Reviews

It's a nice cliche Kdrama

It's a nice cliche kdrama.
The actor who plays Kang San Hyuk is very handsome and takes most of the attention, despite his acting skill which are not outstanding. I didn't like a lot of the directing. The effects were not well done, the medical stuff was poor, storyline at most medium. The forest was very beautiful, but from the tenth episode on, all the scenes seems to be recorded at the same spots. Sometimes it was necessary, because of the storyline, but it mostly wasn't.

Not sure if this is a SPOILER. Be aware.

It starts with a funny/curious begging. The two main characters start hating each other. Then they end up living together. More funny situations. Love happens. Dramatic stuff. Cute stuff. More dramatic stuff. Happy ending.

END SPOILER

Still I watched it all the way to the end. What can I say... I like forests. And the main actor. Definitely his face was a great incentive.

English is not my first language. Don't hate me.

Read More

Intense games and mind-binders

Imawa no Kuni no Alice (i.e. Alice in Borderland) is a fast-paced show, perfect for those who enjoy escape room movies.

I loved the games and how each is classified by the suits on a deck of cards. Each game is so vastly different and the stakes get higher and higher. There's a twist in each one, and my heart was racing each episode. I was also impressed by the visual effects and the scenery (especially the beginning when we pan around an abandoned Tokyo).

One thing I thought the show could have done better was building an emotional link with the audience. Arisu's friendships are sweet, but the impact of his friends' deaths wasn't that emotionally jarring, because it felt like I didn't get to see the depth of their friendship before they died in the first few episodes. There are some flashbacks that build on their friendship, but it was done too late for it to have as strong an impact. Also, I didn't feel that much chemistry between Arisu and Usagi. They work well as teammates, but I don't feel anything stronger than that. Perhaps their relationship will develop in the next season?

Overall, an exciting, adrenaline-filled show. Definitely worth watching.

Read More

The secondary cliche

There may be spoilers.

This is going to be a short review, I'm doing it, since I didn't see any here, I hope it helps you, if it didn't, I'm sorry, it's just my point of view, I hope nobody gets mad.

History:
Well, let's see, a drama with a marriage of convenience, it started out fun without so many forced scenes, but after chapter 6 or 7 the nosy sidekicks begin with their one-sided loves, chapter 7 was the worst filler, chapter 8 was also everything cliché. I do not understand in a short drama of 10 chapters that they go around adding useless characters such as the secondary character (veterinarian), that character was all the cliché that is seen all over the world.
But hey, it ended better than expected.

The performances were good.
Music was there, I didn't give it much importance.
I won't watch again as there are many more dramas like this to watch for sure. xDD
Overall, I gave him a good approval, I quite liked the chemistry between the protagonists, although they could have been better, especially him.

Good luck....

Read More

Been a while since I've seen Jin Goo in dramas so it's a delight to see him in a new project. I haven't been watching anything with Jin Goo since Descendant of the Sun, so I might as well do it now.

The plot had the feel of Die Hard and 24 with a bit of a serial killer vibe on the side so I thought that this drama would be quite a thrill. Sadly though, the more I'm following each episode the more I feel that the drama was quite a letdown. Casting-wise I do still think that they were doing a good job within the scope of the drama though I have to say that I'm not quite impressed with the writing. In a way, the format of the drama being aired one episode per week may have an effect in lessening the suspense felt after each episode but the writing also did nothing much to improve the whole experience. I doubt even if one was to wait and marathon the episode at one go that it'd make any difference since the writing was THAT ridiculous. I feel sad for the cast since they do appear to be doing their best to act in this drama yet the writer just wasted their potential. I mean, you got Jin Goo and Ha Dokwon in this drama amongst others, but why did you make them be part of this shitshow?

It really felt as if the whole plot was written to be overly complicated unnecessarily just so that drama can have many ridiculous things happen within one whole day. But unfortunately, this was not the case for the drama. Arguably, some of the twists may be quite brilliant if executed properly. A lot of the time, many of the key scenes were poorly timed and choppily edited. And the whole 'superior' thing only really starts to crop up near the end as if the writer just remembered the title of the drama. I mean, as much as Penthouse's plot was ridiculous, it was at least fun compared to this brain-stunting drama.

Honestly, I'm just watching the drama because of Jin Goo and Ha Dokwon and also because I might as well finish watching the show till the end since I already reached the end. Unless you don't mind feeling frustrated for the entire duration of the drama, you may need to think twice about watching this drama. Unless your faves are in here... maybe.

