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The Progress of a Newly Gaming Company Plus Cute Romance Between Our Leads
The title of this drama is Sweet Games but I would define it as "Sweet" because of our lead couple being so adorable during their times together. Great amount of chemistry between our leads and the connection between An Ran and Yan Yue. "Games" because the plot revolves around the gaming company; the struggles, to success, to another problem, before finally reaching their goal. My personal favorite is the monologues each episode feature that either Yan Yue or An Ran was monologuing because it was something each have learned about their life, as they were narrating, since it revolved around their life. While it does have a few things I wish would've been better, I still considered this as one of my C-drama favorites for 2023.Story:
What was great for me:
* Now while some people may find the gaming company part uninteresting, I personally like seeing the growing of a gaming company, who's creating their first gaming app. The success and struggles they faced and finding solutions to their struggles. I mean there's even an episode where it shows how An Ran met with each of her team members and formed her gaming company. It just gives you a feel of how important they were to her as she was to them and I appreciated that.
* The history between An Ran & Yan Yue: I love the flashbacks of their small meetings. It was cute even though it was just a one-sided crush at the time. Then we go to the present time, where he still likes her all of these times and for An Ran to gradually fall in love with Yan Yue, seeing that he's not just some young person with a crush on her, but a person who genuinely loves and cares for her.
* Great supportive teammates & friends for both An Ran & Yan Yue. An Ran's childhood friend actually remains as a friend and not a love interest. Big plus to this drama!
* Their parents while realistic at first questioning their relationship, also are supportive of their relationship.
What lost points for me:
* Yan Yue had a story of his past trauma but this seemed like it was brushed off, so he didn't have much of story focus despite seeming like his character suffered a lot in this drama.
* Hated the breakup part. This drama couldn't avoid the typical C-drama break up cliche. For how this drama was, the breakup part wasn't necessary at all.
* The problem revolving about the copyright issue causing a big mishap for Yan Yue just didn't make sense for me. It seemed a bit random in a way where it was thrown in there as a random problem. It would've made more sense to me if that finding the voice show, Yan Yue was a judge in, caused the problem for Yan Yue than the copyright issue, just because they were getting frustrated with Yan Yue
* No reason why that hacker decided to ruin Gaishi Unparalleled mobile game and other smaller gaming company. Like what was his motive for doing this? Just being a bully to new gaming companies? Make at least some connection otherwise this just felt like a random last minute bad guy.
Although there was this 1 particular English song I wasn't a fan of, music wise, it was great overall. Love the intro and outro songs.
Overall, it's our leading couple that stole the spotlight for this drama. I just love every moment they were together. WinWin's adorable smile really made each scene even more lovable, the important side characters were always supportive, and most importantly, a great happy ending.
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This was a noona romance but it didn't feel like it and I'm glad it didn't! Because I'm not much of a fan of noona romances. It was a typical chaebol romance story. It reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones... But this drama was very... real. Like, the story and the characters were very life-like. And while I do like real, relatable characters, these characters seemed too real. Too flawed. I see enough of that in real life, I don't want my drama characters to be selfish and so complicated as well.
I honestly don't know how to review this drama... I'll just list down the things I liked and the things I didn't like.
Things I liked:
The story was, in a way, interesting. I didn't like the plot repetition and some things were pretty unbelievable. But the story was still interesting enough to keep me watching
Henry. He was honestly my favorite character. He was funny and so adorable and I was rooting for him from the beginning!
The restaurant staff. The were funny and I really liked them.
Sam Soon's sister. I really liked her! She genuinely cared about her sister. Plus her relationship with that Bon Apetit chef was funny.
The kisses! This drama had, if not the best, then some pretty good kiss scenes. And the chemistry between the lead couple wasn't bad either. Though, Jin Hun and Hee Jin looked better together.
Things I didn't like:
Jin Hun. I love Hyun Bin! And I really tried to like his character. But I couldn't. He was selfish and I couldn't accept his actions, whatever the reason.
