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Love of Nirvana
12 people found this review helpful
Oct 10, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

And ending that will leave you in tears

WHAT AN ENDING!! HONESTLY I JUST CRIED. If that did not move you then you really have no feelings.

SPOILER ALERT:
ML realize that he will never get justice for his family and he decided to do the only thing he could which was to kill the emperor. The emperor truly deserved to die for what he did. Like how can you sacrifice a whole village just for your own personal gain?

That being said, I would love to watch a historical drama with ML where he does not die... (ML also starred in one and only drama, where he died).

Overall great show. Not sure if I want to rewatch it cuz the ending is so sad but just great. And if you can honestly say that this was not a good show then you don't know what a good show is.

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Completed
An Incurable Case of Love
12 people found this review helpful
by Aya
Mar 27, 2020
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
To be honest, I need to say that overall I enjoyed watching this, but it wasn't the best drama I've ever seen. Cliche romance with cliche tropes, but I think the acting saved this one.

STORY:
- I haven't read the manga, but I felt like I've seen this before. NOTHING NEW. Typical female character that wants to get that one man no matter what.
- This specially felt like "Itazura na Kiss, season 2" remake. Sakura is basically Kotoko 2.0. Even though I love Kotoko, I don't get what Tendo saw in Sakura. She is so pushy, loud and annoying. Also, why did she kept calling him "Sensei" when they are in a relationship? (ONE OF MY BET-PEEVES)
- Second male lead syndome is REAL right here. Kisugi is the ideal man.. JUST WHY? I truly hoped they focused more on Kisugi and Sakai. oh well..
- Nishi and Ryuko's story-line was pointless. Instead, I would have loved to have more development on Kisugi and Sakai's story-line (THEY HAD POTENTIAL COME ON)
_ What I enjoyed the most is the medical stuff. Doctors and nurses were on point and these scenes were really heartwarming.

ACTING:
- Sato Takeru was on point (AM I SURPRISED? NO). My man's smirks just.. wow. Also, as a doctor, he did great as I always expect from him.
- However, Kamishiraishi Mone, idk but I don't think she was the best. She is just so LOUD, but also looks young that it kinda made me uncomfortable seeing her with Sato. I haven't seen any of her other works, but I would love to see more of her because I like her energy.
- The rest of the cast did an amazing job. I specially would love to see more of Maiguma Katsuya's works! He did so well!

P.S. istg this drama has the most amount of kiss scenes I've ever seen in a Japanese dramas! That was nice! JAPAN GET IT.

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Completed
Hidden Agenda
12 people found this review helpful
by Gabby
Feb 16, 2025
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

realistic conflicts & great character dynamics

I can't believe it took me this long to find this series, but it's honestly become my favorite BL. My favorite part of it were the conflicts, and how realistic they were. The portrayal of homophobia with Jeng's team differs from other BLs, where homophobia is either seemingly nonexistent or is overly dramatized, instead showing the everyday normalized homophobia that gay men face. The relationship dynamics, both with Joke and Zo and Jeng and Pok were so well developed and allowed for great character development as well. The family dynamics in this series also hit close to home and left me bawling. Zo's mother doing too much and Joke's father not doing enough when it came to showing up for their sons left them both feeling like they weren't enough and reflecting their parent's efforts back at them. The series also did a great job in showing the theme of forgiveness all throughout it, even in the instance where it showed when forgiveness is not deserved in the case of James and Nita, a conflict which faithfully portrayed one of women's struggles in modern society. Overall, this series was full of angst, though it never seemed to be simply for entertainment, but rather as a reflection and portrayal of real-life struggles.

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Angry Mom
12 people found this review helpful
by Becca
May 8, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
There appears to be an increasing trend of revealing corruption and darkness in dramas these days that is oddly refreshing and yet, heartbreakingly realistic. Angry Mom, despite its amusing logo and happy promotional poster, is definitely not for the faint hearted. The story is intense, and it had me eager to watch each episode the second it was released every week.

