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Completed
Bad Buddy
10 people found this review helpful
Jan 23, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

If you haven't seen this, drop everything and go watch it right now

This review is basically going to be me raving over this series for however many paragraphs it takes.

Take that as your first and final and only warning.

Where do I start?

The story is of two young men who are studying in different faculties in the same university. Pat, Engineering. Pran, Architecture. Historically, the two faculties have been rivals and several of Pat and Pran's friends take this all very seriously. The first scene of the very first episode is a bunch of Engineering students chasing down and beating up an Architecture student, so you know the rivalry is intense.

To make things even more complicated, the two young men grew up right next door to each other and their families absolutely loathe each other. We don't find out why until nearly the end of the series, but it's not a trivial reason, and the hatred on the part of Pran's mother towards Pat's father is warranted and justifiable.

Unknowingly, Pat starts courting Pran (it's a mix-up that does completely make sense) and, when he discovers who it is he's been exchanging notes and gifts with, he doesn't immediately have a meltdown at the mere though of liking a boy (which I half expected, because it's such a trope in BL), he doesn't punch Pran or accuse him of deception or any of the other things that happen in these situations in other BL's.

No, they pretty much agree to stop being rivals and start being friends, before things develop into more. They use bets and competitions as flirting and it is hilarious.

They have such good communication with each other. They talk about things honestly and openly and they both apologise to the other for their mistakes and they stick by each other when one of them is in trouble and....it's so refreshing and wholesome and good to see.

The acting is on another level, especially for a BL. Ohm (Pat) and Nanon (Pran) are both very skilled and it shows. I already knew Ohm was good, having seen him in Make It Right and He's Coming To Me (I recommend the Book/Frame cut of Make It Right if you haven't seen it, and He's Coming To Me is an excellent shorter series in which Ohm partners with Singto. It's a gem.)

I hadn't seen Nanon in anything else, though his resume is quite impressive, so I wasn't sure what his acting would be like going in, but I need not have worried. He's so good it's almost unbelievable. If they gave out awards for TV acting in Thailand, he should be up for Best Actor. His emotional range is impressive.

The chemistry and dynamic between Ohm and Nanon takes this series from great to excellent.

There are only two songs used throughout the series, and one of them is kind of over-used, but both are still lovely and the incidental music is good too. I like the fact that they avoided so many of the ridiculous sound effects that other shows tend to overuse. Moderation is key, and it's clear the director and editor agree with me.

Even the product placement, whilst definitely there and noticeable, has been toned down, which is so good to see.

And, to make things better, we get an actual GL second couple in this, even if their relationship isn't as developed as the main leads. There's talk of a sequel to this, and to be honest, I don't want one. I'd like a spin-off instead, focusing on Ink and Pa's relationship. There's a time jump at the beginning of episode 12, and I'd like to see how their relationship developed over that time.

REWATCH VALUE: high, high, so so high. I'm rewatching it now, in fact.

I've said in other reviews that no show is perfect, and this isn't either, but this is the only one that I've felt justifies the full five stars/10 out of 10 rating. I watched this and I didn't feel cheated, I didn't end up feeling like I'd wasted my time and the ending was satisfactory and fulfilling.

That, to me, is the hallmark of a great series.

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Completed
The Prisoner of Beauty
10 people found this review helpful
by Nria
Jun 11, 2025
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Thousands have lived without love but not without water

First of all the headline is a bit tacky but the whole story is kind of on the water channels that are built by the Wei and Qiao.

So the story starts when Wei and Qiao were like brothers but Qiao betrayed Wei 14 yrs back. Now after 14 years there stands a contract marriage between their grandchildren that were arranged by the Lady Xu and the Lordship Qiao.
Here the story starts,
Lord Wei doesn’t want to marry and make things hard for her but eventually he falls for her.

The difference :-
1. In these kind of troops either the ML or FL is over bearing and always anyone of the leads bounties are over stepped but in TPOB both of the leads though schemed against each other for the very first few months of their marriage but were never overbearing all the grudges and anger was shown correctly and understandable . Even being on the opposite clan they never insulted each other which is the most sweetest thing I loved about this drama.

2. In this drama every character had their role who were mature and as the drama went by there was character development .

