Reviews

Now, before you start the drama, let me tell you some things:
If I had to describe the drama in a single word, it would be 'sincere'. Its sincerity is more apparent than any other Korean drama I have seen so far, and this is what makes it unique in my opinion. There is nothing forced, nothing fake, nothing that makes you want to punch the wall because there is no point or reason for it. You watch 'Good Doctor', and you don't feel like you're sitting behind a screen, but you are there with all the characters, in the hospital ward or the operating room, breathing the same air as them. It is hard to express the emotions that this drama brought out in me, but there was laughter and tears, a lot of pain and even more happiness.

I was aware that Joo Won is a fantastic actor by all the works I have seen, but this time he simply left me speechless. I had the pleasure to get to know some autistic people in my life, and the way he acts is simply phenomenal. His posture, his gestures, mimics, speech, even his GLANCE, Joo Won brought Park Shi On to life in a way that I hadn't thought possible. Even just for experiencing that, it would be worth a watch.

But if you don't, you'd me missing out on so much more: The medical aspect is really important in this drama, and they did a fantastic job. Now, I have never studied medicine, but all the surgeries looked SO real, that I was seriously wondering sometimes if they were just operating on props (I know they did, but... man!). However, what makes this different from other medical dramas, is the fact that Shi On has to deal with a lot of obstacles and prejudice, and he approaches things differently because of his (dis)ability. Secondly, it is a pediatrician ward, so we get to see a lot of heartwearming and heartbreaking scenes with kids. I was skeptical, thinking actors that young would surely ruin the drama. Boy, was I proven wrong. The kids had some of the most authentic and touching acting I have ever seen. Some of the veteran actors in this industry could learn a thing or two of them. However, the adult main and supporting actors in this drama equally brought out the worth of this drama. Cha Yoon Suh and Kim Do Han are clearly needed for Shi On to become the person and doctor he dreams of.

I see, this review is getting quite long, so I'll just get to the point: This drama is one of a kind and it should definitely not be missed. It is funny, touching, sincere and teaches valuable life lessons. There are no all-evil villains, but the reasoning of each of them becomes apparent. It teaches lessons about friendship, family and love. The only reason why I give this a 9 out of 10, is because near the end of the drama, I was lacking the little spark that was there during the beginning. I am not sure what it is, but there was a tiny little something missing, maybe about the romance, maybe about something else. But even so, it is one of the best I have seen and I hope it will get more recognition. 9/10

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I just finished To Be a Better Man. In my country it was released in increments of 6 episodes every weekend so I was able to binge this drama in small amounts at a time. This drama revolves around the meaning of love present and love past. It is a engaging and enigmatic drama that is both visually stimulating as well as emotionally stimulating. You will laugh, cry and have all the feels you can handle in 42 episodes. All of the actors are amazing. The OST is absolutely stunning. I am still in awe over this drama and this review is very lacking as compared to my other reviews but before you stop reading, just know that if you enjoy melo or if this is your first Chinese drama, do not be afraid of the length. Go for it. Just try it out. You will be in for a great surprise. Rewatch value is low for me because as usual, I dont rewatch dramas. Not even my very favorite ones. TBABM will tear your heart out and then sew it back up. Must watch. By the way, my kids even would hum the soundtrack ... its super catchy!

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Counterpoint: an enjoyable, but somewhat overrated drama

I wasn’t planning on writing anything about Falling Into Your Smile, but the particularly high rating it’s gotten here (8.7 at the time of writing) compelled me to offer a counterpoint.

First, to be clear, I liked this drama. It was perfectly fine. By my own ratings “scale”, it is respectably ranked. It was a fun and cute “happy” drama, with very little that was annoying or frustrating (a feat in itself!). I loved the team dynamics and friendships. The teammates were funny and immensely likable, and I even enjoyed the side characters on other teams. Tong Yao’s (played by Cheng Xiao) parents are great. Except for Kevin Xiao and Rachel Wang, this was my first drama for the rest of the cast, including Xu Kai (a sometimes-distracting reminder of a young Leonardo DiCaprio).

I also appreciated that the show tackled and highlighted the absolutely batsh*t extremes fans and haters go to attack people through social media. It captured the viciousness and influence of toxic fans — something we’ve seen play out in real life. The online “drama” playing out among Chinese netizens and esports fans absolutely trashing Falling Into Your Smile has been rather ironic. And like her character in the drama, lead actress Cheng Xiao has unfortunately been on the receiving end of a lot of online hate and harassment. (On Douban, it has an unreasonably harsh 3/10 rating.)

As a side note, given how conservative C-dramas have historically been when it comes to vocalizing the topic of sex, I was surprised by how frank it was in approaching the subject, relatively speaking.

