Fun, warm, enjoyable drama with lovely characters and scenery
This is my first time writing a review on MDL but this drama deserves that I make this effort (I say that because english is not my first language, so please excuse the mistakes I’ll make writing this review).You might see the ratings and think : « Hmm, I’ll pass ». And you’ll miss an opportunity to watch a great drama.
Why ? It’s a charming, enjoyable and fun light rom-com. It was shot somewhere in a place located near the Laos and Thailand’s border, where the Dai people live (from what someone told me). So visually, the drama is stunning : the scenery is very green, luxuriant, the landscapes are beautiful, and so are the houses, streets, buildings. It’s really a beautiful architecture.
The characters, after a rough (and in my opinion, funny) beginning, shine. We have less than ordinary main leads for a rom-com : instead of having a cold CEO and an innocent young FL who freeze every time they touch each other’s hands, we have an ex-CEO who was a playboy who decides to go back to his mother’s village to plant tea and to live a more monk like life.
We have a FL who is a young entrepreneur struggling to get her company off the ground. She ends up being brave, adorable and kind. The kind of lovely FL who is joyful without ending up being a childish Pollyanna. She will end up living the village life to the fullest.
Both ML and FL are affectionate and tactile with each other, which I loved seeing. There are misunderstandings and problems standing in their way but they manage to do something rare : they talk about their problems and solve them quickly.
There are antagonists, down to earth twists (without being a slice of life, too realistic and dreary drama to watch) SML and SFL on the way (but they are more on the funny side, although sometimes annoying) a bit of mystery and most of all, the villagers who are definitely an important part of the drama.
So in the end, it might be on the cheap side, and with less dramatic twists than people are used to but the end result is a charming, warm, lovely drama that certainly doesn’t deserve the 7.8 ratings it has as I’m writing this review.
But then, I started watching this drama before the ratings came in and I’m sad thinking that had I waited a few weeks to watch it, the ratings would have definitely prevented me from watching it. And now I’m wondering how many great dramas I skipped because I trusted the below 8 ratings on MDL.
So if you’re in for a fun, charming, light rom-com with main leads who act their age and solve their problems by talking, then this is the drama for you.
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Which is to say I loved this drama and a big part of that is because it did a good job you getting you deeply invested and rooting for our protagonists even though you know they're doing some seriously illegal, unethical stuff. Oh Jisoo is the clever underdog who dreams of an average life that his circumstances might never get him and you can't help but get attached immediately. Kim Donghee is a really great actor, I hope his star only rises from here. Bae Gyuri meanwhile is privileged but trapped and definitely sociopaths on some level. I'm pretty certain her connection with Jisoo is the first genuine one she's had which makes their story so much sadder. She was the clear highlight for me, even though she's manipulative and unlikable she's undeniably clever and quick on her feet and just so enjoyable to watch. I wanted her happiness as much as Jisoo's! I'll be keeping an eye out for Park Joo Hyun's future projects!
The drama is graphic and drops in heavy topics when it comes to sex work and the criminal underworld so I'd avoid if those topics are uncomfortable for you. But otherwise I highly recommend! It's a rollercoaster with our teen leads as all of them navigate a dangerous world none of them are fully equipped for and attempt to somehow come out the other end unscathed. It's definitely dark and angsty but like watching a crash you can't tear your eyes from!
P.S. No spoilers but the ending is slightly open-ended if that's also something you avoid.
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Absolute trash !!
Does not follow the original story. The entire budget went to the actors. Wtf happened to bihyeong and jihye. Apparently kdj hates twsa, his fav is heewon, totally different from the original plot. Kdj does not hate his mother, so what's the point of this la if kdj doesnt hate his mother???? like literally thats the plot. Wont even watch it, SOMEEBODY PLEASE MAKE A GOOD LA ORV. If i could rate it lower than one i would.Was this review helpful to you?
Could Have Been Better
This could have been an enjoyable drama had it not been the poor performance of one of the lead actors, Yu Menglong. Though the storyline is simple, conflicts between neighboring countries, conflicts within the royal court, conspiracies, switches of identities etc. make this drama a rather good watch.All the characters are quite interesting too. The Jing Ci character could have been so intriguing but Yu Menglong’s disastrous robotic portrayal sends it down the drain; he walks like a robot, talks like Alexa in a male voice, stands like a mannequin. Even when he tries to tell his love how much he loves her, there’re no emotions nor expressions on his face, nor can the viewers feel any heart-warming passion he has for his love. His declaration is like an announcement reading from a book – unemotional. It’s indeed such a pity because Yukee Chen (plays the Feng Mian Wan character) and the other cast members put up quite an impressive performance.
