Reviews

No impact

This drama was mid.

What I liked:
The cast/acting (Ji Chang Wook is an S tier romance ML. When he loves, I love. When he cries, I cry.)
The potential for revenge/justice against Bang Eunjoo
The friends/lovers/EXs/family convoluted feelings
The background of why the leads broke up
The family town aspect

What I disliked:
The fizzled out romantic ending. The leads could have gotten married, or moved in together, or took some other step to farther their relationship, but no. Some sneaking, kissing and cuddles then BAM: Another long separation. It reminds me of the ending of Because This is My First Life. I understand that SK people are into traveling and fulfilling your dreams at the expense of romance and family, but damn. Cho Samdal could have went with him! Or he could have worked in Seoul. Or just take a 6 month work abroad for the experience. The kicker is he didn't even need the work experience because he was already offered a job in Seoul. Like really, working in Switzerland for 2 years FOR WHAT? Like that's going to make a difference in anything. It was so sudden and illogical.

The lack of fulfilling revenge. Cho Samdal's career was set right again with a nice little bow after 1 thing was revealed. There was no satisfying dramatic reveal of Eunjoo's sly personality, cheating, or catty behavior to everyone. Just a quick, she lied and took money. Oh, Cho Samdal is welcomed back now. What? Where is the drama? I felt heart wretched with worry for what. There was no satisfying, meticulous take down.

To be honest, halfway through, I started skipping through a lot of supporting character scenes. It was slow and I don't think I missed much.

This drama makes me feel like I stuck my hands in water. It felt great for a while, but when I pulled my hands out - there was nothing. It all slipped through my fingers. Nothing of real substance to particularly love and remember.

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I do not know what other's are talking about

This was a great show. Honestly, it was simple, pacing was good, story line was straightforward, everything was suggested early enough to address later. This isn't a complicated show and that may be why I've seen so many negative reviews. One person said that star in my mind was better but that show brought an abuse plot and brushed over it and their conflict continued on until the last two episodes. Dunk's acting isn't perfect but he definitely improved and he made me feel the same nerves that his character felt during many scenes in the show. He played the "trying his best" character really well even if it wasn't always perfect. I can't criticize the bobble head comment because I know people in real life that move like that, so it genuinely didn't bother me. Joong's acting was perfect, their chemistry was so natural and it's one of the best potrayals of a dating couple I've seen in a show. The puppy love, the progression, the nerves, the true love (which joong nailed, he was acting incredible from face to body). And it's not fair to compare them to other high quality shows because a lot of those had the romance as the side plot and a bigger plot occurring. This show's main plot IS the romance and the obstacles they face during its progression. Joke explains he developed a crush on Zo because he was the first person to ask what he wants and respect it which made sense when we see how neglected he felt by his parents. Zo is the textbook nerdy boy with his walls up because his mom was strict and his friend lead him on and ridiculed him in the process. The debate club wasn't even that in your face but that was explained because Zo wanted to make his mom proud. They argued when they needed when Zo or Joke were being a unreasonable. The stalker story was explained to be occurring from years before and which didn't need to take up more time than it did and resolved in the most rational way you can instead of brushed over. The parents' effects on the boys were implied from the beginning and then things occurred for them to get closer (Zo's dad in the hospital, and Zo telling Joke's dad that he realized life is too short for him to mince his words and he should tell his son how he really feels). And the biggest criticism I've seen is the hidden agenda. One, the author can name the title whatever it may be, it really is not that serious but MOST IMPORTANTLY, Zo was absolutely valid in his hurt. Zo and Joke put so much importance in honesty and communication and it was mentioned SO MANY times so finding out he came to Zo with hidden intentions definitely made sense in the grand scheme of things especially after his past friend lied to his face and shut him down when Zo confessed. Zo was always upfront with Joke even with the Nita situation. And if someone were to find out that your partner lied to you, especially after being confronted, it makes you wonder what else they may be lying about. It wasn't stretched out too long either, Joke tried to make amends his way and then apologized and Zo stated all he was looking for was an apology. Everything was fleshed out as well as it can be for a cute show like this, so it makes me wonder if other critics and I were even watching the same show. I understand if this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it felt that some of the critiques were not coming from a fair place. Not everything needs to be shown to be understood and they utilized their 12 episodes really well. There were some lagging moments in two episodes but not enough to turn me off. The side couple were there and cute and did not take too much time but enough to get their story across. There were honestly only about 1.5 NC scenes and the couple others were just kiss scenes and their chemistry was so natural and beautiful, I genuinely believed I was watching two people in love. If the show was as bad as people make it out to be then they deserve a chance to move up from here especially with how many veteran actors have been in worse shows and now are great in their craft. But my final thoughts, I truly thought every aspect of this show was amazing and the dynamics were natural. Watching it from the pov that this is a romance focused or almost slice of life type of drama, it hit the mark and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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This show! It has taken over me!

