Reviews

A Good, Trashy Romance

If you're looking for a good, trashy romance, this is for you. Things don't make sense, there are plot holes everywhere, and overacting is a thing, but the chemistry between the leads is sizzling and that pretty much carries the entire drama.

I've watched Fan Zhi Xin in some of his support roles before, but he never really stood out to me. I was pleasantly surprised by him in this drama and will be looking forward to some of his future projects, hopefully, he will be able to land more lead roles after this drama. The ML is everything you want in a 'domineering boss' romance. He's introduced as cold, ruthless, and 'lethal'. They obviously took some inspiration from Vincenzo, he speaks Italian and improvises with his weapon of choice (instead of dangling villains off a building with a measuring tape, he uses his own tie).

The FL is slightly more vague. I can't say I connected with her the first few episodes, but as she grew in her confidence, she became more likable. I would have liked her character to be better defined, I felt like she was a side character to the ML.

But there is no denying the chemistry between the ML and FL. It sizzles. Those kiss scenes are fire. I could care less about all the plot holes and how many times I had to overlook things (like the fact that she's the doppelganger of his stepsister? Very weird) I really just wanted to see them be hot and sizzling on the screen together.

The drama is super tropey, and has some uncomfortable plot points but the main couple made this a thoroughly entertaining watch. If you're looking for a story where the plot makes sense, I recommend you to stay away from this web series, But if you're looking for an entertaining romance with all the typical tropes, I found this drama to be the perfect antidote for my current drama slump.

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"All About My Romance" is the perfect example of a rom-com done right. It was insanely funny, cute enough to plaster a smile on your face and criminally underrated. While I'm not necessarily sad that it's over, I do feel like I'll miss the hijinks this drama bought with it.
Story: Can two politicians from completely different parties find love? If you were to ask me this question a few months ago, I probably would have said something along the lines of "It sounds boring. I don't really care.". I barely pay attention to politics in real life, why should I watch a drama about it? However, after the first few minutes of the drama, I was sold hook, line and sinker. I loved how this drama can go from serious to laugh-out-loud funny in under a second. The politics weren't really the main focus of the drama, but they did play a key role in the conflicts. I'm glad that there wasn't too much emphasis put on the politics in this, but rather the cute and conflicting relationships all throughout. Just as the title shows, "All About My Romance" is seriously *all* about romance. I'm not joking. There is no other plot there, *but* romance (Well, there was a shot at makjang somewhere along the line, but I was willing to ignore it for the sake of both my sanity and my love for the main couple). Anyway, there were about four (?) different pairs of people involved (not necessarily four couples, there's waaaayyyy more pairings than that), but I can only think of two couples that are actually focused on for the whole show.
Acting: Lee Min Jung first dropped onto my radar back when I watched "Boys Over Flowers". She had a bubbly and bright screen presence, and I honestly see her becoming the next A-List actress sometime soon (?). One of my biggest issues with the drama's viewers is that many people dropped it simply because Shin Ha Kyun wasn't "attractive enough". While I do understand the whole eye-candy thing, isn't that a bit shallow? At least stick around a while if your whole issue is purely a visual thing. If those viewers had some issue with the plot, I could understand why they dropped it, but looks? Really? *sighs*
I'll admit, Shin Ha Kyun is not as attractive as he was back when he debuted, but his character's personality sort of made you immune to that, and over time you found him to be kind-of-sort-of attractive.
Y'know. In that ajusshi way. Sort of like one of those older models in those business magazines?
Moving on. Shin Ha Kyun acted really well in AAMR, and without his skills the whole thing would have probably collapsed. No offense to Lee Min Jung, but she just wasn't passionate enough for the drama to rest on her shoulders, and the second lead and minor actors weren't given enough screen time to help her out.
Music: Cute and adorable. The OST will forever bring a stupid grin to my face. I especially loved Akdong Musician's contribution to it.
Rewatch Value: For the funnier scenes, definitely.
Overall: Cute and light. AAMR tries to teach you something about love and tries to be more serious in the process, but it kind of flops in that department. I'm glad that this drama knew where its strengths were and stuck to them for the most part, though. 8/10

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Though I dont like the dramas where all episodes have different stories but at the same time very similar and the main story is in second place I really liked the first episodes of Master´s Sun.

