Reviews

A power-struggle between morals.

I started watching 'Extracurricular' on a whim, I didn't think much of it and just wanted to see something that was on Netflix. The simple action of watching one episode turned into a 10 h binge, and I have to tell you it was one hell of a ride. This drama didn't hook me on the first episode, I felt a bit hesitant: Will this be another unrealistic shitty teen thug type of story? But nonetheless I continued.

After the second episode I knew, this is something else. The premise seems simple enough, a normal setup for a Korean thriller/action movie but this took it deeper. During the 10 episodes the viewer get to know its main character Oh Jisoo and his contrasting behaviors as well as his partner Bae Gyu Ri. The character work on these two was phenomenal, I loved seeing their facades crack little by little to show what these young humans held within themselves all along. Although they commit actions that goes by the law of morals you cannot help but route for this unfortunate pair. I personally related to the characters, especially to Bae Gyu Ri and her struggles to keep her image in front of her parents, the school and Jisoo. Although the circumstances that these characters goes through is unrealistic you can draw similarities to their struggles of fitting in, money, grades and love.

The acting was simply amazing! Nothing more is needed to say, all cast members seemed to act well in their parts and the production was done so smoothly that I almost forgot that it was all an act.

Well all I can say is that this blew me away, I was chocked at the amount of enjoyment I felt watching this short but thrilling drama. Everyone that enjoys to feel nervous and wants to see something a bit fucked up and dark: 'Extracurricular' is something for you!

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Honestly I did not expect anything about this drama, I just randomly clicked the first two episodes and it got me hooked.

Story: I gave it an 8 since the plot isn't any groundbreaking and I admit the description for this drama is cliche but when you get into the drama itself, it was so refreshing. In most romcom kdramas, I usually know or my expectations were right on what will happen next but Marriage Not Dating is just pure surprise. They made the cliche worth watching, you don't even know what to expect.

Acting/Cast: 10. The actors are so perfect esp the main leads. I already forget the last time I root for the main couple so much. Props to Han Groo and Yeon Woo Jin, it's like this drama its tailor-made for them. Though the side characters Jinwoon and Sunhwa did not appeal to me, Jung Min (Hoon Dong), and Kim Hae Sook are so great I kind of forget the 2nd leads.

Music: Should I include the sound effects here because 10 is not enough for it. :The sound effects guy must be in every romcom drama) The OSTs in this drama are so good and it match the scenes perfectly.

Rewatch Value: Oh boy, this one of the few kdramas I will never get tired rewatching. Maybe I'll start in a few hours. Haha. :)

Overall: 9.5 This my highest rated kdrama ever because I never give a perfect 10. It's just me but definitely all those almost perfect dramas waned in the middle or still lacks something. But all in all this is still the best romcom drama for me. No extended angst and pure fun.

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Sweet, Cheesy, and Totally Hilarious!

Rom-coms have always been my guilty pleasures—something I just cannot help but indulge in, like sneaking a spoonful of Nutella straight from the jar. The drama can be full of the usual tropes, and I’m typically fine with that because I like them. Such is the case with *My Sweet Mobster*. Some will say it is predictable and cheesy, and they would be right, but the show did the cheesiness and comedy so well that it won me over. I found most episodes enjoyable and funny. Additionally, the show had a compelling premise: the ML was an ex-mobster leading a group of ex-convicts and trying to stay on the straight path.

The biggest draw for me was Uhm Tae Goo as Seo Ji Hwan, the ML. He completely surprised me. I had only seen him in *Save Me 2*, and I did not expect him to be so versatile in this drama. I was impressed by how he was able to transition from being scarily intimidating to being goofily love-struck. Uhm Tae Goo showed that he can do comedy, so I hope he will continue to explore that. Seo Ji Hwan was easy to root for. He was principled, led by example, and was admired by his men. I especially loved his interactions with his group of sidekicks who live with him. That dynamic seriously elevated the show for me, and in fact, I would say that was the best part of the drama.