Sam Soon. People say she stood up for herself and was a strong character. Yeah, she did have a backbone sometimes. For like, 0.1 seconds. I really liked her when she did stand up for herself and was cheering for her. But then she would throw away her self respect and do something that made me so mad at her!
Hee Jin. The main reason why I didn't like her is because she couldn't see how amazing Henry was. I also didn't like her because everyone said she was strong but to me she seemed weak.
The violence. Honestly, I've never seen so much violence in any Korean drama! Everyone loved to beat each other up and that annoyed me a lot! I know it was supposed to be funny but they used it one too many times. The amount of times poor Hyun Bin was beaten up, I lost count. I think he got beaten up twice or thrice in the first episode alone. And an episode wasn't complete unless someone got beaten up. The only person who wasn't violent was Henry. He fought only once and it was because Jin Hun punched him.
Scene repetition. The match-making date scene happened, I think, 5 times. The "Don't look at anybody else!" scene happened, I think, twice or thrice. And I bet there were many other scenes that were repeated. It was at those moments I wanted to stop watching the drama.
Final Verdict: Even though there are more things I disliked about this drama than liked, it was entertaining and I would recommend it if you can look past the flaws.
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Waste of time
I was waiting for this Drama to watch only because of Dylan Xiong. I saw him in MY MR. MERMAID where he done the superb job.Story- The story was full of melodrama and was so complicated to tell in the review. Before watching the Drama I read some of the reviews which were not so good but I want to watch only because of Dylan Xiong and I never watched such Drama with melodrama genre and I regret it. In the starring it goes so smoothly but when the Yanzhao starts working in the company then it get so boring that I was about to dropped it but I also wanted to know what will happen in the end that's I why I completed.
Things I didn't like- They showed so much things or topic at one time only because of they want to increase the no. of episodes in my opinion. There's no need to expand the welfare kids problem. And also no need to show the photos of Xiomeng which was leaked secretly. No need to bring Dr.Xiao and Qiao Zhen together. No need to show the things which was done by Zi Tong against Xiomeng. Seriously no need for 46 episodes it can be short. After the death of their father , Yanzhao become so aggressive and tortured Xiomeng and I don't know why she become helpless , she was also the shareholders of their company so she has so many ways to use them but no she only cries and even when some good things happen then also she cries. And I also feel like ML and FL lead was not good at acting they doesn't show their emotions properly and which they showed that was so fake.
Things I liked- I liked the the secretary of Yanzhao and his efforts in the company and courting Sun Lingxi. I really like the character Jiang Ze and his efforts for persuading his father for not doing such things and also been always by the side of Xiomeng and feel her comfortable . And I would like to appreciate the acting of Xiaomeng's mother (Ye Si Rong ) as metal patient.
I also like the part of the birth Secret.
If you have so much patience and you also like these type of melodrama than you my watch this Drama. But if you are going to watch only because of the main leads than please don't watch it .
For me it is such a waste of time.
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The acting is good. Romance part isn't that much shown. The whole mystery/investigation was good. There's a lot of funny moments.
I like how the female lead is physically strong and good at martial arts, meanwhile the male lead is weaker but good at solving crimes.
Not much characters involved in the whole show which makes it easier to follow.
Overall, It’s a good short drama.
The whole drama combined is 2 hours long. It's perfect if you're looking for short drama to watch.
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Best Asian drama I have seen
I don't tend to give out 10s but honestly, this is one that deserves it. The story was really well balanced well and really entertaining, the acting was next level, the music was great and I would love to rewatch it. Truly, a wholesome comedy that can really pull at the heartstrings. I really liked how we followed the story of both mother and daughter and we get to see the parrels. All the actors, young and older, were amazing. I started watching because I'm a fan of Hamabe Minami, but I leave loving all these actors. I cannot believe that more people didn't watch this. It deserves way more views than this.Was this review helpful to you?