Love and Redemption snuck up on me and now I can't function.
I don't want to make this a post about comparing and sh*tting on another show but I'm gonna say this for people who like me tried to watch/watched Ashes of Love and didn't like it and now they are not sure if they should check this out because the two shows seem similar: This is like Ashes of Love if Ashes of Love was actually good! I’ll say give it a chance!
Okay, trash-talk over, moving on to positive review!

I'm going to give a tiny summary because the description here is bad.
A thousand years ago, there was a war between the heavenly realm and the demon realm. The demons were winning thanks to a very powerful general called Star of Mosha. Then this God of war showed up, annihilated Star of Mosha, and the heavenly realm won the war. But because Mosha was very powerful, they couldn't fully kill him and a part of his soul was put in a jar and was hidden in one of the sects on earth. A thousand years have passed and it seems that stars are (literally) aligning for Mosha’s return.
Now, the story really starts when during a cultivation tournament, the younger daughter of the Shaoyang sect leader, Xuan Ji, meets the star disciple of Lize palace, Si Feng, and they become friends. Xuan Ji doesn’t have the six senses (She is color-blind, can’t differentiate sounds, smells, and tastes, has no sense of pain or touch, and doesn’t process emotions.) Si Feng, Xuan Ji, her sister Ling Long and senior disciple Min Yan form the most adorable quartet of friends and decide to help Xuan Ji regain her sense by finding this magical mirror. They end up uncovering some serious demonic activities regarding Star of Mosha and what happened a thousand years ago…

This show has every trope and concept that my romantic heart could possibly crave:
1)star-crossed lovers
2)Falsified history
3)Hot men with wings
4)Ride or die group of misfit friends
5)The rejects are the good people and they get together and are cute and adorable and heroic
6)Some serious subversion of romantic dynamics and gender-norms
7)Happyily-ever-after
8)Complex female characters
9)Did I mention FRIENDHSIPS TO DIE FOR?
10)No instalove. It’s a S L O W B U R N!
11)Mythology, fantastical creatures and figures
12)Love that lasts lifetimes…10 of ‘em!
13)No love-triangles, ridiculous cheatings, or other boring shenanigans that make hetero-romances garbage…
14) Subplots that are actually interesting and engaging
15)Perfect foreshadowing work…PERFECT
16) HOT MEN SUFFERING WHILE LOOKING PRETTY

I did not expect to love this show as much as I did. However, I loved the story. I loved the execution and everything in between.
One of the strong points of this show was its plot and story. Unlike a lot of other shows which just drag out the plot with melodrama, love-triangles and etc. this show is actually dragged out by action-packed plot and complex narratives. There is a lot happening in every episode and even if sometimes it becomes overwhelming, it’s definitely still moving the plot somewhere. Even episodes that slow down to develop romances and such are very well-paced and seem justified. I could maybe shorten it for 3 episodes but eh, it’s fine. A problem that I have with some cdramas is their boring B plots that I just want to fast-forward through but L&R manages to have such an endearing supporting cast of characters that I was genuinely invested in all of the side-romances and their plots. There are some mind-blowing plot twists in the show that you realize were all foreshadowed. They leave a mix of spot-on clues in addition to fake clues to both give you information and confuse you and then they deliver for every.single.one. fake or real clues. *mind: blown* Overall, I would say the plot develops and moves in an incredibly satisfying way. Something I really love is that despite an obscene number of misunderstandings in the show, at crucial moments there is always one character screaming at everyone else for being idiots and misunderstanding the situation. The show ends up also being very feminist with some very positive messages about women and identity, trauma, agency, and autonomy over one’s body which I consider an inherently feminine issue but also one with [SPOILER] [SPOILER] tones and the story has BOTH…you’ll get it when you watch the whole thing!