Some stories were very interesting and I was liking of the romance but in a point this romance did not make sense anymore. The main couple was ver inmature, they looked like 30´s years adults but they acted like teneegers, the conversations all the time was about the same and not important. The main male character was very very arrogant and in the most part of the drama he had no respect for the main female character, in the beginig he was insulting her in many ways and then he did not respect her decisions.

The second couple was also the same, Kang Woo was very harsh and gross to Yi Ryung.

I really dont undestant this kind of love in the korean dramas. It seems that being a snooty and a jerk is seen as a quality for a man and them can treat to the woman as a ownship. The worst is when this happans because the male protagonist dont want to admit that he loves the female protagonist and it is so stupid and childish.

When this happens in a drama, I immediately lose interest.

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intense

There is no way to review this movie without discussing the major plot points so if anyone is reading, be warned.
I went in not expecting much. It was a rainy day and I was bored. This movie happened to be on my recommended. I remember watching the trailer and not being too interested but then I realized the same female lead in Vincenzo was acting and I thought why not?

The plot itself is moderately good. Above average. The thing is, I've watched a lot of action movies, thrillers and I could predict a lot of the major scenes. The element of surprise didn't work for me, unfortunately. Why then did I like it so much? it was less about the story but more about how it was told. The narration, the subtle hints, were a treat to me. A little predictive but that didn't lessen my curiosity.
The movie did not stray from what it promised. I could feel the tension and the anger, the sadness, the whole absurdity of the system. There was no right or wrong. I think it's a close representation of how mobs and gangs work. There is always a score to settle. The gang isn't one big family. There are backstabbers and power is the only thing that matters. No sugarcoated representation. No romanticizing being a bad guy. Even though (by the power vested in me by my addiction to movies) I was able to literally predict everything I think I still would watch it. The silence, the sounds, the scenery, the coloring; perfect for a rainy day.
Some have said they didn't see the point of the whole romance aspect. I personally loved it. it was more than just love. I think it added the depth the movie needed. I don't think they loved each other, no. I think they needed each other. I think they gave each other a reason. One who did not have a reason to live and one who did not have enough time to live. The end was reasonable and left me feeling satisfied.

The acting is spectacular. The whole cast was perfect. The male and female lead was something else. Just enough chemistry. Enough to make me intrigued but not too much that it overpowered the main story. Their portrayal of their characters' emotions, the action scenes; even though I knew what was coming I couldn't help but hope. The ML raspy voice was something I won't be forgetting for a long time.

The music was perfect. As I've mentioned, the perfect balance of silence and sound.

if anyone reads this far (which I doubt lol) go watch it! it's not a movie you would want to miss.

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Magical at times, disillusioning at times….

Initial thoughts; I came across this drama through an exchanged list with a few friends. Have always loved Ji Chang Wook but I must admit that I wasn’t entirely engaged as some of his recent works have been a bit meh. Though I was willing to give it a go after seeing a promotional video.

Tone of the show; ‘Sound Of Magic’ is very much what I’d say is a “ non offensive” show. It was sweet in parts, lightly melodramatic and angsty in others with a few cheery ( and sad) musical songs out of nowhere. Honestly I’m not saying that it didn’t go into issues and I thought that it was pretty brave of the narrative to go into some hard issues like inequality and hinting at exploitation. But it was very rarely pushed to the boundaries. Not saying that this a bad thing at all as the show was what it was. Lighthearted and occasionally dipping into some darker themes but never to the point of making viewers squirm or delivering shock. For those expecting a dark fantasy series like Hotel del Luna then you might be a bit disappointed especially as themes were rarely driven forwards.