As for the romance, the chemistry between the lead couple was not as great as I would have liked. Han Sun Hwa was fine as Go Eun Ha, the FL, but I was not won over by her character. Go Eun Ha was a content creator for children, and Han Sun Hwa fit the role—cute, bubbly, and pretty. However, there was something missing between the couple that did not make my heart flutter during the romantic scenes. There was no feeling of giddiness or warmth watching the FL's reactions, but it was incredibly funny watching Seo Ji Hwan swooning (in some cases, quite literally!), as he had never experienced love before. His antics, accompanied by the humorous reactions of his sidekicks, kept me laughing a lot.

Kwon Yul, playing Jang Hyeon U, the SML, was another surprise for me since I have seen the actor play more menacing villains in other shows. In this show, Jang Hyeon U was not as annoying as the stereotypical SML. He was persistent when appropriate but remained a gentleman when rejected, and his protectiveness made sense given the ML's background. Best of all, he underwent some character development, becoming a good friend to the couple, supporting them, and truly caring for their happiness. I appreciate that the show did not pair him with someone else just for the sake of it, although there was some implication of a potential romance for him.

The development of the second couple, Ju Il Yeong and Kim Mi Ho, was okay to watch, but Mi Ho's parents and, again, the sidekicks were the ones adding the most flavor to the good scenes. Honestly, the supporting characters deserved much kudos for making this drama a lot more enjoyable.

Recently, there seems to be a general struggle to get the pacing of dramas right, and *My Sweet Mobster* suffered from this as well. Some episodes started to feel like filler. It was as though the show could not bear to leave out all the comedy gold, so they squeezed it all in, even though the scenes did not move the story along. As much as I laughed, I also found certain parts rather draggy. Another downside was the main villain—I could not take him seriously. Even if this was supposed to be comedic, there was something off about him.

The wrap-up was nicely done. The resolution for the ML and his mobster ties left a good feeling, and the way the show ended, featuring the main group, was satisfying.

In terms of the soundtrack, it was good—mostly romantic tracks fitting for the more emotional scenes. The opening credit song was lively and reflected the positive and happy tone throughout the show, but my favorite was "Beautiful Woman" by Yu Jeongseok. It was just so funky and unexpected, but totally appropriate when played. For posterity, I included the links to the playlist.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6QLkDGAblKUfnW7tB6ywqX?si=d688c0d23fc2451a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-8m3l2VVxQ

Overall, I would recommend this show. For a rom-com, it was different, straying a little from the stereotypical rich chaebol heir falling in love with a lovely girl of a common background. The comedy was well done, and if you can deal with the cringey moments that are in almost all Korean rom-coms, then you may enjoy it as much as I did.

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‘She Shen Qu Yi’

‘She shen qu yi’ (舍身取义) literally means sacrificing oneself for justice. This drama is about this ideology. Everything the main characters do is based on this belief. The current political turmoil in the real world makes this drama especially comforting, giving hope that there are still many of these ‘xia yi’ people out there fighting for justice and sacrificing themselves. It's this ideology that brings tears to viewers' eyes and to love the characters.

This drama has an amazing storyline with great wuxia. It starts with a nail-biting scene, and continues to be nerve-rackingly intense almost throughout. The intensity is so great that it’s hard to watch without a drama partner. Viewers are therefore advised to find a viewing buddy before beginning this drama. Having said that, viewers may also kick off the partner half way through as the drama slows down and the plot becomes less intense.

Zuo Qingci (Zhang Yao) is a sickly but brilliant doctor who wanders the earth, saving those who can’t afford a doctor. He also has a different identity and is the mastermind to save the Emperor and the kingdom from fallen into the devil’s hand. In his quest, he finds his long lost love, a girl who has given him meaning to live at the time when he loses all hopes. Together, they meet challenges testing their love and trust for each other, and in the end they’re rewarded.

The side couples’ stories are equally enthralling. To my content, the characters are well developed and their stories are well told, and even bring tears to my eyes. Other supporting characters are pretty well developed too and they really engage the viewers’ sympathy.

All the female characters are strong, determined, dignified and brilliant (there are no love sick silly girls who go all out to get the love from their men). Even with a physically sickly female character as in Xie Jiang Er (Xu Meng Yuan), she is sensible, strong and wise. Her words are comfort to all those around her. For many of the scenes, Su Yun Luo (Zhang Ya Qin) is disguised as a boy, Fei Kou Er. Her make-up is probably one of the best disguises I’ve ever seen in a Chinese drama with dark rough skin and tattered clothing, and no boobs. Zuo Qingci’s make-up reminds me of Mei Changsu (Nirvana in Fire) – white robe with fur. Probably such style gives the viewers a sense of simplicity and frailness.

