Reviews

it lost me

Overall: though the man m/m dynamic was not my favorite*, the first few episodes were set up and done well, but then the plot deteriorated and by the end I was angry. Note that there is an extra scene after initial credits. Aired on Gagaoolala and Viki.

Content Warnings: physical abuse/physical assault off screen but wounds shown, punches, non con kiss, mental health struggles, manhandling, manipulation, dentist/patient, age gap (10? years), if you have anxiety about dental visits then there are some scenes that might make it worse

What I Liked
- the sweet moments
- a few funny moments
- acting
- good kissing/continued physical affection
- dance scene at the end
- production value

Room For Improvement
- *the cold dentist and the vulnerable/traumatized (continuous) patient was not a favorite dynamic, I didn't like the side immature high schooler and reluctant bar manager either
- too many couples (4) most of which did not have enough development and 1 of which was extremely rushed
- the sister punching Jin Xun An twice and trying to punch him in the face was awful, you can care about your sibling but Bai Lang is a fully grown adult and you don't physically assault people, speaking of
- WTH was that with the dad, he's a total abuser but then on screen shown as a little grumpy and basically has no consequences (i.e. he should go to JAIL!!!!) This being glossed over was awful and it was totally unnecessary to the plot. He could have been the standard homophobe like the majority of BL parents.
- way too much time spent on flashback and showing an entire past relationship that I cared nothing about
- cliche ex enters the picture which leads to
- terrible communication skills for adults in their 20s/30s
- a straight wedding in the only Asian country where same sex marriage is legal complete with a bait and switch proposal had me fuming

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What was that ending?

This review is going to mainly focus on the last 2 episodes. When Makiko was finally confronted and they just decide apologizing to their mother was what they wanted had me ??? After all that, they just wanted her to say sorry and continue on with their lives? Then Kiichi jumps out of the window for some reason ??? It was so over dramatic and random. I also don't get why they didn't immediately turn her into the police when she admitted it, they just let her sleep tight and create more lies not to mention Osamu is a sorry excuse for a father.

Now we get to Kiichi turning himself in which watered down Makiko being as bad as she was but then nope it was actually Shinji and it turned out to be an innocent accident and Makiko will not get punished for anything even though she still had their moms stolen possessions (which is also a plot hole because how did she return all of her things before the house burned down but still have so many of her stolen items???). And she's clearly a terrible mother who psychologically abused her sons but that was glossed over and the two never went against her or really confronted her even after she admitted to starting the fire. And when Shinji confessed to the mom, the whole grudge thing was??

And to top it all off, everyone has a happy ending. Anzu pleads to take Kiichi with her and cook for him and take care of him which was embarrassing honestly. Going back to the beginning, Kiichi definitely acted abusive towards her and we're supposed to be like yes, he's perfect for Anzu. Then Makiko gets back to being famous, Shinji gets a second chance and its clear he will probably end up with Yuzu and their mom plans on moving on with her normal life. None of it sat right with me. It just felt like a cop out ending where nothing really changed and no lessons were learned.

The end.

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Antihero and lying "rabbit" are wonderfully matched!

A vertically filmed micro drama (I rate these on their own sliding scale). General spoilers only. The actors are great, the plot is interesting, the script is good (even despite the mediocre translation where I watched it), and it's a tense yet fun watch. The dynamic between the lead characters is fascinating and well executed. It has a cat and mouse feel, except the FL actually holds a lot of power in the dynamic because of how the ML feels about her, and she purposefully lightly seduces him a few times. So, while the ML definitely has the air of a predator and the FL an air of prey, the role of the "cat" is sometimes a toss-up and can change multiple times in a scene. The two characters are very well matched in intellect, neither are all pure or evil, and they are obviously attracted to each other.

The lead actress (and editing) does a wonderful job showing the audience her true feelings while at the same time adjusting her outward appearance to best navigate or influence/manipulate the people around her depending on necessity and the situation. She seems meek and demure but is quietly smart and brave while pursuing her goals of saving her brother and getting revenge on the people who ordered their family to be murdered 3 years ago. She lies out of necessity (from her view, to protect herself and her brother), not because she's morally deficient.

The lead actor is perfect as the ruthless second son of a family that has always treated him abysmally. The way he can turn on a dime from a devil-may-care attitude to intense intimidation when interacting with everyone is fun to watch too. He can't help falling for the FL who is kind and brave with him, even though she keeps lying to him. It's easy to see in his micro facial expressions fairly early on that he wants to mean more to her. Later, he wants to be more than just a tool for revenge, but he's willing to be that tool if it keeps her by his side.

