Reviews

Truth be told, I wasn't planning on watching this anytime soon and only did because it was short and I knew I could finish it within a day. But even after only 2 episodes in, I knew this was going to be a good drama.

You get drawn into the romance aspect of the drama pretty quickly, but don't worry-- it's not an overly sappy, boring love story. It has a few cliches here and there, but not in the negative sense. The business aspect of the drama is equally great.

The acting, music and overall storyline were well above average and very enjoyable. The last few episodes were very up and down and nearly had me change my view of the entire series, but thankfully it ends on a very happy note.

All in all, if you're looking for a lighthearted, somewhat short drama that involves a good balance romance, business and drama, you won't be disappointed.

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Gems hidden in a pile of rocks

I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Steam was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.

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I Only Watched This Because of Li Fei

First things first, I only watched this because of Li Fei. Big shocker, I know.

Despite everything looking cheap and/or fake, the voices being a tad annoying, and the story being super simple, I liked that the episodes had continuum . I have watched other dramas with similar episode count and length per episode where they just jump all over the place and I am left wondering, "how did they get there?". This did not happen with this one. The acting was okay-ish and it's definitely not a masterpiece. However, if you are looking to pass the time, need something for background noise or so unserious you'll go from laughing to rolling your eyes, this is it. I know I had a few moments where I thought, "what the hell am I watching?" Also warning, it's an open ending and it says that it was season one at the end, but in September 13 it will mark three years since the drama ended and there is still no second season.

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This film was very quiet and serene. I think the snowy weather represented this film very well. When snow falls overtime, it piles up and covers everything underneath, just like the feelings of the two separated people. Through the letters, they uncover their feelings that's been piled up with snow. (The title's literal translation is 'To Yoonhee')

Even though Yoonhee was the focus of the movie, her daughter, Saebom, was a scene stealer. I found her interest for film photography is a nice element to this film! I love her attention to detail. Her mom knows everything she doesn't tell, and I think that Saebom is alike. The trip that she prepared for her mom was probably the best gift! It's a heart-warming movie. I personally love the ending, character development and the cinematography.

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This was my first Mark and Kimberley lakorn and I am amazed. The chemistry is so real that you can feel it from the beginning!

PROS:
- amazing action scenes
- the perfect main couple
- cute side couples
- a lot of drama
- a little comedy as well
- keeps you interested up till the last episode

CONS:
- irritating villans
- creepy brother
- some missing parts to the story... a lot was said or done that was never really discussed later on

This lakorn is definitely a must watch for the main couple. After watching Kleun Cheewit I never thought I would ship Mark with someone other than Yaya but Kimberley and Mark are perfection as well! They give off the feeling of a couple thats been together for years, where you can feel the love just by the way they look at each other. I'll definitely be looking into other projects this couple has done together.

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It’s a whirlwind of emotions.

It’s been a real long time since I’ve watched a movie so heartbreaking, so bittersweet, and funny. It really is whirlwind emotions that one hopes to experience and prays to avoid. It has its absurd moments, comical moments, happy moments, sad moments, and everything in between. This movie ebbs and flows like life. Even a week after watching this movie, a song comes on that jogs up the last scene, and I fall back into the story, the characters, and I’m lost to those feelings again.

I know Hwang Jung Min is an incredible actor, but his acting in this movie floored me and showed the depth of his talent. I highly recommend this movie to anyone.

Also, this is the first I’ve written on here, so that is how much I love this movie.

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Good revenge plot mini-show with a twist

This is actually a very good revenge mini-show. The storyline is quite simple, and yet not. What starts off as a revenge story turns out to be a sweet love story too. I liked that take on an otherwise rather normal cheating and revenging plot. There are a few plot holes and unanswered questions left after the show, but none that ruins it.
Character wise we have a FL who due to a meteor storm switches souls. The new soul is a strong woman and she decides to take revenge for the body’s owner who was cheated on with her own sister. The ML who is self absorbed and disloyal if it suits him cheats on his wife.
There is also 2ML who is clever and considerate. He is the one who steps in and helps FL get her revenge. The 2FL (sister) is a cunning and low self esteemed woman who wants to destroy or take over everything her sister has.
Acting wise this is pretty good and the actors do a great job in the limited time-frame.
So, if you are into revenge-plot and a little romance, this is well worth watching.