Read More

On a dangerous path as a choice

A young woman, sold from the “Flower House” to the prime minister to become his concubine, turns out to be a strong and independent personality with her own goals. She also has a mysterious connection to the prime ministers son-in-law, which makes her endeavour even more risky, while at the same time yields an advantage, as it enables her to involve him into her scheme. Being well prepared she turns dangerous situations into opportunities, so she is not afraid, to provoke such situations, despite being already almost killed by the prime minister, before even entering the mansion. There the story unfolds, as she works on settling old scores and retrieving something important, that had been stolen from her.


Maybe give it a try, if you are looking for something with more tension and passion between the main characters, than the average cdrama and if you can bear enemies/lovers stabbing and hurting each other in plenty of ways repeatedly… Also, if you are tired of the innocent, always nice and kind female lead characters, but also don't want her to be unemotional or a stereotypical physically strong woman/warrior type.

I would not recommend this to people, who only want to see sweet/innocent romance. This surely isn't a wholesome love story, since the main characters are set up to be “enemies and lovers” at the same time. Problematic behaviour occurs, but in my opinion, its framed as problematic, not as something to aim for.

I appreciated about the drama:
-that the female lead has agency. She is resourceful, confident and willing to take matters into her own hands. Additionally she has political aspirations besides her personal motivations, giving her purpose beyond romance.
-that the second female lead plays a role beyond being an antagonist to the main leads, not simply being a character to be exclusively hated by the audience, like in many similar dramas.
-that the acting is decent and the plot moves along quickly (there are more flashback scenes in the beginning, but its not excessive throughout the drama)

Read More

GREAT chemistry. fun. laughable rom-com

the two actors — despite both being in the 30’s, are able to portray a couple being playful in the traditional cute kdrama way without it making you cringe compared to how their characters are normally in every day life, instead, it feels like you’ve really just watched these two people fall in love grow into their honeymoon phase.

**spoilers**

many viewers maybe saw the second half with the orphaned trauma ‘boring’ or a ‘waste of time’ but in my opinion, i preferred this plot device over a misunderstanding between the main couple or something keeping them separated. much like another very loved kdrama of mine, just between lovers, this is a character driven show which focuses on the trauma of a main character and how they deal with it. so, obviously not for everyone, but i thought it was dealt with beautifully.

anyways, i read a lot of reviews before watching that discussed how great the chemistry and skin ship was in this drama, and it’s the truth. they don’t hold back and it pays off!


DEFINITELY would rec for lovers of rom-coms and anything you don’t have to take too seriously. it’s a lot of fun.

Read More

This is a really good drama. I can't believe I just watched a legal drama without skipping and fast forward. I have watched too many this kind of drama setup especially Korean and ended up switching to others. I'm too tired of those some kind of hero or heroine became lawyer or police because of revenge, corruption, organization power abuse, trauma etc. and I have the same mindset before watching this. Thankfully this director and screenwriter brought a good mix to the character and storylines. Common cases and characters but fresh and full of life values related with current society. The cases are very close to reality and how they kept stressing about the public opinion sometimes affect the judgement, it is very relatable.

Nothing to say about the main leads. Jin Dong, Cheng Yi and Cai WenJing are very good although I sometimes annoyed with Ye Xin character. Maybe that's how the screenwriter wants to design her character. The supporting roles caught me. I really like how they portrayed them. Sister Fei, Xu Tian, Sister Wang, Su Su , Xiao Wei, this is the first time I watched them and I really like all the relationship between all the roles. Also, the supporting cast that appear maybe only for two episodes or less. They did really well.

Read More

I almost never write reviews, so the fact that this is my FIRST review on this site should account for how much I loved this drama. It's inspired so much emotion and self-reflection in me that I think I've begun to view life differently as a result. This drama is probably going down as my top drama for 2018. I shouldn't have expected anything less from the writer of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, but the fact that she can do just as well, if not better, with a more mature and melancholic topic (whereas WFKBJ was a lighter campus drama) just speaks to how good of a writer she really is.