There are a few moments with high sexual tension and some kisses. Though the lips aren't shown during kisses, it was one of the rare productions where I didn't mind because those scenes and the chemistry still felt satisfying.

There are some of the typical tropes with vertical dramas but most are done well. The SFL was the only one I found annoying. She had no subtlety or nuance, either with the way the character was written, or the way it was acted. Her face kept making me think of an angry, crazily posessed goldfish, lol.

There's quite a bit of violence in this story, so you are forewarned. It includes whippings and beatings, a finger torture device, punches, stabbings, chokings, etc. Fake blood is used.

The ML does get physically aggressive with the FL (manhandling and choking), but to me it didn't have a sadistic drive to it as most of it usually happened after the ML uncovered one of her lies. It felt more born out of hurt, frustration, and a desire to possess. There are also some more tender moments between them, and the ML helps the FL quite a bit, which helped balance things out. The ML does have softer moments, but never becomes a total "puppy" in his expression of love, which I appreciated as that would have felt out of character.

General spoiler on the ending:
... ... ...
It is a tender happy ending. Though it's relatively short, it was still a satisfying scene to end on.
... ... ...

I will definitely rewatch at some point.

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When it boils down to how much you can sacrifice for your people

Wow, wow personally having not found a cdrama that I have thoroughly enjoyed without skipping some parts this year... This has just been a surprise.
I really don't like stories with sad endings but there are usually expectations, and this...this was one of them

Love Ren Jialun in historical dramas, like under the power , one and only and now this!!! Aaah what a topping on the ice-cream 🤗.

The story was really well written, of course the slow burn romance was great but the mind games and twists and turns were well done... Of course there were some wth moments like the master ( one of the Yan sisters, not trying to see the picture even after Wei Zhao asked some really interesting stories.. but oh well, some people could be that stubborn.

The characters... Every one of them did their best! From main to supporting actors like the new young city lord, the personal guards of the two main characters Wei Zhao and shaojun, the eunuchs the maids the mother, the sister etc every one who got a chance at being shown did well love it... For someone to act and give rise to emotions even though it's just but a fictional story and to boot it's the whole cast... It's not easy so kudos... Cui ziming has really grown as an actor and I do believe he can grow more ...

Overall after being disappointed with most cdramas this year, this has actually saved it for me !!! Love it... Watch it guys .

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Honestly i think the title doesn't somewhat match the drama.

The story line: I really liked the storyline they didn't focus too much on the side characters story and they stuck to the main plot of the drama. It did not drag what so ever. I know in some mystery dramas the story ends up being craggy and people start to lose interest but in this drama it doesn't. The directed and the writer does not go overboard with it. It was fast paced too, I didn't feel like the drama was fast towards the end I felt it went at the right place which was good because most dramas finishes the drama with a fast pace.
The storyline itself it nice and I also liked the side stories they were fun. As the main plot of the drama is kind of heavy the side stories makes you appeal more to it which is weird that I don't know how to even explain.
I would date the storyline: 9.0

Acting: Needless to say the acting was on point. Everyone did well the main cast, supporting cast etc. I really loved Song YoonAh. She's really amazing and I love her works. It was my first time seeing Kim So Yeon and she did an excellent job made her character live. Those two were the highlights but of course song Jae Rim and Kim Tae Woo did well to. Song Jae Rim is just so cute, really loved him in here and Kim Tae Woo did a good job as the villain in the story. I really hated him which means he did a good job. Wish to see them all in newer projects in the future. Acting was;10/10

I don't think there was anything I disliked apart from the title because once you watch it you will start to think about the title like "who is the secret mother" "what does the title mean by secret mother" it could have been titled with something better that suits the show more such as "mothers secrets" in which if you had watched the drama then you would understand what that would have meant.
This drama is underrated and it shouldn't have been. You would definitely enjoy this drama if you give your full attention/concentration. One of the 4/5th drama I have liked and enjoyed so far for 2018

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Needs Work

I'm late to the party, though in this case isnt a bad thing.

Let me start by saying hazing is a fucking attrocious act and it should not ne treated as anything less.
The homophobia is something ill comment on later.

You can definitely tell this is an earlier BL drama due to how subject matter presented and how topics are poorly handled. Like how this show ia trying to make hazing seem like a trivial thing...i shit you not.

Three or more odd moments stick out were characters are like 'oh i met my wife' or 'it heloe appreciate...', 'and i made friends...'. that is just glossing over an act that is very problematic. Its not an after school event were people ocassionally get abused by others, its a problem and it is poorly handled, i cant helo but think the head writer was very disillusioned.