The casting in this show was just perfect. The main leads did an amazing job. Crystal Yuan was wonderful as Xuan Ji. She actually made me endeared towards a character who if done badly would have been very frustrating. She actually has nuance in her performance because slowly as Xuan Ji gains her senses and catches feelings, you can see the little changes in her behavior and it’s the most satisfying thing ever. Cheng Yi also knocked it out of the park! That man carried this show on his shoulders. Definitely the emotional anchor of the show was Cheng Yi’s portrayal of Si Feng and the many, many, MANY tribulations he goes through! Lol, I can’t recall the last time I watched a male character suffer so terribly on screen. But the perfect acting doesn’t end there. Liu Xue Yi plays his character so well… a little too well at times. I am obsessed with every acting choice that Bai Shu made for his portrayal of Teng she. Hou Meng Yao made me tear-up TWICE. Fu Fang Jun might just be the most charismatic man on earth and Li Xin Ze had no right breaking my heart like that.

The music, I didn’t love. It wasn’t bad. I just…I think I’m just not the right person to give an opinion on music. Sorry

The production of this show was also better than most you’ll see in Xianxia shows. The CGI was very good. The sets were quite lovely. We have three realms, five sects, and at least four random towns the characters visit and each had distinct styles and aesthetics. There were some grey wash “bare meadows of misery” where action sequences occurred but I guess that’s just how life is; sometimes the background is grey! I especially loved the design for Lize Palace for SPOILER reasons. It was a very nice little clue left for the viewers who were paying attention to details.

The costumes: I wasn’t crazy for the girl’s costumes and hairstyles but I guess most of the budget went into providing Si Feng with his majestic wardrobe and I respect that decision.

The negative: There are a lot of misunderstandings. I know at some point a lot of viewers hated Xuan Ji and were blaming her. I personally didn’t and there were certain things going my way even during the darkest episodes of the show which made me really excited to keep watching so I was satisfied. However, the misunderstandings can absolutely be a turn-off for some viewers. The show is also tropey as hell while subverting some other tropes. I love my xianxia tropes and I haven’t watched so many that I’ll be annoyed by the repetitions yet. I actually enjoyed recognizing certain tropes and calling them out. There are also some “convenient” McGuffins in the story if you are going to be nitpicky about it.
But I believe, once you start enjoying a show, and you are so invested in the characters, and the story keeps delivering in a satisfying way, the occasional plot hole, bad lighting or framing, and whatever else won’t really matter anymore. It’s only when you are not enjoying yourself that you will get hung up on the technical aspects of the production.
Somewhere between episode 2 and 3, I started to love this show and I just loved it all the way, and those minor issues didn’t matter at all.

Love and Redemption is also one of those shows that require a rewatch because there are so many things that will be revealed that actually affect the way you perceive the whole story. These will come through in a second watch once you already know all the plot twists and outcomes and will look out for those foreshadows.

I will recommend this to anyone who likes the things I listed above. It’s definitely the best Xianxia show I have watched so far and I will probably not be over it for a while.

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A STORY THAT MADE THE EP 11 CURSE BREAK.

So this is my honest review, i was so into ohmfluke and lately their series are like confused plot lines. So i believe this will be a better as it from the same people who did ECLIPSE THE SERIES then i started watching it in hope that from each and every episode my hope was like the budget drop line.. It was hitting the bottom upto the 10th episode, i lost all hope.. Then just today i watched the climax episode, can you believe a budget like can rise to the top in 1 episode, but they did it without much vulgarity! I loved the climax most and it was satisfying and understanding!! And the sister character mint she did such a great act in this episode even her role was something that must be appreciated!!
And other than that what i wanna mention more about this series will be of course its OST & BGM!
Especially the opening track and bgm played in the episode they're one of my favorite! Lke favorite about this series, something that actually make me to not lose hope!!
Wish they'll get more and more good storyline!!

