Reviews

It’s worse than I expected

I unfortunately completed this drama but with the help of the fast forward ⏩. When you have to fast forward a drama with 15min run time then you already know it’s a terrible drama,
Funny enough it really could have been a decent enough drama even with the run time but I don’t even know how much a better developed plot could have saved this especially with how bad the acting from Mew was, I wanted to give the acting 1/10 but I ended up giving it 4/10 because the SML did a really decent enough job and shouldn’t be punished for the bad job the more experienced actor did.
If you haven’t watched this drama and thinking should I go for it just to see for myself, I sincerely employ you to not do it.
A lot of people in the comments accusing people of hating on the drama because of Gulf, do you think everyone is a delusional hormonal teenager without a brain like you?, if majority of people say something is bad, then there should be some modicum of truth in it?
There is no ifs and buts about this drama though, it’s really bad, a no plot drama with horrible acting. It was so painful to watch actually.
I obviously do not recommend

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I have finished this drama today and I think it is necessary to write about it immediately.

This drama brings about a lot of emotions.

Crazy, angry, and boring sometimes and I do not know why I can finish this drama. Maybe because this drama is too crazy and it makes me want to know its ending.

This drama has potentials in the beginning, but go down rapidly, all characters in this drama can challenge audience's patience.

I do not know why the writer can write horrible story like this. Some people said that this story is meaningful and this drama helps us not to make mistakes like people in this drama.

However, I do not think so. The characters in this drama were not well-developed. These couples in this drama are unhealthy. Perhaps, this drama teaches us to live in unhealthy relationship and accept that.

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IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THIS DRAMA YET, THEN GO. WATCH IT. I promise you, you won't be disappointed with it. And you definitely won't regret watching it.

I could not watch another drama for quite a long time after watching City Hunter, simply for the fact that I felt no drama could live upto it. City Hunter gave me everything that I wanted- action, intrigue, suspense, romance, humour, great music (the theme song 'Sad Run' is AMAZING!). The cast and acting is great (honestly,the fact that Lee Min Ho is the lead was enough for me), the plot has its twists and turns and is very intriguing, some amazing stunts/actions and amazing chemistry amongst the cast.

The drama is not perfect; it could have done better in terms of either developing the romance further or no showing it at all and also, they could have had a better concluding scene. Yet, no drama is ever perfect and this show was very close to perfection.

The only reason why I haven't rewatched the entire drama is because the suspense has already been spoiled for me and without it, I won't have as much fun as I had when watching it for the first time.

Watch this drama for some amazing acting, an intriguing plot and for Lee Min Ho.

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One of the best Fantasy K-Dramas: A Reassurance

This was my second ever kdrama; it pulled me into the world of dramas, and I've been hooked since then.
Do not listen to the mixed reviews; take it from someone who has seen a ton of fantasy dramas (around 45); this is one of the best.

This isn't a review of sorts; I don't remember the scenes well enough to do so.
But I recall the stellar acting and plot. You'll love it if you appreciate fantasy, romance, mystery, drama, and a sci-fi parallel worlds scenario. Give this drama some time; don't drop it after the first two episodes.

(I was obsessed after the first episode, but I know how different people can be; if you have any second thoughts, take my word and watch it.)

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When I first found out about this drama I was pretty excited because Park Bo Young is one of my favourite actresses. I loved her in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and Oh My Ghostess. I started watching this drama as soon as it was released on Netflix but after a few episodes, I couldn't watch anymore. I recently picked up the drama again as I do not like to leave shows unfinished (unless they are absolutely terrible). I hate to give a drama a bad review but here is why I gave it such a low score.

The plot itself is intriguing but I feel like it wasn't laid out as well as it could have been. It felt like there were so many things going on at once and so sometimes it felt like the focus wasn't on the main couple. Although there was always a lot happening in each episode, it still felt like the drama had a really slow pace. It didn't feel like there was enough romance between the main couple. Usually, I will watch a drama and be rooting for the main couple to be together. In this drama, although I did like the actors and their characters, I wasn't dying for them to be together. Some characters that I didn't like were redeemed in the storyline but it felt too forced. I think this is rather unfair since there was a really good cast and plot idea.

I am a big fan of drama OSTs. I will listen to the soundtracks of dramas and even add them to my playlists. Something about the music of Abyss felt off. There wasn't a special song linked to particular moments that stood out to me. When I think of certain dramas, I automatically remember certain songs that made me feel for a character. I didn't feel this with the music of Abyss. Usually, you can find me crying alongside the characters at their most pivotal moments and the music has a big part to play in that most of the time. I knew that Abyss had made that much of an impact on me when I didn't cry once for the characters.