Now onto the homophobia...i dont know what its like im Thailand so i have to right to throw american homophobia into their culture, but the "i don't like men just Arhit..." ruined that moment when they openly admited they are dating. Yhis isnt the first bl to do this, but as high as it is rated youd think they set a golden standard and they go below what is stated.

It has no rewatch value. Its not even good fluff, the story is more "serious" with the hazing, but the lack of using the material to have a better story was completely wasted

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Queen of Ambition is no joke. I really wanted to give it top scores, but there are some things that are missing. BTW...this has a lot of adult content, so I wouldn't recommend this for just anyone. Joo Da Hae is the epitome of evil. I understand that she goes through some major horrific moments when she is young, but wow... I really can't explain this story without spoilers. It has murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, twin switching, etc. Ha Ryu is so pitiful and sweet that it is hard not to fall in love with him. I enjoyed the ending. They took the time needed for the main characters before spending time on the side stories. I really appreciate writers that do that.

Ok. Now for the acting. I will tell you the bad first and why I couldn't give this drama higher scores. Soo Ae to me is just not the femme fatale that I thought was needed for that role. I get that she is supposed to be cold-hearted, and I did see her expressions change, but there just seemed like she was missing something. Honestly, I just don't think that she was pretty enough to ensnare all of the men that she did...especially since she was never sincere. Is that too superficial? I would think that Kim Tae Hee or Chae Jung Ahn would have been a better casting choice. They are prettier and their acting abilities are better.

On to the much better...Kwon Sang Woo was daebak as Ha Ryu. I felt so deeply for his character even when I was mad at him. There were times when I blamed him for what he was going through even as he blamed himself, then I would realize that he is just too kind-hearted. I also thought Yunho did well in his role as Do Hoon. I kept yelling at him to wake up and realize who Da Hae really was.

I also liked the other actors. I'm not much for extra characters, but all of these were needed to add to the story. I really liked Kim Sung Ryung as Do Kyung.

The music was good.

I probably won't rewatch this just because I already know what will happen.

It is full of angst and at times I was just yelling at the characters. If you like melodrama, then you will love this.

Edit: After watching Soo Ae on 1N2D Korean variety show, I realized that she seems to be a soft person and that may be why her role isn't really that believable. I give her props for trying something that seems to be completely out of her element and doing a passable job.

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I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

It does stick to its genre of being ROMANCE, COMEDY, HISTORICAL and MILITARY!

NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT!

Well, where to start. hmmmm.

[The Story]
YOU ARE SO GONNA LOVE THE PLOT. Its about a woman pretending to be a guy for the war. She became a war hero so when she revealed to the emperor her real identity, she was pardoned. After knowing she's a woman, the emperor took this chance to marry her off to a prince. This prince is quite opposite to the girl. Their roles here might be a bit reversed however, from time to time, you will see the main girls feminine side bought out by the guy and you will see the guy's manly side bought out by the girl. They complete each other's personality. In the entire series, YOU WILL LOVE the development of the characters relationship. One good thing about this, is that it's not just about the two of them but also how they contribute to their country and how that contribution helped their character progress in time.

[The Ending]
Well, the ending is good but not THAT satisfying. Just finish it and find out for yourself. DONT WORRY, YOU ARE NOT GONNA REGRET IT!

The OST also deserves an applause! It makes you feel SO EMOTIONAL! The song makes you cry out of nostalgia... It makes you feel like the main characters are real people from legend..Their love really feels so real.
[P.S. The main guy sang it too with some other singer which is not the main girl]

Speaking of legend, they kind of remind me of the real ballad of Mu Lan. The main girl is Mu Lan and the guy is her lover. The series really does make you believe that the main characters really were legendary lovers from the past, like they were actually part of history and that you can still feel their love resonance to the present. Watching the series makes you feel like you were back at those ancient time too.


Will I re-watch it? I already did for the 4th time already AND I WILL AGAIN after I finish the rest on my list
Do I recommend it? YEAH! OF COURSE!!! GO WATCH IT NOW!

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So first of all, I think this drama is really overrated. I really liked it but the drama got some flaws that are hard to just overlook.

Story:
I liked the story. It was actually pretty interesting and different in a way. Some would say that the age gap between the 2 main character is hard to overlook but it was okay for me. What I mean is I wasn't really paying attention to that part as the drama is based around something fictional, the age gap is just a part of that. I like the relation between the two main characters but also with the second couple. The bromance was also a very good part of that drama. I just wish Deok Hwa played a bigger part of the drama. Usually, there are some characters that I don't like in a drama, like a big villain but I just liked every characters here. And also, I enjoyed everything regarding the Grim Reapers organization and especially the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook).