I must say I quite enjoy watching the side couples especially Princess Zhangle (played by Ma Yue) and her to-be consort. Though they don’t have many scenes but their dynamics are cute, as the princess has a forward personality whereas her consort is rather timid and unromantic. The other couple is Zuo Yanxi (played by Kid Young) and Jiang Tan (played by Xu Hao). This is a tragic romance when a great man is being brought down by his love of the woman who is also his Shimei (sister in learning). The Jiang Tan character is not likable as many viewers take her scenes as the opportunity for bathroom breaks, to put it mildly.
Overall, I would say, watch this drama if you can’t find anything better to watch, or watch it in between episode releases of other dramas. It’s not totally terrible, but it’s not fantastic either.
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Carried by the plot and performances
For me, what really makes this series work is the acting, especially from Arisa and Lalin. The way their emotions come through, even in quieter scenes, feels very natural. There are a lot of small expressions and pauses that say more than the dialogue itself. It makes their dynamic believable, even when the situation is complicated. I also like how neither character feels one-dimensional, which helps keep the story engaging over time.Was this review helpful to you?
Favorite episode: 20, 25 and 49
characters/ost:
Each dragon have its own development and you’ll get to see how they shift their character from how they used to be into different one, the acting is very professional definitely Yoo Ah In and Byun Yo Han deserved a shout out from me but nevertheless all of the cast and actors are AWESOME
The ost is just enough to fill up the emotions, listening to it gives me flashback.
Favorite characters: Mu Hyul, Ddang sae and Yeon hee, Gil tae mi
Rewatch: lol. I don’t mind seeing them for the second time even though you think it’s long it’s actually short. hahahah you’ll see when you get there!
This review is from someone who is not fond of politics, not good in watching long drama series and see how I praised it. What’s more if you’re into historical dramas? You definitely are missing something if you didn’t see it. A masterpiece indeed. This is my first long drama series that I completely finish, u think its long 50 hrs? Like you could watch 2 different dramas instead of watching this one? *smirk* believe me chingu you’ll think 50 episode is just short once you start it, think
Advice: It’s better if you have 1 week vacation to watch this drama so you can fangirl to the fullest! *wink*
Warning: You might end up eating all the episodes and let the dragons consumed your soul. Hahhaha!!!
Bonus: *whisper* handsome oppas are here. HAHAHAHA!!!! :DDD
ps: I’ll never look at dragons the same way again.
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They threw the whole story into a huge plot hole in episode 78
I give it 10 points.And then I deduct:
-1 for censorship/propaganda
-1 for that horrible ending in the last episode. They crafted such a nice vehicle over the course of 77 episodes and then crashed it into a wall in the last episode. Don't worry, it's not an ending that makes you cry because something horrible happens. It just makes no sense at all. And it is crammed into an episode lasting 6.5 minutes.
-1 for missed opportunity in the bromance department. For me, the bromance was what carried me through the series. They were very good at portraying that the two lead characters are deeply in love without saying it out loud. However, I was surprised how they didn't give us any fan service at all (unlike others censored BLs like Advance Bravely or Stay with Me). There is basically no physical touch between the two leads. Not by accident, not in a platonic way, and no acts of service, like a wet towel bath, etc. And while every "door" forces them to have sleepovers, only in the very early doors do they share a double bed, then later it is always bunk beds or separate beds - why?? Another example of a missed opportunity: in one world, they have to walk in the rain under one small umbrella, and if they get wet, they will die. Wouldn't you try to be extra close? They didn't :(
Which leaves us with 7.
What I liked additionally:
- the actors are all very good, with only rare exceptions
- many lovely side characters
- while it was repetitive, I liked the music
- the visual style
Also, why was the face of the programmer friend from university never shown but hidden inside a hoodie? I expected a big reveal in the end. Didn't happen.
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This review may contain spoilers
All About My Mom needs a WARNING label. This may be kinda spoilerish, but I think the information needs to be provided. If a person has ever lost a parent from an illness, and doesn't want to vicariously experience the same emotions and pain, then this drama is not to be watched. I wish I had known, because I wouldn't have watched this.Now on to the story. It is a well written family drama. It isn't that makjang since there are no birth secrets, amnesia and other type Korean troupes. I have a few complaints about how the parents sometimes treated their children even though they went through the same thing. There are a few unnecessary characters that make unnecessary grief for some of the characters. But I guess there were side story lines needed. However, the character development is extremely well done and I became invested in the lives of the family. I like the pacing and the ending is daebak!
Each actor took on their role splendidly. I don't believe anyone could complain about a single person's acting. Go Doo Shim is amazing as Im San Ok. Watching her progression and seeing her life felt real. I didn't realize Oh Min Suk was such a versatile actor. He impressed me the most.
The music is good and appropriate.
I will never rewatch this.
If you like family dramas with deep emotions, then this is the drama for you.
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The horror of mediocre writing and directing.
