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First of all, I absolutely loved the plot and the characters. Oh God the characters...
It's actually my first time seeing Ji Chang Wook on screen so to say the least, the first impression he made on me will surely last. He just captivated me with his role as Healer. And he can be supper adorable when he's acting all weak and innocent!!
This is also my first time seeing the lead actress and I must say, I like her. She suited her role and nailed it. At the first 2 episodes I wasn't sure what to think of her character, but just soon after she easily won me over completely. Her character is just adorable and simply lovable, especially how she's not bitter about having a rough childhood. I personally don't see a reason for not liking her character.
I also loved the mother. I loved Yoo Ji Tae's character. He's a perfect representation of a human's conflict with morals and feelings. He's also warm, helping and just too cute when he grins :D I absolutely loooooved Ahjummaa hahaha she just kept cracking me up. The characters' role was very suiting, long side all the other secondary characters that were helpful to the leads. They all take a little space in your heart. Just seeing the leads around these nice secondary characters will put you at ease. I also found the post office and all who worked in it very home-y and awesome.
Yeong Shin's father and her father's helper also cracked me up, especially when acting overprotective and all XD
I also liked how the characters handled the situations they were in. There were no stupid fights over frustrating misunderstandings. There were no secondary characters butting in on the lead's love. I seriously can't stand those misunderstanding that happen because of another character who loves one of the leads. I mean a love triangle can be fun sometimes, but other times it just drives one crazy.
Even the bad characters, although irritating and infuriating, they weirdly enough aren't so annoying. They make you want to kill them, yes. But you'll simply feel hate, not annoyance.
Another thing that made me fall in love was the fact that this was basically the first love for both the lead characters. It made it feel so sincere and innocent. I mean, who wouldn't like a guy who never dated before or had much interest in girls before and a girl who also didn't date and has been saving herself to be their fist love? It just instant;y screams LOYALTY to your face. It's a kind of love we would innocently dream of as kids. So to see it displayed is a dream come true.
It didn't focus much on comedy as much as it focused on thriller, drama, action and romance.Still, the few moments that were funny can sure drive you to laugh. And even without those funny moments, a lot of other parts can easily put a smile on your face (My biggest weakness was when Jung hoo ((Healer)) smiled around Yeong shin).
To be honest, at parts, I felt bad for moon ho's brother, but I suppose he chose this fate.
Over all, this drama will do things to your heart.Trust me. Some parts will drive you to tears. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you smile. Some will just move a feeling inside that you cannot explain. Also the soundtracks are soft, sweet and relevant.
It will make you long for it once you finish it. You won't feel too comfortable seeing the characters who played it act in other dramas because the character you have for them in your head will stay these characters of Healer for a while. Or at least, that's how it goes for me.
Memorable drama. It will make you happy. Watch now! NOW! Go what are you waiting for!
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Precious Fluff with a Healthy Side of Substance
I originally wrote this review halfway through the drama, and I'm happy to confirm it did not disappoint me at all afterwards. So many kdramas become consumed by the male lead in the back half, or otherwise forgot to follow through on the female lead's story. But this wasn't the case at all here, because Gangnam Beauty was committed to Mi Rae's growth. The times that it strayed from her, it tended to follow the stories of the other women in the drama, most significantly antagonist Soo Ah's own perspective on beauty and self-esteem, but also Kyung Seok's mom and her attempts to reconnect with her children.This drama hit all the right notes for me. I was really reluctant to watch it because often stories about makeovers or plastic surgery have very negative messages which suggest either that your life will be better when you are "prettier," or else they emphasize the fat shaming and fall into the very tropes they're trying to fight against. But Gangnam Beauty did an excellent job of questioning beauty standards and showcasing the hypocrisy of a society that only values women for their appearance. I think it's only real flaw in my book is that it had what appeared to be PPL for a diet pill in one episode, but the pill was used by Soo Ah and the protagonist Mi Rae later called her out for all the methods women use to be the "most beautiful" when all they end up doing is hurting themselves. So while I would rather they never have shown it, I'm glad they turned it around after.