Acting/Cast:
They all did a great job and I think they all suited their role. Gong Yu as always is a very good actor. I was also very surprised by Lee Dong Wook, if was just perfect as the Grim Reaper. Also, Kim Go Eun is a good actress (that I saw in Cheese in the Trap before) but rather than feeling sad with her when she cried (near the end) I was just impressed. I usually don't like the cryings in dramas also so seeing Lee Dong Wook always with teary eyes/crying was kind of hard for me but he did a good job! I also often find the main female lead annoying but she was okay.

Music:
I think Goblin wouldn't have been that great without this OST. Seriously, the music in the drama was just perfect. All the songs were just beautiful. If the music wasn't that good, I think I would have rated the drama 7.5 instead of 8.5.

Rewatch value:
I would probably not rewatch it, or I would skip some parts. The episodes are unnecessarily long.

So why do I think Goblin is overrated?
- There are tons of flashbacks and they are ALWAYS the SAME!!! That was SOOOO annoying! I hate when they do that in dramas. Like they would put the same flashback twice in the same episode and in almost episode... And for what? We didn't forget that happened so why? This is why the episodes are long but it is just long of flashback I think... It could have been maybe 10 minutes shorter if it wasn't for that...
- Then, that wouldn't really affect the rating but it kind of annoyed me to some point.. The product placement here it just too strong. So we can see it everywhere and in every drama but usually it's more subtle than that. They were literally saying: eat SUBWAY and your life will be better. (or something like that). I understand that they needed money to have that good quality in the scenes but come on...
- Then I feel like the story/plot could have been better used... It is kind of a waste of the characters I think. And I wanted to know more about the deities.

So yeah, I'm happy I watched it but I wished the realization of the drama and the use of the characters would have been better handled. When I finished the drama I had a bitter feeling. I enjoyed it and really liked it but I felt like the potential was a bit wasted. So I think there are many more stuff to talk about regarding that drama but I'll just stop here :)

Anyways, Goblin is a drama that need to be seen ! :)

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If you're a die-hard romantic, you simply can't afford to miss this one!

You won't believe how much I'm in love with this series! From the heart-touching soundtrack to the captivating storyline inspired by folklore, everything about it is a perfect balance. The chemistry between the leads is off the charts, and the rest of the cast is equally amazing. The narrative is so beautiful that it never lets you lose interest for a second. And don't even get me started on the bromance between Goblin and The Grim Reaper - it's pure entertainment! Plus, Deuk Hwa's character is just too cute for words. Gong Yoo's charm and wit will leave you swooning, and the female lead and Deok Hwa are absolutely adorable together. The narrative and the poetic elements of the show are so enchanting that they'll make you want to fall in love and believe in magic all over again. If you're a die-hard romantic, you simply can't afford to miss this one!

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I picked up this drama due to Zhao Lu Si and also since I kept hearing great things about it. This drama had a nice premise and somewhat lived up to the hype. There are things I liked and I didn't like about this.

PLOT:
Age gap between the leads in dramaland isn't very common. At least not in the way that you'd see the characters ever acknowledging this. I've seen age gaps which were fun or cringe, but this was actually quite nice. The way the drama started off and the interaction between the leads felt like a Western story to me. They form a genuine bond and their love and relationship follows that. I wasn't a fan of the male lead but he was watchable and watching him being in love with the female lead was a lot of fun. The only downsides started after Ep 15 where the good moments were less and secondary melodrama took over. If it weren't for the leads, I wouldn't have watched this nor completed this as none of the secondary characters were interesting. The uncle and the friend were super boring. The drama with the second leads and the mother-in-law didn't go with the plot at all. There were times the drama ignored the cooking aspect and concentrated on some other uninteresting points. I also didn't fully love the food aspect as I am a vegetarian and almost all the dishes had meat in it.

ACTING/CAST:
Zhao Lusi steals the show for me. This role was slightly different from her previous dramas although she always does comedy in all her dramas. She looked fabulous and her playful side always made me smile. I like the fact that she has good chemistry with whoever she acts with. The ML actor was new to me but he did a good job too. He looked older than he was supposed to be, but he never let age get in the way of affecting their chemistry.

OST:
Normally I wouldn't like these kinds of songs, but all of them fit the mood of the drama pretty well.

