Reviews

The almighty pen.

From a writing perspective, it’s closer to a 7.5, but I had so much fun, I cannot rate it lower than 8.5. It was quite an exciting watch, delivering all types of frustration and thrills, but ending on a rather mediocre note.

Honestly speaking, the first half of the show was a good 10/10. It had everything one might want from a show like this - cute fighter, psycho brain, cinnamon roll who just wants to help. We’ve also got all the blood, pain, violence and the main character - the pen! I was eating it all up, could not stop watching and barely stopped myself from screaming at my laptop.

So what happened in the 2nd half? The drama changed from more plot/action driven to character driven… and it focused on the character I honestly cared the least about. With each and every scene I just started to hate him more and more. For all the buildup, all the tension, all the accumulated frustration in me, I was not delivered a proper closure. I understand it will have a second season, but even with that, rather than being excited and hopeful the drama left me fearful if they will deliver a more proper ending this time. I don’t want to dive into it and get a half baked potato with the last scene.

That said, the show presented a glorious friendship/bromance between Shi Eun and Soo Ho and I could not ask for more on that part. Both characters perfectly played off of each other's traits and the dynamic was just fun to watch. They were perfect partners in crime.

Oh Beom Seok was a complicated character and I don’t think the director quite well delivered what they planned with him. I feel like there was something missing with the way his character was developed. For such complex internal and external struggles, I was completely indifferent to whatever was happening to him - which is ridiculous as he is the center of last 4 episodes.

Plot wise, saying this drama lacks realism would be a massive understatement. Some scenes were so ridiculous and over the top I was just laughing. At times it was even hard to feel bad for these kids, because the situations they were in just made little sense. And this is one of the reasons I enjoyed the show. I watched it for the over the top scenarios. I wanted excitement and hype, and not pain and anxiety. That said - fear not, Weak Hero Class 1 still manages to create decent stakes and make you care for the characters, even if your brain sees the nonsense happening on the screen.

I appreciate how the drama tried to showcase what happens when someone is in a circle of violence. What they missed is to show why some characters were able to get out of it, while others got swallowed deeper and deeper.

Production value was good. Loved the fighting scenes, and loved the different approach the characters had to them. They delivered realistic blood and realistic amounts of it - someone gets punched, they will bleed, but ain’t no bloody waterfalls going on. Some scenes were quite aesthetically pleasing, though I wished they included more visual symbolism here. This is something I felt like the drama lacked.

The acting was the one that surprised me the most, on the positive note. I knew Park Ji Hoon is good and that's why I am even more amazed he delivered even more than I expected. This type of character so so easy to mess up. To create the aura of intimidation, you need some skills. to make him look empathic on top of that, is even harder. And Ji Hoon managed to do it all.

Choi Hyun Wook was honestly adorable. That said, I kind of felt like this is more violet, better at fighting version of the character he played in 2521.

Hong Kyung did a great job with the character he was given. Even if the writing for him felt rushed, he did great at portraying the change and desperation.

Overall, fun, violent and exciting. The characters were interesting, some more and some less likable. The conclusions for specific plots and situations could have been better. Perfect binge watch material.

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Queen of Tears becomes King of Makjang. Beautiful to look at, dull and exhausting to actually watch

Major, MAJOR disappointment. The acting and cinematography were stellar 10/10, as expected of the budget and cast.

But the story nosedived incredibly starkly when the drama started focusing less on the characters and more on piling increasingly unbelievable trope conflicts one after the other. One of the main leads has a a terminal brain tumor diagnosis and somehow it's not even in the top 5 most deadly things they have to go through in the latter half of the episodes.

The two villains, in particular the 'second male lead', dial up the makjang factor to eleven and his plotlines take centre stage for far too long. My short summary of each block of writing -

Episode 1-4 = Great acting, interesting and unique storyline - even if it wasn't a masterpiece yet, it was at the least intriguing. The leads had a dynamic very seldom seen in Korean dramas, let alone of a drama of this scale.

Episode 5-8 = Incredible, this is the stretch of the episodes that suckered me in. At their best worst enthralling, at their best emotionally devastating, this was the peak of the series.

Episode 9-12 = A fairly balanced mish mash of light and dark tones, the makjang kdrama tropes nonetheless start to intrude upon. Newfound complications start slipping in from the rafters but the central focus of the story still remains. The Queens Group story is still so boring, it takes a Herculean effort to not fast forward through all of the corporate nonsense that unfortunately overstays its welcome.

Episode 13-16 = WTF. How many times do the leads have to have tearful hugs two minutes removed from some unhinged assassination attempt in the middle of suburban Korea and Germany. Character development gets replaced by exploding cars, poorly written villains get more dialogue and screentime than the main characters.

A colossal letdown shouldered by excellent performances. A Big Mac served on a silver platter. If there is anything to take away from Queen of Tears, it is that believable tears can not mask an unbelievable story.

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My loyal soul shall live and die with you.

What a masterpiece. I love everything about this. Like, EVERYTHING! (Except Situ Ling — I hate you so much, I hope you go bald.)