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Revenge is a dish best served with green beans

Let's be real. Could I resist a series called " Until I Destroy my Husband's Family"? Nope, I couldn't.

Otto no Katei wo Kowasu made may have been a low budget series and may have gotten a bit draggy towards the end, but no one can deny that it was entertaining.

Matsumoto Marika is splendidly overacting from beginning to end, as many of the actors and actresses in the series. I may have not read the manga, but the drama definitely had the right vibes. The plot itself was entertaining for the most part, even though there were some predictable moments, especially if you have watched similar series in the past. The ending was not that great, writing-wise, but it was good enough. Lastly, thumbs up to the people responsible for the music (♪ Galileo Galileiii ♪)!

In simple words, Until I Destroy my Husband's Family is an entertaining revenge drama, that would definitely benefit from less episodes, a higher budget and a better written ending.

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If you loved Big, you will definitely love this story. However, I personally think this story and the ending was better than Big. I loved the acting most of all in this drama, I think we really believed it was a 14 year old in a 25 year old's body.

There were definitely some surprising elements in this drama which made it all the more interesting. And even though it was very similar in plot wise to Big, I found it to have a different feeling. I also loved the humor in this drama.

The music was great but it did not really stand out to me.

I would definitely watch this many times over in the same day if I could.

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KelpiView : Dancing to the tune of a lovestruck teenager

Overall Impression :
The japanese BL scene has done it again. This was nothing short of an entertaining piece of work. everything from casting, story to scene edits and voiceovers are done well. even the side couple of the show was done in an exceptionally good way, even though, i honestly wanted more side couple scenes, but i will take what i get lol. Even though, this show is slightly longer in terms of your common japanese BLs, but good in a sense that it doesnt feel draggy in a sense.

What I liked about it :
Awesome cast!
The cast members did an awesome job in bringing the characters that they portrayed to life. none of the acting that was presented was awkward in anyway, which is a huge plus. As main leads, Kusakawa and Nishigaki (Akira and Shin) did a great job in their respective roles. but the one that made a lasting impression on me was the portrayal of Shuu and Asuka done by Inaba and Oku. Sakurako played by Toyoshima was a great portrayal of a support role, which is great thus, an honorable mention here.

Unique story!
What i felt about knowing that this would be a love story revolving around an old laundomat? "Eh?" was my initial thoughts. but it did transition quite well and how it was properly integrated into the show. Saying the laundromat is a main hotspot is an understatement because almost all of the characters are, in one way or another, had encounters in the laundromat. Plus the age gap romance as well as comedic scenes / storytelling, it has become one of the best japanese BL i have seen. Not to mention the little tid bits of side couple history that makes me want more. i hope they do a spin off on the side couple.

On point costumes!
Very seldom that when i watch something, i thought to myself "Wow, that shirt is a nice shirt.." :Opens Amazon to search for that exact shirt: This is what it has done to me. The costumes for this show is done well in regard that it wasnt over the top and very realistic. Some shows, would put the cast members in outfits that looks awesome in shots, but generally would be a lil bit unrealistic. The outfit for this show is selected well and has good aesthetic feel to it, albeit being simple.

What I disliked about it :
Too little side couple moments
I think this is my common dislikes about almost every single show i see LOL. but, dont get me wrong, the main couple is good, but i think that the side couple could have been shown more in terms of progress to really sell it as a side couple. Yes, i understand the meaning of being the "side" couple, obviously they wont get as much screen time as the main couple, but a lil bit more would do wonders to adoring fans.

Did I enjoy it? :
yes i did, all 12 glorious episodes. really hoping for some spinoff or SP episodes for the side couple. i need that. i really do. lol.

Would I recommend it to others? :
Definitely! that is if you dont mind a slower paced show. If you're the type that wants couples to get together at least at the middle of the season, then this isnt a show for you though. i will just leave that as a warning. overall, this show was very entertaining. definitely put it in your PTW list or even better start now because the show just ending like one day ago (at the writing of this review lol).