Normally ep 11 is considered as the cursed episode in all BL but here episode 11 dod did a good magic maybe because it's the final😅.

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One-Sided Chemistry

I thought the premise of the show was great. I loved that Kawi could not go back in time on subsequent trips to the same moments he'd already gone back to. He got one shot and had to live with whatever domino effect it caused.

Gawin did a great job as Pisaeng. It's so clear when his feelings for Kawi begin to develop. You watch him fall in love with Kawi so naturally. Never once did I doubt the feelings Pisaeng had for Kawi.

I'm not going to remark on Krist's acting because it's hard to determine how much is direction, writing and the actor's choices. What I will comment on is his character, Kawi. Kawi was, at times, very likable and easy to cheer on. However he was also so negative and self-defeating he often became exhausting to watch. Like Kawi, I frequently wondered why Pisaeng liked him. He could have done better, to be honest.

I wish Max got more screen time and more of a storyline of his own. I thought he was a really great character and at one point thought Pisaeng was going to end up dating him during one of the incarnations of the past. I liked that they talked about the political realities of being queer in Thailand with the current laws. My own teenage years in the US were similar to where Max was in the past timeline.

Pearmai was an interesting character. I think she could have been handled better in terms of her liking and sort of waiting for Pisaeng even though she knew he wasn't into her. It was also very poorly handled when she decided to give the guy she'd JUST rejected a shot once she was finally rejected herself. That didn't sit right with me. I really liked her development with her parents and the struggles she had going on there.

I really enjoyed the message of living in the present and choosing to live a life you don't wish to go back and "fix." Easier said than done off screen, of course. I really liked how the time jumps connected to the last moment Kawi was present in the past or future.

The thing that really brought down my rating was Kawi's side of the romance with Pisaeng. As I mentioned already, I never doubted for a moment that Pisaeng had fallen for Kawi. However, I never believed Kawi had genuinely fallen for Pisaeng, with the exception of the majority of the last episode. Instead of being together because he finally realizes he loves Pisaeng, to me it came off a lot more like Kawi had eliminated all the other options and what he was left with was a best friend who was indispensable but in love with him. So he decided to get into a relationship to keep this person in his life.

I know that's not the intent of the show but its how it came across to me. When they'd kiss Kawi didn't seem to want to be there or participating in it. He fell into a trope I hate in bl of the more passive partner dodging affection (what couple actively avoids kissing each other ALL the time even in private? this is the trope I'm referring to not specifically Kawi as he wasn't that bad but he had plenty of these moments). You wind up with Pisaeng basically begging for attention and affection and Kawi begrudgingly allowing it some of the time. This 100% came off as "I got the consolation prize but I really wanted the actual prize." (Pisaeng being the consolation for Kawi.)

I won't get into it too much, but the whole scene with Kawi being near-unconscious levels of drunk and kissing Pisaeng only for Pisaeng to continue while Kawi is unresponsive was incredibly unsettling. This felt very out of character for someone who had been very careful and considerate of Kawi during the rest of the series.

Gawin carried this show for me

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Fantastic.. Fantastic as the title I could start describing this drama...

Yes, maybe isn't a masterpiece, and yes, a common drama but wow! this made me smile, cry and want to hug many of these characters... but where I should start? Maybe in dramas like these instead of 16 episodes I could do only 12 or 14, yeah, the plot always lost a bit of that strength in the middle, but in this drama I almost (yeah, hardly to find the perfect drama) didn't notice because I wanted to know as every character could have their endings.

Fantastic show a reality in thousand and thousand of people in this planet fighting against a disease, and here every character has a way to show the different ways to struggle in these diseases, and I think that's the beauty in this drama. To feel as everyone near to the main lead is living this type of situation.

I think every actor and actress was perfect to every character, and personally, Joo sang wook and Kim Hyun-Joo did a pretty interpretation as leads on this drama. (Pchhh, I don't wanna to sound biased, but if you like Jisoo, well be ready yourself.)

Okay, I don't wanna be extra boring telling you my review, but if you are searching romance, you have it! Drama? Well,,, is dramaland. Sometimes you will want to cross the screen and punch some faces too, but I think that's something good haha.