3. The MOST thing I Loved about TPOB is there was not portrayal of any dumb, immature character all were responsible appropriately to their age.There was no nonsense part where the couple would break up and then patch up after some time , which is one of the reason I kept on going with this drama with out skipping. There was no unnecessary love triangle, ML and FL acted mature enough which was the best part to watch.

4. Like other dramas where the grandmother and mother in law are too overworked about how to create problem in the life of the newly weds ; in TPOB there was not such case. Yes in the start the mother in law framed FL but that was bearable and reasonable. The grandmother Lady Xu was always very intelligent and always giving correct advise to ML and FL without any unnecessary drama.

5. Over all this drama had some parts that’s made me cry and laugh.

6. People act sensible and not on impluse.

Usually I do not write reviews after the drama but this is fabulous so I need to put in some words and appreciate all the people who made this drama and presented us.

Acting :- 100/10
Songs :- 10/10

I love the simplicity of this drama how people were down to earth and always had unity.

I would totally recommend to pls watch this.

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Completed
Gintama
10 people found this review helpful
Sep 5, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
This movie is such a delight for fans of Gintama. It stay true with the manga and it didn't change the plot. The movie focused on Benizakura arc, so I am not sure how people who are not familiar with Gintama will view this movie. But I really like this movie since it didn't create any unwanted plot.

Story wise, the plot is from one of the major arc in the manga which introduced the background of Gintoki, the main character. Shun Oguri is such a fine man acting as Gintoki, I'm so thankful that they casted him to play that role. It's not going to be so hard to follow the plot if you didn't read the manga, it is the typical someone did something bad so the heroes need to set things right but with Gintama styled twist. Masaki Suda portrayed Shinpachi effortlessly, he really acted weak but with funny facial expressions, I laughed so hard in the cinema. Kanna Hashimoto also acted well as Kagura. Her scenes with Nanao are so remarkably funny. Nanao is so hot in the movie too, easy eye catcher. Special acknowledgement to Jiro Sato, if you guys remember him in Mr Nietzsche, his role is exactly as comical as that, I really like how he acted his comedy.

In terms of music, the background musics are appropriate with the scenes. UVERworld performed one of the OST, if you know them, the song Decided which is for this movie is awesome. Shun Oguri did sing for comical purposes lol.

Simply put, it is literally a part of the manga that has been transformed into live action. All the Gintama's wicked dark humor, their famous tag lines and the famous Gintama-style references to other mangas or animes are there in the movie. These stuffs are essential to Gintama. Kudos to the movie makers for didn't leave these things in this movie. Recommended.

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Completed
EXO's Ladder Season 2
10 people found this review helpful
Apr 3, 2019
50 of 50 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Seriously just amazing from start to finish! Those last few episodes were seriously the funniest and I was crying lol at least there's Heart For You (Sim For You) so I can keep getting my EXO fix ♡ If you've been following these guys since First Box you'll see them growing but in a major way like Baekhyun said in the most important way they're the same passionate, outrageous, dorky weirdos who are not afraid to show their selves. But even if you're not a big EXO fan this show was seriously so entertaining and hilarious I couldn't stop laughing the entire time I was watching it. My favorite part was Chanyeol Chen aka CC ♡♡ and DOs reading of his drama with Chen doing the background music that was just everything! Sigh. I'll be watching it over and over again lol

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Completed
Meet Yourself
10 people found this review helpful
by MLJH
Feb 4, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Ten Star Delight

Casting, Cinematography, Script, Location, Music and Pacing are 100% on point.

This beautiful series is therapeutic to the soul. Every single member of this cast played their role perfectly. Granny and the four little kiddie crew members get my top nod though, they were fantastic and added so much to this drama.

I found the first episode very triggering to me, I lost someone close to me to cancer, and I just struggle to relive those scenes in the media, so I skipped most of it and right into episode 2. This is when our beautiful FL ventures out to Yunnan province to heal. What she discovers are a group of people who are equally imperfect and dealing with their own demons. Each of them drawn to one of the most stunning locations I’ve ever seen in a drama and made me want to pack my bags to China immediately!!!

There is so much growth for our FL in this show, and all those around her. This community is wonderful and supplies truth and healing in every interaction. There is so many moments that the dialogue along will provide therapy for you the viewer, with profound and wonderful advice for so many situations.

