Reviews

When I think of the Hong Sisters I think of a bowl of assorted candy. When you dig your hand inside the bowl you hope to get your favorite candy but sometimes you end up getting the one you dislike *coughs Big* This time around I definitely pulled my favorite candy out of the bowl with Master's Sun.

I was bit worried at first because the Hong Sisters drama can pretty much be a hit or miss but I LOVED this. It was romantic and down right HILARIOUS! I laughed so much throughout this drama.

The cast is great. I already love Gong Hyo Jin and I think she did a great job but who surprised me is So Ji Sub. When I first heard about this I was surprised that they picked him as the lead for such a wacky drama. So Ji Sub is a great actor I just worried that this wouldn't be the role for him but I was so wrong. So Ji Sub steals the show with his witty humor and cute love for his big sun. By the end of the drama I fell in love with his character.

Speaking of characters I must commend the Hong Sisters for their development of Tae Yang. I enjoyed how her character developed over time. It was truly great to see. They could have done it because of the extension but I think they still did a good job of it. I loved all of the characters in the end as well. Kang Woo, the Little Sun, Secretary Kim, The Trash Man Ghost, and many more. The chemistry between not only the leads but the whole cast is what makes this drama truly amazing.

As for the plot, I think the Hong Sister's pulled out a gem. I really liked the idea of this drama. The romance, comedy, supernatural with a bit of horror sprinkled on top. I was a bit worried because of some the devices that they were using towards the end but they ended up using them very well. Everything about the plot wasn't perfect but I still ended loving this drama anyway.

I usually don't pay attention to the music as much while watching a drama but I couldn't help but notice it on here. The music is great. They had a great soundtrack and I was so ready to download the OST.

This drama has a lot of re-watch value. I'll probably be watching this again in a couple of months. Half of me wishes the drama wasn't over.

Overall, Master's Sun isn't perfect but that still doesn't mean it doesn't shine brightly. The cast has great chemistry. So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin have amazing CHEMISTRY and there romance with each other is what carried this show. It has all the elements of an amazing drama. If you like romance, comedy, and a bit of horror then you'll love this drama as much as I did.

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Note: This was my first review on MDL!
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Miss No Good will have you completely laughing hilariously as Rainie puts on the best show as the over-the-top Xiao Hua, the christmas tree. (That'll make sense once you watch the show).

From beginning to end, Miss No Good made me happy like no other, it was my guilty pleasure and I was looking forward to Xiao Hua charming the cold exterior behind the ML, Tang Men. This drama also succeeded in teaching me one of the most important lessons which is to love yourself and if someone truly loves you, they'll love you for you and not the person you change yourself to be.

Overall, this drama is very lighthearted but also heart warming. I didn't know what to expect when starting this drama but it easily stepped into one of my favorite Rainie dramas to date.

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This drama exceeds everyone's expectations despite the controversies even before filming started until it has finally aired. There are 2 episodes left but I'm already writing a review simply because whether it has a good or a bad ending, I want to encourage everyone that this drama is really worth watching.

A Masterpiece-to-be , said the director of 'Misaeng', 'Signal' and 'My Mister'; Director Kim Won Seok. A drama that heals everyone who was having hardships in life. A drama that will touch our hearts. EVERYONE, please listen. This is NOT a romantic drama. It is one of the issues that this drama faced prior to its airing. Lee Ji-An, a girl in her 20s experiencing hardships in life portrayed by IU, Park Dong Hoon, a married man in his 40s portrayed by Lee Sun Kyun together with his brothers, Park Ki Hoon(Song Sae Byuk) and Park Sang Hoon(Oh Dal Su; later replaced by Park Ho San because of the rape allegations). Controversies regarding a man on his 40s developing a relationship with a girl on her 20s surfaced before the drama aired. Allegations on Oh Dal Su that affected not only him but the drama as well, until he was eventually replaced by Park Ho San. But behind all of this, they never failed to deliver.

