Reviews

I found this Drama on drama soft subs site, and checked it out it had decent rating, and many were complimenting the story,so wanted to try it out.

The start was fine, the story is smooth and simple the characters are honest, straight forward and don’t run around the bushes, which is cool.

The male lead's personality is so sweet, and lovable, the girl was natural strong had her own ideas, wasn't stupid annoying or careless,The most annoying thing for me was that some crying scenes felt fake and forced [I said some not all of them]!, the second couple are so sweet I really liked them, I liked the end.

If you are looking for something light, simple, easy to watch straight forward, this is it, Enjoy :)

Read More

I don't watch Chinese dramas much. Before this I had seen 2 Chinese dramas. One of which I didn't even finish. But out of all the shows (mostly K-Dramas) that I have watched recently, this one has been by far, the absolute best. It is such a heart warming story. Every character was important to story and the actors did such an amazing job with it. There was not a single character that I could say I dislike. I really loved the relationship between the twins. It made me wish I had an older brother too.
Zhao Qiao Yi is such a likeable and relatable character. Shes not special in any way. She's like any other girl who lives in your neighborhood. I absolutely loved her.
I don't think I have ever met anyone quiet like Yan Mo in real life. But he's just so adorable. Especially when he smiles. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. ????
The problems that they face throughout the show are the problems that each one of faces at some point in life.
This is such a beautiful story. The last episode honestly made me feel really lonely. But it also makes me hope that someday the things that I'm facing will also pass and I too will meet that one person who will understand and know me for who I am and love me anyway.

Read More

Starts off great but turns into a trashy soap opera

The drama pretends to be funny and light-hearted but inadvertently hides very dark themes that the writers fail to address. Kim Da Li and Jin Moo Hak have an incredible first encounter and form an instant connection. The show starts off as funny, cute, sexy, refreshing, and full of explosive chemistry. Da Li is a well-educated daughter of a wealthy family. Moo Hak comes from "new money" with no education or class. Her book smarts compliment his streets smarts creating a unique match. Unfortunately, after Da Li's father dies and she returns to Korea, everything falls apart.

Moo Hak is boorish and materialistic, but he is kind and sweet in the first two episodes. However, as soon as he finds out that Da Li owes him money, he becomes cruel and shortsighted just so he does not look weak. He insults, berates, and threatens Da Li while being fully aware of her bankruptcy, obnoxious family members, and creditors, then proceeds to relentlessly harass her despite witnessing her struggling to survive. Instead of bringing the two together to save the museum and build a great relationship, the writers turn him into an overbearing jerk and her into a perpetual victim.

What's worse, Da Li's intelligence and spunk completely disappear making her unable to stand up for herself. She takes abuse from everyone who berates, insults, and physically hurts her without any push-back. She allows Tae Jin to talk over her about his delusions of their non-existent relationship without getting a word in. She quietly sits still as Moo Hak's stepmother proceeds to assault and pull her hair without fighting back. And, this continues for the entirety of the show. Her character completely devolves into a doll with no agency or a personality allowing everybody to walk all over her. Moreover, she never demands that Moo Hak gives her an apology for his crappy treatment, and, neither do the writers make him apologize without being asked. The show makes no effort to correct past wrongdoings of any of the characters and force feeds us a happy ending.

Overall, the drama is somewhat entertaining, but Da Li's lack of a backbone and the characters' atrocious behavior make it very tedious to watch. For a brief moment, they address each other's shortcomings when Moo Hak demands why his mother hit Da Li, but it leads nowhere. This was a one time watch for me.

Read More

You Should Have Watched This Yesterday

There's been a lot of garbage dramas this year, but once in a while you stumble across a little gem, and it brightens your whole day. This drama was beautiful, I loved every single moment of it and wished it was longer. Yes, even moments with that in-betweener brother, who meant well, but acted like he sniffed glue on his spare time. On second thought, if I catch him!