The friendships that develop along the way are enduring and from start to finish your heart will be warmed to the fullest.

The ML & FL of this show are wonderful. Finally a mature couple who act and dress their age, with a natural and organic love that develops at just the right pace. If you are here for a fast trip to love, go someplace else because you won’t find that here. The chemistry between these two is also fantastic. They are a couple you will root for and delight and smile in every single sweet moment between them. They are my favorite cdrama pairing.

Congratulations to everyone who played a part in the production of this drama. 100% the best cdrama of 2023.

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Completed
Strong Girl Nam Soon
97 people found this review helpful
Nov 25, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 1.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

I'm gonna be sick

The most I can say is
CRINGE CRINGE CRINGE CRINGE OMG the cringe!!
The acting is just bad. The female lead has the personally and
maturity of a 8 year old. From the moment she popped up till the last ep. The mother
and grandmother characters over the top especially the mother of the female lead. You got
a fake daughter come in and do all that and even go to the lengths to try and kill your real child and you
forgive her and want to treat her like your child. They were also full of themselves and the over
acting of both actresses is a joke and that's just sad for an actress like Kim Hae Sook. I saw no spark between
the female lead and the male lead. Nothing at all romantic. The male characters in the strong woman family
are have been written to be morons. I do have to say though that the acting of the
actor in the role of the villain was the only good thing I can say about this show besides the fact that
its over. I'd say his acting in the was the best out of all the cast. The acting from the rest of the cast was god awful!! The female lead was annoying and I have to say it again had the mentality of a I'm gonna go lower that 8 years she acted like she was 4. I guess that's how the director wanted the cast to act but
this was bad on so many levels and I don't see how he didn't have some noise cancelation headphones
while directing this mess. Having to watch this was bad enough but also having to listen to all that terrible acting was even worse. Now I guess they're planning on making another one LMAO
I hope its not going to be on Netflix. They can do better than that mess!

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Completed
The Journey of Chong Zi
48 people found this review helpful
Feb 23, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 2.5
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 3.0
Music 1.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

DROPPED WITHOUT REGRETS...TRIED MY BEST

Get ready to be pissed off by one of the most annoying sulky FL of all time... Probably of 2023!

Because that's the most annoying part of this story.

I feel bad for this FL character because she was Just the worse part of this drama.

I already had a red flag when I saw her getting into the dumb student role of the master. and I was right... she kept getting worse. dumber, Dumber.. annoying.. clingy omg don't get me started because she was Just that terribly annoying!

A master and student relationship was supposed to be cute but she ruined it With her forced acting od cuteness. like gurl, you're cute! but don't keep pushing and forcing it with those stupid pouting and stupid talks and mentality! don't Force naiveness! You're being stupid!

And don't get me Started on how the plot development, situations given, and character line made her worse...Like...she was the perfect definition of a Stupid FL who would piss you off in every corner! Like she reminded me of those 3 min ep short mini modern drama series where FL always wore those baby cloths and pout all day long... That's not cute... that's disturbing..and annoying.

For the plot, TBH this plot had the potential but it already started off terrible already..The plot was heading toward the casual terribly executed xianxia..No..this drama wasn't an authentic xianxia. it Looked like a low budget plot mini xianxia drama. I was watching but nothing they did amused me..Their potray was just annoyingly funny and dumb!!

Acting was fair and some better..ML did well...But FL omg!! You're a Good actress but this role made you dumb TBH.

As someone who's a sucker for reverse harem...I feel this drama was pulling it well with that 6 love interest aspect..I liked that but FL omg you're Terrible at that ! stop forcing the cuteness omg

At a point i sat and thought... Wait..who wrote this character and their interactions?? is that how Human being act and interact? Because the FL writing must have been done by a 3 yr old.

Cringe... everything cringe once again because once leads appear,I skip as fast as anything because together they're cringe... especially FL

In all, This drama had the potential but went terribly south and I don't think anyone can see this.. unless you're mentally prepared to get annoyed because yeah.. it's that bad

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Completed
Resident Playbook
48 people found this review helpful
May 25, 2025
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

JUST GO WATCH THIS

After a year delay, Resident Playbook is here! I was thrilled to find out that this will air in April. I didn't know the delay took a toll on the whole team but it was for the better. If they pushed it through it wouldn't get the recognition that it deserved. This is entirely different from the usual Shin PD formula but it was refreshing. I honestly did not care for all of that. I'm just happy that Yuljeverse is back and with a lot of cameos from Hospital Playlist casts.