Story: This is the first time I'm watching a drama not because I'm a fan of IU, but because I want to watch something different. Something unique. As a person that is currently having hardships in life, this drama attracted my attention. Not a romantic drama, not a thriller, not a Rom-Com. But instead, a healing drama, no romance at all. How many times have you watched dramas with a cliché plot? My Mister showed a different perspective in life. Even though we're experiencing hardships and problems, there's always a light of hope. With your family, with your colleagues, and that special someone that has been on your side ever since.

Acting/Cast: I've watched all of IU's dramas since I'm a fan and I can see how much she has improved all through this years. Some people doubted if she can pull of cold, and tough woman since her past roles showed a more bright and fresh image. Well, she proved them wrong. Her acting in this drama is probably the best out of all her drama. Lee Sun Kyun on the other hand for me is somewhat underrated. Since some(not all) based their preferences on looks but not on their acting. This is somewhat irrelevant but if you come to think of it, Lee Sun Kyun is one of the Ahjussis in Korean Entertainment today but has been overshadowed by other actors(not going to drop names). I believe that if other actors took this role, this won't be as good as it is right now. Lee Sun Kyun perfectly portrayed a middle-aged man who is trying to survive despite the hardships and challenges that life has given to him. Believe me, once you watched the drama you'll get goosebumps every time his scene comes up. Song Sae Byuk and Park Ho San complimented the character of Lee Sun Kyun really well as his brothers. Their chemistry together is really amazing. And to think that Park Ho San is suddenly casted because Oh Dal Su has to leave, he really fits the role as the eldest brother and believe me, you wont feel much difference, you wont even think that Oh Dal Su was supposed to play this role.

Music: All of the OSTs. as in all of the OSTs is truly captivating. The way that they are played during some certain scenes gave me chills. For me, my favorite would be OST Part 2: Sondia - Adult (??). Every time this OST will be played, you can really feel the weight of each scene. Also, IU wrote lyrics of one of the OSTs. which is OST Part 4: Dear Moon.

Rewatch Value: I only gave this 9/10 because the heavy plots in this drama is definitely not easy to rewatch. Once you watched it the first time, the emotions will really kick in. This is one of the dramas that made me cry. Because I can relate and I can feel how heavy it is. Well, it's not actually bad if you rewatch it a few times, but that excitement, that surprising plot and cliffhanger on some endings of each episode makes it really worth the wait each week. Once this drama is finished, I will be rewatching it and I sincerely hope that every episode will still give me the same feeling that I have felt the first time I watched it.

Overall, a 10/10. One of the best Korean Drama ever. Trust me, it will be worth your time. The Cast, Cinematography, Music and Story is truly stunning. I hope that this drama will not be underrated and receive recognition as much as other titles. It may have received a lot of controversies and issues along the way but it truly stayed to its track and captivates the heart of the viewers. Thank you so much and it has been an honor watching such a masterpiece.

EDIT:
Last two episodes: As I said in the earlier section of my review, I wrote this review while there are still 2 episodes left and no matter what the ending would be my verdict will still be the same. Out of all the episodes, these last two episodes probably is the best. Now that the drama is finished, please do me a favor and share this masterpiece with your friends. "Even if you're having hardships in life, just hang in there. It's no big deal".

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--> In one line <-- : If you've never been confronted to this genre before, it's a way like another to discover it, though not exactly the best start."

For over half of the episodes I tried and during the five episodes I've gone through, not once did I feel entertained. But then again, maybe it isn't entirely the drama's fault ; it had been sold to me as a particular genre, and therefore I was waiting to see a story fitting the said genre ; except it had nothing to do with it. Then the question is, would I have enjoyed the show if it had been sold properly to me ? Maybe....but probably not. Whether or not this was sold to me properly shouldn't have been an obstacle to feel entertained, but I wasn't. The question now is why.