I think Familiar Wife hits that sweet spot between fantastical romance and relatable reality. Despite the large role played by elements like 'destiny', Familiar Wife never fails to feel like an everyman's story, one that everyone can see themselves be a part of.  Familiar Wife tackles two seemingly conflicting notions about love, showing that they, in fact, go hand-in-hand and complement each other. Should a couple belong together because they are fated? Or because they understand each other, communicate well together? Is compatibility predestined, or nurtured over time after knowing each other? Although Woo Jin and Joo Hyuk are clearly destined together, they still had to put in work to reach a happy place in their relationship. When they didn't, their relationship began to fall apart.

This drama had so many applicable life lessons and such larger than life characters, it was a complete joy to watch them. Characters that started off as unlikeable had such amazing growth trajectories and the situations mirrored real life to such a surprising extent, you could literally see yourself in them. The friendships and familial relationships were so sweet, and every emotion experienced by our characters was so palpable (all credit due to the amazing cast)

I know this drama draws a lot of comparisons to Go Back Couple, but they really are very different when it comes to what they are at their core. Yes, they're both about rediscovering your love for your spouse, but I think Familiar Wife tackles the subject of marriage breakdown more comprehensively and better. It focuses more on the husband and the wife and their relationship dynamics, which I found lacking in GBC, but that makes sense because GBC was more about reliving one's youth and getting closure for things in the past.

Familiar Wife requires a slightly mature and forgiving audience, because these characters are flawed, not unlike real humans. They make mistakes, learn, and make more mistakes - and that's how life works.

Read More

The redeeming plot point? Shin sung rok as Jayden Lee

This drama was okay. Again, suffers a bit from way too long and this must be stuffed with random unnecessary plot points, and has a touch of over dramatics once we entered the second half, but decent, solid.

The female lead in my opinion didn’t suit the role well. Though she showed a great emotion in her role, I do feel like she always looked rather blank, but she was enjoyable.

So ji Sub’s character Han Yihan was predictable, Jack of all trades. We never really got to see inside him (here I am comparing him to the other characters) and he totally loses to…. Jayden Lee, played by Shjn Sung Rok.

I can’t stress how I enjoy every single one of Shin Sung Rok’s acting roles. He is simply phenomenal, a larger than life personality if it is demanded by the plot. His acting is seriously something I love. I rely want to see him in more. He brings a much needed touch of lightness to this drama, and a little bit of crazy. I love it. I also thoroughly enjoyed most of Kim Tae Gyum’s character, Michael and hope to see him in other productions. However, I do feel like the way they handled Jayden as a character was… iffy towards the end.

Yuna was a pleasant surprise. She was more enjoyable to watch than I originally thought.


Overall. Decent drama held together by Shin Sung Rok.

Read More

Intelligent and sweet

If you are a fan of intelligent leads, healthy relationships and green flag couples, watch this drama. I stumbled on to this drama because I was looking for other dramas by featuring Zhang Wanyi and I am so glad I did.
The acting from the whole cast is stellar, the villain was human with shades of grey and not just evil alone. The OST is beautiful and the sets gorgeous. In the beginning, I thought it reminded me of The Story of Ming Lan, there are some parallels there, then it stopped doing that in the second episode and became its own show. It's much lighter, sweeter and faster paced than TSoML where I found the atmosphere much more oppressive and gloomy and I definitely enjoyed TRoN more.

The biggest positive for me were the leads who were all in when they thought they were siblings, all in when ML knew they were not siblings and all in when their relationship changes to more. its a healthy, intentional and reciprocal relationship of two equals with small misunderstandings, easily and quickly resolved through honest communication on both their parts. Can we please see more of these???
This drama has very quickly been added to my favourite historical dramas and let me tell you that is no easy feat.

I highly recommend it, whether as an easy binge watch or as a serious drama craving, it satisfies all your drama needs.

Read More

Uncovering the infamous historical figure Akechi Mitsuhide

First of all, let's get our historical fact check. Mitsuhide is no other than the warrior who assassinated Nobunaga. While this is surely an act of betrayal. Keep in mind that both figures aren't perfect. Nobunaga might be famous for being one of the unifiers but he is also famous for being brutal & ruthless. There is no bad or good side here.

Mitsuhide might just also be one of the most mysterious historical figure of Japan. They don't have clear records of his childhood thus different to how Taiga dramas usually start (it most of the time starts with the lead as a kid) Kirin ga Kuru starts with Mitsuhide "Jubei" during his early days as a warrior just a few years before he becomes head of the Akechi clan.