I was also pleasantly amazed there were no undeserving and unrealistic “redemption arcs” for bad parents (two sets of them!) or for the villains. And the storylines involving antagonists wrapped up before they dragged.

As someone who loved The Untamed, the passing references, background set decor, and nods to the drama sprinkled here and there were also fun to catch. (The two shows share the same production company and producer.)

So where’s the counterpoint then?

This is a perfectly enjoyable esports romance that is nonetheless way over-rated in my view:

I wasn’t overly invested in the central relationship and on the whole, there wasn’t much team or character growth.

The overarching story about the team’s journey through Nationals was underwhelming and somewhat flat, so there was even less emotional investment. In some ways, it felt a bit repetitive. In otherwords, it didn’t pass the binge-worthiness test.

Crossfire is a much more compelling drama about the gaming and esport evolution aspect of the genre.

Gank Your Heart, while flawed on several fronts including the romance aspect, had a much more interesting story in my view when it came to depicting how a team falls apart and the journey towards building a new one. It was pretty low-budget by comparison though, especially when it came to the actual gaming scenes (I believe they were also playing Onmyoji Arena), so I get why it might be considered more inferior.

Most of the acting in Falling Into Your Smile was fine, but I wasn’t exactly wowed either, even with Xu Kai’s. I see potential though and do look forward to watching them again, including Zhai Xiaowen in Heaven Official’s Blessing, Xu Kai (he’s been extremely busy!) and Gao Han in Ancient Love Poetry, and Yao Chi in Immortality.

To be fair, I was coming off a couple of dramas that had left me in a bit of a show-hole, so I was perhaps more sensitive to the emotional component (or lack thereof). It’s great so many people enjoyed it — I did too — but an 8.7 from me would require a more complex story arc that evokes much stronger emotions, and in my view, there are more deserving, but lower-rated dramas, esports and otherwise, who fit the bill better.

(This is a slightly condensed version of a review I first posted on my drama blog: https://www.solarina.ca/dramaddicts/dramaddicts-blog/2021/7/26/counterpoint-im-not-quite-falling-into-your-smile)

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A gem worth every minute

Overall:
The show turned out to be so good that I had to write a review. Every minute I spend it was worth it. It's the very common enemies to lovers category but the story kept the journey of trust and romance realistic. I may sound very common but it is not very common to find something this enjoyable.

Story:
The story was kept true and real. There was no unrealistic expectations for ml or fl. The history of hate was reasonable so was the search for peace. The story hooks you up from the very first episode. Once you understand the characters you can't stop watching.
The ml was not shown as the usual love only for fl type. He loves his people family and stays true to those while loving the fl. Same goes for the fl she is not the usual oh my husband only type, she cares for the people and her family while keeping the balance between her family and her love.
The story gave us explanation for every single event, feeling and object shown throughout the story. There was no confusion in the end.
The bond between every character is explained very well. And every villian gets their required ending.
Acting:
The actors did a very good job in giving life to the characters. The bond was visible in their eyes. The pain of lose and the love was shown perfectly. Fl is indeed clever and stayed clever even after falling in love. Same goes for ml. No misunderstanding was there. It's my first show of both ml and fl so I had no judgement. The ml being a young but powerful ruler was so well depicted. His expressions were real. The fl while being young was strong and thoughtful.
Hope to see more dramas of them.
Ending:
I am satisfied with the ending even though not every side character got same ending . I do think that some deserved more but that was real because it made sense. Peace for the world was the overall aim and the ending was satisfying.
Final comment:
Definitely give it a try if you want romantic political historical drama. Definitely worth your time.
I didn't give it full re-watch value because I personally don't re-watch dramas. Still I could watch this one .
Overall a well written masterpiece. Definitely going to my top 10 list

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A "Healing" Slice-of-life That's Worth Watching

This is a slice-of-life drama that doesn’t necessarily heal you, but it makes you wish for everyone to heal, physically and emotionally.

I went into it with low expectations even though I’d been waiting for it, but surprisingly, it turned out to be a wonderful watch.

When Lee Hyori finds out she’s seriously ill, she drops out of med school and runs away to the countryside to rest. Her mom follows her there, determined to take her back… and that’s where the mother–daughter story begins. Their relationship isn’t the best at first, but over time, watching them slowly mend and grow closer is truly heartwarming.

There’s also romance woven in: Ryu Jeong seok, Lee Jian’s first love, and Ryu Bo hyeon both live there, and each develops a love line, one with Jian, the other with Hyori. It might sound complicated, but it never feels awkward or forced. This isn’t a rom-com, though; it’s more about found family, quiet healing, and the kind of emotions that sneak up on you until you suddenly find yourself in tears.

I especially loved Kim Sun young’s character, she was funny when needed, but also a deeply supportive friend to both Jian and Hyori. She brought so much warmth and chaos to the story.