I think overall this drama just didn't reach its full potential, which is a shame considering the cast involved. I am pretty disappointed that I have to give this drama a low score and negative review, but I just don't think this drama is worth the hype. As a big fan of Park Bo Young, I feel so bad that I am saying this but I look forward to her next work. I don't think I would rewatch this drama. I think the trailer and the plot summary were a bit misleading. There isn't much emphasis on romance in Abyss (even though there are many romance scenes, it felt forced). This is more of a thriller/mystery drama so if that is your thing, then maybe you should check it out.

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A homage to Boy's Love

BL has exploded in popularity over the past few years but I'm grateful for this series when it took me back to its origins as a genre (and not just because its from Japan). Kakeru and Yamato embodied the feelings, uncertainty, clumsiness and beauty of young love. They casted these two perfectly and its almost like they jumped out from the pages of the manga . There are no antagonists, no side couples; just the slow burn of trying to cross the bridge from being friends to lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series and could not find any flaws. It was made by people who have a deep understanding of the story they wanted to share and executed beautifully. The title "I Cannot Reach You" is spot on the plot but it definitely reached my heart.

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An affair tells the story of a married woman in her late thirties drowning in a gray world of mediocrity and what happens when she is confronted by passion and desire.

Seo Hyeon’s reserved life is comfortable but devoid of color and dreams. She is married to a man she has never been in love with. Her uninspired life is reflected by the traffic report station her car radio is set on.

U-in returns to Korea to start a new job and prepare for his marriage to Seo Hyeon’s sister. He is a young man bound by his father’s expectations. He falls in love with Seo Hyeon at first sight despite their age difference. Slowly and deliberately he pursues her. She tries to take refuge in familial duty but succumbs to his advances.

Seo Hyeon’s time with him is awash in colors, feelings, and dreams. He exchanges her traffic station for romantic guitar music and her predictable existence for one of excitement. For the first time in her life she falls deeply in love.

Ultimately she has three choices:
Choose to destroy her family and leave for a new life with U-in.
Maintain her duty to her family and stay with a man she has never loved.
Take a chance on herself and leave the gray world that has enveloped her.

Each choice has consequences involving loss. The question is which choice can she best live with?

The loves scenes are sensual in this movie and a bit of a shock after watching the guppy kisses of Kdramas. There is a sense of intimacy even in the scenes where they don’t touch as well.

The movie never seeks to excuse their relationship, more to understand her need for a lifeline out of the dark ok-ness she has settled for.

Lee Mi Sook and Lee Jung Jae bring these characters to life, their passion, love, and guilt.

The musical was okay, but not particularly memorable.

As far as rewatch value goes-just like U-in’s love for Seo Hyeon, An Affair is highly addictive.

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A ride from start to finish

I've watched many romantic dramas, but I would never call myself a fan of the genre. This is mostly because, while the couples may be cute, there will always be unnecessary misunderstandings and drama to make the relationship "strong." Many romance dramas have a tendency to romanticize red flags that is often borderline abuse. I don't consider myself a romantic person and, hence, rarely do dramas make my heart flutter. However, this one not only made my heart flutter, but it also made me melt into puddles from the sweetness. Often, I caught my silly, ecstatic reflection on the screen and wondered what this drama has done to me.

Right off the bat, I noticed the similarities with DOTS like many others have mentioned. The general premise of a law enforcement officer falling in love with a doctor is similar to DOTS. The truck dangling off the cliff, and the earthquake rescue mission is also similar to DOTS. But, the similarities end there. The main characters are entirely different people from Kang Mo Yeon and Yoo Shi Jin, and so is their dynamic as a couple. Someone commented below that DOTS is a "blockbuster" meant to grip the audience and keep us at the edge of our seats, while YAMY is a good balance of high octane action and a slow, sweet, realistic slice of life. Unlike DOTS, Xing Kelei and Mi Ka are not "heroes." They are ordinary people who are also very competent, passionate professionals, trying to navigate their daily lives, and on more than one occasion, encountering something out of the ordinary.