Let's start with the plot. For the majority of the seen episodes nothing mattering occurred; if the scenarist's inspiration was Gustave Flaubert, a French writer bragging how he can write about "nothing", then he succeeded, but missing the writing style. One would say it is used to build up the suspense or to get to know the characters better ; I felt none of the two. I simply did not care ; at fault isn't really the story, in itself, it is neither bad nor good, just boring ; the real issue, is the acting performance of the cast.

The cast looks bored, and inevitably, when an actor isn't entertained by his own job, the interest in the performed character is immediately hindered and in this case, it includes close to the entire cast. So if they are bored, why should I, on the opposite, feel entertained ? I am after all the receptor. As for the characters themselves, they are generic and don't leave much of an impression, except one or two. Well, on the other side, it is also the role of the director to guide his/her actors' properly so they can perform at their best and how he/she wants the characters to be. So the actors, even if bored or not, aren't entirely at fault, the director shares the blame.

A second issue, with the story, is linked to the situation they are in : teenagers cut from the rest of the world in a building with one of them being a murderer ; and most of the time, I have absolutly no sense of danger ; the characters are way too calm and composed and only start to react in a more realistic way in episode 5 (if the question is why I didn't continue when it was finally starting to have a ray of entertainement is that I simply forgot about it and couldn't care less anymore) ; even the simulacre of investigation, or the revelation of some pasts and some shades of mystery being solved aren't enough for it to build suspense or entertainment.

The music is very often redundant and the same song used too often per episode, but apart from that, there's no real formal issue with the production ; and then, considering some musics they use, they certainly lost a good amount of money simply to pay rights. Don't expect many asian songs in this, there's a fair amount of older occidental songs. Like, dislike, but do not forget they'll be quite repetitive and sometimes overused.

The rewatch value....well, obviously....when one drops it, it can only be quite low.

Overall....as I said...the show isn't bad, just uninteresting and generic. If you've never seen this kind of story, you might appreciate it, because naturally it'll appear fresh and new like every first time, but then I hope you'll encounter many more stories of this genre in the future, because if it isn't bad, it isn't good either and there's a lot of good fictions with similar stories waiting out there.

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Rooftop Prince is a drama that I have gotten endless recommendations to watch. It's highly rated on MDL not only for the year it came out, but overall on the website. The idea of Joseon prince and some of his faithful subjects being transported to the future, present day, is quite appealing. Especially where he needs the present to solve the murder of his wife in the past.

The story sounds like a solid drama. Sadly Rooftop Prince is a drama that couldn't handle being 20 episodes. I'd like to think if the writers had to get it all done in 16 the story would have been cleaner. The first 9 or so episodes do a good job with jokes about the past characters adjusting to the present. The emphasis elevator scene and so on. But if you took out the time travel and such it's not that big of a key element to the drama. Besides some jokes, and then the first and last episodes.

The writers were so focused on putting standard drama tropes and plots in Rooftop Prince that it killed the parts that made the concept so unique.

The characters ended up feeling very hallow. Villains that did things for the sake of being villains. Other dramas at least try to make you see the other side. These villains were despicable because that's what they do. The leads spend so much time getting kicked by them that it's hard to cheer them on, or care. The prince is the standard jerk who can't decide on his feelings, though he is aware that he is leading, and playing with Park Ha. Park Ha is the lead who never truly learns and gets stuck behind the trope of never standing up for herself. She just keeps smiling.

Though I will give credit that Park Ha realizes the kind of man she's fallen for in the prince. He's selfish and will eventually put himself first. As a prince I understand thinking of others is hard for him, and as the drama comes to a close he realizes his mistakes. So points for that.

The side characters are interesting, and the ducklings/stop light boys are so much fun. In fact, if they were more developed I would have gone for one of them as the love interest for Park Ha. Alas, the writers decided that side characters should remain as window trappings only. What a waste.

The music did nothing for me and I don't think it enhanced the drama. I've already forgotten it. And boy I won't be rewatching this one ever.

In the end I understand Rooftop Prince's appeal. Why fans love it. However, I can only see it as a missed opportunity to create a unique drama. Instead all I viewed was a boring show with the same hijinks that other dramas have. The writers were to revved up to put a unique cast, and concept, into a stereotypical roles to keep fans happy. It bums me out that I couldn’t really enjoy this one. But to each their own.