I’m really impressed by the acting, in particular by Shi Yun Peng who portrays Zhu Yan, and Deng Yu Li who plays Shen Man Qing. They have totally convinced me and captured my heart.

The only qualms I have are perhaps how they've talked about and built up of certain mysterious 'da xia' (heroic) characters, and as soon as these characters appear on screen, they're being killed off without much effort. It's really bewildering because heroes are not supposed to die easily like ants. The overall suspense building up to the climax is ruined basically by the climax itself as it doesn't match up to the built-up -- it (the climax) is not exactly unexpected and spectacular; the climax is the anti-climax. After the climax, it leaves the viewers asking the question: "What is the point of all these?" A lot of the actions and decisions by the characters, seemingly futile, can only be explained by the "she shen qu yi" belief. Again, like many Chinese dramas, the ending is weak and feels 'forced' without much effort being put into it. The main characters become pedestrians, losing all their heroic appeals.

Despite all these flaws and plot holes, I've enjoyed this drama. It is through and through a wuxia story with all the wuxia elements and virtues – brotherhood, sacrifice, devotion, endurance. At the same time, it is interjected with romances to slow down the pace for the viewers to take a breather. The story is intriguing, the fighting scenes are beautiful and convincing.

If you're a wuxia fan, you'd love this drama. If you're a romance buff, you'd equally love this drama. Amazing story, amazing acting, amazing music, amazing cinematography. It’s a must-watch and deserves a rare 10/10.

Two thumbs up!

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BRACE YOURSELVES, LONG REVIEW COMING!

It’s kinda hard for me to rate and review this drama as a -one thing- because the -mini drama- doesn't follow one story line so, I’m rating them and reviewing them individually. The general rate it’s basically an average I did with the rates I gave to each story, but if you don't wanna read the entire review just pick the story you want to read or if you don't want to do that either and just want to know if this is worth watching, then, yes it is worth watching. If you like love stories in general you'll definitely enjoy this hehe...

So, let's go!
NO SPOILER

*1st story* -Seung Yeon and WooJin-
Overall rating--- 7.0
Rewatch value--- 5.0

A kinda heartbreaking story about a couple that has to face death and loss in their relationship, this story also has a sci-fi-time-traveling plus that makes it interesting and different. The story can make you cry and laugh and make you sit at the edge of your chair because you basically don’t know what’s gonna happen later, so you suffer with the characters. It has a pretty good acting of both sides and a satisfying ending, the chemistry between them was ok, I didn’t feel an awesome connection but it was good enough to make me root for them.

*2nd story* -Goo Hara and Kim Young Kwang-
Overall rating--- 10
Rewatch value--- 10

Oh my...! I’m so glad I watched this, seriously. The chemistry was like BOOM! I totally felt the sparks when they were together. Ok, the story goes like this: This shy and ordinary girl who works in a convenience store, one day realizes that she has terminal cancer and makes this list of things she wants to do before dying, and in the path of fulfilling these wishes, she meets (in a very odd and funny way) this crazy-problematic guy who is gonna become our hero, so the rest... You have to watch it. The story is clever and funny and the reason is that the characters are the strong point of the drama. They are so loveable and enjoyable, because they are real and they have flaws and craziness and energy and chemistry, and problems, and scars and fears and so on... I liked that this drama took a serious and sad topic like this one and turned it into a light and easy-to-watch thing. This could have been a perfect 16 episodes drama :)

*3rd story* -Kang Ji Young and Bae Su Bin-
Overall rating--- 7.0
Rewatch value--- 6.0

This drama tells us an innocent lovestory, I’d say a one side lovestory, but probably you won’t agree with me, anyway, after you watch it you can describe it as you think it actually is. The acting was pretty good of both sides, and the drama has a plus that I can’t tell you but it’s basically the soul of the story, in other words the writer of this drama is genius srsly. Hehe, although it takes a little to take off but it's worth watching 'till the end.