Anway, onto the cast: I think Im Soo Hyang and Cha Eun Woo did very well as Mi Rae and Kyung Seok. Even if the latter is a little green as an actor, he believably conveyed the subtle shifts in Kyung Seok's "coldness" and watching him warm up and become open as the drama went on was a treat. But of course, it's Soo Hyang who carried the weight of the drama on her shoulders, and she made Mi Rae's paralyzing fears very relatable while still allowing her inner strength to shine through. The side characters were all well-cast in my book, and their personalities were realistic and charming or even more realistic and infuriating as needed. I loved that the show never became solely about the romance - although the soft and slow progression of said romance was perfect for both characters - but really incorporated university life and friendships throughout.
I read the webtoon because of this drama, so I'm biased in the show's favor, but I think it conveyed the message from the comic appropriately. Adding Hyun Jung as a best friend for Mi Rae was an excellent choice in my book because it helped us understand how Mi Rae made it this far and showed that you can have a support system and still feel alone on a larger scale. Plus it set Soo Ah apart as a woman who lives for competition (even though that's something that society is partially to blame for as well) in comparison to several other girls in the show who were genuine in their intentions even if they sometimes fall short. I also like how it called out certain kdrama tropes, allowing our gallant male lead to learn more about how to respect the female lead even though he already started off leagues ahead of most men.
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Best CBL of all time
This could be easily the best BL i've seen so far.What i loved :
- Addictive storyline
- No plothole so far
- Top notch acting
- Excellent cinematography
- Wonderful memorable lines
- No unnecessary scenes. No boring moments.
- No unnecessary side couple
- Visual : pretty faces
- Power bottom
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The summary of the drama is pretty accurate, so I won't tell much more about it. If I did, it would probably contain spoilers that should only be revealed by watching the drama yourself.
This drama has so many charming points that it's actually quite difficult to find a starting point. If I had to point out the biggest strength, it would probably be the writing and the cast. Especially the veteran actors impressed big time. Every time the drama seemed to drag, they pushed the story forward and really made me care for their characters. Chun Ho Jin and Jun Noh Min... Two actors I respect a lot. They are so versatile in all of their roles, that I'm always happy to see them in a drama. And goddammit, they were awesome here.
The leads themselves stood their ground and were one of many driving wheels of the story. Actually, the whole cast was so well balanced that it's hard to find a weak link. Of course, I had to pay special attention to Park Shi Hoo since he was not that impressive in his previous drama. And what can I say other than that he found his confidence again. In the first couple of episodes he seemed shaky and nervous, so I was still skeptical about him. I couldn't force myself to ignore his flaws, so I hoped he would get a grip soon. And he did. It took some time but he finally managed to find his old acting self again. From that point onward it was not difficult anymore to enjoy his performance. Though I also have to mention that in some of the later episodes he got unsteady again.
Something that needs to be emphasized in this drama is the development of every single character. Everyone is going through some very dear and life changing situations which pushes them in unexpected directions and shapes their growth vastly. Forcing some of them to make a bunch of inevitable decisions, I didn't always like the direction they were taking. On the other hand they made them so understandable that it was also hard to oppose it.
Family dramas are usually not my thing because the sheer length of the episodes is bound to get draggy at some point. I can't deny the fact that this drama has some difficulties as well, but the amount of these parts is fairly acceptable and doesn't weigh too much into the enjoyment of the drama. And the reason for that are the couples. Each and every one of them had a very interesting story to tell. Whether it was the leads, their families or their friends. Especially the two male friends of Do Kyung (PSH) were a pleasant add to the main character. If one of the side stories got too depressive, there was always another "supposed to be" couple that ensured some lighter moments and lifted the heavy atmosphere.
I'm praising this drama so much and yet my rating only stays at 8.5... What to say about that. I had some issues with the ending. It was not a shocking one and I get parts of it. Yet, the way they wrote it seemed too exaggerated and estranged some characters a bit for me. Not only did they include one of my most hated drama tropes, they also gave the final resolution a torn connotation. Therefore I was not able to fully enjoy the end of the drama.