Bai Jing Ting and Sandra Ma are an unlikely duo, and so I had my doubts at first. I ate my words within the first episode. This couple has so much natural chemistry; it blew me away. Sandra Ma is a fantastic actress. I cannot imagine the compassionate, capable Mi Ka being played by anyone else. Sandra Ma has impeccable dialogue delivery; her soft voice, sweet giggle, puppy eyes, and tender disposition are all so naturally conveyed. The drama being undubbed made her feel most authentic because her diction and voice modulation really adds to the acting. Sandra has the ability to portray characters as dynamic. She made Mi Ka cute and warm without making her annoying. Mi Ka is kind but not a pushover. She knows how to stand up for herself and does not let anyone walk over her. She's calm, level-headed, reasonable, and by far the most realistic female lead I've watched in a long, LONG time. She also shows so much character development; the contrast between her in the first episode and episode 39 is striking.

Xing Kelei is just as well written. Truth be told, I never pegged Bai Jing Ting as being able to carry the role of a police officer. But I'm so impressed with his acting abilities that I can unabashedly say that I've become a fan. He's charming and powerful as a captain. In many cases, dramas tend to boil down military/policemen to macho men with a false sense of superiority and ego, two sizes too large for their body. This toxic masculinity bleeds into his romantic relationships. It makes him the dominant one who makes all the decisions, the one who takes the initiative and drives the relationship. Xing Kelei is confident and well aware of his charm and talent, but he is far from egotistical. To see the tough, mean captain of the Tigers be clammy, shy and timid around Mi Ka is so adorable. The contrast between him as an officer and him as a boyfriend is so stark; it makes you swoon. In a relationship, the two are partners, on equal footing, and the two respect each other's choices and opinions. This relationship is by far one of the healthiest I've seen in dramas. There is consistent communication and no room for misunderstandings. Even when the two fight, neither lets feelings stew nor hesitate to apologize. Even when they miss each other due to their demanding occupations, they understand and respect each other's careers and accept that sometimes their jobs take precedence over each other. Every time you expect conflict, the two surprise you by being level-headed and mature. It sounds like the bare minimum, but it is still so refreshing to see. I enjoyed the natural progression of their relationship. While it may be slow and awkward at first, it is very realistic, given that it is their first relationship. I think this is what makes their interactions all the more authentic. Their conversations feel natural and casual, akin to your day to day interactions with the ones you love.

The side couples are just as adorable. Each couple has a different dynamic. Shu Wenbo is so obtuse; it's hilarious. Unlike popular opinion, I didn't find his cluelessness annoying. In fact, I found it quite endearing because as soon as he realizes his feelings, he's quick to act on them. Ruan Qing Xia is assertive and forthright without being annoying, and as an aspiring journalist, I admire her professionalism and sensibility. I adore the relationship between Keyou and Shou Yuhan. While Kelei and Mika are like spring- new, fresh, pure; Keyou and Yuhan are like autumn- comforting, familiar, warm and mature. All are different types of love, but equally as beautiful.

The romance is a slow burn, and the pacing of the drama is slow. There are arcs of thrills and action, followed by periods of the characters figuring out the mundane complications in life. The balance is perfect, and the simplicity of it is what made me keep watching. Each period of hardship unlocks a different level on Kelei and Mi Ka's relationship. The earthquake episodes are interesting, and the confession is especially heartwrenching. I have a special appreciation for episode 39. The writers did an impeccable job maintaining the thrill from the beginning to the end of the hostage situation. The addition of the lovers' fateful encounter after a long period of separation is heartwrenching and really adds to the experience.

Is it perfect? On most days, when I am much more practical and not in my feelings over the end of a fantastic drama, I would say no. However, today I choose to be impractical and argue that yes, it is perfect. That being said, the editing can be a little choppy, especially when stitching together multiple takes of the same scene. But that can be easily forgiven. While there are some recycled tropes earlier on in the drama, there are no unnecessary plot devices, and every bit of the story is there for a reason. There are no unanswered questions or plotholes. The product placements drove me a little nutty, but I just chose to ignore it.

I don't usually watch long dramas, and 40 episodes can be considered long. Yet, the episodes flew by, and at the end of it, I hoped for more. But now that I've finished watching it, I'm left with hollowness. This drama was truly a joy to watch. It's the type of drama that I wish I never watched, to experience the unadulterated joy of watching it for the first time. It also left me with a lingering sense of warmth and solitude. A drama that has joined the ranks of my most elite. Undoubtedly, a ten on ten for me.

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A Genuinely Decent Sageuk

Bossam: Steal the Fate was a good drama. However, I will caveat my review with the fact that I am a sageuk lover.