Listen, I wasn't even looking for this drama. I was scrolling my somewhere on tiktok when a video popped up and this sister was like, 'watch this, it's good.' Obviously, since most of what's currently airing is meh, I checked out the first episode and ended up benching the whole thing in one go. Sure, a story, a plot like this of love and pining and acceptance in our society isn't anything new, but the direction and execution of it made it worthwhile. Here's my quick review:

The main characters had great chemistry and made the show. I felt their longing behind the screen, all the words they couldn't say, and the stable touches and wants were so obvious it was painful. Kudos to them for making this short drama feel so complete. The side characters were also okay, though that brother needed to take a hike. I get that he was concerned and loved his brother, and in his own misguided way was looking out for him, but bro invented a whole arse girlfriend cuz he saw his friend with a girlfriend one time in freshmen year, really Susan, really?

I loved the few songs we got in this as well, the background music and the nature all added to how much I enjoyed this drama. Personally, I'm not a bug person and would probably complain to high heavens if I should spend a whole summer here, but everything was so beautiful, it made me fall in love with their love and wanted to go summer camping with a lover, bugs be damned.

No really, they were out there: fruit picking, sunset watching, running around the woods and by the rivers, swimming, drawing, bonfires, playing in the rain, awwwwww, my heart was full and it wasn't even my relationship. Yes, I'm sure we all felt that kiss when they finally got together, the yearning and the pining really paid off, so congratulations to them I guess. Us single people would be in the corner.

I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone who loves bl, it's worth your time, and it's short and amazing, give it a chance. No really, watch it. Wish to see more of the two leads in the future. This is obviously going straight to one of my favourite dramas this year. Now off to watch the special episodes to see them be more lovey dovey in front of my salad.

Read More

What a beautiful short film!

I honestly have nothing but praise for this piece of work! Off and Gun’s performances were top notch as usual with their chemistry of the charts and the color scheme for the whole thing was so pretty and aesthetic.

The film was centered around Off who meets Gun as an alien. Teaching Gun about Earth and the ways of humans, the two grew closer which may lead to other ventures. The time period was set in the 90s I would presume which allowed for the use of a pink/purple warmth in all scenes. It also subtly brings in the theme of bisexuality which I personally think is a nice little touch.

Off and Gun’s chemistry once again shocked me and I found their acting quite heartwarming. I honestly enjoyed this short piece and would for sure watch again later.

Read More

First things first, it was a great choice making this a seven episode drama. In my opinion if this was 16 episodes, like some previous series like The guest and Save me, it would probably become a little boring halfway through and then it would be great again in the last few episodes.
Secondly, this was a series that I was (im)patiently waiting for every week. I loved the story from the beginning with that dark vibe that OCN knows how to handle. I liked all the twists that the show had to offer and the acting was good (in my opinion at least).
Finally, the whole psychopathy thing made me shiver as I though all of the characters previous scenes, including his intense feeling about sadness and sorrow and the will to avenge for everything that he lost. Even though this is not the first time that that kind of twist has appeared -and it will probably not be the last- the cruelty from the character and the understanding from the viewer that no matter what happened he didn't feel anything, was enough to make this show a great watch. I liked all the characters in this series and I would probably watch it again as it is, as I mentioned before, a seven episode drama.

The only complain that I have is the ending. I suppose that OCN is preparing for a new season, but I believe that if they had finished the series properly and without plans of making another season this would be even better.

Read More

Five Ingredients to Dine with Love

What ingredients make a foodie romance drama endearing?

Happy ending? Great chemistry between the leads? Food?

Dine with Love has those three plus two extra ingredients – a tight script and just the right amount of silly supporting characters. These five ingredients, I find, make this drama enjoyable:

1. Fabulous main couple and the actors who played them.
Gao Han Yu and Jade Cheng, breathe life into Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan, respectively. Him, the cold CEO and her, the warm PR manager. Together, they displayed a comfortable long-term couple vibe. And I was very drawn to their chemistry. Oh. I have lost count of the number of times he was shirtless!

It is worth noting that Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan are one of the most mature yet flawed characters in Chinese romance drama. Individually, each carries trauma and heavy responsibilities. It shaped them into who they are and how they handle relationships as a couple and with others.

2. Tight script
In a 16 episodes format, the writers did not stray away from themes of food, family, friendship, and forgiveness. It is also tightly focused on the main couple. All subplots are connected to Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan - illness, ex-partners, business dealings, and secondary couple’s stories.