Overall, I would still recommend My Golden Life. It has some really sweet but also touching and heartbreaking moments, great character development and an endearing bunch of actors and actresses. And who knows, maybe you are more tolerable about its final minutes than my humble self.
One warning though:
There will be a character who will bring your darkest side to light. He is obstinate and stubborn and arrogant till the end, so prepare yourself for some seriously hair-pulling and fist-clenching situations.
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A Journey Through Night and Day..
Miss Night and Day offers a refreshing twist on the classic curse trope.. Jung Eun Ji was really good in her role.. She had a magical yet challenging double life.. Which she potrayed very well.. The fantasy part was straight forward nothing complicated and nothing extraordinary.. Mystery part was okayish i would say..The drama was going very well until ep 8.. It was funny, interesting, and had a refreshing vibe that I genuinely enjoyed.. But then the writer decided to give the annoying SML more screentime.. Even though his screentime was considerably less than the support characters his behaviour was very annoying.. I dont know why he is included as main role when he actually had a minor role..
The SML quickly turned into a borderline stalker.. He started crossing boundaries in ways that were uncomfortable to watch.. Curiosity is one thing but his behavior went far beyond that.. It was invasive and showed a complete disregard for others privacy.. He kept touching her ignored her clear discomfort.. I dont know how anyone would like such a charatcer..
The romance part was lacking.. They took too long to get together.. Lot of misunderstandings which could have been avoided.. And she should have told him the truth about her double identity when they both started their relationship.. Its a huge mistake on her part.. And she broke up with him once the case was solved and her curse was revealed.. That was completely avoidable.. I really liked the MLs character.. He would have supported her if she had told him the truth about herself..
A standout element of the drama for me was the role of the FL’s parents.. Her friend and the investigator too were fun to watch.. I liked that they didnt try to overly complicate the storyline..
The subtle hint that she started studying again so that she could go to Seoul and be with the ML was a nice touch.. It was a thoughtful choice by the writers.. Infusing the romance with a sense of quiet determination and growth which it clearly lacked..
One aspect where Korean writers often fall short is in crafting satisfying endings.. They honestly need a crash course on how to write truly fulfilling conclusions.. Especially when it comes to happy endings..
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Repetitive story
This story is very repetitive, even some scenes were very similar to other wuxia dramas, it's like they mixed a little from all other dramas and copy pasted here. For example immortal samsara, the journey of Chang zi, Ashes of love etc. therez nothing new so it's very predictable. Mainly cuz in the first episode starting scene they themselves mentioned what's going to happen in next 27 episodes where step by step the guy says how ML ended up killing her and everything, that was stuck in my mind when watching it so it was easy to guess what was going to happen next. Some plots were very unnecessary, just to create drama they showed unwanted things like when the evil girl turned good they killed the guy she was going to marry ( when devil can kill literally kill anyone at that point but they choose the groom 😂)just to make her evil again connecting it to Ayin's torture and death for no reason cuz she was anyways going to die but ML goes to great lengths to save her only to kill her in next 2 episodes 😂😂😂 it's funny cuz ML makes a long plan thinking she won't die with his punishment but she died in hands of ML for very silly reason that he didn't know her immortal spirit was already damaged. There is no strong story here, basically one thing lead to another creating such circumstances, some developments are very random.I really like Zhao Lusi but why shez acting same as she did in hidden love? Baby voice and everything, I didn't like it. And ML's acting wasn't that bad but he didn't give main lead vibes at all, other male characters were more charming than him.
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Lot of potential but ultimately never lived up to its expectations.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think the drama is terrible or anything. It has its moments when it shines bright but at the same time, it's too far and few between. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the female lead. She had a lot of charm and sass to her character that it was refreshing to see. It's her character that brings the most interesting and refreshing dialogues in the entire show. The story was reasonably well-paced and give enough screen time for each and every character instead of focussing only on the main leads. The relationship between the main leads was definitely another one of the highlights as well..And that's where my positives end.