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Absolutely loved this! I love the way it's like a combination of what I love about western shows and Chinese shows - the adventure/trap-solving of Indiana Jones combined with the wu-xia style sects, focus on brotherhood/honor/etc. ...and the weird-scifi/mystery of Lost. Perhaps it's also because this is the first chinese series I've seen with this kind of subject matter/plot that I loved it so much. (I've since discovered that this seems to be a new genre in Chinese tv....). At any rate, I absolutely got sucked into this series. The main characters were compelling and I loved how they developed and changed throughout the series. Watching Li Cu get darker, trying to figure out Wu Xie, and watching all the relationships between all of the main characters - the friendships, the mentor-relationships, the romantic ones, etc. ....is just addictive. I only wish there were more.

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Desperate attempts from the production

This drama is nothing like any other korean drama i've watched. At first it makes me eager to know what happened to all the villains characters in it but in the end they decided to keep the audiences by continuing to season 2 which is for me unnecessary because in season 1 they drag and spin the story line too much . I think the director/production are so desperate in attempts to make it a hit drama. It has no originality, trying to copy sky castle drama by not being better but horrible at it.The fact that they tried to copy sky castle already annoyed me so much because in sky castle the riches wants their kids to continue studies in medic, which is makes sense but in this drama the compete to be soprano singers? Like wth?
If you like all the screaming, dramatic and overly react acting, then you can watch this drama. Nearly the end, I feel so sick of watching all the screaming scenes. If you asked me whether it worth to watch, I said no. The only thing good about this drama is the actress play their roles so well and they are all suited with the characters in the drama.

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The reason I found this K-Drama is because I was searching for the US version of Leverage and came found this remake. The original Leverage is one of my favorite TV shows of all time so I had to see what the Korean version would be like. My review may be biased because of my high hopes for this show. For the rest of the review I will be referring to the new Korean remake of Leverage as KLeverage and the original US version as just Leverage.

First things first, the KLeverage shares the simplest plot elements with Leverage. Both shows feature a insurance investigator whose son dies. Both have a cast of five with roles of Mastermind, Grifter, Thief, Hacker, and Fighter. Both are based on a Robin Hood concept where the team tries to help the underdog in a fight against a corporation. That's where the similarities end. KLeverage's episodes are connected by the victims who are all related to the people that led to the main character's son's death. Leverage's episodes are isolated plots where each episode features a new victim whom the team helps. This is understandable because of the format of Korean vs Western TV shows. In 16 episodes, KLeverage cannot follow the same format that Leverage did. However, the story of KLeverage is uninspired with cookie cutter villains all willing to kill whoever bothers them.

KLeverage features an interesting group of characters who work well together. Without time to provide fully introduce each character's backstory, KLeverage is still able to show some growth. The actors also did a wonderful job as portraying each member of the team as likable in their own unique way. This is what I believe KLeverage did the best and what would keep me watching for a season 2.

In hindsight, KLeverage is exactly what it sets out to be. It is a Korean remake of an American show which means it is going to be similar to other Korean dramas. I should not have been surprised that it did not follow the same format as its 77 episode predecessor. As a casual watcher of Asian (and mostly love dramas at that), KLeverage did nothing to impress me. For someone who is more used to the Korean drama tropes, KLeverage may be an interesting crime show that can be finished in a short 16 episodes. I however, will stick to re-watching the original Leverage.

