-culture, KPop Demon Hunters shows a real understanding of its influences, and it doesn’t just borrow the aesthetics—it respects them. That’s probably why it was given a chance where others weren’t.

The animation is clean, the action is sharp, and the characters are well-designed both visually and emotionally. The music hits the right notes without overshadowing the story. It’s fun, but it also has enough substance to hold your attention beyond the spectacle.

It’s not just good “for a Western animation”—it’s a strong film in its own right, and a smart, entertaining watch for anyone interested in a cross-genre story done right.

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A surprisingly interesting watch

I had pretty low expectations (like one normally does for short cdramas) but this was surprisingly more than just excessive steamy scenes and hot actors.

PROS:
1. I absolutely love their relationship dynamic: I love how he is always by her side supporting her decisions and how he is always willing to hear her out when she has suggestions. He also never broadcasts his actions when he helps her out.

2. FL representation: Most of these dramas paint the FL as an innocent submissive doe-eyed young girl who eventually submits to the ML but here they have made her a pretty strong and self-reliant individual who is not afraid to express her thoughts. they also managed to achieve a delicate balance in making her both a smart, strong and bold person while also maintaining her gentle and innocent nature (usually FLs who are strong are also quite obnoxious)

3. Business: The plot actually made sense for once and I love how the ML is not a rich billionaire CEO but rather a humble and hardworking man (I also think that the ML's actor is more suited to these roles than the hotshot CEO roles)

4. Relationship progress: I'm glad that they both take things slow and don't jump into anything, they start of as strangers with a small attraction for each other and they take things slow and explore each other's personality more before committing themselves to the relationship.

5. Fl's Background: honestly i think it was unnecessary to make her a rich heiress but it ok since it doesnt really play a major role in the plot.

6. Maturity: This show has some of the most mature leads that even some full length high budget shows lack and I think it was very well executed.

7. Great OSTS
8. Great visuals

CONS:
1. Should have been a full length show: This def. deserved a higher budget and length because almost everything about it was perfect, it wasn't your classic soap opera and the side plots were engaging enough to keep me hooked towards the end.

2. I wish there was a bit more romance

All in all this was a pretty good show and I'm glad I watched it. If you are expecting something hot and steamy you will be disappointed but it was pretty good considering my past experience of nonsensical plots.

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An Academy Award deserving series!

This is the 4th Chinese drama that I’ve watched but it is by far the best. The professionalism and chemistry of all of the actors is hard to beat. Coming from the US, being a writer of fiction myself, I love the amazing character development. The directors and producers absolutely did a fantastic job with casting. I’m one of the few fans out there that do not view WYB and XZ or their characters as a couple though I understand that’s what the novel said. Instead, theirs is a brotherhood and bond rarely seen nowadays and brings memories of the 1940s and comrades in war (and I mean that for both the actors and their characters). The younger generations today aren’t used to this. I do wish there was better continuation within the series as many scenes were a bit out of whack. Thank you for a wonderful series Tencent that I can’t stop rewatching since mid-December! This series deserves an Oscar because it rivals many shows on TV from many countries especially here in the US. I can’t wait for Oath of Love, Legend of Fei, Doulou Continent, and every other production these young and talented young men will do. A million times thank you!

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Takuya, masato and manachan in a drama, what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing.
With perfect acting, most beautiful scenery and one of the best piano OSTs this drama is one the best I've seen through the years. While I was messing around on drama streaming sites searching through tags, I choose (animals) tag and this had a good rating so I watching first episode, then onto the second and I finished 10 in less that 16 hours. Next thing you know I'm a crying shampoo full of tears.
The story about a man who tries to give Japan after the Second World War some hope, by going to Antarctica, the government and everyone laughed at him, but he managed to assemble the crew and go to Antarctica , kimura always dreamed of going there just like his father did, the first episode was 2 hours while the starting was slow for me because I didn't know anything about this movie but once the boys gathered and found the cute huskies to follow them I was all excited. It was inspirational what the crew went through, but due to bad weather they had to abandon the dogs in Antarctica leaving them for what can be sure death ( cried a lot ).
This drama is not only about the HUMAN crew but the loyalty first coming from dogs and then the boys returned their love back and it had a lot of comrade sense.
The drama covered beautifully how Japan was not all about war but there are good people who wanted to give people some hope, achieve the impossible back then.
Keep an eye on takuya and masato, hands down of the best performances I've seen.
10/10 for epic journey adventure and love (shampoo approve)
Favorite ost
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5koZHzvWbtk
Semi-good quality stream
http://www.gooddrama.to/japanese-drama/nankyoku-tairiku

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Okay as filler drama

This is just an OKAY drama. The political stuff was not interesting. The sets and costumes were very nice. Visually appealing. The ending was happy and it reflected the nature of the romance in the show which is the main reason I was able to finish this show.
The ML falls first and hard and remains loyal to the end. It is a matter of fact kind of romance. He stays by her side through everything but not in a white knight complex kind of way. He just stands by and is there if she needs him. In fact there was a whole scene dedicated to him literally waiting for her and her just taking it all in stride as is the nature of their relationship.
The FL is smart. Has a life goal and states more than once that romance is great but she must complete her goals. I like that messaging and the strength of the character.
This drama has over ones of Romeo and Juliet. Watch for those themes and how they portray them.
Other thing I enjoyed was the sword play and wire work. There was enough for those of us who enjoy these scenes. The beauty of the swordplay without the gory violence.
The ending almost feels Perfect for a sequel or a series with each episode showing the intrepid couple solving mysteries. I would watch them.