The storyline was neatly written, and the purpose behind every action and curse made perfect sense. I love the execution of the fight scenes, and of course, not to mention the HOT kissing scenes ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)✨

I also love that both the ML and FL are strong. It’s rare to see a storyline where they do things together and not individually, as that reflects their love for each other even more. No sacrifices — just the two of them saving the world together. Ugh, that’s so powerful huhu (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )づ♡

I highly recommend this drama and have been wishing for more episodes (with more of the lovey-dovey moments from my parents, MingZai), but I guess that would only drag the story. Still, I’m satisfied with the number of episodes.

Praying for another main role project for Lu Yu Xiao and Hou Ming Hao! Also, their OSTs are so good — too bad they didn’t have a duet.

MINGZAI, I LOVE YOU FOREVER!!! ♡〜٩( ˃▿˂ )۶〜♡

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This series is bonkers on so many levels, and I love it so damn much for it.

I don't write reviews but I wanted to at least for my favorite drama and Vincenzo has a special place in my heart <3
FYI: LONG ONE (like really long)! Just dumping my love letter for the show here because amidst all the negative reviews & misjudgement, I wanna voice my appreciation since rarely do I love a show so much I wish for amnesia to experience it all over again.

Vincenzo is an eventful, fast-paced dark comedy and a rollercoaster ride of a drama that had me at the edge of my seat anticipating or dreading what's next to come, crying of either laughter or sadness, or simply wanting to applaud at the sheer audacity of its plot (happened a lot). While there's an abundance of corruption, broken bones and back and forth between protagonists and antagonists, there's also a large chunk of comedy and lightheartedness. Add in some romance & just the right amount of emotional depth and you have a perfect mix. I myself didn't find the start slow at all. It's true that in episode 4, things truly pick up - with one of the best twists I've ever seen in a show - but the beginning is just as fun and crucial in setting up the story, as Hong Yu-chan is a central character in laying the foundation for Vincenzo's and Cha-young's motivation to take on the fight against Babel. Afterwards, it's pure entertainment. Overall, the story constantly keeps you busy and there's barely a dull moment as lots of twists & turns keep it interesting. The ending is nothing short of the definition of cathartic and shows once again that this drama, no matter its funny exterior, isn't afraid to go unflinchingly dark with its approach on retribution and justice.

You just can't wait to find out what shenanigans the characters will be up to next, and when you do find out, it's a joy to watch. Many of the schemes that Vincenzo, Cha-young and the tenants pull against Babel range from absolute tomfoolery to well-thought-out, meticulous plans. The scenarios are yes, over the top, but at the same time ironically believable and more importantly, fun! You can tell how much fun the writer, actors and production team had with this project; tons of creative choices feel like they were handled with some sense of wild abandon, which might as well be the secret as to why it's such an entertaining show. Considering all the improv, this rings quite true. Many of the characters' mannerisms, quirks and some entire scenes were completely adlibbed (and after consuming copious amounts of BTS content, I can genuinely confirm this). It's something I really loved about the show, and which tells you just how well the cast and director collaborated. It also results in a series forming its own unique character, which I think worked really well with Vincenzo.

I feel like many people don't understand it for what it essentially is and thus kind of miss the whole point of it. They claim it's bad for example due to its absurdist comedy which, of course, isn't everyone's cup of tea but that doesn't make it a bad drama, but a matter of preference. Without the jarring contrast of silliness and seriousness, Vincenzo wouldn't be what it's supposed to be. It's about relishing in the ridiculousness of it all and you have to be willing to do that in order for you to really enjoy it. So yes, this show is very contradictive and lots of people did not like or even hated that, but I loved it all the more. It's both parody and homage in the way it reminds of K-Drama, gangster movies and action comedies alike. It can be funny and satirical but also knows when to be badass or tense. And while it's true that the genre mix is blatant, it proves through an engaging script and characters that it's not really a parody after all.
In the end, it does have its own style and you do need to vibe with the writer's humor and/or his intentions, so it's natural that it might be too much for those with more traditional tastes or who don't see eye to eye with his execution and so on. But this show is unrealistic on purpose! The protagonist comes out on top all the time on purpose! I've read some say they liked the show but drew the line at a certain scene in episode 15 for being too unrealistic, which is funny considering it's a drama about a mafia lawyer who accidentally fights for justice while trying to get some gold bars out of a basement. It's bizarre, ridiculous and in-your-face on purpose! It is The Whole Point Of It All. When we get tired of the whole corrupt, capitalist hellhole that we live in, this show wants to offer some escapism and makes it fun while it's at it.