Characters/ Acting ; I think as a lot of people in reviews have pointed out, Chang Wook’s character, the magician, was a bit disappointing. Honestly pleasantly surprised to see CW delivering an outstanding performance but his character sort of felt as though he had missing parts. I can’t say that I’m basing my judgement on the webcomic as I’ve never read it but even as a newcomer to the world of The Sound Of Magic, I have to say that the magician felt a bit lacking in charm and mystery. His character twist felt a bit sudden if I’m honest. Surprising but could’ve been built up or hinted at more.

The female lead was decent enough. The actress Choi Sung Eun wasn’t familiar for me apart from her performance in Beyond Evil but she was good. Her character felt a bit cliche if I’m honest. We’ve seen the poor girl trope so many times being branded and branded again that it can feel a bit lost amongst others. I did like the main female lead’s uncertainty and her genuine sincerity but I felt as though the narrative missed out on a lot of opportunities to explore her process of growing up too fast and coming to terms with reality as well as her mother not coming back.

The supporting lead was played by Hwang In Yeop. I’ve liked In Yeop like many since his performance in 18 Again and adored him in True Beauty. It was definitely weird seeing him play a “ good student” role aside from “bad boy” or “ delinquent bully”. Nevertheless his performance was fairly good and I definitely thought his onscreen pairing with Sung Eun was well done. His character felt a bit repressed at times. I liked the fact that the show presented the potential lover genuinely caring about the female lead and falling for her but there was a lot not talked about the supporting male lead nor understanding the female lead’s pain or struggles, or at least him coming to understand her circumstances more. His backstory was existent and even from a brief glimpse I feel as though we could understand a lot about him but could’ve been better.

There’s also the female lead’s bully who was necessary but definitely a cliche and superficial character. The ending felt a bit rushed more than anything and incomplete but the pacing was okay in my opinion just a little slow at times.

I liked the filming techniques and it did add a certain magic but there definitely could’ve been more in later episodes. The musical songs felt a bit bland. There were a few ones which were good but definitely not enough to get stuck in your head.

Overall; Decent series and fun but felt as though it could’ve been a bit more concise at times. Overall I liked it but I can say the trailer certainly made this one seem a bit edgier and provocative than it actually was in reality.

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The Ultimate Beer Comercial!

This Kdrama is like your favorite beer! You know why you love it, ergo you know what you're gonna get, and in that, so you won't be disappointed!

It's not extraordinary or special, but it was a fun! It's not a surprise that Kim Sejeong carried the whole show, but the side-characters were good, too!

My biggest problem is that we only get 12 episodes, and we had too many storylines, like the one with the soldier boy. That could've been so much better, and honestly, it deserves its own show, but we only got like 1 episode worth of story overall, and they moved on from it pretty fast.

Not to mention the plot with our main guy and the life-saving incident. They didn't do anything with it. I'm not talking about the obvious and typical Kdrama trope, I'm talking about the reason he had to be saved. They completely ignored that!

The usual stuff, like the romance and the main plot is predictable, but if you expect something else, this isn't for you. If you watched one show like this, you know them all, but that doesn't mean you're not gonna enjoy it.

Overall, it was fun, but nothing more!

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Movies are built on “what ifs”

Devastating, cruel, heartaching, bleak like a domino effect of misfortune
Just like Saw and The Mist, everything would’ve been better if they worked together
But in this black cold interpretation, one bad choice, one act of unkindness, led to another bigger deeper hole