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Heart touching amazing performance-Must watch for Xiao

Xiao did a perfect awesome shot in one take for whole 4 minutes. His voice modulation and the expressions are soo realistic to watch . This is short and sweet movie about happiness, pain ,love and hope life gave us every day.
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This is a must watch performance from Xiao. Dont miss it
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Mixed feelings. Could have been good if it was shorter.

OK:

- The first part with the set up of the characters. Fast paced, fun and intriguing. Many couples and potential couples look cute (main couple, Sheng brothers and their love interest, Han couple, Pirate man and the girl hitting on him). Good for nothing ML becomes a reliable son and a general. FL enters the palace as maid. Some actions and they find each other and loose each other again.

- The third and final part. The evil guys have to come into the light as they need to finalize their schemes. The plotline is clearer but it is full of plot holes as the finale is rushed. The end is not satisfactory but there are some enjoyable plot twists. The main villain's demise is too easy. The schemers who caused so many deaths get away with it because they suddenly turn good and they are royalty. But it is ok because the ML and FL mend their relationship while fighting the bad guys and they have their happy ending.

NOT OK:

- The second part full of atrocious or illogical moves and schemes from most Royals and people seeking revenge, influence or Love or a way to own someone... People start to be beaten for free,. They drop dead like flies for a word, a paper, an accusation, bad luck... Or they are saved by a scroll or by Deus ex machina .The main couple's relationship is nowhere as ML is relagated to an extra role. More schemes from people completely immature, perverted, evil with no other goal than to have your blood boil.

OVERALL:

The drama could have been a lot more enjoyable. It had numerous and interesting characters but passed their introduction, the plot becomes messy piling schemes on schemes by unsufferable characters for rotten purposes just to enrage the audience. It was annoying and destroying the entertaining quality of the drama. I had the feeling the writer piled outrageous situations just to add episodes and make money without trying to tell a comprehensive and consistent story using the characters. Some important parts of the story are obviously missing and make the drama even more erratic in his storyline.

RECOMMENDATION:

This drama seem to have been quite successful in China. I don't know how people can like this kind of drama. All these inhumane palace plots are just physically hard to tolerate. Maybe they are people to like these "palace plots" dramas.

Would I recommend this drama? No. Because:

- The leads have a too little part. It's a sham. It is not a drama about them. It is a drama about Royals and their court and palace schemes.
- There is a huge part of this drama which is only made of useless schemes, useless violence and deaths, outrageous rotten or completely dumb illogical people you can't sympathize with. At some point you just don't care about them anymore.
- Many people get away easily with their wrongdoings. The end is like : Everyone is suddenly nice nice people.
- 55 episodes but not many opportunities to laugh and cry with the leads. Surely I won't say : I spent a good time watching this.

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Okay, I am going to have to break down this review into pros and cons, without any major spoilers.
First, I loved the entire supernatural romance theme, that is exactly what pulled me into this drama.

Pros: I always love how the lyrics to the music matches the storyline in most lakorns and this soundtrack was beautiful. The romance and chemistry between the two leads were sizzling. Khun Hem has some mesmerizing come - hither eyes and I love how the actor portrayed his emotions at times without even saying a word.

Now I think, that is where my admiration for this drama ends, and it is time to get into what frustrated me so much while watching this wonderful falling Jenga tower of a show.

Cons: I'm not really one to complain about bad CGI, but the special effects reminded me somehow of an 80's video game. I almost laughed out loud on parts I knew were supposed to be serious. Khun Duen exacerbated me to no end. I loved how the writers made her out to be very headstrong, but that was a false picture. It seemed like they did not know whether they wanted her to be weak or strong, and then when you think she has gotten stronger, she goes and does something stupid again and then rely on Khun Hem to save her all the d*** time. She is so naive to the point of stupidity.

Okay, I know that my Cons rant might seem like I hated the show, but I didn't (I think it was those bedroom eyes of Khun Hem). The show was really good with all of its cheesy and damsel in distress moments. The show has a happy ending and I am quite satisfied with how they wrap everything up. It' s like they say come for the cheesy romance and stay for the man with the sexy eyes. The show gave me all the satisfaction I would get from watching a Jenga tower fall down as soon as someone removes a major piece. Consistency is what was removed from this show, but it was fun watching it all play out.