Vincenzo's character himself practically represents what the writer wanted to convey to the audience. Quite specific to South Korea but still widely applicable, it's an answer to the kind of feeling when watching the news and being angry at yet another corruption scandal, nasty politician or powerful figure/group that still reigns at the top and goes on about their unscrupulous business, and you sit there, not being able to do anything about it. In such moments we just want to see the worst of society be uncompromisingly punished for their actions, "whether it is legal or not", as Hong Yu-chan said.
An activist through and through, his character is proof that even the most righteous people can't do much more than just try their best, yet they too may harbor a desire to go beyond their own means to win. In a perfect world, it would have been him to fight tirelessly and successfully against the antagonists, achieving justice by the book. But that sadly isn't the world we, or the charactes, live in. Sometimes just "fighting the good fight" isn't enough, the efforts of the virtuous and pure are trampled on without remorse, and the corrupt system resembles an indestructible wall. And so we wish to see it collapse fully and we want to feel good about seeing that, want to feel vindicated in our desire to rid the world of The Powers That Be. Vincenzo wants to scratch exactly that itch, through an anti-hero without qualms or strict moral compass that hold him back in anything. He's the personification of what none of us can ever allow ourselves to be because in reality we've got laws and morals and couldn't ever justify what he does to be of actual reasoning. Thankfully this isn't reality! He allows us to live vicariously through his persona, who stops at nothing to deliver retribution – whether or not it's a viable solution to corruption & crime – and maybe leaves us a bit of romantic hope for a better future, albeit in his own darkly twisted way.
An interesting point that Song Joong-ki once made is how he found the audience's unwavering support of Vincenzo to be quite sad. So while this show isn't supposed to offer any solution, I think it offers an interesting observation; how easily, and maybe even desperately, we want to cling to outlandish and fictional escapism like this. How bad is our own reality, that we're able to cheer on even a character like Vincenzo with all his brazen, reckless vigilantism, and not even bat an eye - what does that say about us? The show makes us root for him all the way up til the end, then turns the mirror at us and literally and figuratively looks us in the eye. Yes, evil in its many forms is prevalent and vehement in our world and will always be, but what we choose to do with it is ultimately our choice. You might somewhat agree with the show's ideology – that when all else is lost, the only way to fight a monster is another monster – or strongly oppose it. Either way, by the end, you’ve likely understood the societal lamentations echoing through the narrative, and maybe even have felt a tiny bit of satisfaction and relief in watching Vincenzo be unapologetically himself. I know I did.

Besides him, there's lots to be said about Hong Cha-young because people just don't seem to get her. It was intent for her to be "annoying" at the start & Jeon Yeo-been knew she'd get judged for that, yet she took on the role and made it her own. She nailed all her traits, from her weirdness, ambition and anger up to her loneliness and kind heart. Cha-young, like Vincenzo himself, hides her utmost vulnerabilities behind a razor-sharp gaze and only opens up to those she's truly comfortable with. Yet her soft side isn't a contradiction to her loud one at all; both are two sides of the same coin. She too doesn't compromise and is always the most unapologetic version of herself – a rarity in a world that deems types like her "too out there" or "too much", and she looks past such criticisms with but a glance and blows you a kiss while donning expensive sunglasses. If you paid attention, you'd know her character isn't one-dimensional. She's an amazing female lead and one of the most unique out there, fight me at 3 AM in a parking lot about this. Actually, you'll have to fight Vincenzo first.
Both are morally complex protagonists that don't fall into clichés and instead boast a healthy, respectful relationship. It's riveting to watch them go from strangers to partners in crime to genuine friends and self-proclaimed soulmates by the end. The moment they meet they complement each other, in their joint revenge (it helps they're both relentless opportunists) as in all other things. Their connection ran so deep, excessive skinship or dramatic confessions weren't needed. I'm biased, but they're the best example of "soulmates" I know. Despite what some dramas tell you, soulmates are born of choice, not fate and they made that choice for themselves. And above all, they're just fun to watch! They have some of the best chemistry between two leads I've ever seen and I've yet to find a pair I love just as much as them.

Them and the rest of the cast know how to act believably in even the most preposterous situations, another reason why I love this show so much: While it's very farcical, it stays grounded in the way characters react emotionally and accordingly to their goals or motivations. And so you can't help other than just cheer along with – or against them as they go through all of these ridiculous, unbelievable things. By the end, I got so attached that I just sat in disbelief as the end-credits ran and didn't want to believe it was really over. With any good story ending, you don't want to let go, want to spend more time in its world, but are instead left with a giant, bloody hole in your heart. Then again that should be par for the course.
Everyone has a drama that left a big impression on them and for me it was this crime-comedy about a Korean-Italian Mafia lawyer who has arson and murder on his daily schedule, yet is at his wit's end because of a pigeon on his windowsill. I sure didn't expect that, when watching episode 1 with the hope of trying to stay awake during nightshift (needless to say it woke me the fuck up), but the best shows come to you when you least expect it.

TLDR; Vincenzo has much to offer for those who want to be fully engrossed by a show, without sacrificing one genre for the other. But in no way does it play it safe, it 100% goes all in. And if you like to have fun with TV, then it's definitely something you shouldn't miss!

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You give me the sweetest taboo.

This drama flirts dangerously with the forbidden: dark cultivation, zombies, black and white magic, transmigration and boy love. The lead character Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) is a free spirit who refuses to be tamed by social conventions; he lives by his own rules, is not averse to exploring dark powers and appears romantically open to both genders. The delicious exploration of such a slightly wicked character and taboo themes under the watchful eye of Chinese censorship put this high on my watchlist. I started watching with high expectations shortly after it aired.