When I saw this title was airing, it was already on its 6th episode, and I binged the episodes that were out immediately. I've seen a bunch (and I mean a BUNCH) of historical/palace dramas and I've never once heard of the concept of Bossam. So as a seasoned k-drama watcher, I was excited for something new. What I found was a drama I was so enraptured with, I often found myself watching episodes multiple times throughout the week (once without subtitles and again with subtitles when they were out - THANK YOU SUBBERS ♥) just because I couldn't get enough. And don't believe the people who say there's no romance - more below.

STORY: 9/10
The story isn't anything revolutionary, but it's still my favorite trope in my favorite genre (a Joseon-era cohabitation with palace politics), so I couldn't get enough. Up until around the 18th episode mark, I was determined to give this drama straight 10s, but right at the end I was left with some questions and the feeling that the show had only been a few steps away from jumping the shark. Everything you think is going to happen does - but that doesn't mean it's not worth a one-time watch, because it definitely is.

"So how's the romance?"
In my opinion, nice actually. Other people may disagree (I know they do), but think of the romance this way: love languages. If you don't know what love languages are, basically it boils down to the idea that people show love in 5 different ways depending on their individual love language. Some people give gifts, some people help their loved ones, others wants hugs and kisses and all the typical "romance" things, among a couple other "languages". If you believe couples in love have to be heavy Physical Touch people - you will not enjoy this romance. If you're an Acts of Service or Quality Time person like me you may adore this drama like I do. I thought Jung Il Woo did a fantastic job portraying a commoner man in love with a princess far out of his league, and due to the era they lived and her already shy nature, physical touch would've been totally out of place. If you think of it like this, there's a ton of romance in this show, but for Physical Touch lovers, there's next to none.

ACTING/CAST: 10/10
Fantastic acting. I mentioned Jung Il Woo above but he and everyone else did a great job. This show kept breaking its own record and there's a reason for that. A conflicted peasant single father just trying to get by who falls in love with a strong yet meek princess couldn't have been portrayed better by any other couple. I've never seen Kwon YuRi before, but she's on my radar now. I can't give enough praise to not just the main cast, but the supports too. I am always a fan of Lee Joon Hyuk. I'm convinced every drama he's in is an assured winner.

MUSIC: 10/10
AMAZING. Angular Stones (OST part 4) had me singing every time it came on, and Blossom (OST part 12) makes me feel like I'm staring out a window into the rain pining for the man I love. The OST is so great and I've been listening to it since I found the individual tracks. They've gone onto my all-time favorites playlist.

REWATCH VALUE: 8/10
I was convinced this was going to be my favorite sageuk of all time until the ending where it got a little rocky, but it wasn't bad at all. I wasn't disappointed, and the beginning of the show is especially worth re-watching I think. This show is just so comical. All-in-all, I'll probably re-watch this even though I usually have trouble doing that after I know the ending of shows.

Please do yourself a favor and give this drama a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you know what to expect romance-wise. Do keep in mind that there are a lot of palace politics, but that comes with the sageuk genre. Hopefully you find Bossam: Steal the Fate as great as I did. Happy watching!

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"When love is not madness, it is not love."

This became one of my favorite ongoing kdramas this month.
It genuinely gets better once you start to get behind the mask of the ML., how he is and his past along with the FL.
I personally didn't find the side characters interesting in any way, the family or the people at their work place. Except the ML's ex who knew when to provoke at a right time.
The ML's and FL's interactions are extremely funny by episode 4 or so.
The story itself is standard with lots of madness from the couple by them being chaotic and quite insane with eachother.
I honestly wish they kept it that way even when they started dating and being all lovey-dovey but to each his own.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. Not too heavy or crazy.
This show kept getting funnier and funnier by each episode. Sure we’ve got a few tropes here and there but the entire drama was shown in fun and unexpected ways.
And I love that he and Krystal are clearly having a blast even behind the scenes.
As much as there were some boring and unnecessary scenes, I overall enjoyed the drama and loved it enough for it to become my favorite thing ever.