*4th story* -Jung Nicole and Lee Kwang Soo-
Overall rating--- 9.0
Rewatch value--- 7.0

I don’t have much to say about this one, although I really enjoyed it. The story follows the journey our main characters have to follow to solve a riddle that will lead them to an inheritance. The story has 2 kinds of love. One is the father-daughter’s love and the other one is the love between our couple. The acting was GREAT! I loved Jung Nicole and Lee Kwang Soo’s acting sooo much! And also the chemistry was awesome.

*5th story* -Park Gyuri and Ji Chang Wook-
Overall rating--- 10
Rewatch value--- 10

Please watch this story!!!

This one was probably my favorite one, although I didn’t like her character that much, actually I found her kind of annoying sometimes, but still...
Her character is the perfect Oh HaNi (Playful Kiss)- If you know what I mean-, a crazy, prideless stalker girl, but still cute. She works for a travelling agency in Jeju Island, so you can imagine how beautiful the scenery is.
His character is super enjoyable, he’s kinda jerky, he’s kinda cute and funny and DAMN! This man is beautiful, it should be illegal being this mesmerizing, srsly. He’s an angel, actually he’s her guardian angel and that’s what makes this story awesome. The way these two meet and how they develop the angel-human relationship was pretty well written, performed and directed.This is the only one story of the series that has a second male lead and an actual love triangle. I was really sad when this ended because this SHOULD be a 16-20 episodes drama. Who do I have to talk with to make this a drama? Please drama gods!! Come on!

Sorry for the long review... If someone actually reads this, thank you and I hope this has been helpful to you

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MLSHR is among a small number of k-dramas that have left a deep impression on me, yet it's also a drama I'd hesitate to recommend to people at large. There are a couple of reasons:

(1) The extent to which you'll enjoy this drama depends on whether you value IDEAS or EXECUTION. If you're the second kind of viewer, this show may drive you mad. The general consensus is that Scarlet Heart: Ryeo had a great story that was screwed up by messy editing/directing/pacing etc. and not enough space to tell it (20 episodes compared to the original 35-ep C-drama). I'm very sympathetic to this assessment.

However, I'm also the kind of viewer who will forgive a lot of flubbed execution for a really good idea, which this drama has in spades.

Scarlet Heart Ryeo is above all an *ambitious* drama, probably excessively so. The upshot is that it has possibly the most uneven execution and post-production editing ever committed... but at the same time some of the most complex and compelling character arcs I've come across in kdrama. It's not for nothing that the show has drawn such an unusual amount of discussion and fannish activity, especially internationally. (MLSHR was poorly received in Korea, but it is/was a certified international sensation, the first ever kdrama to make Tumblr trends, etc.)

(2) My other "disclaimer" for MLSHR is that it has a deeply cynical and subversive approach to romance. If you're looking for a fairytale where love conquers all, this is not the show for you. If you're looking for a classic tale of star-crossed lovers foiled by evil external forces... this is still not the show for you.

If, on the other hand, you're the sort to appreciate tragic missed opportunities of love driven by bad timing and fatal ***character flaws***, then Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the Greek tragedy of your dreams (and/or nightmares). In a market saturated with wannabe Pride & Prejudices, Scarlet Heart Ryeo is out here being a totally unapologetic Wuthering Heights, which is pretty gutsy for a YA reverse-harem premise. (To be fair, they were working off of the Chinese novel, but they *could* have made it more public-friendly.)


Here's the bottom line: This drama is an acquired taste. If you're not a fan of tragedy or bloodbaths, if you need your female characters to be ~empowered~ and save the day, if you prefer people in love to be functional and communicate well — look elsewhere.

However, if you enjoy nonstop political scheming and backstabbing, majority-villain ensembles (including both male leads, arguably), and romantic narratives that reject relationship = identity myths, Scarlet Heart Ryeo is probably up your dark and twisted alley.

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Smart Demons + Stupid Humans = Extraordinary Mess

Watched this to see Xu Kai act but just like in a previous series of his; his and everyone else's acting was great but the story itself was a hot mess. Wish he or whomever chooses for him, chose better. The only reason this even got a 6.5 and not lower was because of the literally only 3 pros. Otherwise, it was like the mighty morphin power rangers and mortal kombat took LSD and spit this out.