Don't be scared by the theme of this drama, I usually run of this type of dramas but I don't regret giving to this a chance. I promise you will end with a smile in your face! or at least I hope so!!

Lighty drama with a good combination of comedy, drama, and love.
Have a good time, and a big hug to all these out there who are struggling with some disease or problem! Good vibes always :D

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Almost worked

I usually skip Dilraba Dilmurat works as I don't think she has chemistry with anyone. Yes she's beautiful and her acting skills gotten better but she still didn't pull off what the story required. Her big eyes always looked kind of blank & I am sure there will be lots of people offended with that comment.

What worked:
Story - overall interesting at least for the first 30 ep. Then the last portion dragged on w/ the the evil witch
Character growth was well written: FL, the princess & Hao Du were my top 3
Strong overall cast and supporting cast:
Zhao Lu Si (Princess) - I always watch her dramas even the subpar ones. She's always a delight to watch. Her character growth was the best in this drama.
Liu Yu Ning (Hao Du) - Loved his character the most
Leo Wu (Ashile Sun) - The little kid that was in Nirvana Fire grew up! Ok I didn't think he had any character development but every drama needs that hero
Random super cool swordsman - standard new character introduction with a pop in rescue
Ending - It's NOT the typical everyone dies kind

What didn't work:
2nd 1/2 - dragged on and the whole evil plot wasn't that entertaining
The disappearing martial arts of the FL. It happens a lot in many dramas. Fierce FL started out can beat a 100 men and then as the story goes, she needs to get rescued by literally everyone
Not enough screen time of Zhao Lu Si & Hao Du. There was a huge gap where she just didn't even appear in any episodes

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A DRAMA TO DROP EARLY- TOO LONG AND TORTUOUS

Story: This is a story about marriage, mothers-in-law, raising children. The thesis of the writer - the characters must be rude, mindless, selfish, overbearing, dishonest, uncaring, unethical, and basically devoid of normal human responses.

The main couple meets at work. The older male is the number 2 man in a huge investment firm and meets an upstart new young employee and falls head over heels with her ending in a quick proposal and one nightstand. She immediately becomes pregnant. Since the company has a no dating rule -- their decisions from this point forward become the source of "FANTASY and what makes this drama insufferable but still lures you to watch. From the point of this ill-begotten decision (which is really early in this 40 episode drama) the viewer must watch this marriage fall into an abyss of hell.

Curiosity will cause you to continue to watch, but after a while, you are watching and screaming at the television
What is family and why is there all of this negative energy in this family? If you ever thought you were in a bad marriage situation - well you will not feel that way after watching this drama.

I am just going to list the WHY I HATE THE FEMALE CHARACTER (not going to dwell on the MALE CHARACTER because I viewed him as STUPID, A WIMP, and IMPOTENT.

1. what would be the natural order of establishing a family with this first quiz? Who leaves the company?

2. when the company does not welcome pregnant employees, and you know it - what should you do as a pregnant woman (especially when given an opportunity?

3. When you are pregnant what do you decide to ingest or who chooses where you are going to give birth?

4.When you have a premature baby and your body has not healed what is the first thing you worry about - your job or the baby?

5. Why do you listen to your divorced, sick, selfish mother when making decisions?

6. Why don't you take the blame for your bad decisions and not shift them over to your husband7
.
7. Why are you so jealous and accusing of "affairs" when you are the coldest most argumentative woman ever portrayed in a drama?

I can go on and on and continue complaining about the writer's portrayer of this character. As you begin to feel something is seriously wrong with the messages of this drama to any viewer, in any country - let alone the country of origin you should tell yourself - HIT the REALITY button and DROP. Even enduring to the end will make you unhappy. Without revealing any more spoilers., I issue a precautionary warning - this is an ABNORMAL relationship and don't believe anything the writers spew at you - especially the ending.