Even though I listed so many positives it was a frustrating experience.
I have seen many reviews raving the main lead for being such a gentleman and such a refreshing character, I mean I get it where the praise comes from but at the same time, the character never had any personality. He's one of the blankest slate a character can be, so ultimately the viewers can ultimately project themselves or anyone else. This is lazy writing more than anything else.
Without going into too many spoilers, let's just say they introduce a character who is gay and never fleshes his character out and just uses him to create a conflict that ultimately does not even affect the story in an impactful way.
The second couple's story is generic and something we have seen a million times. The characters have good chemistry but the story was just basic and by the books. This is something that I have seen a lot lately if the story of the main leads is somewhat different or modern, they introduce a secondary couple with the most cliche story to satisfy a certain section of fans. I can understand why they do it because ultimately the success of the drama depends on how many audiences watch it. I don't consider it as a huge negative but I'm just stating facts for what it is...
The acting was ok overall wasn't impressed with the mail leads performance but was not hugely disappointed either.
Ultimately my frustration arises from the fact that all the negatives I mentioned above were easily avoidable if the screenplay was written a little better.
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definitely worth watching!
i'm not sure why there's so many negative reviews because personally i enjoyed this drama very much, although there is cliché moments that people might not like; the relationships in this show is what brings it all together. i loved seeing the development of all the main characters and side characters. i think the show could've developed on some parts like adding more to the side characters story and giving us more at the end but other than that i would say this show has been an emotional journey. the only con i can think of is the ending, they disappointed me with that because i think the episode could've been stretched out more, possibly a wedding happening and how all the other characters improve in the future.out of 10, i rate it an 8 because of those reasons.
asides from that i loved the cast, everyone is an amazing actor especially seo inguk who showed various emotions during this show and park boyoung who also did an amazing job. also dawon from sf9, i believe this was his acting debut and i'm just so overwhelmed with his performance because he did it so well! i'm looking forward to how his acting will develop.
i will end my review here by saying give it a chance! it might not be for everyone but i fell in love with it straight away and i'm so glad i watched it, so who knows? you might feel the same way too.
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Best Chinese Drama!!!
This is my first time completing a Chinese drama and I’m so glad I decided to watch this. Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan’s popularity can be explained through this drama because they performed their roles excellently. Seriously they have the best chemistry out of all romantic dramas I’ve watched. They portrayed a couple in love and expressed romance so naturally. I especially love every moment between ML and FL when they start dating because we get to see how much they deeply love and care for each other, absolutely precious bond they have. It was a beautiful series that teach many valuables lessons about familial, romantic, and platonic love. I cried tears of joy and sorrow and sympathized with the characters from beginning to end. The rewatch factor value is a 10/10! I feel like I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed watching this series. No exception I would definitely recommend Hidden Love to anyone who likes romance.Was this review helpful to you?
Everything about Goblin is set so right that you can never regret watching and rewatching and rewatching it again.
Story- one of the best fantasy stories you will ever come across. It is not only beautifully set, but moves forward with a wonderful pace, blending both past and present stories together. The story of Goblin is such that you want never want it to end. The funny moments will have you in splits and the sad one will rip your heart into pieces.
Acting- tremendous. Every actor is on spot with their acting but Kim Go Eun is particularly brilliant. Her playing a teenager and a mature character is so well put that you will actual believe there's a time gap.
Music- OH MY GOD. I have each track of Goblin and I listen to it almost always. The music adds more value to the show.
Rewatch value--I've already seen it over 7 times. No matter what show I watch, I always end up going back to this one.
Overall- without even thinking about it, go watch it and you won't ever regret.
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So Stinky Cute That I Can Look Over Sea's Acting...
What started off rough for me ended up being a very entertaining watch that I'm glad I gave a chance to. This series is not perfect, nor will it be one of the more memorable GMMTV series, but, I enjoyed it while watching, and that's all that matters.Let's Dive In.