3. Main supporting Characters
The drama contains just the right amount of silly supporting characters. They served as support and competition to the main couple and slight comedic relief. My favourite amongst them is Yu Hao’s uncle, as he is the only one that brings out Yu Hao’s childishness.

4. Food
Specifically, cooking lessons. During these lessons, Su Ke Lan shined! I want her to be my cooking teacher. She is calm, always smiling and imparts knowledge about the value of food and cooking. She also gives an egg coated fried rice recipe! Yes, I did try it, and it was yummy.

In these lessons, the couple gets to know each other. It was calm yet intimate. And Yu Hao was mesmerised and addicted to her and her food. There was a scene when he turned on his laptop camera just to see her cooking behind him. Sneaky!

5. Happy ending
It is one of the most important ingredients to any romance fan. A good happy ending requires the audience to go through anticipation, warm fuzziness, heartbreak, frustration, and finally happiness. Dine with Love did not disappoint. My heart was full when they kissed in the final scene and burst when I saw the short bonus episode. Tip – find that extra episode! You will be giddy.

These five ingredients make this drama endearing and lovable to me from episode one right through the finale. It is still a flawed production (and what story isn’t?) but it showed me how invested I was in both Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan. I would have loved to spend more time with them as a couple before the proposal and less time during their separation.

On a final note – the now infamous ‘Sewing Scene’ of episode 12, is the most sensual in a Chinese romance drama I have ever watched. You are most welcome.

With love,
Lady Ajumma.

Ps. Despite the poor subbing during airing, it does not deter away from the quality of the story.

Read More

TL;DR? If you like cute boys and school dramas, then you should definitely not miss this one!

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, walking into this drama, other than that it supposedly had an amazing bromance storyline. As a huge lover of all things "bromantic", I was intrigued by the prospect, enough so that I put aside my qualms about there being zero non-bro romance. And let me tell you, I am so glad that I did!

I don't typically watch high school dramas, and have never watched one that was so school-centric. 90% of the storyline involved the school, and while some of you may scoff that that was surprising to me, given that the title of the show is, in fact, School, I do wish that they had delved a little more outside of the school interactions. If only to break up the slightly repetitious storyline.

This drama wasn't meant to be marathoned, I don't think. When watching your 10th episode in a single sitting, it's glaringly obvious how many times they reuse some of the same plot points and how the only characters who are given room to grow are the categorized "misfits". The other characters, who should have been the normal bunch, never are given that chance. They stay catty and arrogant throughout, and while we are given so much motivation for why the criminal element of the show acts the way they do, characters who should have been regular students seemed far more sociopathic in their actions than a character who beat a guy til his leg broke.

If you are going into this strictly for the bromance, much like I did, then be prepared to wait. And wait. And then wait just a little bit more. It took a really long time before it got to the bromance I had anticipated from the beginning. It was an arduous journey to get to that point, and I think even calling it a bromance might be a tad misleading. It runs deeper than that. It's two boys who only ever had each other and how one mistake utterly destroys them, and the story of School is how they tenuously try to pick up the pieces.

The brilliance of this show does lie in the growth, however unfairly they distribute it. If a show can take you from absolutely loathing a character in the beginning to really, really wanting them to succeed in life then you know it's doing something right. And despite it's flaws, School 2013 was brilliant in showcasing the shades of gray and how the way you look at and treat other people doesn't define them as much as it defines what kind of person you are.

All in all, this drama is well worth the time and I defy anyone to watch it and not seriously fall in love with Go Nam Soon. Never has there been a more seemingly-apathetic character who could make you feel so many different things. I promise, give this drama a shot, and you won't be disappointed!