The story is based on a hit novel and is indisputably a very good one but the way it was told in the drama was really not good. While broadly true to the book, the production lazily assumes the viewer actually read it. The plot is centered around the attempt to restore a powerful magical artifact that the various cultivation sects vie to alternately control or suppress. The story opens with the mysterious reappearance of Wei Wuxian, the infamous Yiling patriach after a sixteen years hiatus. The fact that this is achieved by the sacrifice of Mo Xuanyu whose identity he assumes is one of several plot holes that never gets fully flushed out. Thus he conceals himself behind a (hideous) mask. The viewer is dropped right into in the middle of unfolding events and a wide array of characters without any backstory. Then we go into a prolonged flashback all the way back to the very beginning and up to the conspiracy that led to Wei Wuxian's fall from grace and long disappearance. This takes well over half the drama, which peaks around episode 34 with Wei Wuxian's apparent demise. We are then back to the present where we go into several shorter flashbacks intended to shed more light on the conspiracy. That made it messy and was less interesting because by then the two main villains are known. While the story regains some momentum towards the end, it doesn't come close to the mid-drama peak and the final denouement where the ultimate mastermind is revealed comes almost as an afterthought. That character was one of several insipidly acted roles and the final reveal tied up a few loose threads that wouldn't have been missed. This story would have been much better paced and less confusing had it just been shot chronologically.

The cast is inexperienced and even the main actors struggled to get into character for a long time. Some actors were just plain bad throughout. The first 15+ episodes were painful and the acting didn't get noticeably better until the mid-20s. I dropped it after episode 7 and many more times after that. Although there were some great parts, it just never hooked me. It took me 5 months to finish watching and I wouldn't have if I weren't so damn bored during the c-drama ban. What kept drawing me back was Xiao Zhan's infectious grin - he must have the best smile ever. He really did bring the marvelously controversial Wei Wuxian to life in a way that compels us to indulge the character's many obvious flaws. I was less impressed with Wang Yibo's Lanzhan; it is a stretch to describe his initial pissed off or constipated expression as statue-like or unemotional. He slightly relaxed his face muscles and improved markedly much later on and I really liked his Lanzhan at the end so kudos to him for that. I was also surprised by his grace and athleticism in the fight scenes. The two leads had good chemistry but where I saw sparks fly was between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. That confused me as I sensed from the start there was an emotional connection, that Jiang Cheng's feelings for Wei Wuxian were complex and went beyond sibling rivalry and envy. I don't think this was intended.

In genres like this, the heroes are only as good as the villains and therein lies the problem - the villains were not that hateful nor were they empathetic. Both actors were similarly styled and portrayed such similar mannerisms their roles could have been interchanged. They both overacted, had the same intense face lowered evil glare, mad eyed expression and crazy gloating smile. The directors were so lazy they pretty much gave them the same cliche traits and may as well have just used one actor for both roles. Surprise surprise, we are supposed to be sympathetic because they both also had serious daddy issues. Indeed this is the default excuse that explains the flaws of many characters including Jiang Cheng. Key takeaway: don't be a bad dad it really messes up the kids. No wonder I was bored! As for the ultimate mastermind, he was so well concealed he went unnoticed and no one would have cared if he remained that way. The ending was a bit of a crowd pleaser with a bit of something for everyone. I was just relieved it was over.

At this point it goes without saying that the production team for this show pretty much sucked. It would be a shame if the success of this drama despite terrible execution elevates them into a position to destroy other fantastic story-lines with poor editing, storytelling and shoddy camerawork. The only thing they got very right was walking the line perfectly between bro-mance and romance in terms of Wei Wuxian and Lanzhan's relationship.

So what made this such a huge hit? Well, the forbidden fruit nature of this drama can be highly addictive and is bound to resonate deeply with certain demographics and at some life stages though not for everyone. All the hidden meaning in certain interactions, the imperceptible flicker of an eyelash, the barest hint of a smile and the slight double entendre in the dialogue can be tantalizing for those looking for signs of a secret taboo romance. That kind of fun speculation only amused me for short spates. Ultimately a good, well acted story is all that I look for- whether or not it is about boy love would not make any difference to me. I was touched by the bro-mance between the two soul mates (which was all that I saw) as well as the relate-able and moving relationships between both sets of siblings - these were the high points for me. Sadly it was not enough to keep me engaged for long. I almost wish I had read the book. Maybe I would have enjoyed the drama more but even if I eventually get round to it, I am unlikely to re-watch this.

I almost gave this an 8.0 - but I felt I had to knock another 0.5 points off for the fact that it had a certain je ne sais quoi that just bored me silly when I wanted to love it. That and that simply god awful mask that would top the Don't list in any c-drama edition of Glamour magazine's defining list of fashion Dos and Don'ts.

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I feel like I have been BL cdrama punched. A franchise who were carried by fans for years . Known as the ONLY asian safe haven for lgbt and their supporters has gone off the rails. The ultimate bait and switch. In no way did the lgbt community need a tragic life lesson. They have real history and real life plenty for that. I feel this production was sold out and forced to do this ending. It’s the end of a franchise. In a year where lgbt marriage is legal there they could have celebrated young love. Instead we get this. No. I’ll give my time to another writer, another show.