Honestly, just go watch it! The main casts are cute and likeable! Rewatch value is high! I think I've memorized all the lines from all the rewatch lol

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Completed
My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho
68 people found this review helpful
May 28, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 4.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
I will get so much hatred for what follows, I'll better go on a vacation for a while.

The premise: I dropped this drama 5 times before finally completing it. The reason why I picked it up again is the most shallow and childish you can think of: the crush on an actor. It embarrasses me no end, but what can I do?
I am the cause of my own suffering.
The reason why I didn't drop it a sixth time as every cell in my body screamed I should, is that when I reached episode 11 I was so bored and annoyed by this drama, the desire to write a review became stronger than the torture itself.
Also, I have let some time pass after the watch before I started writing, because I wanted to use my brain and not my stomach (or heart, in this case it's the same thing).

Let's go in order.
The Plot. There is a fantastic word in French to describe such a plot: a bric-a-brac. It is a fairy tale, which is fine, it's full of elements of fantasy, which is fine, but instead of following a cohesive narrative as required by any story, fantastic or real, it keeps on throwing in new explanations and solutions until nothing makes sense anymore, not even in a fantasy world. We have a Gumiho and suddenly we find out she was made out of the ashes/fire of a Goblin. A GOBLIN? You mean legendary little monsters with either green or red skin, pointed ears and tons of malice? That's not how the half ghost remembers her. Wait, this Goblin turned Gumiho turned half human also gave half of her "ki" (another element popped out of the blue on episode... 13 I think) to a human who gave up half of his life but also has half a ki and drank twice the bead and died and came back to life and then the eclipse...
Ok, I stop here before I turn as crazy as the plot. This story is utterly ridiculous, even when, I repeat, I let time pass and somehow digested it all.
Did I mention the cheese, the sugary dialogues, the repetition of lines, flashbacks, situations? Better not.

The characters.
Oh please kill me.
If you think Gumiho is a fox, you're mistaken: she's a dog. She goes from talking about cow meat every MINUTE of every single episode to the middle, to taking about her Dae Woong every minute of every episode till the end. She depends so much on him that even when the stakes get higher and she decides for a sacrifice in the name of love, it's not suspenseful anymore. It's irritating, predictable and humiliating. As a woman, I find her character insulting. Like a dog, she stays glued to him with a persistence and complete lack of reasoning which is the exact opposite of romantic.
She threatens to disappear at least 4 times, and every time she changes idea and we are back to square one.
Dae Woong has at least a little character development, but stays a bi-dimentional person anyway. His losing his parents when he was a kid is mentioned and never elaborated: why mentioning it, then? The zoo trauma is treated in such a superficial way it's ridiculous.
And the fact that he loves a woman who has the brain of a 4 year old child and the attitude of a loyal dog doesn't play much in his favour.
The "half ghost" Dong Joo passes his time watching an hourglass with one eye and his magic knife with another, repeating to himself the same sentences over and over and playing in his mind the same memory at least 12 times. I still have to understand whether his contribution to the plot is to be there and show his sexy emo haircut or add to the comedic.
The others aren't even worth mentioning: the usual, trite, spiteful, envious girl, the always oblivious friends, the silly grandfather, a farting aunt and the bad double of Chow Yun Fat. Oh yes, the dog (the real one) is wonderful.

The acting of the main leads is decent. The others are, once again, not worth mentioning.

The music is repetitive. Very much so. There is one nice song, but by the end I couldn't hear it anymore, so many times it was played.

I know this sounds harsh and I know I won't be received with sympathy. But given the number of good reviews this thing got, I don't feel like I'm doing any harm to it by stating my honest opinion.
If you want an overdose of cheese, watch this.

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Completed
Marry Me, or Not?
19 people found this review helpful
Feb 14, 2016
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Love is like a battlefield. Who will walk away victorious and who will walk away defeated? Or is there no winner in love at all? Marry me or not explores the complexities of love and the various obstacles one might face in a relationship.