The romances were also beautiful: Bo hyeon and Hyori were absolutely adorable together, and Jian and Jeong seok had their own lovely journey. But more than anything, I loved watching all the characters grow, little by little.

This is the kind of drama you sit back and relax with, only to realize you’ve been moved to tears. Even though they squished in some annoying drama, It is ruly worth giving a chance.

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I love the original KDrama, Tunnel. Plus my friends keep talking about how Thailand remakes of KDramas are excellent. So when this popped up on Netflix, I thought 'why not give it a try?'
I binge watched the first 10 episodes and finished the entire thing in 3 days. So yeah, amazing remake LOL
The two main leads just nailed it. Totally believed in their characters. I prefer the second lead and the lead girl here over the ones in the KDrama, in fact! Although Choi Jin Hyuk is irreplaceable LOL
The storyline remains enthralling and compelling, as do the emotional tugs on the heart. The villain might be even more chilling in this one, at least more actively menacing. The entire atmosphere of this remake just fit the story excellently.
I solidly support this drama and highly recommend it :D

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More than meets the eye. Success can come from small places.

Overall this show is good and a step up above most C-Drama's I've seen. I really like how easy the story is to pick up on because it isn't too intense. This show so far is handling it's comedy/relationships very well. I've seen only a handful of episodes but I didn't see a review and figured that I'll share the main points that could help recommend this to others.

The main female lead is very likable as she's ambitious and a hard worker. She also has this adorable quirk of pushing her glasses up on her nose. The main male lead is played by Kenny Lin and he does an amazing job at balancing arrogance with charm peaking through. He is perfect for the personality he is portraying and looks very good in a suit. I can't wait to see the dynamic between the two leads be more fleshed out. This show is perfect for an easy lighthearted watch without forced fluff and romance.

Now finishing up the show I am truly impressed. The writing of the female lead was done so well, Ning Meng is very strong and never once had been swayed by her feelings. She is loyal to her family and has really good morals, watching episode 29 hearing Ji Ming compliment her personality really made me happy. She is recognized by him and always was, and although there isn’t too much romance, I really find it fresh. A lot of C Dramas have coincidences for characters to be together, they get together early on and a lot of unrealistical and annoying antics occur between them. In Master of My Own it focuses on Ning Meng’s work and her growth in her career. Ji Meng is cold, but he warms up with Ning Meng by the familiarity they have with each other. I really like this story when comparing to other C Dramas, the females are much more powerful and aren’t just objects to be married too. A lot of dramas don’t blatantly say that, but there is a lot of focus on a women to get married and then her husband leading her. Ning Meng is mature and is never openly pursuing a relationship, she really is a great role model. She’s not too serious and isn’t one dimensional.

I really thought this drama was going to have her lose the glasses and put her hair down and then turn into a romantic comedy. But it didn’t, instead she made the move for herself and wasn’t seen any better than she was before or “prettier”. She just looked different but was never once perceived as ugly just for having glasses. Also as rude as Ji Meng could be, he put up a front as the bead of what once was his dads company. But he always wishes Ning Meng the best and realizes his faults while helping her out in small ways. I love his character the most if it wasn’t for how amazing Ning Meng’s is. And together they are even better.

The thing that I have criticisms over are the other side characters being forgettable, luckily they weren’t focused on too much so it wasn’t an issue. Ms. Shi is the expedition, she is a CEO of her own company and gives Ning Meng a chance. There’s a lot to say for this drama, I am just so glad how they handled its story. It was never hatred from Ning Meng for her to become successful, and she never looked down on from where she started. Ji Meng developed nicely as a character as well and also a person. Another criticism is writing off the second male lead the way they did, where he would just become creepy or unlikeable for the sake of him not being a contender. They didn’t have to make him be a jerk like that because he really never was a contender in my eyes to begin with.

To sum it up: the whole success story is done really well. There isn’t any cliches to put the female lead into, and she is by far the best written female lead in a story like this that I’ve seen. A smart and capable women who truly doesn’t depend on a man, although even so she’s not 100% cold and one sided towards them. The male lead compliments her and they naturally develops a relationship from what they have. This drama is just really soothing to watch, and I recommend it over Love is Sweet any day. This story does office romance so much better and is natural and not too cringe to watch. It’s a perfect balance of everything.

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So I literally binged watch this drama, and I'm so ever grateful to Neko Meow Meow for subbing this. Anyways, I picked up this drama because I literally had nothing to watch and I was waiting for my other dramas to be subbed & I'm glad I did that. Even though it is your typical "revenge; going to get back what belongs to me" type of drama it still has its own cool to it. If you are up for some really cheeky, fluffy stuff then this is for you, the cute stuff isn't overly cringe so you can still watch it.