Starting off, the story is this interesting concept of a country boy who loves art falling for a city boy who loves music. His dream is to become an idol, but while doing so, he falls for the country boy, and of course, the rule is that they can't date. The story/plot is so intriguing and cute that you can't not just love it. Keen plays the incredibly extroverted Moo who's adamant on showing his love for Kang. Kang is super helpful and stoic, but he gets around to being open eventually. Again, the story is so adorable and there are so many precious moments that I was able to look over some of the glaring problems in this, like Sea's acting.
Sea's acting in this was extremely rough. People in the comments tried telling me, "It gets better the more you watch" but it's the exact same until the end. I understand he's a new actor, but geez, I don't think I've seen this much below-mediocre acting from someone in a GMMTV series in a minute. If this series wasn't so stinking cute, and Keen's acting wasn't so good, I would've dropped a long time ago. He had his good moments, but most of them were bad. He doesn't know how to show expression on his face, so it's just a blank stare for the majority of his scenes. He needs so much work before he moves on to the next series, and I mean a lot. Keen carried their ship until the end (also, wouldn't mind seeing him paired with someone else..) But speaking in terms of Moo and Kang's relationship, I think it was adorable. They had so many scenes where they were just being passionate and open, and they really delivered some beautiful moments. I like the subtle things they did while Moo was an idol (blank letters, Kang dressing as a mascot, private messages, etc..), and I'm not a "ride on my motorcycle and hold me" trope fan, but these two made it extremely endearing, I loved it. Overall, their relationship was cute, they had decent enough kisses, and by the end, I appreciated their romance.
Moving onto the side couple, honestly, I went in being so obsessed with them, but left feeling anti-climatic, Their relationship is a perfect build-up: best friends, dance partners, subtle hints that they have feelings for one another. Just so many reasons that I absolutely adored them, but they have minimal setup after Yos confesses. It's like the writers wanted to keep the angst and not do anything about it until the very last episode. Overall though, they were perfect in the beginning, but their ending could've played out a lot better (dating earlier, Tae realizing his feelings earlier, etc...).
Some of the casting felt a little...weird? What was stopping them from casting Shone and Peth closer to Sea, Keen, Aun and Ashi's age? Something just felt out of sorts with Shone's character having feelings for Kang. I realize they're supposed to be the same age in college, but it just doesn't work. You can obviously tell they are two very different ages, so it's hard to believe the story. Same with Kang supposedly being two years older than Moo's character (I thought he had dropped out of high school until the 6th episode).
Obviously, this is a series about trainees becoming idols, but oh gosh, the dancing was probably the hardest to sit through. It's not that bad, but so many mistakes and not-in-sync moments that made me cringe. Also, a little annoying that when Moo sang (and I actually cared to listen and not skip over it) his live voice sounded completely different than the OST that would play immediately after (assuming that he also sang that as well).
Ratings:
Story: 8/10 - really entertaining, extremely cute. So good that I'm able to look over some of the glaring mistakes/problems with it.
Acting: 7/10 - Sea's need so much improvement before I decide to watch a SeaKeen series again. It's only tolerable to sit through because this series is literal fluff, but if they were to have a more heavy-hitting drama, there's no way I could've sat through his acting. I hope he gets better in the future. Besides that, Keen did an excellent job and he played his character incredibly well. Aun needs more recognition in GMMTV and he did really well in this, same as Ashi.
Music: 6.5/10 - when I wasn't skipping over it, it sounded decent enough.
Recommendation Value: 7/10 - super light-hearted, a giant puddle of fluff. It's hard not to enjoy this one, it's literally so sweet. It's a good starter BL for people getting into the genre.
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When writing a BL novel changes the family
Before anything else, let me point out that this is NOT a BL.This drama's focus is on a journey through a time of growth -- in this case, it's the grandfather and the grandson, along with their family members, who try to save their orphanage; it just happens to have a few gay characters (and one confused character).
Along the way, the series picks up a few topics that are currently discussed in Thai society -- That there is some romance is more coincidental than central.
So, those who are interested ONLY in BL romance series should give this one a miss.