In ways no one was to blame, he was scammed and he lost everything and then some when the earthquake hit and took his family so all he had left was that empty shell of apartment
They had to kick the intruders cuz they almost killed a person
And with that power came dark responsibilities
He took his anger at the supermarket guy and I think that should’ve been the line
But that was just a spark that made the “outsiders” fear and despise the apartment ppl
For me, the most heartbreaking thing that really made me burst out crying was the “kidney” guy that hid the kids and mom, lose it and killed himself after he saw how the apartment ppl made the others who hid outsiders apologize so cruelly 😭
Then it got darker when the “outsiders” attacked and 902 was just really trying to survive and fit the narrative of the apartment ppl, they were the ones who suggested the kicking, he just wanted to grasp and survive
But dang dude went crazy when he threw the kid in the never ending hole but the way he still tried to help the rest and threw the bomb… things were just so grey…
Now minsung and myunghwa should’ve stayed cuz 902 had time to go back to the ninth floor, yet another sad symbolic way of his desperation to grasp at the last thing he “owned”, but in ways minsung was already over his limit when he didn’t help out the ppl cuz he to was just desperate to survive with his wife
And myunghwa needed to go out and show the ironic and simple way ppl beside the “cockroaches” lives, a simple act of coliving and helping each other out
Tho another plot hole was how eventho they always went out to look for food, they rarely met other ppl and never found other survivors in such a big scale
Tho the news about the crazy apartment ppl would surely make ppl try hard not to show themselves

That was honestly beautifully acted tho, every emotion, every devastation was perfectly executed

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Add Merman to the list of supernatural romances you can't really pull off

I went from incredible curiosity to weird enjoyment to mild annoyance to general apathy, finally landing upon an honest feud with this series. The story itself didn't have as many dimensions as my feelings towards it.

At the outset, Lover Merman had the potential to be metaphorical about so many things including identity, found family, hostility towards things we don't understand and finding love and connection in the rarest of situations. But they didn't care to think deeply enough about any of this and decided to go with "ocean vibes" as the plot. Which is honestly fine but you mess even that up and hey, well I don't like it.

The series begins with a crash course on the lore of the Merman of the island Khen, where Phu has come to take over the operations of a bar he owns with his friend Phana, a native of the island. His very first interaction however is with Nawa, a bartender and Phana's childhood friend, and they of course begin with a bit of flirtation. But the minute Phana sees this, he asks Phu not start anything up with Nawa, for reasons he won't say.

But because Phu is a rebel, he flirts anyway, an action that is not taken to lightly by Nawa, who is actually falling for the bad pickup lines, or by Phai, someone who has known Nawa since they were kids and is sort of a de facto older brother to him, only he has a big secret crush on the man. Sorry. Merman.

Surprise surprise, Nawa and Phai are Mermen and Phai has a deep distrust of humans because apparently humans have been hunting the mermen because of "greed and beauty" (that's the entire explanation), and for that reason, the mermen who once lived freely and cordially with humans on the island now have to hide their identity. But living on land has it's consequences - because every full moon night, they're required to dive into the depths of the ocean and "release the poison", cleanse their blood that has turned poisonous from being away from the water for too long. And when their blood turns increasingly poisonous, a tattoo shows up on their lower back, indicating that they need to "release the poison"

The characters in this series spend half their time flirting and the other half drinking, and Phu of course gets wankered, stumbles onto a secret cove to sober up and sees Nawa. Nawa right after he's "released the poison" and is in his merman form. Before he can figure out it is Nawa, he disappears and Phu chalks it up to an illusion.

This is all in episode 1 by the way, because nothing else happens after this. Atleast not until episode 7 because between the first and seventh episode, we got declarations of love rivalries, a step brothers plotline, absentee parents, a ton of drinking and some unintentionally hilarious NC scenes. There's no plot, no character development, things just happen. Episode 7, and everything is out in the open - most importantly that Nawa is a merman, which has been a secret from Phu for six episodes now.

But this is where the series hit a new low for me because I would rather have a story that hinged on vibes than a shallow attempt to make a point. I did say they could've made a wonderful allegorical plot but key word? Could've.
They didn't. And I'm furious with how they chose to go all preachy in the last couple of episodes, like they didn't actively avoid every semblance of difficult conversations for six episodes and like the audience needs every single action explained to them.

And by then, we got a terrible couple of episodes, yet again with no character development and one very bad redemption arc.