Story:
Basically the pra'ek comes back from america to take back what he owns and meets nang ek and fall in love. What I love about it is that the nang ek isn't those weak female leads and she fights back and doesn't let the guy bully her. She stands up for herself and she later on stands up for the guy knowing that he is actually nice and not mean. The only thing I will say is that I felt like the ending was a bit rush but with already 14 episodes, it is a normal episodes ending for a thai drama, so no biggie like everything was already falling into places. Oh, and like the guy ends up having a brain tumor but after that one episode they never talk about it again so I feel like they should had cleared that up or unless they did but I wasn't paying attention. lmao.

Acting/Casting:
It was my first time watching the guy in a drama and I am happy with how he acted. Like I'm always scared to watch new actors/actress just in case they don't live up to the other actors but I mean you can't just judge them , like they are trying to build up their career. I've seen the girl act in other dramas so I have nothing to say. Their chemistry was good. Their playfulness and cheekiness complimented each other really well through out the drama.

Music:
To be honest I wasn't really paying attention to the songs, but there was a song that like stuck to my mind.

Rewatch Value:
Maybe yes if I have nothing to watch, but I tend not too.

Overall:
Just watch it. haha

Where to Watch:
Make sure to always thank these subber's hard work to provide for us :)
Neko Meow Meow
https://nekomeowmeow.com/panrak/

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A underrated gem! Best kdrama of 2020!

UNDERRATED AND A GEM!! Okay I am gonna be honest, this was my favorite kdrama that came out in the crazy year of 2020. The story was original, beautiful and ahhhhh swoon worthy. I am a sucker for destiny and fate-like stories, and this one is one of my very top favorite kdramas. Kim Go Eun and Lee Min Ho are both two of my favorite actors! The characters Jeong Tae Eul and Lee Gon had amazing chemistry and growth as a couple. The two different worlds of Korea was so interesting and captivating, of course the queen kdrama writer Kim Eun Sook wrote this one so I knew it was going to be fantastic. Woo Do Hwan did a incredible job with his two characters, he is a wonderful actor and hilarious, his duality was amazing. I loved how this drama showcased a love story that had no confusing breakups or unnecessary drama. It always was right up to the main point of the story and the fight for Tae Eul and Lee Gon to be together. I laughed and cried and fell in love every episode in this drama! Visuals were stunning, OST was perfect, acting amazing, plot incredible! And of course I love happy endings SO please do yourself a favor and watch this amazing drama!

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So I randomly selected sweet tai chi to watch because it was tagged as an idol drama which are fun and not too heavy. The main problem was that until recently the eng subtitles were not available for it except the first episode. But I watched it anyway to like get a sense of it (coz I have dropped quite a few dramas after just watching the 1st episode) and I was immediately hooked. (resulting in me watching the whole drama without subs
This dramas has got some very strong points to make you like it.
First and foremost the places selected for the filming are amazing. The locations were very well selected including the campus resulting in beautiful shots.
Second major point is the female lead. I have never seen her before in any drama but she is effortlessly adorable. I have seen many actors try to portray a cute character and fail miserably while the FL's acting feels like she is just being herself. Her antics are fun to watch. She is badass in a good way and unlike other dramas the leads meet with the FL saving the ML from a gang.
Third is the Ost. The songs are beautiful and perfectly suited to the scenes and even though I don't know the language after watching a couple of episode I simply started humming along.
Lastly I agree that the story takes off slowly at first but the selling point atleast for me were the action scenes. All the scenes with Tai chi were perfectly shot and edited. Best scenes of this drama is just Piao Piao fighting all different kinds of people. The romance is also a big part of it but it's very PG-13 enough to give you closure but not to make you internally scream. I just wish that the ML's character was better developed. Like I understand that he was supposed to portray a very cool, calm, perfect at everything and emotionally detached from most things kinda person but after all his interactions with the FL I kinda wanted him to show some more emotions and be less stony and I mean that literally. Apart from the ocassional smile or his signature annoyed look it's like looking at a pretty stone wall.
All in all this drama is good enough for binge watching. (especially now since everyone's quarantined due to covid-19).

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got better as it went on

There are some solid reviews on the movie so I'll just add a few thoughts.

Overall: this got better and better as it went on with an ending that was extremely well done. In the beginning, I really struggled with the homophobic, self centered, jerk protagonist. But he actually has character growth which was great. I need a sequel to this movie. Somehow he gets reincarnated as an adult and they solve another mystery together (and also showing explicit romantic feelings would be a bonus)

BL? Bromance? I think they definitely loved each other, whether that was platonically or romantically is not clearly defined, I think it can be a bit up to the viewer's interpretation.

Content Warnings: death, grief, manipulation, violence, held against will

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