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An objectively bad guilty pleasure drama that’s perfect for a cosy weekend watch

I'm perfectly well aware of the fact that I've given this show a much higher rating than it deserves. However, as it happens sometimes, this is one of those reviews that are based solely on personal enjoyment rather than merit.

You see, K2 is like this beautiful vase; it has intricately exotic designs on the outside but its inside is completely hollow and littered with cobwebs. Now, it's up to you whether you want to put it on a shelf and admire its surface beauty or you want to break it into a billion pieces and consequently end up being utterly disappointed by its stark reality. If you're a person who can momentarily cast aside rationale in the face of glitz and glamour, K2 and you would get along just fine but the moment you stop, tilt your head to the side and think; "wait a minute" all possibilities of friendship are out the door.

K2 is almost reckless in its execution, as if it reached a point where logic just didn't matter anymore. It took blatantly unrealistic happenings, a gigantic cluster of plotholes and downright ridiculous notions and attempted to create a story out of them. It's almost like the creators are poking fun at the audience as if they were idiots blanketed in foolish naivete. Events transpire without any build up, there is little to no attention to detail and honestly, it's a huge fast-paced mess.

This drama is like an arrogant brat who does whatever the fuck it wants, confident that it would be successful, still.
A woman in Iraq who's completely covered in a gown and headscarf at all times, without any second thought decides to cast aside her veil and liplock with her hero just because he suggested they should marry. The same woman is somehow extremely fluent in Korean language (even though she has lived all her life in Iraq) and Korean pop culture (even though she's in the middle of nowhere) and conveniently is killed to produce a motive for our male lead to enter the action.
A girl who's had extreme Sociophobia all her life, is suddenly very confidently striking poses with groups of people in the next second. A man who essentially hates power hungry murderers is shown to sympathize with a woman who is exactly that, if not more. There are so many handy plot devices just waiting to pop out from all sides at the very last moment in order to somehow save and prolong the show and it's all quite satirical.

But ofcourse, the smartarse that K2 is; it's completely in the know of all of its flaws and has the audacity to give justifications. The woman could speak Korean so well because she had been taught to be a translator. The girl never had Sociophobia, she just pretended because she didn't want to interact with people. The man didn't feel anything for the murderer, nope, that was just means to an end. And so, K2 commits many crimes and yet, makes sure to cover all the evidence.

The flow of the story, with all of its nonsensical and out of the blue events, is stroppy at best. Many things are left unanswered and this is the kind of production that will have you shake your head with amused exasperation at every second of its antics.
However, despite all this, for me this was a classic case of "it's so bad that it's good" and I somehow ended up thoroughly enjoying myself.

Jee Chang Wook has proved his excellent acting skills numerous of times and here too, he delivered impeccably. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't given much substance to deliver in the first place. His character is unbelievably overpowered, able to survive situations where even a super human ninja would've been obliterated. He has a butter heart, a hero complex and is very motivated to save the world one distressed damsel at a time. Combine that with JCW's natural mixture of masculinity and boyish arrogance and you get a specimen that is too good to be true. And when things are too good to be true, they mostly take a turn for the worse.
It's painfully obvious that the show is highly monetizing on his looks and name; for most of the show is him being either shirtless, flaunting his abs or doing something similarly badass to establish his "coolness". So if you're here to judge JCW's acting this is the last drama you should go to.

As far as I am concerned though, I really didn't care either way. For me, simply watching him is a pleasure, he's my ultimate bias killer and hey, if the producers want to shove mindless fanservice (involving him) down my throat, I ain't complaining.

Yoona turned out to be a pleasant surprise. She's built to play the helpless heroine who always needs saving, who trusts way too easily, cries even easier and basically creates hindrances for everyone around her. The show really tried to suppress her in every possibly way, they didn't give her character a single moment to shine and did everything they could to make her appear helpless and pathetic. However, somehow Yoona managed to turn the tables. Instead of pity, Anna garners sympathy and I would be lying if I said I wasn't rooting for her. There's an intelligence in her eyes that no matter how much of a putz she was portrayed to be, she still succeeded in speaking with the viewers and maintaining a likable character throughout.

And now comes Song Yoon ah- the heart and soul of the show. What an absolutely brilliant actress. She's one of the best k-drama antagonists; utterly ruthless and cruel and yet harboring deep vulnerabilities. She's a viciously dangerous woman and yet, pitiful at times. She's the most layered character of the show and even though she insists upon it, it's almost impossible to truly hate her.

As far as the romance is concerned, even though it's rushed and underdeveloped, there's no denying that Ji- Chang Wook can create chemistry with a garbage bag, if you let him. And if I'm being completely honest, I enjoyed the lovey dovey bits to the fullest. (Aww-ing and Ooh-ing was involved.)

So finally the question arises: If K2 on the whole, has so many shortcomings, why give it an 8.5 rating? Well, in answer to that I'll say, that I just had too much fun watching it. Plain and simple. For me, it was unadulterated amusement- sometimes at its ridiculousness and sometimes at its unabashed negligence. I anticipated every episode and was fully immersed from start to finish.