The first few episodes felt forced, like the director was trying to make the scenes unique by switching rapidly between past, present, and imagination scenes. By the 4th episode, however, I was hooked. The editing became much more smooth and the transitions between the different scenes started to make more sense towards to plot. The double meaning of the title is true to the plot- b*tchy women and the 'must marry' woman. The story explores both themes.

Story: The whole revenge plot in the first half of the drama was refreshing and definitely something new to watch. It set up many misunderstandings that while on the surface seem to be obstacles for the sake of having obstacles (in other words, 'dragging'), the misunderstandings were very uniquely directed and slowly revealed the characters' inner thoughts/motives. The interactions between Huan Zhen (Alice) and Hao Meng (Roy) of calling each others bluff were hilarious and full of chemistry. I loved watching Huan Zhen and Hao Meng's journey of falling in love.

Alice Ke and Roy Chiu finally collaborate again and their chemistry is still spot on! I find it hard to compare Marry Me or Not to Office Girls because the characters they portray are completely different. If Office Girls had a more chaste and cute vibe, Marry Me or Not is like the mature and sizzling version. I think Alice's acting was more natural in Office Girls but her crying scenes have improved immensely in Marry me or Not. Roy Chiu hasn't changed a bit; his crying scenes still get to me. The directing and cinematography in this drama was gorgeous and the date/deep talk scenes were so different than the norm. No cliche stuff here in that regard!

The supporting cast was great, no complaints at all. The office cast was adorable but didn't really stand out to me. Sheng Nan (Joanne Tseng) and Hao Meng's (Roy Chiu) sibling love was done so well and I loved how their relationship was portrayed. Many viewers disliked Sheng Nan but honestly I don't know how I'll act if I was so in love like she was. She's the perfect example of love can make you blind and do stupid things. But because of that, her character was so real that you could relate to her and that made her character come to life. The parents of Hao Meng and Huan Zhen (Alice Ke) were stark contrasts. One was in an 'unloving' relationship while the other was very much in love. Their respective marriages were a form of symbolism for the different kinds of romantic love and the director used that to set up the main plot between Hao Meng and Huan Zhen. Now, the other male lead, Qian Yao (Harry Chang), is the most 'evil'; character in this drama. Nevertheless, I still liked him and Harry portrayed this faceted, flawed character well.

Amazingly, there were no seriously vindictive second leads at all in this drama. Rather, their worst enemy was themselves and their pride. For those of you out there that didn't like this drama as much as I did, I do think that connecting to the characters in a drama really helps the relatability of a drama. Unfortunately, there are still some family problems in this drama but it doesn't detract from the drama- it actually unveils more understanding. I think a huge part of this drama was understanding the different forms of love and also understanding yourself when you're in love. Honestly, this drama taught me so many life lessons and although there were a few bumps along the way plot-wise, I still think this drama showed a lot of heart. Dramas like this, with lots of inner monologues, are hard done well because they can get boring but not only does Marry Me or Not keep them interesting, but they add so much to the episodes. Seriously, I cried too many times.

Music: The soundtrack was well rounded. There are lively upbeat songs, and super emotionally wrecking songs. A little something for everyone. I loved this soundtrack, even for my high drama ost standards. My favorites are Lost Heartbeat and the song sang by Joanne Tseng, also known as Sheng Nan in the drama! I listened to the soundtrack so much that I started to notice the lyrics for many of the songs correspond with the plot perfectly and describe many of the characters really well.

This drama kind of reminded me of the famous T-drama, In Time With You, not just because Li Da Ren (Chen Bo Lin) cameoed for a small part but also because this drama is more about mature, thoughtful, retrospective, love, not innocent fluffy young love. The monologues and self reflection scenes were also very reminiscent of some In Time With You scenes, but definitely still different. I wholeheartedly recommend this drama even for those people who don't like T-dramas because this drama felt completely different from the usual T-dramas I watched. Since I already re-watched a few episodes, I would assume the re-watch value is high! I most definitely recommend this drama for those romantics out there (like me!) and those looking for a incredibly well done drama that feels very fresh and has fantastic acting all around. (10/9.5)

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Completed
The Big Boss Season 2
19 people found this review helpful
by jayxxx
Dec 12, 2017
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
i'm a native chinese speaker, that's why  i could really appreciate the show as a whole. it's extremely funny, though it might not be for non-chinese speakers.

a heads up though:

1. the show is really choppy and messy. even from the first season, the first half of each season would be based on their life in school. then it'll suddenly change to an alternate universe of some sort where they have magical powers. those parts seemed really draggy to me.