If these directors are thought to be skilled in the art of scaring audiences, Thai horror has a long way to go…7AM and Vengeful Spell - 4.5/10
These two are one and the same - extremely similar in all aspects: theme, writing, directing, the atmosphere, ending...
Both had a weird mix of cheap ghost horror, bullying and teen romance, all not blended well.
Beautiful - 8.5/10
Easily the best episode out of them all. It had a low-key modern dark fairy tale vibe to it with the way the scenes were shot and the music choice. It also focused more on the individual characters and not pointless drama between teens. There was still some rivalry between girls, but it was "smaller" and more realistic in terms of motivation. To put it simply - it made sense.
It also has quite a statement behind all the "silly horror" - how beauty standards and social pressure can truly mess up a young girl and how far she would be willing to go, to fit in and achieve what is thought to be the success.
Songsak Mongkolthong - you did a good job both directing and writing wise!
The effects were really good too. Minimalistic for most part - great choice. Put all the heavy work in the last few scenes - great choice. Proper use of practical effects for most shots - great choice.
The Book of Corpses - 6.5/10
Best part of this episode? Acting from Orn and the overall visuals. For sure one of the "prettiest" episodes (excluding special effects). The story was kind of basic and how it was shown was not exactly engaging.
The more they showed the supernatural, the more ridiculous and over the top it got. And cheap... And gross… One scene was just... unnecessary. Special effects, there was legit just one moment that looked good, and I'm sure practical effects had a lot to do with it
The Headless Teacher - 2.5/10
It was 40 minutes of a bullshit over the top slapstick horror comedy with bullshit plot, to end with pedophilia and sexual harassment of students.
Easily the worst of all episodes. This one I don’t even want to talk about. It was borderline offensive, distasteful at best.
Lunch - 5/10
When the episode opens with the main dude being a complete asshole, I kind of lose interest in watching in fear he might actually NOT die by the end. Ton being bad at acting did not help, I wanted the character dead even faster.
This could have been a lot better if they set up the plot twist in any way. They spilled the story with an opening shot, so there was no surprise later.
Curse - 7/10
By the time I got to this episode, I can’t be sure if it’s decent, or my standards just hit rock bottom. One thing I know for a fact - it was pretty and had a good atmosphere, even though the design of the nurse was mediocre.
Yes, the story was nothing new - the bullied student seeks revenge with the help of a ghost, just to get screwed at the end himself. We all know it, but at least it was presented well. Fiat’s good acting helped a lot to sell it too.
A Walk in School - 7.5/10
I think I need someone to explain the timeline for me, because it makes no sense.
That said, except for the confusing ending, it was fun. Had some simple ghost stories vibe, with low-key comedy. The dynamics between the non-believer Boys and believer Tum were great.
The emotional ending felt flat, but it might be because I was too focused on making sense out of it, so the “feels” did not hit me. The set up was good, just the execution left something to desire.
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If you’re looking for a light hearted romance drama with a bit of a storyline, this is ok
This drama takes you on journey to seek out the true father of Yu Qing Luo’s son who she has no memory of. She was drowned by her ex husband as she was found to be pregnant with another man’s child, but was fortunately saved by a lady (Jin Liu Li) who is now her confidant.My verdict: it’s an okay drama to watch to kill time / if you’re looking for a light hearted drama.
The plot is not overly complicated just imho, rather lame. Just when you find yourself invested in the fact that Yu Qing Luo & Ye Xiu Du are finally going to get married after resolving their differences and genuinely liking each other, the FL gets kidnapped by the bad guys and then the ML goes out to save her alone and they get cornered and jumped into their “deaths” to escape from them. Except, they didn’t die and the ML goes missing and when found, has no memory of him ever loving the FL.
A bit of and back and forth thing for romance between the FL & ML but it is a happy ending in the end. Also thought the addition of a son kept their romance rather cute (the banters between nan nan and ML is cute).
The fighting scenes were okay in the show but nothing spectacular to shout about. OST is almost non existent.
The acting of the actors are not too bad.
In all, I don’t hate this drama at all and was light hearted enough to watch. Just that if you’re expecting a deep storyline or plot, this is not for you.
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the dream husband is getting married
I really enjoyed the first season of this show and understand it is not everyones cup of tea. Cutie Pie to you is a bite-sized drama to watch after the first season. It takes away all those traits you hate from the second season and sums it up into all the fluff and just a bit of angst that makes this watching experience more sweet than sour.I am a fan of Zee and have been since his first drama, and man watching this makes me so happy for him. Zee is living the dream truly, his job is to act besides NuNew... NuNew is not only adorable, he is a rookie actor and has a calming voice and I can't hate him or his character. He stands as the cutest lead in BL for me, he can do no wrong.