The K2 is like greasy junk food, you know it can't possibly amount to anything good but you still can't help devouring. With brilliant action scenes, beautiful visuals, entrancing music and a gorgeous cast that actually knows how to act, it is the perfect cheat meal.

Hate it or love it, you'd still end up watching it to the last episode and as far as the drama is concerned- that's a mission well accomplished.

A delectable guilty pleasure, so why not indulge?

Enjoy!

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Only watched it cus of tiktok and honestly major let down

Started out fine and then got really boring. The biggest reasons were:

1. CHARACTERS: They were honestly really boring and unlikable with almost no depth. No character has a backstory or any character growth throughout the ENTIRE series. I mean, please, why are they so dry and only fit into their stereotypes? Like, please, none of them have any growth as a character.

2. Plot holes. Why didn't the mafias kill everyone from the start since they could do that, which they tried to do in ep 10 or 11? Why could that mafia kill himself, but when Dabum tried to kill Jungwon, he couldn't? That should be explained. Plus, many others that have already been written by other reviewers.

3. STORY: The biggest thing that annoyed me was that storyline. Why did everyone feel so stupid? Somi was never suspected even though she was involved in the voting of many civilians. They kept listening and falling for every stupid-ass manipulation trick from Somi and Kyungjun, even though they were super suspicious. They never questioned how they fell asleep on time, was it the sound or just drugging, etc. They never questioned how the game got them to kill themselves after getting selected, possession, or drug. NOO but they still believed this was set in reality, like please, they never questioned anything. They felt so flat and fake, like not actual people. After finding out the entire world was basically paused, they never actually investigated that. They just saw it and went "wow bizarre" and moved on. Like, tf, and you still believe this is reality? "Oh No A gHOSt Is TOTallY unBELivAble." Also, the ghost plotline was freaking boring. What was even the point? It led to absolutely nothing.

4. STORYLINE/ENDING: Started out fun, got draggy, with a lack of good characters and with a predictable plot, it was basically a shitshow. The ending was the worst thing for me. PLLSSSS, you do this living in another weird world and then end it with the most basic explanation, the VR world "everything is fake in your head," like please, it's been done a million times, it's so predictable and boring. Also, why remove any stakes the series had? Now its rewatch value plummeted to the ground cuz why rewatch knowing everyone still lives. The parents made no sense, like oh we´ll punish all of you with an endless game of mafia even though we removed all your memories of Seun, so how are you even supposed to make the bullies regret their actions? Like, you have the option for any hallucination, making them live through what she did or just a horror game, but no, they chose mafia. Ok, well, weird. Plus, only like 8 people actually bullied her, the others just didn't help or were gossiping about her, BUT still everyone gets the same punishment, even the ones who were friends with her. Also, the parents' reasoning really annoyed me. Like, hello, aren't you her parents? WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP HER THEN? Were you absent or didn't care, literally, are the parents 50 or 5, who knows. Lastly, Yoon Seo going "put me back in the game only me," I was like hello huh, let the bullies go free why, and why even go back in Seun is dead y'all wrap it up. Sidenote is mass kidnapping a class into your rich VR build room easy or was the entire class made up of orphans with no other acquaintances.

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JUST WATCHHHH ITTTTTT... IT'S SOOOOOO GOOOD

everythingggggg sooo gooddd.. everyy episode will make you forget all your worries.. their acting, the story, romance level, fluffyness..everything is soo good..this is my best chinese drama i watched till now... soo good.. i cried alot, i laugh alot, i blushed on every teasing he did...i think the best point of the drama is chen zheyuan smile.. its freaking killed me...i feel so proud like a mom when shan zhi finally got his crush love back lol... i think i got into the story so much, now i can't move on from this.. Sang zhi and Duan jia xu got happy ending..my heart is heavy that this drama is over but also happy it's happy ending for them... I swear you will not regret this watching this.everyy episode is so so good.. i smiled so much in every episode..ahhhh why it's end..i miss them soooo much.. besttt modern chinese drama.. i cryyy withh themm, i laugh with them...i was enjoyed every moment of them.. it's feel like i am the part of their storyy.. veryy veryyyyyy recommended...

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I had fun!

I'll keep this review short and say people are haters.

This was a delightful show. A generic but unique storyline, with well-written characters, a great cast with superb acting, an OST that complimented the show so well and aesthetically pleasing cinematography. It was well-paced, consistent, short and sweet. The show was extremely warm and fluffy. I found myself smiling, giggling, swirling my toes, laughing and internally screaming at how cute, fun and funny it was. If you are looking want a simple, cute and enticing storyline. Then this is the show for you.

If you don't like romance then this show is not for you. Simple.

People were just so salty about the age gap that the rating ended up very low. There are plenty of dramas that have the same agenda but apparently this was a world crisis.

If you are an open-minded person you might enjoy this, don't ponder over the other bad reviews and just go for it. I'm sure you won't regret it. I won't go into extensive detail about the show because it's not very complex and it's better to see it for yourself. However, I believe that the show dealt with relationships and break-ups in an insightful and somewhat relatable manner.