Read More

in summary, this is a fluffy drama that could've done well without the gangsters debt plot that didn't do anything to the relationship between the main leads.

i was actually enjoying this for like five episodes because everything was cute, sunshine and rainbows with just a tad bit of angst sprinkled in there. it's nice to shut your brain off for a short period of time and this was the perfect moment to do that.

the romance was pretty underwhelming ngl... it was just the usual cliché scenes where the leads have convenient moments where they're on top of each other on the bed or the "oH i suddenly lost balance uh oH he caught me by my waist"
is it cute? yes. did i like it? yes. but is there more to their romance than just them teasing each other and suddenly falling in love for some reason? idk.

but like i said.... this is just a non complicated fluffy drama anD it could've been just that!
buT No they had to insert these gangsters that literally didn't do anything to the main leads' story... it was there for the tension and that's just it
ya know what would've made a good angsty bit? if they focused on jinwon and his past with his dad... so it'll affect his running practices and it'll also create an emo convo between the main leads... that would've been a good scene of the two learning about each other

jinwon's character was honestly dull as heck... i do like me some tsunderes but danggg that scene of him pushing that carton of milk causing it to spill on the floor pissed me off.... dude ya do know sangha spends everyday delivering milk to make a living and you are aSKing him why he does what he does and then waste that carton of milk???? boi you ungrateful af i would've left your ass right then and there

it made no sense why sangha didn't talk to jinwon after the marathon? i don't understand at all. please explain it to me like i'm 5 because i fail to comprehend why after sangha wanting to be by jinwon's side and now that he's finally done with his debt issue, he changed his door password and stopped interacting with jinwon?

okay last episode.... why did jinwon slap/punch sangha? bruh i get that some peeps get aggressive with cute stuff but geez chill
they should've cut that part out and left it with last minutes of that scene with them being cute sigh...

the ending scene lmaooo it was cringeworthy it almost felt like it could've been an ad for a shoe company

if you're watching this, just remember this is nothing out of the extraordinary. it's simple. it's cute. it's what it is.

Read More

Two widely spread reactions about this drama. On the one hand, this is absolutely fabulous, unique and perfect in every way, masterpiece. On the other hand, this is boring, slow, draggy and has no purpose. I am proud to say, both are true. This drama is like those oscar movies that are apparently so perfect but when we watch them we end up asking ourserves 'why did i waste 2 hours of my life on that? What was so special about it anyway?'. This drama is like caviar. Elegant, and graceful. Have we all eaten caviar at least once? Yes. Do we like it? Some of us. If we were to choose between a burger and caviar, burger would be the first choice for most, right? This drama is like caviar, it demands a certain type of viewer, and i wasn't that type.

The description might confuse you into thinking that this is a romance drama blend in with the adultery concept. Sadly, for me, this was not what i was expecting. This wasn't a romance drama, it wasn't even an adultery drama. On the contrary it was heavily based on the inner relationships between the hierarcy of a company. The drama centers on a woman, Hye Won, and her complicated life and personality. The drama's main concept is how the protagonist, being unhappy due to her life decisions without even her realising it, rises above it all with the help of a charming young piano student.

The drama talks about life decisions. I can link to a saying we have in my country that i can roughly translate as "If you don't look at where you want to go, you will go where you look". Which means that if you don't set your goals straight from the beginning, no matter what you real want you will end up with what you settle with.

The show was never about the romance it was about seeing her grow as a person to realise what she really wants out of her life. This is why i have mixed feelings about this. I expected something different but, while i am dissapointed, the drama presented something completely unique and even though it was troublesome to digest and understand, i'm happy i gave it a try.

The main reason people -me included- found this boring is because of the difficult, tedious conversations about job policies and schemes of the characters. We were dropped in the middle of a war zone from the first episode, we could barely understand anything and things didn't get any clearer as the drama proceeded. Tedious, boring, vague, incomprehensable dialogs that only increasingly confused me. But, that was the actual prettyness of the whole drama. The fact that it was complicated, with unrelatable characters that you can't help but hate and in the middle there is Hye Won, a strong yet vulnerable, troubled woman, who makes the wrong choices but around so many hateful characters she becames relateable instantly and sways you.

Apart from the company drama that takes the main lead here, music is the next most significant part of this drama. The music is overall exquisite. The romance itself is being expressed solely through music, and that is another reason most people -including me- found the romance unfulfilling. You'll probably need to have music knowledge to properly understand the emotional messages delivered through music or at least have a keen ear to appreciate them.

Honorable mention to the cinematography. I'm not a fan of cinematography but here it was truly marvelous. It was gritty, dark and elegant, and suited the overall feel of the drama completely.