This is far from the worst thing I've watched but it's still not good. Episodes 1-6 were a whole mood. Episodes 7 and 8 will leave you in a bad mood.

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This is a special so I'll be brief. I loved the drama itself, I cried even and the only regret I had on it was its ending.

Story: Great example of how uncleared misunderstandings can destroy relationships. I thought the conservative view of Koreans will prevail at the end, but sadly, it didn't. It's weird that I loved the epilogue but hated the ending.

Acting/Cast: I came across the drama because of Yin Ji Han, and was surprised Hong So Hyun is also casted, whom I also liked so I gave it a go. I loved both of them, and really, I cried because they did a good job on their roles.

Music: I don't remember any standout song or music.

Rewatch Value: It was heartbreaking for me so, no.

Overall: With all these hints, I think you get what to expect at the drama. I'm not too fond of heartbreaking romances that's why I didn't gave it a high score but it is worth watching if you have free have time to spend and of course you want a moment to fangirl over Jin Yi Han. :D

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I was prepared for a very angsty drama. The plot is about a young mother, Yui, whose son was kidnapped when he was 3 years old. 9 years later, she is told that his son is in an institution. Turns out, he was found a short while after being kidnapped, by Asako, who raised him like she was her real mother. So this is the story of the woman who gave him birth, the woman who raised him, and how he comes back to his real family.

The first couple of episodes were painful to watch, since THAT letter was too cruel. I hated Asako, and I didn't like the boy. Actually, till the end, I couldn't figure this boy out. But on the other hand, I felt too sorry for Asako, in spite of all her many mistakes. While Yui was suffering for almost a decade for the lost of her baby boy, Asako's intentions of being a mother were mostly selfish. She wanted a son because of social pressure, because of loneliness... But still, what does being a mother mean? Doesn't it mean to love and raise the child to be someone, to be there for the child, to give him everything the child needs in order to become a better person?

While there were many painful scenes, and scenes that make you upset (like when Asako was telling Yui SHE was the one who raised Kou, SHE was the one who knew him better... thank Heavens for that slap!), there were also many light scenes, heartwarming scenes. This dorama is mostly about family, not only blood-related, but also people who are always there for support and interventions and good and bad moments.

I love the cast, specially the women. I think Sawajiri Erika may be too young to be a mother of a teenage boy, but she was dressed very homely in order to look more mature, with baggy clothes and light-to-zero make-up. Her friend, interpreted by Itaya Yuka, was excellent. She always plays the sweetest and kindest friend to perfection. I think it is her smile. But the one who deserved all awards was, for me, Koike Eiko. Her role, as the woman who raised the boy, was meant to be hateful. But her tears... oh gawd, her tears made ME tearful. For about 8 episodes I had a love-hate feelings for her, but by the end, I pitied her enormously. Poor woman, in spite of everything!

The husbands were good as well, nice sidekicks. But what impressed me the most was Nakajima Yuto. This guy has everything to play a romantic MC; he is tall, young, handsome and can act, and here again we have him, as a serious worker who should be played by someone older. WHYYYY...

The kids were ok, obviously with the least experience and you can tell, especially since the older cast is so good. Still, the boy who played Kou was adorable.

I love the OST! Very moving, and I love the EP, "Just you and I", by Amuro Namie. I am currently listening to it. The lyrics are very meaningful.

The ending was satisfying. I think this is one of those doramas that will be liked by anyone, specially those who like family genre.

The other cover is much better and meaningful that the one here on MDL.

Mini-reunions: "1 Liter of Tears", "Hotaru no Hikari", "Kounodori", "Date".

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When I first saw the news that this was gonna happen, I got excited on the strength of the leads and the potential wacky story scenarios. Boy, was I disappointed on both counts.