The story is heavily focused on the influence of political corruption on familial relationships and high school life. Hardly surprising from a show called 'Angry Mom' because the drama is very much about anger and the intense emotions and conflicts of being a mother. The drama is by no means 'realistic' - you have to watch with this in mind, things are of course going to be exaggerated for dramatic value but nonetheless, there are little hints of truth in everything.
But be not afeared, it's not all doom and gloom, the writer is absolutely brilliant at weaving in comic relief. I lived for those hilarious moments among the darkness that seemed to envelope every character. The thing that struck me the most when watching the drama was the character progressions. Each main and significant secondary character had their moment to shine and develop. This is simply not a one-woman show about a mock-heroic attempt to enact justice on behalf of the weak and unrepresented. It is a drama about developing awareness and tackling the problems head on with others. Problems simply do not go away if you do nothing about them, and it is up to you to make a difference - but also, the fight is not a lonely one. It is all about creating honest relationships, maintaining them, and working together to achieve the ultimate goal. This drama is filled with poetic and moral messages that make you realise that this was very much a writers piece. The directing was also great, but for me, the writing was just the star of the show.

The cast were also perfect for this drama. I have never seen Kim Hee Sun act before but my god, she can act. Her portrayal of this loving mother with a troubled past trying to protect her daughter was just so brilliant to watch - and you just can't help but love a strong female lead. She has shown so much versatility with her emotions that I cannot help but admire her and look forward to her next project. All the other cast members - villains and all - were all very well acted and I have nothing but praise. When an actor makes me hate a villain with great intensity, it means that they're doing a pretty darn good job at acting convincingly. I cannot write this without mentioning our breakout star Ji Soo, I don't think I know anyone who dislikes Go Bok Dong. He was a bad guy with a soft heart and I think everyone will have a soft spot for him. This was a wonderful breakout project for Ji Soo and it clearly displayed his potential. There are so many others who I want to mention and praise, but I think the one who left the strongest impression on me was Kim Hee Won - Ahn Dong Chil. I could never get myself to hate his character, and boy, Hee Won was perfect for Ahn Dong Chil. He begun as such a complex character and it was a real treat to see him unravel and in some ways, peel off the hardened layer bit by bit to see what he was truly like. I cannot go on without spoiling so I will leave it at that.

As much as I want to give this a perfect 10 just for sheer enjoyment and roller coaster ride over the past 8 weeks or so, I felt like it just missed the mark. I set the rewatch value slightly lower because I don't think I can handle watching this again because some aspects of the drama just make you angry. It's not about the execution of the drama itself, but the cruelness of reality really kicks in at times. But saying that, I will always be happy to skim over to the fun, adorable, and out-right hilarious moments for sure :)

Overall, I am very happy with how this drama went. I definitely recommend it because it provides a lot of food for thought for how we should view life and our experiences that will definitely be worth considering!

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Completed
A Good Day to Be a Dog
12 people found this review helpful
by Raisa
Jan 10, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

Untapped Potential in 'A Good Day to Be a Dog'

A Good Day to Be a Dog" offers an engaging story, yet there's a lingering sense that something crucial was missing, potentially in its direction. The narrative catches interest but doesn't fully satisfy, as if some key elements in the storytelling or progression were overlooked. This feeling of incompleteness leaves one wondering what could have been if these aspects were better addressed or given more attention.

Despite this, the main characters stand out remarkably, imbuing the series with charm and relatability. Their likable nature and dynamic interactions are the heart of the show, making it special and memorable. However, a desire for more depth and detail persists. Expanding on the characters' backgrounds, motivations, or the world they inhabit could have significantly enhanced the viewing experience, making it not just enjoyable but truly captivating.

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Completed
What's Up?
12 people found this review helpful
by rachel
May 15, 2013
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This show is criminally underrated! To describe it briefly, I would say it is a darker and more mature version of Dream High, with better acting.

Each character is written with a lot of care. We delve deep into their back stories, and I find myself cheering on each one of them, and crying with each one of them. The lessons each character learn are hard but realistic. The show takes you on that journey of growing up.

If there is one thing I dislike about the story, it is the Park Tae Hee character. Yes she's the typical female lead - ditzy but really sweet, cute and talented, but can I just say how annoying I find her. Otherwise, the rest of the cast was just perfect, especially Jo Jung Suk and Im Joo Eun.

The soundtrack is quite unique compared to other dramas - fewer romantic ballads, more fist-pumping songs that make you excited to be young, aspirational and full of dreams.