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 Am just a blithering mess of tears right now after watching the wonderful, wonderful movie “Soshite, Baton wa Watasareta” (…And So, the Baton was Passed), starring Mei Nagano, Satomi Ishihara and Kei Tanaka as a family of the most unusual disposition.
I ‘m a HUGE Mei Nagano fan, and have been dying to watch this movie ever since it came out late last year. With the online release of it this past month, I was crossing my fingers that some blessed subtitling team would pick it up, and just today I was overjoyed to find that a translating team picked it up and released subs for it!!!
WELL, I wasted no time sitting down to watch it, and I say without reservation that I loved, loved, LOVED it!!! I had always known the briefest of plot details: That Satomi Ishihara played a mother with a young girl who hopped from husband to husband dragging her child along, but I had no idea that that would be only the mere tip of the iceberg of what a rich, detailed and lovingly crafted story Baton truly was!
I simply adored this movie and was kept quite intrigued throughout the show by its little twists and turns, surprises and reveals, and though perhaps the ending might be somewhat predictable, I found the entire story to be wonderfully wholesome and sweet as any I've seen in years!

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"One mistake can lead to irreversible regret"

The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon was a tough film to rate and harder to review. The film showed how different people react when death stares them in the eye. Do you attempt to mend your ways or seek a lasting legacy no matter how reprehensible?

Chen Kui Lin aka the Kuilin Kid made a name for himself by taking out not one, but two mob bosses. While lying low he discovers from a pharmacist who treats gangsters that he has stage 4 lung cancer. She works to convince him to do the right thing and turn himself in. After praying to General Guan and tossing the divination sticks nine times he goes to the police station to do just that. Problem being that an armored car had turned over and people were lined up to turn in the money they’d pilfered. While waiting he sees a wanted poster with the top three fugitives. He was ranked #3. At that moment he determines to take out the top two to improve his legacy.

The first half of the film had numerous brutal, no holds barred fights between Kui Lin and the cop Chen Hui and between Kui Lin and Hongkie. Hongkie was vile, a rapist, and deadly. No tears shed for anything bad happening to him. The second half of the film delved into the spiritual side and repentance. Even a killer like Kui Lin could grasp at the thread of hope. At least before the violence erupted into new disturbing levels.

I’ve never been an Ethan Juan fan but I have to admit he did an admirable job as the killer who could murder people easily but could also be quite affable and charming. He rescued at least two people and tried to save a third. That didn’t mean he was a good guy and it would be wrong to idolize him. His last violent act disturbed me greatly and threw me into a moral quandary attempting to understand his reasoning.* The final twist wasn’t much of a twist and in the end, it didn’t matter, at least to Kui Lin.

The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon had high production values and well shot fight scenes. The acting was quite good and Ethan Juan made it hard to not feel some empathy for his character. The story could be uneven and the final third of the film took too long to resolve. Far from glorifying the gangster lifestyle, it showed that three evils no matter how fair or repugnant they might appear to be needed to be vanquished. Interestingly, only one facing death had the courage to do something unorthodox to rid society of the animalistic ills.

3 March 2024


***********Spoiler below**********
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The only way I could resolve the massacre at the cult was that after all the evil they had done including murder and destroying at least one child’s future, he thought they would continue their wicked ways . Many of the people in the cult who did not heed his warning knew it was a scam and were enforcers and the others who stayed behind were either in on it or so brainwashed that would continue to drive people to suicide or murder when ordered. The ambiguity of the ones left behind who were killed was very distressing to me and why I didn’t rate this film higher.
In the end, Kui Lin paid for his crimes and the pharmacist who got her three birds, actually a whole flock, with one stone was also facing a painful death herself.

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I've read the manhua (the English translations) and watched the anime multiple times so there will be some comparisons...

STORY: For at least the first half of the movie, it moves through through the original source material quickly, as there is much to skim over and a short amount of time to do it. There are some obvious changes that fans may not enjoy. (Check out my comments in the comment section for some details and spoilers.) The second half of the movie deviates a lot from the source and that's understandable because I think they wanted a self-contained movie adaptation and the manhua and anime are still ongoing. Still, it was neat to see an adaptation of this.

ACTING/CAST: I quite enjoyed the cute actors they cast except for the grandmother of the house who they turned into a senile old woman for no reason whatsoever.

MUSIC: It was the standard sweeping epic type music you'd expect. Side note: I love the music for both the Chinese and Japanese versions of the anime openings, specially the Japanese version of Season 2.

REWATCH VALUE: Well, I dunno. I think I'd rather rewatch the anime or catch up on the translations. The Chinese is over 275 chapters and English is only around chapter 70 (as of this writing 4/2/18).

OVERALL: They did a decent job adapting open-ended source material while not being an exact copy of the anime. Cheesy special effects. :O)

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