Story:
To say that the main plot was far-fetched is being kind. Suspension of disbelief is warranted for the main characteristic of Hwan Ki's character, since that's the hook of the show, but to have this entire scheme to uncover a mystery from left field that left me thinking: "uh... this is not the fun and wacky drama I thought I'd be seeing...", having this was unnerving. The way the protagonist was written had me frustrated. The way that the female lead was acting (from the script, not her actual acting) was irritating. The growth in all of the characters, including the silent monster staff, all came abruptly without minor changes in their behavior could not be noticed. It's as if on cue, they changed their behavior because it was already episode 6, and by episode 7, they should be acting in a certain way towards each other.

The pacing was excruciatingly slow in the beginning, became rapid fire fast in the middle and then slowed down when you were expecting the climax.

I can see how the writers might think that the way the story was written was clever in their minds, but since this is not a sci-fi drama, I can't bring myself to buy the contrived plot and the forced character changes in the middle. Granted a re-write was done to make the female lead more appealing, it wasn't sustained in the succeeding episodes. And speaking of the female lead...

Acting/Cast:
I feel bad for Park Hye Soo. She was given a material that she couldn't execute better. If a different actress was in the role, they could've brought out more from the character. I loved Hye Soo in age of youth, and I felt that her character there was closer to how she normally is, seeing as she was more likeable and believable in that role. For this drama, though, I couldn't believe how easily her motivations changed. She needs more seasoning in her acting chops, and her acting was a major reason why this drama was a disappointment in my eye.

Yeon Woo Jin acted fairly well, and gave the best performance he can, with the script that he's given. He's had better performances, with "Marriage, Not Dating" being his best one so far.

Several supporting actors actually came from the previous drama that the PD worked on, which was superior in every way, "Another Oh Hae Young." The Silent Monster crew was charming in their own way and damned entertaining. As usual, Ye Ji Won and Heo Jeong Min gave brilliant performances as supporting actors. Both were very funny and entertaining as usual, but the limitations of the script and story prevented us from seeing more and enjoying what they can potentially do, given a better script.

Music:
The music was very appropriate, and you can feel how each track was selected to coincide with the mood of the scene/s. But since they used and re-used around 4-5 tracks, it became formulaic. It's as if the drama is telling us: "It's time to laugh.... now, it's time to feel sad..." I understand that this is normal in any show that features sequential story-telling, but because of the really bad script, which in turn translated to less-than-stellar acting, the music just brought me out of the story. Rather than helping accentuate the scenes, and feel the mood based on the scene and the acting, my attention focused on the music. Normally, the scenes and acting are enough for me to feel, know and understand what's happening, with the soundtrack adding that icing on top. Instead, I hear the music, and I'm forced to pay attention to the scene to get the appropriate mood that was supposed to happen. That is an indication of bad story-telling.

ReWatch Value:
There are dramas I like that I rewatched the entire thing, and these are mostly the most exceptional ones that entertained me throughout the run, like "You From Another Star." Then there are some dramas that I just re-watch certain scenes with the lead actors in them, to re-create the feel of the show, without being bogged down by the entire story. This happened to me for "You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin." Lastly, there are dramas that I'd rather not see ever again. THIS DRAMA, created a fourth category for me. The only scenes that I re-watched, were the scenes wherein Han Chae Ah (Chae Ji Hye [Ro Woon's older sister]) were in them. That was how unbearable the female lead's acting was. I enjoyed the chemistry and interactions and the presence (she looked so much prettier) that a DEAD CHARACTER had, more than the female lead.

Over-all:
Over-all, it's like High School for me. I enjoyed half of it, I slept through the rest just to get through each day. I'm glad I saw the drama because I really liked the actors, but I was happier that it has ended because that way, my frustrations ended along with it. IMHO, the female lead was miscast, and the story structure, plot and re-writes made it a big jumbled mess. I've never written a review before because I tend to be satisfied with most dramas I watch, but this one prompted me to hit the keyboard because of how mind-numbingly frustrating this had been for me. You know it's bad when you'd rather watch the story of the dead plot device Unnie, rather than the actual female lead's story.

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