I 10/10 would recommend and watch again!

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I'm crying with joy

OK so This Drama is not one of the best I watched
It's literally THE BEST ONE I watched. Idk If there will be a drama that's gonna overcome this one.
I dont know If there is any TV series that made me smile so much ( that I got smiling lines and I'm unhappy about that 😩 )
Zhao Lusi played her role to well. I was a big fan of her from 2020 but this Drama actually proved everything I thought of her. Her crying is so realistic that sometimes I cried with her . I never knew that someone actually can be that good at acting. Chen Zheyuan ate his role. I have never heard of him before but now I'm a huge fan of him.
Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan are couple that we never knew we needed. I love how their relationship has evolved over time.
The story line is PERFECT there's no lacks.
Every cast proved what skills they have.
I hope there will be season 2 🙏 when they get married and maybe they will have kids.
I highly recommend 'Hidden Love' 🩷
( I Have a big crush on Sang Zhi's Brother ) 🫣

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Light And Sugary Sweet, But Will It Truly ” Touch” Your Heart.?

There are probably three main factors which will drive watchers to picking up this drama.Let’s not kid ourselves, though. The majority of watchers will probably be drawn to this series for our main costars Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na performing again as starred-crossed lovers after their renowned onscreen chemistry in the hit-drama Goblin; The Great And Lonely And Great God (2016-17).

However, here’s the biggest question that anyone watching this drama and looking through a series of often biased verdicts by watchers praising it with “10/10”; is it actually worth watching ?

Perhaps the most important thing to summarise about ” Touch Your Heart" is that the majority of the show is an easy-going, romantic comedy.The drama follows actress Oh Yeon Seo (Yoo In Na) who had rose to fame because of her enthralling innocent look, which made her the crème de la crème of commercial films or advertisements in South-Korea. However despite desperately yearning to be taken seriously as an A-list actress, she was widely critiqued for her bad acting.

Unfortunately, she got caught in a drug scandal with a big business tycoon, which damaged her career and forced her to off the grid. Two years later, Yeon Seo’s reputation and name is still being dragged in the mud by the controversy with no solid acting offers or contracts, but she continued to lift her head up high. Then one day, she discovers a drama script for another actress in their agency, and becomes infatuated with the premise, fantasying about taking up the role as a lawyer. Convincing the screenwriter to cast her despite initial rejection , the writer finally acquiesces under one condition ; Yeon Seo has to prepare for the role by working in a law-related job for three months. This is easier said than done, however, when Yeon Seo starts off on the wrong foot with the seemingly stoic and straightforward top lawyer at the company, Jung Rok ( Lee Dong Wook). Yet as Yeon Seo and Jung Rok begin to bicker and run into predicaments, both main leads soon find their hearts being melted by one another’s love...

A concept such as ” Touch Your Heart" can easily grow tiresome by the archetypical characters and cliches because it is not entirely unique in itself. Admittedly, this became evident at times within the show becoming enthralled with its own treasure trove of cliches, however, its wrong to entirely dismiss that there was nothing inherently enjoyable about the formula either. The majority of characters ( including secondary ones ) were enjoyable and although they often took time to grow close towards, they had time to sometimes grow outside of the more evident labels enforced in the beginning of the show.

The main female lead Yeon Seo did seem to ring warning bells initially of going down the " ditsy goddess” trope early on in the drama. Whilst Yeon Seo could often be prescribed to the previous trope at times , she was often a loveable character by her genuineness, intellect , resilience and Yoo In Na’s added charm. Lee Dong Wook’s chosen role as Jung Rok may rise eyebrows by his straight-laced role again as the ” stern and abrasive male lead ” ( similar to Goblin), however, Dong Wook seemed to be able to capture Jung Rok’s journey out his shell and development as an individual with emotions and feelings, especially regarding his relationship with Yeon Seo.

Perhaps the one refreshing element of their bond came through defying unhealthy tropes . Yes, there relationship was cliche-ridden by being founded upon the ” opposites attract” and ” rivals to lovers" archetypes , but as their relationship developed, it became apparent that they were able to grow out of the shadows of falling into the territories of ” romanticised” emotional abuse and gaslighting. The couple soon began to grow on mutual respect as they were able to smooth-out misunderstandings by Jung Rok’s brusqueness and Yoon Seo’s emotional honesty .

Even our secondary couple consisting of Lawyer Choi Yoon Hyuk (Shim Hyung Tak) and Lawyer Dan Moon Hee (Park Kyung Hye)was oddly entertaining. Their pairing could could have easily blown into being poorly-sketched and tiresome by the cliches of their stereotypical contractual relationship and full-on personalities , however, beyond the stereotypes of being one another’s ” adversaries ", Yoon Hyuk being a " spoilt mama’s boy" and Moon Hee falling for her looks, they did have some genuine heartfelt moments which helped to fortify the characters as individuals.