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Completed
Not Me
12 people found this review helpful
Apr 20, 2022
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Went into it expecting something different, but it had its moments

I think, overall, my main issue with this show was that what I thought it was going to be, based off the insanely cool edits on my fyp. This was not what it actually ended up being. Was it a bad show? No. Was is meaningful? Yes. Could it have been better? Absolutely, because it wasn't want I was expecting out of the show.

As a social criticism drama - this hits the mark with a full ten stars. However, everything else was a mess.

The premise is absolutely the best part and is part of the reason why I was so interested in this show. I am a twin myself, so I am always excited to see them be the main characters. However, this show did not deliver on that front. White goes undercover to find out who hurt his brother - yet he quickly stops doing that. He barely investigated Blacks gang, he was way too trusting and even when they told him how Black usually acts he didn't try to change his behavior to fit in better. Actually, it seems as if he actually has no interest in his brother at all - which is a real shame bc his brother immediately came to him when he felt him getting hurt but he never did that for Black. It was always Black who found White first.

Including White, most characters acted very juvenile in their action. You are committing pretty harsh crimes yet they don't take the necessary precautions. They should be wearing gloves considering they could easily be found through their DNA for how severe their crimes are. The only exceptions of those who always seem to think things through or actually have the skills to get through severe rough patches are Gumpa and Black. Gumpa makes the plans and they are well thought out plus he has many skills he teaches to the others and form what I understand Blacks plans always worked out and he manages to get himself out of situations the others can't.

However, the most disappointing thing I've seen in this is the lack of showtime between Black and White - the whole premise starts with them but they have no scenes together and when Black is awake we never know what he's doing. He's the one with enemies yet we never know what he is doing. I believe the most interesting character is Black which is why its a real shame we never got to understand or see him in action better. The most disappointing thing about Blacks character is his extreme change form those growing up a privledged life and turning into the absolute opposite. i mean, there has to be a reason why he is willing to live like he grew up a gutter rat and is apparently mean to everyone around him. They should have gone into his character more. He was ironically the character I liked the most and I liked Euch as well bc of how she was necessary to the plot in basically playing devils advocate for the law to show both sides.

Besides the incomprehensible behavior of nearly al the characters - there were so many plot holes that could have been solved if they cut down on unnecessary side interests. Show more of the villain's motives so it feels like a well-rounded story and stop jumping from one activity to another without a leading line to show how we got there like the ROL suddenly gaining traction when there should have been more focused on it since it was important in the conclusion.


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Completed
Jade's Fateful Love
12 people found this review helpful
Jun 29, 2024
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

1001 Reincarnations

This was put on my list because of Hani Kezi as I had seen her in Ultimate Note and she impressed me. I wanted to see what she'd be like in other genres. I was unfamiliar with the rest of the cast. This was a different type of reincarnation story than what I have seen and it didn't have a "Final Destination" vibe which I don't like. It was 1001 Reincarnations and in each episode to boot.

Pros: I enjoyed HK's appearance here as Ashina Yueling or YL. The ML or SY who is quite new as he just graduated from the Beijing Drama Academy a few days ago, but he was able to handle both the soft and hard aspects of his character. The martial arts were on point and that was probably my favorite portion. How many times one died or they both did started from episode one but it evolved with not just them returning to life thwarting any assassination attempts but also gave them the ability to see the future. In the end though YL I think sacrificed her life unnecessarily when the emperor was in danger as there were a zillion soldiers standing around essentially forgetting there was still an enemy in the room, the no longer supposedly working jade pendant that had brought them to life with their life blood, now needed a tear from SY for its last act that brought her back to life. I really liked the tacit understanding between the two main brothers (SY and the emperor); stupid second brother finally understood family was more important than pride in the very end. The story developed nicely; he caught feelings first but she wasn't far behind. I also like how they incorporated HK's actual national heritage into the show. HE for 3 possibly 4 couples; one with kids and one pregnant. Though I liked YL's brother and SN; I felt he was too stupid for too long and she was the brains and pants in that relationship. The costumes and the few sets were nice as was the music.