However, if you're willing to follow the story of a family of multiple generations through troubled times, who push through by doing things they would have not done normally, and who learn and grow because of it, then I fully recommend this drama.
The script is written extremely well -- the plot flows smoothly from one point to the next. Problems are -- although enhanced for tension -- never too "out there", and characters don't react dramatically, but rather like *people*. The characters are well-defined from the get-go, and the following character development makes sense.
The titular characters, their relationship with each other and their own journey -- both grandfather and grandson are mentioned in the Thai title -- get, of course, the most screen time and the most character development. Grandfather Sak starts out as the typical (Thai) traditional patriarch, who might care for his family but thinks he has to be strong and flawless as well as strict with his sons at all times, and learns to let his family take on part of the responsibility, learns to show weakness and, most importantly, learns to accept his sons the way they are. Grandson Save's story is a more common coming-of-age story; with a light twist in that he doesn't just grow up to be a responsible adult family member but also that he learns things about himself that he had never thought of before.
The development is gentle, but by intention not smooth: It has fits and starts, stalls occasionally -- just as it happens in real life.
The family dynamics are introduced step by step -- at first they just seem like an ordinary family of four generations that share a house, and then slowly we get to know and love their kindness, their flaws, their struggles, and their love for each other. Which is why when the reason for the uneasiness that occasionally pops up in early episodes gets revealed later, it hits much harder.
What is a bit unfortunate is that the children and the great-grandmother get only a minuscule bit of plot for themselves. I do understand the need for a focus on few sub plots but I would have loved to know more about the kids and about great-grandmother's own story. Maybe we can get a spin-off?
The plot is, for the lack of a better word, a slice-of-life, that refuses to collapse into soap opera, even though some plot points would make a weaker writer yield to temptation. Instead, in these moments, it gentles the tension -- by having a character accepting the inevitable, or neatly side-stepping the huge fallout by giving into the big emotions.
The actors as well as the directors follow the understated way of dealing with these big emotions -- they get as much room as they need to, but no more than that.
All of these elements combined make for a drama that feels very grounded, even as the emotions hit hard at the same time, especially in episodes 8 to 10. And by this I mean that Yes, it made me cry. More than once.
In all of this, as well as in its overall style, it is a very typical Thai PBS production.
Which means it comes as no surprise that it also touches on contemporary issues like scams, health issues in age, gender roles, to name a few, as well as a call for mutual respect between generations.
The most prominent issue is the acceptance of gay men and of gender non-conforming people by their family members -- how what we are taught in childhood still influences what we believe in adulthood, but also that there's a chance of changing your beliefs.
Another point, one that I found very interesting and think would deserve its own series, is how BL (dramas and novels) are still considered "lesser" than other, more traditional genres. And I find it quite fascinating that it's specifically compared to adventure novels here, which don't have the best reputation for quality themselves (at least here in Germany they don't).
Overall, this is an excellent production in terms of writing, directing, editing and acting. Done in the typical Thai PBS style, it's made to appeal to an audience of different ages with a goal to educate Thai viewers for the 21st century.
There are a few things to nitpick (like the fact that all children at the orphanage are all of approximately the same age), but in the greater context, these become insignificant.
The drama has a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve, and in my view, it did.
I have no reservation at all to recommend this to anyone who is willing to follow a story about a family with flawed characters, who struggle through a time of confusion.
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Heart warming drama!
The plot, the soundtracks, and the chemistry between Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan were extremely perfect! One of the cdramas that I would recommend to many people. A very sweet love story, warmth of the family also the cuteness of the brother-sister siblings make our heart feel so calm, It’s really worth watching over and over again. The acting all of the cast are chef kiss (they look so natural).Sang Zhi is such a thoughtful, cute and smart character. She never gave up on her love and pursue her dream in education. Duan Jia xu, HE IS A WALKING GREEN FLAG MAN i love his character and started dreaming about where I could get a man like that in the real world??😭
At the end, good job hidden love team this drama is a masterpiece!✨
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