When watching Taiga dramas I always look at the costumes, the way the characters talk, and the interior/sceneries. Costumes are on point, the acting & the way they talk truly takes you back to the sengoku period. Since Mino (Mitsuhide's hometown) is a village in the mountains there are scenes that captures the beauty of the mountainous region. Music was well matched depending on the scene although there aren't much. The opening is quite dark w/c is fitting to the destination of this story. I love openings of Taiga dramas including this so I recommend to not skip it, even just once, watch the opening credits as it is well made.

Hasegawa Hiroki as Akechi "Jubei" Mitsuhide and Sometani Shota as Oda Nobunaga reels you in with their portrayal. The way they talk, fight, or even just the way they stand, clearly creates the difference between these two men. They have a lot of scenes together and it was a feast watching these two great actors.

From the moment I started watching this, I've been wondering how would they end this, as most of us knows that Mitsuhide's life doesn't end in a good note. The ending was just right, a good take on one of the many assumptions on why he decided to turn his back on Oda.

Kirin ga Kuru "Awaiting Kirin", the title was mentioned a lot of times throughout the series. I like how they emphasized on it and explained this mythical creature the "Kirin". If you look at the poster for this drama, the black smoke-looking effect is actually a representation of the "Kirin". Try to look at paintings of a Kirin & you'll see the reference. I like what they did there.

Overall, I enjoyed this take on the mysterious man, Akechi Mitsuhide.

Just want to note that I am someone who mostly just watches Jdramas and interested in their culture and history. Please do read the tags/genre and plot before trying to watch this as this isn't your typical kind of drama.

Read More

Story: It is about the journey of four very different characters, each with their own unique baggage:

Kim Min Ki: The soft-spoken younger brother who was mourning the loss of his elder brother, goes to Thailand to seek answers from the brother's boyfriend. Angry at first at Jae Hee, whom he thought neglected his brother upon his death, and maybe the reason for it, comes to accept him in the end. I find his character a little bit wishy-washy, to the point of being a pushover. We could see this when Jae Hee, not even knowing who he was, bumps into Min Ki on the street and just starts randomly kissing him and he did not even push the stranger away.

Kim Min Hoon: The older brother who committed suicide because he was being bullied in the military. Instead of talking to his friends and family about his troubles, decide to close himself off, leaving the people around him asking questions, wondering what else they could have done.

Lee Tae Kyung: Jae Hee's stepbrother who is ill and in love with Jae Hee. Fakes fainting at one point which is not cool. I find him sometimes being hypocritical, blaming Jae Hee for being insensitive and when Jae Hee pays him attention, Tae Kyung pushes him away. What does this guy really want?

Park Jae Hee: He is like the "prince" of the harem with three people who were or could be in love with him. He gets the short end of the stick as he is made out to be the "bad" guy. He's being accused for being heartless, yet he's always the one who waits for his Min Hoon to show up for their dates, always the one to take care of Tae Kyung, and even concedes to Min Ki despite not saying sorry for his loss.

Acting: Pretty good for relatively new actors.

Music: Suited to the film

Rewatch Value: Good enough to watch it again.

Take-away: A story about seizing the moment, and not letting go of the chance to fall in love again, while letting go of the past.

P.S. The only thing that bugged me about the movie is the likelihood of Min Ki hooking up with his dead brother's boyfriend. Min Ki could end up being a replacement for Min Hoon or not, but it is hella weird.

Read More

Enjoyable and funny mini-show with time travel theme

What a wonderful mini-show. This is one of these small hidden gems I’m sometimes lucky enough to stumble upon. The storyline of traveling between two worlds (or time travel) isn’t new but I don’t think I have ever seen one where the portal connects a living room in modern time and a bedroom in ancient time - allowing them to go through time/space any time they want.
Character wise we get this sweet FL that is a bit air headed but resourceful, a ML who is strong and clever, a not too smart princess and a general that is kind of a genius but also soft hearted. There are also a couple of interesting side characters.
Acting wise this might not reach the top but the actors all do a good job portraying their characters. Since it’s a comedy we always have to take into account that the characters are supposed to be a bit silly. Especially the general’s Kung Fu, is hilarious. I also loved the princess the King was originally supposed to marry - what a strong woman, LOL.
I enjoyed this mini-show a lot and since the ending is kind of open, I hope to see a season 2.
Anyway, if you like a sweet and romantic comedy - with a parallel world/time travel theme - this is well worth watching.

Read More