OVERALL:
If food and romance with a big age gap is your thing, go for it. I would say don't lead the age gap deter you from watching because the leads did a genuinely good job of it. Zhao Lusi is a treat to watch and the food that they show seems delicious. A special mention to the SL because I felt like he matched with the FL better. This drama is a one-time watch and you'll find some delightful moments to watch. If you don't like the leads then don't watch this as the drama doesn't have much else to offer.

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Toxic, Not Naughty

I am still wondering why I bothered to watch this drama. I wasn't a fan of Cutie Pie, toxic relationships made to look cute are not my thing, but the trailer made me wonder if this drama would put some of that in the past. I should have known better. Naughty Babe, quite simply, is a disaster. I'm not sure what was worse: changing the original story, the lack of plot, the complete lack of character development despite years having gone by, or the acting. Honestly take your pick.

So let's start with the story. There really wasn't one. Honestly it felt like a toddler throwing anything and everything at a piece of paper and calling it a masterpiece. With only 8 episodes, they needed to stick to a central story line and they just didn't. The mystery of who messed with Diao's car and caused Yi to crash is probably the most consistent story line, but even it falls flat. The choice to change the childhood attack Diao suffered from a dog to a tiger was absurd. The CGI tiger was awful and the change didn't serve any purpose other than creating inconsistencies and erasing some of the development in their relationship from Cutie Pie. Because it was so disjointed, the pacing felt off. It never got a good rhythm going and I struggled to stay invested. Things like their plan for the wedding was just so nonsensical and out of the box, and not in a good way. They were in on the plan together, so why Diao kept going on about being afraid he was going to hurt Yi and break his heart and blah blah blah just didn't make sense. And the ending, maybe it was just me, but it felt like there was a level of favoritism for their son over their daughter. They interacted far more with him than they did with her, especially considering it was her birthday. Again, could just be me reading into it too much.

One of the biggest issues though truly was the complete lack of character development. It's supposed to have been what, 6 years or something since Cutie Pie and three since Cutie Pie 2 You and literally nothing has changed in their relationship. In fact, they've taken steps backward. I didn't watch it, but my understanding is that a lack of development was present in Cutie Pie 2 You as well. Relationships change over time, that's just a fact. That Diao and Yi's relationship remained so stagnant shows that the writers and production had no clue what they were doing. Because of the foolish decision to change the attack to a tiger, some of the issues between them that had been dealt with or at least acknowledged were rendered pointless and they were right back where they started. And you would think, after all the time they'd been together, that they would have figured some things out. But no, they are still unable to communicate effectively, they make assumptions, there's a clear lack of trust and understanding between them, oh, but they're madly in love. Cue eye roll. The imbalance in their relationship is still very present. There are times that Yi comes across almost as more of a father with his controlling ways than as a fiancé. And Diao, for all that he does stand up for himself on occasion, it never seems to be when it matters or when it would do the most good. Frankly, they're just frustrating to watch. And a bit disturbing, because, all joking aside, at the heart, their relationship is not one built on love, but rather years of manipulation and Diao being conditioned to rely on Yi. And that is simply not addressed. It just points back to the fact that nothing has changed since Cutie Pie and their relationship is just as toxic and discordant as it was then.

Lian and Kuea reappear and while Lian does have his useful moments serving as a sounding board for Yi and actually giving solid advice at times, Kuea causes some issues by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and making incorrect assumptions that he then feeds back to Diao. Together they're alternately vaguely amusing and mildly cute. While their relationship in Cutie Pie displayed the same imbalance as seen with Diao and Yi, they seem to be on more equal footing here. Nuea and Syn also pop up briefly and bring a few moments of levity. The only other character that I actually liked was Yi's father. He had a decent balance of comedy and seriousness that worked fairly well.

Nat and Max are not the strongest of actors and expecting them to carry their own show was asking a lot. Of the two, Nat was the more compelling to watch. His expressions are limited and there's really no nuance to his acting, but it feels more authentic. Max is just wooden and his emotions always felt very surface level. It looked like he was acting.

The production value was meh. There was nothing special about it. The product placement was incredibly annoying and distracting. It's been a minute since I saw a drama that was so in your face with it. And the music felt pretty generic. Nothing like Cutie Pie which had some decent and catchy songs.

Naughty Babe is simply a continuation of the toxic relationship first shown in Cutie Pie and a further romanticization of it. I don't generally totally regret watching a drama, but I fully regret taking the time to watch this one. There is frankly nothing positive about it and unless you are a die hard Cutie Pie or Diao/Yi fan, I would avoid it like the plague. You'll never get those hours back.

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