2.there isn't much romance. maybe a little tease here and there but there's literally barely any romance at all. literally, we only get that tease of romance in the last two episodes.

3. their audio dubbing is good, it sounds pretty fluent. but lip syncing? not so much. especially when the characters perform or sing. it's like the actors don't know what they're singing or performing. it's so out of sync, i thought they added a random audio clip over the scenes.

i really do like each character's personality and their backstories. this drama is more about friendship than anything else. the theme song is really good, it's upbeat and easy to understand.  still, the best part of the entire drama are the comedic scenes.

personally would not watch this drama again.

if you're looking for a comedic highschool drama, give this a go.
but if you're looking for something with a solid plot and romance, this isn't for you.

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Completed
Ghost
16 people found this review helpful
by Rule
Sep 13, 2012
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
I am basically a romantic comedy person, and there are very few action/suspense type drama which I like, some I watch and then forget, some I enjoy but not as much as romance or comedy. But this is one suspense drama that got me HOOKED from the first episode.
Like the synopsis, its about hacking and murder with hardly any romance and a speck of comedy here and there. But the suspence is so gripping you cant let go. It keeps you guessing and trying to figure whats going to happen next to the extent you just want to keep watching.
Im sure there are other similar ones, but this a first for me that had me so addicted (to a suspense drama)
The main pair is nice but the second lead pair is really cute, I enjoyed their scenes a lot.
Then ending was amazing and they finished off the drama really well. I really have to praise the writers for that..(cant say for some of the others who mess up a real good drama with a messy ending eg bag guy, big)
Well guys if you want to see a drama that keeps you on the edge then go for it!!!you wont regret it even the romantic lovers like me

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Completed
Call It Love
19 people found this review helpful
by Kate
Apr 12, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

Enjoying the angst that comes from misplaced revenge.

Call It Love was emotionally aesthetically pleasing. What I mean is, even the sadness, anger, frustration, regret - all were presented in a way that did not make me feel emotionally exhausted and tired. I was relating to and appreciating the sorrow.

What the show did an amazing job with was showing different sides of psychological issues - for some people it makes them completely detached from social interaction, for some it makes them forget about their needs, others would focus on the negative emotions as their driving force, some would be able to accommodate their lives around their issues. Depending on the character, their personality and past experiences, we saw all the different sides of how we as humans deal with difficult emotions.

About the cast - we got blessed with some well written and complex characters and well delivered portrayals of them. How the same people could be victims and perpetrators. How everyone had to learn from their mistakes and figure out how to set boundaries, but also respect the boundaries others set. How to understand yourself and be able to communicate with others. How to move on from past, how to move forward with the future, how to find happiness and peace.

Were all the characters well written, with many layers? Not quite. While Ahn Hee Yeon did a good job with her performance, Kang Min Young did not exactly have much to offer except from being yet another external factor the leads had to deal with. Similarly, Choi Sun Woo existed only in the context of leads’ issues and struggles, and presented no personal plotlines.

Cast wise, Kim Young Kwang ate the role. One of the most versatile actors we get in mainstream shows. Can do drama, action, comedy, romance, thriller - you name it and you will get it in one of his roles. In Call It Love he presented so many raw emotions from Han Dong Jin. Even though the character was not an open book, not the most expressive guy out there, it was still clear for the viewers what he was going through, what he was thinking and feeling.

At the same time, while for most scenes Lee Sung Kyung did great (it’s a role we have not seen her in yet), there were just a few moments where her delivery was too monotone and at times felt empty.

As for the production - I loved it, but I can see why someone else could hate it. The colors were not saturated enough and the whole show was presented in this pink/purple filter. For me, it perfectly fitted the overall mood of the drama, adding to the melancholic and stoic feeling. What also caught my attention was how the shots were centered vertically. In many the characters were presented in only 1/3rd of the screen. For me it seemed like the same way they were not centered in the frame, they were also not centered in their lives - still unsure about their place, a bit lost in their surroundings.