Pros: Leads chemistry, the actors hard work which included great fight scenes, and costumes (except for the Halloween store costume lion for Uncle Tang), and good OSTs. No other pros.

Cons: Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for smart antagonists but not when the protagonists are so ridiculously idiotic. Just about everyone was led by the nose by the demons the ENTIRE show. Even when our ML told them otherwise, the Elders still chose to believe evil people. The amount of times the good guys failed to understand something very simple made you want to run your face into the wall. The entire series made a ton of no sense because the bad guys were running the show while the good guys were just walking around like zombies and talking in circles.

Did just about everyone really deserve to die; KYY's death in the last episode was pointless and meaningless. Some really did die as heroes but what made much of it senseless is that if they put two and two together sooner and made it 4 instead of 7, they could have made things happen sooner and survived. It made me feel like whoever the writer was, had no clue how to write a novel or one that's understandable or cohesive. Ji Rong staying alive and even her death at the hands of probably the show’s stupidest character, made me feel like I lost brain cells. DXY warned his brother and the two elders something was fishy about her from nearly the beginning and yet both uncles died because of her.

The sets and CGI looked very cheap. The words chucked up on the screen each time a new magic trick was used was eye roll worthy. Welcome to the 90s and not in a good way! Situ Hong's ruthlessness was completely ignored and his death and that of the weird random cultivator that at first clung to XY was completely pathetic. Both were sucked dry for big bad demon God that most of the time sounded like an alien cat that sucked in a helium balloon. We were all expecting a fight between him and XY but yeah, why bother?

Demon Ao Lan turned himself into a psychedelic Venus flytrap to try and kill XY in the last episode and it had me laughing. Little Shop of Horrors that was filmed in the 1970s had better CGI than this mess. I shed a tear for Shifu sacrificing himself at the end as out of all the guardians, he was the only one that infiltrated the demon clan and didn't do too poorly. Yes, happy ending for leads and the maybe 3 other living people but what did I watch for 40 episodes?

Would I recommend? No way. Even if you are a fan of the leads or anyone else, please find something else. Leads chemistry is not enough to hold this thing together.

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I have never watched a thai drama before and I absolutely loved this version of Full House :)
Story-10
The story was a definite 10 for me! I just loved the romance a lot and the love scenes were defiantly super cute!!! The chemistry between the two make me hope that they are a couple off-screen as well! In all honesty, this was defiantly better than the remake.....and the story affirmed that for me! The story has an equilibrium between the romance and comedy which is actually quite tricky to master...but they managed to pull it of exquisitely!
Acting/Cast-10
I absolutely loved the actors and actresses! They suited their roles perfectly! I absolutely loved the chemistry between the two! I will defiantly be watching more of their dramas in the future! The actress does a very good job at pulling off Aom-am's character and the actor also does a very good job when acting as Mike.
Ultimately, the acting was a great plus-it wasn't fake nor was it uninteresting! It seemed realistic and thats why i absolutely loved the show!
Music-9
The music was really good-the only thing i wanted was another song because the same song would of been played at least 2-3 times during a single episode.....however I liked the song and it was cute because the pair actually sang the song themselves :)
Overall-9.5
I loved this drama soooo much and it has been so long since I have encountered a really good rom/com!!! I highly recommend this to anyone in search of a good laugh and 'aww' moments!

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An impressively touching love story. Performed with passion. However, It´s makjang. Be prepared.

The biggest impetus for the KWave came from "Winter Sonata" - this KDrama is almost a blockbuster among KDramas. Its success was enormous. The series sparked its own fan tourism to filming locations on Nami Island, Geojie Island and Chuncheon that continues to this day. The soundtrack also wrote history. In the meantime there is an anime version of the story, a musical production as well as a manga and a Playtstation version...

The love story is told in an impressively touching way and performed with passion. In beautiful pictures and with plenty of dramatic twists. The chemistry between the two main actors is perfectly tuned. Bae Yong Joon even shines in two roles at the same time.