On one critical note, whilst the storyline revolving around the prosecutors Jung Rok’s close friend and roommate Kim Se Won (Lee Sang Woo) and Yoo Yeo Reum (Song Sung Yoon was necessary to some extent for plot development , their associated storyline did drag on due to an overexposure with screen time . The friendship dynamic between Se Won and Jung Rok of course was heartwarming in parts, however, having intrigue around Se Won and Yeo Rum as individuals was minimal due to lacking development and an overuse of cliches dragging these characters( in some circumstances)as dull plot mechanisms.

Overall, ” Touch Your Heart" is an entertaining drama- formulaic in parts, with a sprinkle of angst but mostly topped with a lighthearted viewing experience for watchers to help take your mind off heavier subject areas. The cast undeniably were brilliant for the most part ( although though there were some questionable line deliverances) by helping to bring the characters to life. Even the easygoing OST helped to warm up scenes and add a spark to Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na’s fairly good acting behind an enjoyable and heartfelt romance onscreen. If you’re a fan of cute and fluffy romantic comedies with a touch of humanity, or you desire to see new life being breathed into certain old cliches, then ” Touch Your Heart" is certainly for you.

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I usually write a review if I am inspired by greatness... This is the opposite ... Had good potential, I am annoyed by the quality of writing, directing .... I normally would drop a drama when it is this bad ... I honestly don't know what possessed me to continue, but regretfully, I did!
There is only one good, interesting thing in this show, listed below.

--- STORY --- 4/10 ... It had great potential. A scholarly vampire on a mission, searching for a lost diary containing the secret to kill the evil vampire Gui, who rules the palace...... Sounds interesting, too bad it wasn't.

--- WRITING --- 3/10 ... The worst writing, one of the most illogical plots, where things often did not make sense.
The script is boring, lots of talk as filler, didn't provide insight, or knowledge, or add interest or intrigue...
- Poorly written Characters - the vampire scholar was too simple, full of self-pity and self-loathing, no complexity (despite the obvious potential) ...
- The lead female is written to be smart, clever, strong, a woman raised as man. Her actions and decisions were not only stupid, but usually nonsensical and caused trouble for the other characters by her simplicity and stubbornness. One of the dumbest most annoying characters I have encountered!
- Evil vampire Gui started as stereotypical, but ended up being a bit complex and interesting... Best character, along w/ his muse. ....

--- ACTING/CAST --- 4/10 ... Mostly bad.
- Lee Jun Ki - not at his best, but with an awful script and worse partner, I'm sure inspiration was lacking.
- Lead actress --- I don't even want to know her name... she's the worst part of this show... From her first appearance on screen, it was obvious... dressed as a man, but pitter-patter steps, swinging her arms, wriggling her hips, clenching the man's robe in fear, etc... Her mannerisms were more feminine than a "flaming drag-queen" (a gay man dressed as a woman).... combine it w/ her character's stupid actions... Then
--->>> How in the world can I believe any man can fall for her charms (in this case, her lack of charms)???
- Lee Soo Hyuk is good enough ... best part of this show.... sexy.

--- DIRECTOR --- 4/10 ... probably to blame for how bad it is ... He allowed the lead actress' acting instead of guiding her ... very draggy, too much filler ... bad editing... way too many things that didn't make sense.

--- BRIGHT SPOT --- the relationship b/w evil Gui and the girl he trains is the most interesting, and both were the most interesting characters...and had good chemistry.
--->>> I especially liked her ... a complex character ... She was smart, clever, brave... a victim but didn't have self-pity ... strong to fight for what she wants ... and she really understood Gui and how to manipulate him ... Very pretty.

--- WORST PART --- illogical plot and zero chemistry of leads ... and a female lead that is utterly unbelievable as being in any way attractive.

--- MUSIC --- 4/10 ... music did not add anything, and at times was inappropriate ... there is one song that is good, but didn't always fit the scenes.

--- REWATCH --- 0/10 ... Only if you need an excuse to shoot yourself.






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Give it a watch and see if you like it for yourself

Prior to watching, I read comments that left me thinking that this season would pale in comparison to season 5. I decided to give it a watch nonetheless, and I would say that I still like this season a lot! I will just only comment on my favourites though:

Jin Chen:
My absolute favourite! I like how she's unpretentious and being her goofy sensitive self. She is so gorgeous and I don't feel she flaunts her beauty at all, always preferring to appear funny or self-deprecating.

Hou Minghao:
I don't know him before watching, but I find him to be very gentlemanly, always quietly sacrificing. Giving up watching the olympic table tennis though he was really looking forward, always carrying luggages, and looking out for Victoria and not wanting her to wait alone at the museum first. His award ceremony was quite underwhelming. I felt that he deserved more praise from the group. I feel that he would have appreciated it more than it being a funny award.

Deng Enxi:
Just a sweet, humble and pleasant girl to be around. She was really responsible with her role as tour guide too.

Tian Jiarui:
Jiarui has a great personality that can brighten up a room easily. He is extroverted and has high EQ. He is the kind of person that will know how to cheer you up when you are down. I can see why the girls in the group liked him so much. I feel that he got the praises that he deserved, and I'm interested to see his growth as an actor.

Rong Zi Shan:
I did not like him initially, but grew to like him more as he opened up, joked with the rest, and opened up to us his world a little bit. His growth arc towards the end was huge and cool to watch.

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