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A decent adaptation of "The Good Doctor"

Firstly, this is an adaptation of the KRDrama, The Good Doctor, where the main character is an autistic savant and not suffering from Asperger's.

At only 16 episodes, this is a relatively short drama and a rather different medical drama, where it's about the main character struggles with autism and his insecurities.

While the description on MDL states that it's Asperger's syndrome, this is not true and Asperger's is not mentioned anywhere in the drama at all. There is also another review criticizing the drama solely because Asperger's syndrome is not portrayed well in the drama, which again, is based on incorrect information.

In all the adaptions of the Good Doctor and The US Drama, the main character has autism, and never Asperger, and it should be the same for this adaptation as well. As the description is translated by another MDL user, it should be a mistranslation as Asperger's is on the spectrum of Autism (probably machine translated).

That said, this drama does has it's difference from the other counterparts. Ignoring the obvious medical cases, plot and characters, one main difference this drama has, is that most, if not all of the characters in the show are very, very encouraging and supportive of the MC compared to it's other iterations where the MC has to constantly prove himself, which makes this a very heartwarming drama.

Finally, the other reviewer solely criticizing the show for it's bad portrayal of Asperger's and gave it a very harsh score which I think is unfair, as again, it's never mentioned that the MC actually has Asperger's in the show and it should be a mistranslation on MDL's description as Asperger's and Autism are both on on the Autism Spectrum and very similar.

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It's difficult determining how to go about reviewing this but from my score, it easily goes down as the best comedy I've watched in a very long time. Heck, I can't even think of a comedy that has not only been consistent but made me laugh so hard from the first episode. However, amidst the outrageous comedy is actually a very well written script. How the writers manage to play with both serious and light hearted topics, mystified me through this whole journey. I kept marvelling at how well crafted it was. For one, the law is far better done than some of the higher rated and serious dramas. *Cough* Won't VOICE out any names *cough* It creatively tackles topics with two very different characters as they both utilize their own philosophy to explore issues.

Legal High focuses on Komikado Keisuke who is a genius of a lawyer who has yet to lose a case. He picks cases driven solely boy one thing,money. He is over the top, hilarious and an absolutely captivating character. He's a blend of immaturity, charisma and at times raw and powerful emotions. His partner is the naive and innocent Mayuzumi Machiko who is surprisingly not irritating. Normally, this is the type of character that I absolutely despise. The self-righteous preachy type who wants the world to be butterflies and rainbows- however, she is very charming in her own way. She for one sticks to her philosophy but also acknowledges its flaws. This partnership makes for some of the most "laugh out loud" moments I have ever had in a drama.

Overall, this is a hilarious yet very well done script. The writers did a phenomenal job not only developing the characters but giving them distinct and memorable personalities. The humor does not get in the way of plot progression or even distract from the issue. It serves as a good compliment to the overall plot and by the end of this season, I was more than thrilled to hear there was a second which I have also finished. I rarely ever seek out second seasons in dramas. Heck, it's an incredibly difficult challenge for me to ever finish a drama much less get passed the fourth episode. I jot this down as an over the top yet highly recommended comedy. Do not pass this up.

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Smiling over a meal

Our lovely ladies returned in this second season to grace our screens with the sweet development of their relationship, their own personal challenges and moments of growth, the meeting of new supportive and heart-warming friends, and even more delicious meals.

I know last season I begged for a second season but, now, I'm begging for a third. Pleeeeeeeeease!

If you're not watching this, what are you doing?! Do you not like JOY?!

. . .

Did I mention there's rare Ace rep?

Just go watch it, you fool! I will be over here, crying over my coffee, blessing Furritsubs for allowing me to watch this with subs.

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Overrated work of art?

I guess it was my high expectations because of the praise that this show has got so far but when I watched it I couldn't really connect with it the way I wished to...
First of all the editing was weird in some cases, I was just left confused on the overall pacing of the story and the decisions made on continuation of it. Even if it was intentional it just didn't help what felt like a very lackluster story.
By the end I expected to learn more specially about Jae Won to really know his back story and the way he acted, and while I did understand his actions it felt overall lacking and like they could've explored more but decided to leave it vague, which just by the end made me not connect with him as I would've liked to.
A great portion of the characters (specially the ones in the club) were unlikeable, and were mostly forgiven or left without consequence in the end, which just made it harder to keep watching.
The music was alright and story could've been better, just the execution felt weird and even if experimental or different to what's out there in terms of BL it felt too cliche and weirdly paced in a lot of the cases, like if it wanted to focus more on the psyche of the characters why not show more of the therapy sessions of Jae Won for example instead of only snippets in some episodes for example.
I've been enjoying the last K-BL releases but this one just isn't up there for me, which makes me disappointed and makes it feel overrated in the end.

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Best Thai Drama

For me hands down this is the best version of hana yori dango(Boys over flowers) !
The casting is so on point really impressed with all the cast their acting is commendable and to know for ren and gorya it was their first project…they really did a good job
Bright as Thyme is perfection he delivered what was required as a F4 leader and also a little kid madly in love
Win as kavin is just adorable he acting completely different from his last project shows his versatility
In conclusion to miss out on this drama would be a very big loss for all drama lovers !

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