However. It is makjang! Twists and turns awaiting around each and every corner. Be prepared for sorrow. You might get angry more than once. The protagonist´s can get on your nerves. For sure. Don´t complain. I told you. It is truely astonishing that still (if you are ready to sympathize to some extent) you will ´enjoy´ the show. ... whereas ´joy´ might not exactly hit the spot... :-)

In case you are not aware (as I wasn´t at first):
Since the story begins in the youth of the main characters, you also get an impression of the Korean lifestyle and everyday life in the late 1980s and 1990s, with true ´democracy´ in South Korea still being in diapers and a conservative, strict, authoritarian aura dominating everyday life. When I saw the series for the first time, I didn´t know much about the political and social conditions. Plus from my German background those morals, values and virtues all seemed old fashioned and in my life rather outdated - it reminded me more of the world of the old black and white movies of the 1930s and 40s: hierarchies and manners, the decisions of the protagonists, the prevailing moral concepts, all of which I - today, far away in Germany - could only shake my head at. Now, as I have learned more about South Korean culture, I know better, where this is coming from... Sympathy and compassion are thus enhanced.

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Hopeful Bond Against the Dark Odds

“It bothers me when one out of every seven of us is missing. I don’t know why, but I just don’t like it. I hope we can be all together. When we are all together, I don’t even think about wanting to die.”

This drama is an adaptation of BU and I'm glad it's really good. Despite some changes, they did an excellent job on the build up between the characters and their relationships, along with the actors' portrayal and chemistry. From the awkward first meetings to building trust with each other and getting closer together. I love watching their friendship and brotherhood despite their different backgrounds and problems. They unite to become each others' ray of light amidst the struggles they faced during the darkness of their separate lives. This drama is so heartwarming with the precious found family trope. But at the same time, the dark themes about their childhood traumas and family secrets are so emotional and intriguing.

This drama is so meaningful and deep while tackling various social issues about dysfunctional family, mental illness, discrimination, poverty, politics, education and more. The mystery regarding the past of their parents and connection to the principal shows how generational trauma starts and their children bearing the pain of their mistakes. Innocent teenagers are forced to suffer due to the evil adults that comes from each of their different environments. This drama is a reflection of reality that conveys important messages while providing consolation and angst to the youth who are beginning to face the world.

From the original BU storyline, this drama acts like a prequel that introduces the 7 protagonists while adding more details about their backgrounds and families. Eventually, this drama left with an open ending where the fantasy aspect of time travel only begins at the end. Hwan, the oldest of the group, carries the weight of responsibilities and guilt, so he goes back in time to save all his friends and prevent them from their tragic fates. He sacrifices himself while being stuck in time loops. This leads to suspicions and demands for Season 2. There's no official confirmation yet, but I hope they really make it happen so the boys' stories can continue.

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THE BEST LEGAL COURTROOM DRAMA EVER!

Are you a fan of the American legal thriller TV series HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER? Then, LAW SCHOOL is definitely for you. Not a remake, but the premise of the drama and the primary set-up is inspired by the said English series.

Law School had been one of the most anticipated drama of the year 2021, that too a rare legal courtroom thriller drama. And everyone can see how it has paid off to everyone's expectations. Kim Myung Min, Kim Bum and Ryu Hye Young are indeed the reason all of us were damn sure about the quality drama it'll be. What a powerful cast to begin with!

The very first scene of the very first episode of this drama; that one single scene where the writer and the director decided to show the faces of the cast for every major character and proved what the class and standard of their drama will be. That was so lovely of a scene to witness and made me feel woah. The production actually succeeded in dragging us into the drama.

Law School has a straicase plot development which means, it's neither steady storyline or a combination of connecting plots; rather a series of related events where everything is revealed in a step by step manner leading to the main climax in the end. I loved the way every character in it catched up to a new event that they were completely unaware of, resonated it on the individual level utilizing law that they study, gave it a trail for good and finally let it go.

Law School has the typical urban thriller editing but they keep the intense mood up all the time by running the screenplay at the apt speed, hence making it interesting and not boring.

To be honest, the first 2 episodes felt a bit dull and confusing. They keep going forward and backward in time, multiple times which didn't allow me to catch up to what exactly was happening. But it caught momentum from the 3rd episode and got better since then. And from the 6th episode, it actually became very interesting and I enjoyed watching.

Character development is a thing that's been shown for only limited characters among a huge number of cast but that's fruitful given how they changed from facile and one dimensional beings to stronger individuals with the drama's progression. Notably, the screentime distribution is even for all the characters, the lead trio being the ones to get slightly more duration; one of the handful dramas where both male and female characters are equally emphasised and well balanced. A major credit to the writer for that.