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slice of life mini series

Overall: this is a 20 minute short movie that was originally released in 2022 and was broken up into 3 mini episodes (first episode was 5 minutes without the credits). Aired on Strongberry's YouTube channel over 3 weeks (1 episode per week)

What I Liked
- fighting over the diary
- realistic vibe
- production value

Room For Improvement
- beginning didn't hook me, and how I couldn't see the main character's face
- released such short episodes at 1 episode per week instead of all together
- the ending was open to interpretation with contradictory clues/evidence for each ending
- the title (just do an internet search on "happy ending slang" if you don't know what it means) but I didn't take off points
- the subtitles needed to stay a little longer on the screen as people read slower than when they are just listening (didn't take off points)

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Problematic show

First of all, the background music is too sudden and makes tension scenes ridiculous. Plus, even though is can be funny at first, actors really accentuate their expressions and we can not feel invested in a serious scene. The show is overall disorganized and doesn't make sense sometimes like the homophobic dad that accept so easily his son, lmao it's just impossible regarding of the character.

Now all the problems:
-Tonhon is the definition of toxic masculinity, he takes Chon as granted and didn't feel sorry at all for cheating on Chon (TriNg To pROvE He Is a MaN) and even considered it would be easy to "win" him back because Chon has loved him for so many years, I still think Chon deserves better.
- Na have been used very rudely by his friends not considering his feelings
-Tonhon dad is transphobic, considers women only as wombs and homophobic but they still wanted to make him become the good dad at the end, it's just unrealistic
-BaiPai, who I loved, didn't hesitate to out Ai and Ni, it was not her job to tell his dad and it is not acceptable but make her a remarks about that
-How Miriam didn't have a character for herself, she was literally a hardcore fangirl (I hate this type of characters, fetishize homosexuals is wrong) and a comic resort but exists only through others.
-They slutshame a lot, Miriam is chosen to be the surrogate because she is a virgin by Ton's father, they consider it is a shameful condition and make fun of the girls there. Some are here because they do not have a choice and need money, others because they genuinely like it . In either case, it shouldn't be mocked
-The tentative of rape on Chon wasn't took seriously. Overall, Amp friend is really problematic, he forces himself on Chon by heavy flirt even though he can clearly see he was uncomfortable. He tries to rape him but this subject is taken lightly like if it wasn't cool but not that bad either.
- Also the actor playing Tonhon took off his shirt way too often. Don't get me wrong, he has a great body, but it was at such a point that it was getting annoying.

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Awesome. One of the few unpredictable and not-cliched dramas of all time. It actually lived up to its genre, mystery and suspense. full of unpredictable twists and turns. it can leave you a bit confused at times, but its easy to catch up. Great character chemistry. Personality crashes are one of my personal favorites, and this had plenty of that. But for some reason, Sebumi didn't click with me. Maybe it's the character, maybe it's the actor....great acting overall. Really loved the bad guys. Their personalities will chill you, literally.
Music nothing special, and not very good re watch value. Once you know the tricks, it won't be as suspenseful anymore, because..... simply because you know the story. The story depends a lot on unpredictability.
So, anyone like suspense, action, mystery, supernatural/scifi, a must watch for you. just be ready for a lot of twists.

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I was addicted to this drama from start to finish. There are NO skips necessary. Every episode engrosses you further into the story and there isn't one scene that is dull.

THE PLOT was very interesting to me. Some may just dismiss this drama because of the "good girl meets bad boy" trope, but if you keep watching you'll see that it's not as black and white as it seems. The writing and dialogue were the two strongest points of this, hands down. This drama truly lives up to its title. As serious and melodramatic this is, there are still moments that are softening and endearing to watch, yet as fast as you smile, it will leave your face just as fast as it came. The main cast executed their scripts to a T! The portrayal of their characters really showed, and it definitely helped progress the story. THE PLOT TWISTS ARE UNPREDICTABLE and the final one left me so stunned I was literally SO SHOOK. I was so shocked as to how the story took many twists and turns in ways you never expected.