Cons: Ultimately there were really two antagonists but they weren't really giving me the vibe of pure evil. The uncle cackled and of course you know how I feel about that. I rolled my eyes and waited for his death. The general who "killed" YL was an afterthought loser and I wish they hadn't brought him in. There of course had to be a gorilla glue character (whom I ffw'd as much as possible) that was obsessed over ML but ultimately because she was poisoned, when she recovered, she forgot who he was altogether. This script had a lot of cringey aspects and the ending felt kinda rushed and all over the place. They really didn't share much about the close relationship between the emperor and SY which would have been great but I understand they had to focus on the leads and their 1001 reincarnations thanks to fate bringing them together and their pendants that were always meant to be together. I do wish YL didn't misunderstand and pout as much, that's my only gripe with her.

Would I recommend it? This is a low budget, new faces drama but it's good for when you have nothing to watch. I'm perfectly ok with it; give it a chance.

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Completed
On Cloud Nine
12 people found this review helpful
Sep 3, 2022
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
The allure of confusion...

STORY:
============================================
This is definitely not a linear, progressive story-telling... Or is it?

Confused? That is the general approach in its story-telling. It will not serve you all the details in a silver platter, the build up is a deliberate messy like from episode to episode just when you have a theory in mind, it gets thrown off the window on the last scene of each episode. You will get that feeling that you know what is the story but somehow it does not fit watch you are watching and yet you keep watching it?

That is the allure part. At the end of episode most probably you will be scratching your head. You might been tempted to watch episode 1 again to check you are watching the very same series. It just makes no sense, and you will be left wonering: Have I been click-baited? But that is the beauty and originality of this series.

This is a jigsaw puzzle where pieces of it are given to you in terms of what is being said, how they dressed, and even the hairstyle. It is all in the details.

Episode 5 is the big reveal. If you are patient enough and reach that episode, you will get an idea what has been happening all along. Both Rossi and Meen raised their acting level skill here, especially the former. Been a while since I felt what they are feeling. Watch out for that runny nose and teary eyes!

Alas! The finale. It will not only play with your head but also with your heart. But after that roller-coaster episode 6 ride, your heart can take it easy.

ACTING/CAST
============================================
Rossi as Mork - His main asset is his eyes, there are moments that as if they are the ones talking to you. This is not his first project with MindTrio and if you got the chance to watch "Once In Memory". There are 2, each short movie showing one side of the characters. Rarely I watched those kind of series/movie. It is such a breath of fresh air.

Meen as Tiew - Don't be fooled with this classy clothes, captivating smile, as it can break your heart in an instant! He started in Calculating Love a 2020 project of MindTrio and when this aired, he also appears in Oh My Sunshine Night. Honestly, I can not remember his part in the 2020 series either his role was not this significant or I was too focused on Quin and

New - got to watch this fellow also in Calculating Love, the curly hair, imperfect teeth, who acts awkwardly and yet you can feel his confidence does not scare to bare it.

MUSIC
============================================
Nothing significant that could stick to the mind

REWATCH VALUE
============================================
For a mystery type of story, once you figure the answer, then it is no longer a mystery. You might watch to check if there were hints and pieces that were given away early on. But I generally do not re-watch.

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How to Hate You
12 people found this review helpful
by PHope
May 8, 2019
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
The thing that bothered me about Method to hate you wasn't that it was cheesy or cliche. Choosing to watch it you kind of know what you're getting into, as the short length and the fact that it is adapted from a webtoon with a college love story theme kind of give out hints of what is yet to come. My concern however was that they didn't manage the pace very well as well as the ending that was left open.

Other than that, the story was cute and I enjoyed the love story, although it was predictable. As for Jaemin, I wasn't really expecting him to be good, but his performance was decent, although he didn't give me the cold male lead vibes. Rather, he was cute and the kind you wanted to protect.

So, 6 out of 10 for this short drama.

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Jul 1, 2019
50 of 50 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

The plot was lost somewhere along the road to redemption.

Heaven Sword is one of my all time favorite Jin Yong stories. While this 2019 adaption is overall done well and quite watchable, I am still disappointed because the story is so gripping and epic that properly executed it could have and should have been a 10. I feel that way about most of Jin Yong's stories and I am time and again disappointed with C-drama's inability to turn the gift of a fantastic storyline into a kick-ass 10.