This drama was superb. Just from the acting itself was amazing. The chemistry between the two main leads was very good and so believable. Kim Sun Ah is a very beautiful actress and she is one of my favorites. I really loved her in this drama. Heck I love her in every drama. This drama is Lee Dong Wook's comeback after returning from the military and he did such a good job in this drama. The actors/actresses were very well picked for the drama and their acting was superb. When they cried, heck yes I cried. When they got mad, I just wanted to kill the person that got them angry. When they laugh, of course I laughed. You get the point....
This drama always had me crying from the very first episode and I hated that part. I hate crying in dramas so much it's such a pain in the butt. I normally wouldn't watch dramas like this but I couldn't help myself. It's just so good. Even when it was just the first 2 minutes of the episode you would already start crying like crazy. At the end of every episode would always leave me hanging and wondering about what would happen next. Not only was the drama good the ending was just perfect! It was a perfect ending that I never expected ever! This drama is really good and I'm sure that whoever watches this will enjoy it from the beginning 'til the end :)
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We finally get to see the impact Daimon has done on the other doctors, both old and new. And even though Daimon still faces the same power struggle she has on the other seasons I feel that everyone finally sees and respect Daimon for what she is, which is something I've been waiting for.
The final episode gave me chills down my spine, it was probably the best episode of the show in my opinion. What a ride.
I highly doubt that there will be a 6th season but I will welcome it with all my heart.
Like Daimons catchphrase the shows never fails even though every episode follows pretty much the same formula and that is a hard feat. Especially when it's been going for so long that it has. And the fact that it is on it's 5th season is a good enough reason to watch this if you haven't since it quite rare for a Jdrama to get more than 2 seasons.
So I'm going to end this by saying if you haven't watch this yet, you are missing out. So do it now!!
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decent, but needed some serious trimming
give this drama a try if you’re looking for an easy watch. it has a fairly predictable premise, with a girl cross-dressing to keep her life safe. however, the cast did a great job with what they had. i really liked the chemistry between the main four characters, which made their interactions enjoyable. the pacing would've been fine if this series was 12 episodes long. even though the plot wasn’t groundbreaking, it had enough charm to keep me entertained. if you enjoy historical dramas, this one might be worth watching.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Distinguishable characterization = Greatest portrayal of twins
I don't know if mentioning the things (or scenes) I wanted the drama to show is considered as a spoiler, but I'll just put a "contain spoilers" mark in consideration for others.It's hard to find dramas about twins with good plot, yet I became hook the moment I had read the synopsis.
Story: 8.0
I really love the premise. The first episode was able to establish a good introduction that caught my attention and draws curiosity. I also like the progression and development of subplots, and even though I am not that fan of the romance part, the writers were able showcase to the audience how vital it is.
The only downside for me is that I really want to see more of the brotherhood and family dynamics between Kang Ho and Soo Ho (and their mom). They introduced Soo Ho first so I thought he would be a main character, yet he had have not enough screentime. Yes we saw and knew his feelings, yet it wasn't deep enough compared to how Kang Ho's character was written. Same goes with their mother where I felt that her character development was a little bit rushed. Kang Ho and Soo Ho's interaction were also short. I know it's quite hard to film, but I think their brotherhood is the very core of the drama. I was hoping to see the progression of their relationship, and thought that it would've been one vital element they could use in the story. I wasn't looking for a cheesy/mainstream-type of bromance. Just something that shows the mending/development of their brotherhood. I really wanted to give a 10-star overall rating, yet I wasn't satisfied enough due to those reasons. They could've had added 2 more episodes just to show this and I wouldn't complain.
Acting: 10.0
It's my first time watching Yoon Shi Yoon, and he's fantastic!!! His portrayal of Kang Ho and Soo Ho was very distinct from one another that even if they'll wear the same clothes and have same hairstyle, I could still tell them apart based on facial expressions and body language. Kang Ho and Soo Ho has very distinct expression of the same emotion. This is the greatest portrayal of twins for me as it felt that they were acted by different actors. If Yoon Shi Yoon will do another similar project, I'll definitely watch it.