THE MAIN CHARACTERS were exceptional and outstanding at the same time. The dedication that Seo In Guk, Jung So Min, and Park Sung Woong put into their characters deserves just as much if not more praise for the drama itself. The chemistry between the leads was through the roof. You really believed they were a couple who was just going through the motions. There. were barely any scenes where I didn't believe the emotions that were being conveyed, except for some scenes with Jin Kang. I felt she was too lenient with the actions of her brother and Moo Young, but then again her character was made to be very forgiving. In a way you almost pity her for being so naive and failing to face the reality of things, but that's what made her character so human. Sometimes our love for others blinds us from seeing them for who they really are. Moo young was not a good person, even to her, at times, and the audience knows this, but Jin Kang is so convinced that Moo young is good and he can do no wrong, that he is the way he is simply because life has dealt him a bad hand of cards, and that is so earnestly human. Now I'm going to talk about Moo Young. What an amazing performance. EVERY TIME HE SMILED THERE WAS NO SMILE IN HIS EYES AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLE TO WATCH. you never knew if he was really being sincere with anyone, no matter how convincing he seemed. Seo In Guk delivered the best performance from a male lead in a drama I have seen thus far. I haven't seen him in anything besides this but I will for sure check out more shows with him in the future. What a complex character. Dangerous but somehow approachable at the same time. He is cold, arrogant, selfish, manipulative, and dismissive of other people he doesn't care about(he enjoys messing with people's emotions which kinda comes off as a sociopathic), but under the surface is a severely damaged young boy who is desperate to find his identity and learn the reason behind his suffering and tumultuous past. What's sad is he grew up believing that his past defined him, and how many people out there do the same exact thing? As for Yoo Jin Gook, he played the role of Jin Kang's brother very well. He is very protective of Jin Kang, but only because she's the only family he has. As annoying as it was watching him withhold the truth, he was the perfect example of what happens when you are not honest with your loved ones. I understand that he did not reveal Moo Young and Jin Kang's past because he wanted to protect them, but had he just said the truth early on, it would have prevented a lot of the events leading up to the finale from happening(I just find it wild that he really let his sister sleep with her brother like wow). However what makes him human is the fact that he really thought he was doing Jin Kang and Moo Young justice by withholding the truth from them when in actuality it worsened the situation of everyone involved. I'm sure there was a time where we didn't tell the truth to protect someone we cared about. My only real complaint about Park Sung Woong is I felt like he could have shown off more of an emotional range. A lot times he looked too stoic and lacked the emotion that a scene demanded. Although he is flawed you understand the actions he makes and the reasons behind them. As an orphan he did the best he could to raise Jin Kang and protect her at all costs.

THE MUSIC was so moving and fit the theme of emotion for every scene. Just perfect. The melody to "Lost" really stuck to me and I can't stop thinking about the scenes between Moo Young and Jin Kang.

Overall I give this drama a 10/10. I wouldn't rewatch cause I don't like rewatching things I've already seen even if I enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean it was anything less than amazing. The ending wasn't happy but given the tone of the drama, it wouldn't have felt right if Moo Young and Jin Kang got happily ever after. I felt a certain peace knowing that in the end, regardless of their intertwined pasts and mistakes, The two had fully accepted one another and were willing to face anything together-including death. One thing that stood out to me was that Moo Young was always self-aware of himself so he was never too far gone, and somehow Jin Kang was able to get through to him and convince him to change his ways. Had he had more time, I would like to believe that he would've become a better man. He had already started, but it was too late. It really is inevitable for a person's deeds to catch up to them. The end of their saga was beautiful and tragic at the same time, but I wouldn't end it any other way.

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This movie was different. I thought it was kinda slow @ 1st, but it picked up quick. It showed a different look on 1st loves. Just b/c u found ur 1st love does not mean that they r the person u r fated 2 be w/. I love that Gong Yoo can play a dorky type character that still gets the girl....LOL! He has this manliness about him that shines through even when he is playing the part of a chicken. Seo Ji Woo's character was a great compliment 2 Han Gi Joon. Where he was scared 2 face things she wasn't & where she was scared he wasn't. I was happy throughout the movie & I loved that the flashbacks had me guessing about Ji Woo's 1st love. I recommend this movie if ur looking for something 2 make u feel like; even though u missed love the 1st time u can always find it again & usually where u least expect it. Hope for a true love is what u get from this movie. I hope all who watch enjoy.

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