Kim Myung Min being the arrogant and most lawful man (in the entire world), might make your blood boil to the point that you might wanna smash him down but before you realize, he shall capture your heart with his badguy charisma (I've actually fallen for him :P). DO NOT expect to see much romance between Kim Bum and Hye Young because the drama ain't about that though Kim Bum sometimes love to flirt with Hye Young as he kind of admires her a lot. On the other side, Hye Young who is unaware of her fluttering heart for Kim Bum, is always annoyed by Kim Bum and herself is so annoying, haha. Her character development is notable for she grows to being a righteous law person from a girl, not good at studies.

Let's talk about the legal aspects. I have always felt that not many people watch pure legal dramas unless it has a major part of romance and melodrama but if we are talking about a courtroom drama or movie, it has to be like Law School. Some people might wanna give up because they keep blabbering about the criminal codes, constitutional laws, articles and sections at a rate that you have to pause many times to understand and channelise the things but trust me, that's what happenes in a real courtroom. They have included and discussed a lot of clauses but they also made sure to make us understand them with examples and elaborations even during the trials. They've also wisely introduced the shortcomings in the existing law & order, thus implying a need of change in them. This work is hence highly commendable.

It's done pretty well even if you judge it as a thriller. They kept increasing our urge & curiosity to know who the actual culprit is. Unlike many thrillers, you might hesitate to predict and make theories about this drama because everything is simultaneous and transparent and which is why I thought the revelation of the culprit will come as a huge shock, but not gonna lie, it was disappointing. It turned out to be an already very bad guy so I wasn't like woah. But I doesn't matter because it's primarily a courtroom drama and evem after the revelation, it didn't become boring or anything rather more cases were added on the same episide as compensation which never felt like getting dragged at all.

The background sound editing and screenplay is nice. The direction is amazing as well that kept people going, especially for viewers like me who are into binging. But I think this drama is a huge disadvantage for those who watch ongoing. It's not frustrating as there's nothing to predict or think about and honestly you won't have to wait for a week eagerly to watch the next episode.

Law School is indeed one of the best thrillers of 2021 and overally among all the thrillers too and let me call it the BEST LEGAL COURTROOM KDRAMA EVER PRODUCED.

P. S. I sometimes got the DEAD POETS SOCIETY vibes because of the way Prof. Yang gathered his students and they even had a hideout in the copy room. HAHAHA

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I started watching this movie as Nana fan and boy did i cry when the story end. This movie is the 2nd movie after Your Name that has an effect to me this year. The first half of the movie describes the happiness that couple share together, featuring the beautiful streets of Kyoto. The storytelling is so good, that when the two see each other for the first time, you feel nervous with them. Then, when they officially start to date, you feel butterflies in your stomach!! In short, it is a love story that makes you blush and fall in love with the characters for me. The second half is when you start having the feeling. Like the title suggest, the lead will meet up with each other significance with the opposite time.

It will also question whether if we know everything in the future already, Will we still do the same? The answer for me is yes because 'happiness is still happiness'. We still remember that moment as 'happiness' because everything changes but happiness is always in the corner of time.

This movie is one of the best bittersweet love story for this new generation and you will most likely cry after the movie end . Japan has really step up their movie industry with so many quality movie released.

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I think this drama started off strong, but lost steam as it went along. The ending episode was meandering and pointless, honestly. It had a happy ending, but was lackluster and bland. I think that if they had cut this show to 16/32 episodes instead of 20/40, they could have written a tighter story. There were some things that got lost in the story, some things that were never explained, and some things that dragged on way too long. The romance sizzled in the beginning and then flickered and died, and then when it rekindled, it was barely an ember. One thing that some people liked, but kind of annoyed me was the lighting in the show. Every time the main characters were about to have a real kiss - there was always this bright light shining between them. I guess it was supposed to be artistic? Once would have been plenty for that and it might have been ok, but it happened at least 3 or 4 times.