Miss Kim Hye Ok as the mom was great. Even though I have mentioned that the development of her character felt quite rushed, her acting skills compensated and was able to show all the emotions that could've been stretched out to few more scenes/episodes.
Lee Yoo Young and Kwon Na Ra as the respective love interests of the twins were able to showcase the importance of their characters. I just hoped that the writers gave more scenes on Na Ra's character. I think it was also cut short because Soo Ho's story is just minor comapred to Kang Ho's (which I'm still upset about).
Hong Jung Soo, Park Byung Eun, and Lee Ho Sung is very effective as main villains. I was surprised with Lee Ho Sung in particular as I had seen him played mostly "good" characters.
Music: 9.0
I'm not really particular with the OST and scores, so I'm lenient in rating this area. I think the scores they used was able to help in conveying the emotions and themes, and even though the OST are good, nothing really caught my attention.
Rewatch Value: 8.5
For me, this section includes the production.. I can't say anything about it so it's between 9.0 or 9.5, but as for the actual "rewatch value", it's on 7.5. I think I might rewatch this in the future but has no plan as of now.
Overall: 9.0
I was really contemplating if I should give 8.5, 9.0, or 9.5. I have no plan to write a review yet, as I was hoping to write for my favorites first. But I already finished watching and want to give my rating, so I thought of rating each section and follow the suggested overall rating. And I haven't realized that I am writing a review already lol (NOTE: This is just my second review so pardon any errors.)
Overall, Your Honor/Dear Judge is a good watch and I totally recommend it!!
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Romance on the Rocks
An attempt at a natural progression in romance that didn’t work. The story didn’t make any sense and it had no depth. You do get the impression that the “Master” has feelings for his servant. He courts her by bullying and harassing her for the first 30 minutes of the show. I’m sure this will convince her of his sincerity. Finally, he drives her out of the house. You would think that would be enough for him. Not this guy, he goes out and finds her and bullies her some more. Grabbing her and taking her into her bedroom. He won't leave and ends up sleeping in her bed while she sleeps on the floor. All against her wishes. Then he insults her by saying she jumped into bed with him. We are now one hour into the show and this guy hasn’t changed. He even takes her money. Unbelievably I think she's still drawn to him.After a little drama in the house is settled they get drunk together and fall asleep during a snowfall, all snuggled together. Where did this come from? There was no workup or prelude to the romance of any kind. They’ve never verbally expressed any feelings. He’s hasn't said a nice word to her. She wakes up back at his house and all is roses. They are now in a committed relationship. He’s talking marriage and hasn’t even said he likes her. Maybe that's how they did things back in those days, but I doubt it.
I’m not blaming the actors I thought they were decent. The story was terrible. It felt like a Covid movie. Since it was done in 2020, it probably was. Most of the scenes had very few actors. In some scenes, they were even socially distanced from each other.
The subtitles were good and the music was great.
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Timing is Everything.
Season 2 does not give me the same feels and gone are the innocence and sweetness. All the characters seem to have grown up and are forced to face certain challenges in life. No longer can they hide their feelings but they all become more courageous and more honest with themselves.The talk of the town is probably Kou’s indecisiveness and going back-and-forth between Yoshioda and Narumi. One thing Kou said resonated with me. He wants to move on but he’s also afraid that he will forget. Therefore, being with Narumi in a way is a security blanket. If you have lost someone close to you, you can probably understand where Kou is coming from. But of course, logically we all know he needs to cut ties with Narumi and be honest with his feelings. I also do not agree with Narumi’s emotional blackmail, but I can sympathize with her actions.
I liked Yoshioda in season 1 and I continue to like her in this season. She continues to grow and I’m glad she tries to at least not be a pushover and really wants things with Toma to work out. Toma is a lovely guy but it’s just not the same when your first love is someone who’s broken, and you want to heal with him and be with him throughout the process.