The first problem is that riding on the gift of a great storyline, the production team was very sloppy with the cast and the casting of the key roles. It was obvious from the start that many of the lead actors struggled to get into character: Zhang Cuisan and Zhao Min notably. And while I think Zeng Shunxi is a very promising young actor, at 21 he is too much of a boy still to fully pull off Wuji. He wasn't bad but his chemistry with both female leads was little more than warm and friendly. That's just not good enough as Wuji's two main love interests are bad-ass, devious and willful women; a handful for any man much less a boy. To make matters worse, they saddled him with the worst man bun that highlighted an unflattering roundness to his features - many times I thought the Pillsbury doughboy was going to burst right out of him! It wasn't till the much later episodes they fixed his look in a good way. In addition to the main leads, poor chemistry between the couples is a consistent theme throughout this show. Whoever paired up the actors must surely be the matchmaker from hell. The initial flat romance between Zhang Cuisan and Yin Susu almost made me give up on this early on but it somehow clicked once the fantastic child actor playing young Wuji was brought into the mix.

While it seems I will still have to wait for a version of this epic story with the A-list cast it deserves, some of the roles were played by quite strong performances (Yangsiu, Zhou Zhirou, Xie Xun, Song Qingsu) while the others were good enough (Wuji, Zhao Min) that the uninspired ones (Xiao Chao etc) were drowned out and it still came together well enough to be quite enjoyable. And the action was quite good although they went a little bit overboard with the slow motion that made the many good kung fu scenes a lot less exciting. While it is definitely technically much better polished than my best loved 1986 version, the A-list 1986 cast wins hands down when it comes to breathing life into the main characters.

While this version broadly sticks to the original storyline, it digresses meaningfully from it in a very subtle way. This is a more politically correct version that dials down the cruelty of many of the darker characters and deals with them compassionately, offering them a path to redemption. In the case of Song Qingsu, it was well done because he is just a weak character that strayed off the wrong path. But in the case of Zhou Zhirou, I really didn’t see the point – this is an ambitious, selfish and cruel character that is innately much more bad than good, it is fundamental to the plot. Zhu Xudan is an actress that is naturally blessed with a mal-contented expression – she would have been an even more brilliantly wicked Zhou Zhirou if they didn’t try to make her slightly nicer. But what was even more criminal was they kind of tuned down Zhao Min, one of my all time favorite Jin Yong heroines by making her less sassy towards the end to the point of being almost like the clingy and pathetically devoted Xiao Chao (yuck). It was as if they were flirting with the idea of a shock alternative ending where Wuji ends up with the Zhirou and then thankfully chickened out at the last minute. Two thumbs down is all that I can say. And they didn’t stop with Zhirou and Qingsu, they pretty much made excuses for and/or tried to make all the bad guys slightly less bad. Boring and tiresome after awhile and it had the overall impact of diluting the passion and vehemence of Jin Yong’s characters both good and evil.

Of course all of this greater focus on character development and whitewashing comes at the cost of extra time focus on unnecessary characters. But again, another travesty – there are so many C-dramas with shallow plots that are dragged out over 60 episodes but this really engrossing story was all squeezed into 50? The natural consequence of this was they just threw the whole plot under the bus. They cheated by counting on the fact this is a well known story - after all it is one of Jin Yong’s most popular works. So it rushes through many cursory character introductions and transitions that didn’t make the most sense that I would feel much sympathy for anyone who didn’t already know the story in advance. This entire epic tale that tragically spans so many lives and events over such a long time is brilliantly tied together by a grand conspiracy. The complicated plot unfolds around the unraveling of this conspiracy that among other things led to the misunderstanding between the sects and Wuji’s parents tragic deaths. All of that was pretty much lost because the production team deemed it more important to help us empathize with Zhou Zhirou? Really? It came at the cost of rushing through many key parts of uncovering the intrigue. At the end I happened to blink and almost even missed the entire denouement it was dealt with so almost dismissively. The scriptwriters did Jin Yong and us a grave injustice in this matter. Shame on the production team. Really.

Overall this was still a very polished effort but it didn’t really live up to the heart of Jin Yong’s epic story. While the plot was lost along the path to redemption, it is still very watchable and one of the better efforts out there. And it is still Jin Yong and that beats a lot of the no substantive storyline 2019 new dramas I have skimmed through so far (as of June 2019).