The acting was overall top notch, no complains, but the performance that is memorable is Kim Hee Ae's. The whole drama is on her, it's hers. The other characters serve as fillers just to help her rise and grow. Kim Hee Ae's aura was great for this drama, elegant, graceful, aristocratic even without losing her confused, sensitive even defenceless, at parts, self. Yoo Ah In's performance was also great and their chemistry was strong, noone can deny that even with the 20 year difference. However his character felt again as a filler, and wasn't given the appropriate screen time to gain some kind of value on his own.

Overall, this was a difficult watch. I wouldn't rewatch this, but i can understand why some people would. It's a drama that is aimed at a special few and those few will love it. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like exclusively character driven shows, long conversations about company politics, schemes but not the juisy type, and slow plot pace.

Read More

Cute Binge-able Show With Good Acting, Non- Annoying FL, & Some Action

My headline pretty much says all I want to say.
This is my first time writing a review of any show, so please, bear with me…

I binge-watched this one night/morning, and enjoyed it a lot. The plot line is interesting, and I wanted to know what happened next. But it is pretty predictable, which is not a bad thing, just in case you like or dislike such plots.

What really made me stay and that I loved were two things:

1. The Female Lead

PLEASE, goodness to gracious me. This girl is it. She’s smart, confident, and doesn’t go around whimpering and whining to everyone in sight.

2. The Acting + Chemistry

The acting actually surprised me. I wasn’t expecting bad, but I wasn’t expecting the quality that I got. It got me searching up the actor’s to see what other work they’ve done.
Esp. Wen Mo Yan.
I was shocked when I saw that not only is she 32 (jaw drops) she also only made her acting debut in 2021.
I am looking forward to what I may see from her in the years yet to come.

For Wang Zu Yi, for the most part, I think he acted quite naturally.
I am also looking forward to what he might partake in, in the future.

Chemistry~
Now, if you’re looking for a spicy chemistry, not for you.
But cute, some fluff, perhaps? It’s sweet, and not stiff!

I am not really one to rewatch (but there are specific ones that I will) so I really won’t rewatch this, and I have no desire to.

Now then,
I must bid my leave.
Farewell ^_^

Read More

how ridiculous can it get?

we get it. the ml is smoking hot. everyone has their undergarments in a twist. however, is there more to this?

this is the type of drama wherein you don't use your brain. the plot? it left the room a long time ago. from the get go, it's obvious that nothing here makes sense and we are here to watch a shitshow.

for a person that wants to take revenge, you would think that they'd carefully orchestrate a clever plan to make it happen. in this drama, the fl takes the opposite route and she's as lost as a malfunctioning google maps app.

the relationship between the main leads is as questionable as it gets but oh... the acting? *chef kiss* even though all the characters were frustrating to watch, i can't deny that the cast made sure their efforts paid off. the actor that played the villain was so good that no matter how absurd the plot is, he somehow looked eerily clever. what a shame that the story was played around with when the cast is decent.

overall, this was a drama i was able to enjoy because i didn't take anything seriously. i'm curious what more can they do with a second season or how far can they go?

Read More

More Kim So Hyun Please

The story follows Kim So Hyun as Princess Pyeong Gang. First, Kim So Hyun was phenomenal in her role. I can't say enough good things about her performance. This also goes for her character which was so incredibly interesting. Princess Pyeong Gang is everything that I could want out of a character. She is very capable as a fighter, and she has emotional depth. She also is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family and country, even at the cost of herself. This leads her to come across as very authentic.

This brings me to one of the best parts of the story and where this series is somewhat unique. Pyeong Gang has agency. In so many of these stories with a strong FL, the story undermines her by having her saved and/or protected by the ML. Here, the FL gets herself out of trouble when needed, and that is so refreshing to have character consistency.

The ML is also a good character. He does undergo a somewhat unbelievable powerup, but he never fully outshines the FL. He also doesn't have her cunning and ruthlessness. He's more of a traditional hero, which provided a nice balance to their characters.

Several other characters play a major role, and all of them are interesting. The antagonists all have believable motivations that raise the stakes and makes the protagonist's journey all the more intriguing.

The ending was one area that I think was too easy. I won't spoil anything, but I think that it was a missed opportunity.

Read More