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As the synopsis says, it's a drama about four sisters and their romantic pursuits - the caring first sister, the clumsy second, the worldly wise third (who still goes the wrong way in life) and the annoying fourth. And frankly, it leaves me unimpressed. I'd have so much preferred if it was a 20-30 episode series with only one couple - the second sister Yi Wan (Tseng Joanne) and Xiao Fei (Sia Melvin), or in the worst case two couples. The lesser said about the younger two sisters, the better. It's the antics of Crazy Dog Qin aka Mad Dog King (rofl at the name - and the character justifies it) following the orders of Xiao Fei's mother which keeps the viewers glued, despite the occasional overacting.

The other stories are mere fillers, all following the time-tested formula of a single mother, a marital affair, an unrequited love and so on. After a while, the director seems to have lost track of the individual threads - with so many episodes focusing on particular characters and forgetting about the rest. There are so many unconvincing scenes, like when Xiao Fei says something like,"After we married, it seems like I make you angry so often", and I had to go back searching if I had missed any scenes, coz the only things I remembered were them quarreling a couple of times about watching TV and throwing socks on the floor. I think most of the actors did a good job, just that I didn't find their characters very interesting. Nothing exceptional about the music, but can listen to it a few times.

Rewatch value: 10 for the Crazy Dog and Yi Wan/Xiao Fei story, 5 for the Lian Qing story, 0 for the Xiao Xi story, 2 for the others.

If you like romantic stories, you must watch this for this one pair (you might like the others as well - I didn't). It has pretty much everything - the interesting first encounter, how they come to regard each other, one mom who tries to force them together, another who's opposed initially but comes around in the end, the interesting sidekicks and finally, no romantic triangle/ jealous lovers (there's a small one, but doesn't last long and had a graceful closure).

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Since this lakorn is getting a remake in 2020, I thought I would write a review ^^

I've seen this lakorn twice, my only reason for re-watching it is not because it was exceptional. It was mainly because I am a fan of Bee and Namfon. I've seen 3 lakorns where they are paired together and I really like seeing them as an onscreen couple.

The storyline is like a twisted version of Cinderella. TBH in 2000s era lakorns if there is a storyline where our FL is being manipulated/used/abuse by family etc the FL character is a push over. Tawan, our FL is a push over and is blinded by a depth of gratitude she has for her uncle and aunt that raise her when her parents died. She is our typical neang'ek - proper lady, big hearted, kind, generous, good at everything etc. Her aunt and cousin are truly evil, selfish and money hungry. They have no problem deceiving people and even killing people. The way they talk and make plans about it like it's an everyday and normal thing. Her aunt and cousin only loved and cared about themselves and each other and treated Tawan like dirt and garbage. I can't wrap my head as to why Tawan is still loyal and feel that she has a depth of gratitude towards them when they treat her like garbage. We see at times that she has spunk and can stick up for herself - like how she was firm with Suthi, when she was negotiating with the kidnappers for Toh and Yardfah.

Toh, for being a person who is smart he sure is pretty dumb and blind towards the Duangjai and Yardfah. How he could not see the manipulation with the mother and daughter pair, their attitude and treatment towards Tawan just blows my mind. He needed Suthi to spell things out for him numerous times. I didn't have an issue with Toh's character until he forced himself onto Tawan and just verbally degraded her. Blows my mind how he came to that conclusion and all. But hey, its a lakorn in the 2000s, that is the normal logic in these types of lakorns unfortunately. Personally I felt that he should have tried harder on searching for Tawan when she ran away. Like why are you so defeated when you have more at stake and you now know the truth but can't track her down?

Overall it is a decent lakorn but you just need to be aware of the "typical" lakorn logic especially the logic in the 1990-2000s era. It may not sit well with alot of people, especially in 2020.
I personally enjoyed it because I like Namfon and Bee, especially seeing them as an onscreen couple. P'Gew was honestly my favourite character, she's the only sane person.

I'm looking forward to the remake to see if they make our ML smarter (LOL) and our FL with a little more backbone.

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