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Luminosity behind the Palace
12 people found this review helpful
Aug 31, 2025
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

“A Rare Gem Among Countless Imitations”

"Luminosity Behind the Palace" is the English title of this Chinese mini-drama. The phrase itself feels poetic and metaphorical, chosen to evoke elegance, mystery, and transformation within a royal setting.

Meaning Behind the Title
--------------------------------

"Luminosity" suggests light, brilliance, or enlightenment — symbolizing hope, truth, or progressive change.

"Behind the Palace" implies that this light or transformation happens not in the public eye, but in the hidden spaces of power — within the royal court or the personal journeys of the characters.

Together, the title reflects the drama’s central theme: a quiet revolution led by a noblewoman (The FL but also the King’s mother) and the King himself, working for change from within the palace system rather than overthrowing it.

Themes & Storytelling
----------------------------

Most Chinese costume dramas (except for those involving reincarnation, fantasy, or heavenly elements) often carry a message of reform — showing how change can happen within the system without breaking its core. This drama follows that tradition.

Pay special attention to the dialogue — the writers use meaningful phrases and well-known quotes from the philosopher Mencius, such as:

“The people are the most precious, the state comes next, and the ruler is the least important of all.”

The story takes its time to build subtle romance, mutual understanding, and the shared vision for a better state between the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL). However, it does move a little quickly when it comes to depicting palace plots and revolts.

Despite the dramatic sacrifices of the King’s mother and the King himself for the sake of reform, the drama delivers an important message:
true reform can succeed from within, without widespread bloodshed.

Revolutions are often costly and rarely succeed, but reform from within allows meaningful change while minimizing suffering — in this story, only a few members of the monarchy pay the price, sparing the people at large.

Acting & Performances
-----------------------------

The acting is excellent. Both YCY (the King), SLY (the FL), and YZ are not only visually stunning but also perform their roles with great emotional depth. Fan Zhixin’s performance, in particular, stands out as extraordinary.

Final Thoughts
-------------------

Overall, Luminosity Behind the Palace is a thoughtful, meaningful drama with beautiful acting and a powerful message about reform, sacrifice, and hope. While the pacing could have been more balanced in some places, it is still a highly recommended watch for anyone who enjoys palace dramas with substance and emotional depth.

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The Face Reader
12 people found this review helpful
Jan 31, 2014
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
I was absolutely drawn into the movie from the first scene which is ironically completely opposite in tone to the ending. If I went in expecting a tragedy, I might have enjoyed the movie much more than this.

I've seen Prince Suyang's plotting and scheming in The Princess' Man and the bloodshed that happened in order for him to ascend to the throne in place of his young nephew. The brutal slaughtering of all those who opposed him as well as the innocents who were offed by association was no less horrific to watch here and I had tears in my eyes as I watched the coup unfold.

This is one of the strong points of this movie: the way it can makes you feel numb one moment and then filled with emotion at the next. It got me in the heart and it really hurt for the characters.

Physiognomy (or face-reading) is an almost extinct practice today because many people don't believe that so much could be told about a person from his features or the thought that our fates are (for the most part) fixed and unchangeable. I think it's possible to read faces and determine some of people's qualities if you're skilled enough but I don't believe it can help tell the future. That's stretching it.

That explains why I was a little disappointed that there were a lot of exaggerations when it came to Nae-Kyung's abilities (which depended more on estimations than anything else). I couldn't fully understand some of the characters' reasoning and motives as it hasn't been clearly explained in the movie and that pulled me from the magic of the story sometimes. I have to mention, though, the amazing cinematography and directing that took my breath away with every scene.

I can now understand the reason behind the hype surrounding this movie but it fell short from being THE movie for me.

(And, am I the only one who thought the whole scene where Prince Suyang first appears in full evil glory awesome?)

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The World of the Married
12 people found this review helpful
May 20, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
I ll start by saying this is a unique storyline to me and i found it captivating so i sat through the 16 episodes straight in one day. so its really a slice of life interesting drama.....with that being said i'll dive into an emotional rant of all the characters..... yes all of them in this drama were scum to varying degrees..... the lowest degree of scumness was dr kim and the highest degree of scumness was Lee tae oh...... as a matter of fact there is low, lower, Lee Tae Oh..... you get the point lol.