These characters are young and they are not perfect. Going back on decisions is not the end of the world. Sometimes, we just need to be more forgiving of ourselves and know that we can’t always make the right choices at first try.
Yuri has a very small part in season 2. The love triangle between Murao/Kominato/Tanaka has a little more screen time. I would have liked to see more foreshadowing/scenes in Murao’s final choice of the guy she ends up with. There doesn’t seem to have enough transition from one to another.
Season 2 did not hit me the same way as Season 1. But I did have an enjoyable time watching this. I’m glad the acting is pretty good all-around and even though Narumi is a third wheel, she wasn’t that bad.
Completed: 2/25/2024 - Review #410
Season 1 review: https://kisskh.at/profile/voicelesslove/reviews/342617
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It has a touching story but somewhere they lack in something, it could have been an absolute masterpiece but somewhere and somehow they missed the right spot in their story.
The acting was very good and convincing, I felt anger, despair and sadness. The acting did fit in the way that they made this movie, their work with their camera's, the positions, the emotions, the characters and the music. I woulnd't call it unique but it is different it is not the same as most of the movies.
This movie isn't giving it all away, it makes you wonder and think also in the ending of the movie. The 'dilemma' of this mother is really understandable and somehow it isn't. It is a movie that could give yourself a conflict "what would I have done in this situation?" you might ask yourself in this movie, and because of this they scored alot of points in this movie i.m.o.
Watch this if you like movies that won't give you an immediate answer.
Skip this movie if you want an easy movie that give you all the information and ends without you left thinking about it.
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This review may contain spoilers
kinda like the go to basic meal when you don't feel like putting a lot of effort for dinner
the funny thing about this series that I pretty much agree with a lot of the crit people have about it., because frankly, it's true.the story is thin and built on the most contrived, single brick of "JUST SAY IT"/"why can't you guys just talk???" but somehow....i liked it anyway? Maybe I shouldn't have, but I enjoyed myself a surprising amount while watching this.
Dao is a lowkey harem protag with a thin personality where you're not entirely sure why he has like 4 different people vying for his attention except that he's cute and nice, and Kluen is a man of few words who prefers actions over words. The whole series is literally just everyone trying to get Kluen to finally spit it out as he keeps unintentionally giving Dao mixed signals and confusing the heck out of him.
ngl it got a little infuriating to watch by the end, and I think the whole thing with Gia at the last minute was absolutely /Ridiculous/ on a lot of levels, (domestic abuse? really? if the show could barely linger on it for like the minute they needed to for the plot, couldn't they have chosen another emergency to excuse Kluen to running over like her house is on fire...), and i dislike how Dao suddenly seemed so touch shy when they finally got together when it doesn't? seem that's how he was from how we previously saw him but otherwise i found this cute. a little annoying and dragged out at times, but cute.
I think I probably liked this better than most because, even though the plot is built off the most ridiculous miscommunication excuse, (and who the heck even likes miscommunication plots?), but it still made sense with these characters. Dao seems like the type to confess first and in fact, he even did! But Kluen gave him a non-answer that would obviously get taken as a rejection. Obviously this would mean that it's up to Kluen to resolve/end the mutual pining between both of them, even though it seems like trying to get him to be direct and straightforward about his feelings is like pulling teeth. It's honestly stupid but...understandable. Some things are just way easier said than done.
Another thing is that I did like how the show even points out Kluen is being stupid, multiple times. Several side characters call him out about it, and Dao gets understandably mad/frustrated from his end, although I will admit that I think that was a great kiss lol. Prob the best kiss in the show ngl
I've seen a few people say that they probably should've just combined the sky and star series into one series and flip back and forth between the couples and....I agree. I minded the miscommunication/misunderstanding plot less than most people, but even I was starting to get really annoyed by the end. Maybe they should've combined both series to help cover up the thin story in both shows and make the frustration of having to watch Kluen slowly work through his emotional constipation more bearable by having another plotline.
tl;dr it's not awful. if you want a chill university setting story with no serious drama and low expectations, go ahead
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