Most of the actors did a good job. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors and I love to watch the play of emotions on JCW's face. NJH is so earnest and sincere in her acting. Choi Tae Joon as Eun Hyuk was such a cutie pie and his awkwardness and his boyish charm and enthusiasm were fun to watch (this was my first show with him.) I wasn't really impressed with Nara or her character. She was bland and we didn't learn much about her. I thought Kim Ye Won was a scene stealer though! KYW as Ji Hye started off as an unlikable bully and a cheater, but she quickly became one of my favorite supporting actors in this show, and I kind of wished she had been the second female lead instead. I loved her snarky comebacks to Yoo Jung - she made me laugh a lot. And Dong Ha, as the villain Hyun Soo, did an amazing job. It's the first time I've seen him in anything that I recall, but he nailed his role.

The music was decent, nothing stand out, but appropriate.

I won't re-watch this. It was ok, but not one of the best I've seen. I think the longer run time severely hurt the pacing.

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After a while of not being hooked into any drama, this drama series was a refresher for me. It continuously made me more excited for the upcoming Fridays and Saturdays as these were the days when new episodes premiered. I just finished the series this morning, and here are my thoughts about this drama:

Story/plot: -9- The storyline had many cute moments between the characters, and there was not really any huge climax or conflict that lasted for several episodes. This plot was, more or less, very bubbly and cutesy with many squealing moments; it felt as if the main characters were living in their honeymoon phase the entire time due to the amount of innocence they had. Unlike with other Chinese dramas, I did not feel like the middle was intensely dragged out and was instead filled with more sweet and funny moments. Now, for the ending. Yes, the ending was a good ending, so that was a plus; however, I did not feel like it was a satisfying one. I felt the last few large events, starting with Si Tu Mo visiting Gu Wei Yi in Germany, were too rushed and had holes in between. The last scene with their kid though... glad they had a kid, but the kid seemed like he was 5 years old meaning the viewers just lost 5 years right there! It is understandable why they can't fit everything in 24 episodes, but compared to the rest of the drama, I felt the ending could have used more attention when it was made/directed. The hidden egg scenes at the very end of most of the episodes were cute considering the viewers were able to see some scenes from Gu Wei Yi's point-of-view.

Acting/cast: -9- The height difference between Gu Wei Yi (played by Lin Yi) and Si Tu Mo (played by Fair Xing) is absolutely adorable; it reminds me, and probably many others who watched, so much of A Love So Beautiful with Jiang Chen (Hu Yi Tian) and Xiao Xi (Shen Yue). Gu Wei Yi is a physics genius/nerd who sincerely cares for Si Tu Mo, both before and especially after they started dating. There were many times when he was clueless about how to please her or what to do in a relationship, so he had to search them on the internet which was cute and funny to watch. Lin Yi's acting could use some work, but for being the very first drama he acted in, his acting definitely has potential. He is also very attractive, in my opinion! Throughout the series, I had some frustrations and was annoyed with the character of Si Tu Mo, particularly the beginning and towards the end, because of her unwillingness to understand certain situations from Gu Wei Yi's perspective, but overall, her character was still independent and strong. The side characters were ok; they didn't play too much of a role in the drama except for Fu Pei (Xiao Tian Tang) and Wang Shan (Zheng Ying Chen). I enjoyed the character development of Fu Pei after he met Wang Shan, but their last proposal scene felt out of placed and rushed, as well.

Music: -8.5- The music matched the cuteness and bubbly-ness of the drama, so I had no complaints. Although none of the music stood out to me, they fit the flow of the drama. The dog and cat noises throughout the drama were really cute though.

Rewatch value: -8- Honestly, I don't think I can rewatch the entire series from beginning to end, but I might re-watch some cute scenes (there was a lot of those in this drama).

Overall: -9- This drama was definitely a refresher for me in the abundance of dramas, that I can't seem to find interest so much, premiering nowadays. The series kept me on the edge of my seat as I had to patiently wait for the new episodes every Friday and Saturday. The storyline was not extreme and was one that guided the audience through the life of the main character's love story. I honestly didn't have any problems with the storyline until the end, and even then, I am not mad at it.

I recommend this series to those who are looking for a drama with a cheerful and lovey-dovey storyline to wind down, maybe for those who just finished watching a frustrating drama. Sorry this review was a tad more lengthy than I intended, but I wanted to share my thoughts. Hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!

Chào for Now!
Lily L.

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