All that said, it’s a typical “you either vibe with it or not” drama. The same visual aspects I loved could look ugly and weird for others. The same characters I related to and enjoyed analyzing could be frustrating and unrealistic for others. The same dialogues I found touching, others could see as faking profoundness with no depth.

Why not a perfect 10 from me? I did not like some of the conclusions and I wished a few characters were developed better. For such a complex situation the drama presents, some aspects just lacked nuance.

Overall, I already miss this drama.

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Completed
Nirvana in Fire
16 people found this review helpful
Dec 20, 2015
54 of 54 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This drama did deliver. It is indeed EPIC.

I have seen many historical dramas, but I have to admit this one tops them all.

It is very well made and high quality, the plot is very strategic but believable
and the suspense is intense since you watch one ongoing plot all the time (there
is just a straight cut at the ending of each episodes, kind of when you just turn
off your movie in the middle of it).

The martial arts are great and (for Chinese standards) not so much over the top.

The actors are insanely good.

If I had anything to critisize, then it would be that I hoped for an itsy bitsy more romance
going on (just a tiny bit, too much would have destroyed the mood of this drama), at least
at the end.
And the ending itself could have been shown more. It is a final ending, you know what
happens, but still, I would have hoped to see it actually happening (but this is just my preference).

This drama is in its own league when it comes to historical dramas and you would be insane
to miss it if you like this genre.

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Completed
Melting Me Softly
19 people found this review helpful
Dec 6, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 2.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 4.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
Honestly I don't know where to start with this. Maybe it's my fault, for having such high expectations after reading the synopsis. I waited a lot before starting it because I read a lot of negative comments about it, but I liked Won Jin Ha in Just between lovers and I was really looking forward to her next project.
This drama felt so off in many aspects, primarily because it's not really clear what it wants to be: rom com? sci fi? thriller? comedy? Well, not that mixing genres is necessarily a bad thing, but it was like..."compartmentalized"? There are comedy scenes, romance scenes, sci-fi scenes but they don't blend together...it just jumps from a scene to another and you're left with the feeling you're watching 3 different dramas at the same time.
One thing I really disliked in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (from the same writer) was the unnecessarily abuse of violence for "comedy" purposes. This time is Mi Ran's ex boyfriend that got beat up to a pulp several time. Was he a douche? Absolutely. But let me repeat myself: a woman who abuses a man is not different from a man abusing a woman. It's not a "strong woman" trait. It made me uncomfortable seeing the man getting abused in almost every scene.
Another thing that felt off was the way the two leads adjusted to their new life, there was some heartwarming sibling scene but I didn't feel any real grief from a guy who lost his father "yesterday" (knowing he died on a stroke while still searching desperately for him I don't know, I would have been devastated), somehow they adjust and beside of the "keep your temperature at 31° or you'll faint", it becomes an office rom com at some point. Even his ex was quickly left aside (well compared to those old dramas where the guy keeps wavering till last episode I suppose I prefer it this way LOL) I probably would have left out some of that unfunny comedy with the broadcasting staff and the ex to explore more the consequences occurred to them and their families.
I mean there was this premise earlier when we see some of their "99 life", where I felt this sadness slowly creating the atmosphere between both leads and their relatives, and when they reunited instead of a moment of pathos (with the only exception of when Nam Tae reunited with his sister) there is this chaotic scene with everyone screaming like crazy, crying loudly and objects falling noisily on the floor. Ruined to the core.
The romance was plain flat, they went to 0 to hero in half episode and it felt odd till the end: the first kiss was sudden and completely uncalled for, as for Dong Chan's reaction when he got jealous of the ex-boyfriend (in the police station, when Mi Ran hit him AGAIN - I cringed because they barely know each other, it was too soon for me). Just like that, to me there was no building, no climax and at some point I realized I didn't even cared about it much.
The mystery part was messed up and completely uninteresting, I found myself skipping a lot and I didn't even felt "lost" for doing so, the plot was too predictable.
In the end, I just finished it for the sake of the cast (Won Jin Ah mostly)
The idea wasn't bad, but was really wasted.
Also. If Mi Ran never actually even kissed Hwang Byung Shim, do they count as a couple?? To me is even a mystery how laws of attraction worked in this drama LOL

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