Lian and Kuea are getting married and preparing but there are obstacles. In the end I know love will win and I am here for all of it. I can't really complain about a drama made for the fans that is giving us more of what we love. The only downside is that I feel that I am watching on some actual intimate moments between Zee and Nunew because they are a couple. Zee is so down bad for him, whenever he is in a scene with Nunew I sit there and thing "man, this guy is really good at acting". Whenever Zee looks at Nunuew he REALLY looks like he is in love, so that is why I must remind himself that he is. Lian is too good to be true, so that might be a sore spot. Lian is an actual perfect husband, through and through just watch the show. Lian wears suits all the time, he is so in love, he is a thriving man and I love to see it
I am anticipating their new drama to see the different roles they can do. Zee and Nunew can act in love but can they do the whole enemy to lover? I will wait anxiously to see. So far this drama Zee is so down bad in every way and I can't blame him.
I get the complaints about this being pointless. What were you people expecting from a special? It was created for them to get married and had the fluff that I desire so much. Again I will never complain for a series made for the fans, it didn’t waste my time. This drama isn’t anything amazing but it’s not offensive- it did it’s job and that’s why I rated it averagely.
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A good drama with potential ruined by a lazy ending
This for me started out great, I loved the mature concept, I loved the imperfect characters that could help you bond with the story and relate more, I loved the leads chemistry ( I could sign a petition of them having a drama together) I loved both Wang Chu ran and Pen guayins potrayal of Dr Ning and Ruan, and I loved the first 30 episodes of the show before it took the drastic 180 degrees turn that made me question my ratings.Having witnesses these twos divorce, their reunion, their difficulty in understanding eachother their wanting to be together but have many insecurities and cant do that, I expected a much more fullfilling end the end that would give respect to the basis of the story and Ofcourse sad to say but the writer went with the unthought out amnesia plot, like was this a way to give male leads character a chance of redeeming but he was okay as his old character or maybe I'll try to understand it as a way to help male lead fall for her this time round, it was not a sad ending it was sort of happy- ish but it totally made the 30 episodes seem like a wastage of time, I have seen dramas with endings I can justify that's because those endings sort of reflected in the story some how but not this I couldn't justify this, I just feel utterly disappointed....🥲
This drama deserves uploads for the good chemistry between the leads, their spot on reality checks if marriage and love, the medical scenes of the series, the interactions between the entire cast and the osts....so after all that put into consideration I came up with a decent rating of this, I would like to recommend this but I won't guarantee you will be impressed by the ending.....
Personal rating: 8/10
Rewatch value: 6
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Ahhhhhhhh, so amazing, just do yourself a favour and watch this. You will be happy you did, then you will be sad that you watched it because you won't have the same feeling watching it again. There is always something special about watching something really great for the first time. It kind of saddened me a bit that I won't be able to watch sugraless for the first time again. Now I know what happens in the episodes and I know how the scene plays out. I wish I could watch sugarless again for the first time.
Don't punish yourself and watch this, it's almost impossible not to watch it again.
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childish & immature, boring and much too long
The bad news first: While we see four couples on the poster, there are only two in this "First Part" and man was that draggy. And we see a glimpse of the third couple in the last two episodes. Why do we see that? Is it a cliffhanger for the "Second Part"? Will we get a "Second Part"? This is a typical university story with highschool flashbacks. If we need mid twenty to thirty old actors to do such a material is questionable especially because all the actors are capable of much more (brilliant acting I mean). They all did the best they could with the script given.The story is quite boring, one couple had lots of misunderstandings in the past and the other couple typical nonsense BL trope of an onesided love but of course the love interest had a girlfriend at the time. There is nothing more basic than this. The only highlight are the hot kisses of the second couple (Bas & Maxky) and very good chemistry. There is also a fifth couple which is quite annoying, but the finale implied they solved their issue - but there was no confession (I thought when Noa recording the video Suer would confess which would have been a nice touch, but no of course not). It was also a bit irritating that half the cast vansished after the first eight epsides and may be seen only in some scenes in the second half if even that. Did the novel also tell their stories over two years and one couple after another or did it tell the story in parallel?
So in summary there is nothing to save the series for me. It's still not even medicore. The cringe factor (comedic overactiong, childish portrayal of "Ter", overall immature in many scenes) overshadowed anything because it was in the first episodes which made watching this series painful. The first six epsiodes dragged on for ever, with not much progress at all. I'm sure good screenwriters could have condensed the story in less then 10 episodes or made 18 episodes for all four couples. If the "Second Part" also has 17 epsiodes it will be boring as hell too. Overall I am very disappointed. While you can watch it with 2x speed or lots of skipping, it's nothing you need to watch. But due to the actors this show is massively overrated. I upranked the show because of the nice cinematogrphy and the second couple, otherwise my rating would be even lower.
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