1) Sun Woo- so in the first few episodes i could feel her pain, she had a perfect life and all of a sudden she realised her husband was cheating on her and stealing from her and her 'Friends' were in on it too........ i was pissed along with her raining curses of Lee Tae Oh. i was also proud of her strategy to divorce him without him knowing.... i was proud of her ability to stand up for herself every time.... then in much later episodes i began to doubt her aim of doing all she was doing, she literally lost it in my opinion because so many of her actions were so questionable to me. using her son as a bait too was low of her (although it was smart) but the boy didn't deserve to think his father was abusive to the mother just like that. The boy also deserved to see the father so that whole act in their welcome party was another low! and her betraying the bartender girl in order to protect herself and her love hate relationship was low! also its important to not that she was too stuck up on her work, too overconfident in thinking she knew her soon and had everything in control.... phewww she could have avoided a lot of things by moving out and starting afresh but i feel she was stuck up on proving points and never really got over her ex husband.

2)Tae oh---- deserves a whole rant epistle but in short he was just an entitled cheat who felt he should be forgiven for keeping a mistress ( who got pregnant) for two years while he had a wife and son.....whats worse.... he was stealing from his sons policy funds to take care of the mistress like really...! After the whole divorce he married his mistress and comes back rich and successful (or kinda not) and starts stalking and threatening his ex wife and trying to get her fired, trying to buy his son back.... girls this is the kind of man you really dont want to marry PERIODT!

7)sun woo's son----- while i feel bad for his situation which isnt his fault, he was a whole mess.... a spoilt brat literally! i mean his classmate's mum was also divorced but she still lived right. why he decided to use his dysfunctional parents as a reason to do clownery i will never understand. also i felt he was more forgiving of his father than his mother.... he was way to mean to her!

3)All the family friends---- how do you go on a vacation with you friends and one of you comes with a lady who isnt his wife..... and you do not tell the wife, as a matter of fact you help him deceive the wife (like what.... off with their heads lol) and let me not get started on seol myung the double spy..... i was happy Hyo jung got redemption at some point because she was the only one in their circle who had a bit of sense even though her husband holds the 3rd position on the scum list. i mean he was married but the whole time he was sleeping around and trying to woo his own friend's wife chile....

4)Mistress----- this clown was just so naive and stupid, a man leaves his family for you and somehow you think you acting right and being a supportive wife will make you better than his old wife and stop him from cheating on you like he did to his old wife ......... i mean people change but once a cheat, always a cheat i guess! the fact she was trying to buy everybody's love and loyalty in the city and make sun woo look like a bad person was low!

5)mistress father---- typical rich powerful man in kdramas that has power to do many things mostly bad things. him and his wife were too stuck up on themselves to correct their child for taking someones husband. they instead ran a campaign to get her support from the community with their money....

6) community peeps----- this ppl will just kiss a** of any influential person and gossip for a living...... i cant.....

the only somewhat decent people in this drama were min hyun (bartender girl), chairman choi's wife (woman association leader) , and dr kim..... every other person can be thrown away thanks!


Anyways watch the drama its emotionally investing but its captivating and interesting. And i hope they scoop a lot of awards because the acting was 100%

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Completed
O-Negative
11 people found this review helpful
Jul 12, 2018
26 of 26 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I started with this show bcoz of Puen and Foon. I liked these actors so I started this show. But seriously their characters ruined the whole shows story.

Art is way better and his character is too good. He is just like durian fruit. Very hard at outside but very sweet inside heart. Prim is really matured and understanding. She does anything to save their friendship. But bcoz of Puen’s confused and indecisive character made their friendship to spoil. Still I want to blame Foon more bcoz she is the one who is soo childish and wanted to do whatever she can, just to get what she wants.

Poo is a super girl who always stays and loves her friends. Poo’s boyfriend is super cool. Those starting episodes where he was acting like bully we all almost got scared. Then it was a 360 change in his character.

For those who wants to see some good friendship scenes you can get it in this shows for few episodes. It is simple that friends should never date or love between friendship. Bcoz it will ruin the life long relationship called friendship.

Acting - good as far as I think.
Music - nice too
Story - could have been better
Rewatch - if u don’t have any good shows to watch, and then you can watch it again

Overall 7 from myself

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