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Unfortunately, the second season was a far cry from the first. I couldn't find what I was looking for. So, I didn't like it. I think because it's so conclusion-oriented, it's a matter of how to end it, the chemistry between this person and that person, marriages, dating, comparisons, wars, jealousies, escapes, chases, deaths and resurrections, and so on. It felt like the screenwriter was at a loss for words, unsure how to tie it all together, and couldn't quite reach a conclusion. I didn't like it. Just as the first season played the game of two lovers, distant yet protective of each other but unable to open up to each other, the second season saw the end of that game, and they kissed more than they'd ever kissed before. In fact, there were enough kissing scenes in one season to even say, "My husband hasn't kissed me this much." The chemistry between the leads is excellent. They could even be considered the best man of the year. But this level of chemistry was achieved only in the second season. In fact, this chemistry was perfect until Chang Yang's death, and afterward, for some reason, it continued to thrive on other things. I died and was resurrected, more attention, I was so sorry to lose you. Instead of being able to leave your side, she turned to other things. There was no unification. War broke out, and so on. There was an imperial rebellion. Eventually, there was a happy ending. Everyone was rewarded. They also had a path to travel. Do you know what the worst part was? The evildoers weren't punished. They were demoted. They were thrown out into the streets. That was it. But they were crushed under the weight of it all. The man died. Instead of dying there, the woman went to the forest to find a tree. A nun appeared in that isolated forest and prevented her suicide. That's how the princess escaped death. I think she became a nun. She settled in a convent. I'm at a loss for words. What caught my attention here is that this treacherous and evil princess was initially with five or six men, slicing people like watermelons, killing them, and burning them. She was ruthless. Now, she's got a lot of water to kill him. I wondered if I should shoot or not, or if I should dig a hole. While I was doing this, the man woke up, and they talked about her husband and love and regret. It was ridiculous. I could understand the man, but he was a normal person because they, the prince and princess, did this badly. But the princess was already bad. The worst of the worst. How did her character change so much in season 2, especially in the final episodes. She became a mentor to her husband. She saved Mudan. She couldn't kill her husband. In fact, she was crushed by her husband. How can you play a character this much? The character is completely lost. It didn't happen. In episode 19, the army arrives. Its commander goes to search the prince's residence. The others are waiting in front of the city. Explosions occur. Everyone, including the prince, hears the explosions. However, the army waiting in front of the city doesn't hear anything, doesn't intervene, as if they were asleep. Their commander dies. What could the deaf sultan possibly say to me if he heard it? They supposedly came for this purpose. Then they learn what happened and are sent back. It was completely unconvincing. Chang Yang's murder and the Prince's men raiding the mansion were completely contrived, unserious scenes. They were unconvincing. And then, supposedly, Chang Yang doesn't die. He's tortured to death, but he still doesn't die, he escapes, and so on, in other words, he's resurrected. It was hilarious. That's how it happened. It didn't happen. The screenwriter should watch this. Is this even appropriate for this series? How can you destroy or provoke a series? That's exactly what happened.

Then, Chang Yang's "I'm not dead, I'm alive" outburst didn't happen either. So, whoever came up with this incident, it completely ruined the series. It ruined the series. I wish they had planned something else. I didn't like it. These are examples of what I didn't like. I could list many more, but I don't mind. The audience sees it. They don't miss a thing. Don't fool them.
I can say I was looking forward to the first season. However, I'm happy with the actors. I'm not happy with the characterizations. I especially don't understand the pairing of the doctor woman and the jealous boy, but it didn't work. It didn't work at all. I don't understand the relationship between these two, who don't even say hello. It's like they suddenly appeared. Let's say the bodyguard and Fu have their squabbles, that's where their interest in each other begins. They had some really sweet fights. This happened. What about the other one? He's already playing a repulsive character. How did you find a decent, idealistic doctor who respects his profession and then find a character who separates and rats out people who are worthless? What do you think? He's doing it against his will? This kid was warned a few times. Extreme jealousy. I mean, he loves Mudan. What does the doctor have to do with it? I hope I misunderstood. It didn't happen. It never did. Apart from the lead actors, I think the hero of this series, the best, actually the worst, was Miles Wei. I really liked it. He gave an award-winning performance. Well done. He was the star of the series with his acting. A very good portrayal. He's one of the few actors who can play both good and bad so well and suit them. Congratulations. I also really liked Tu Song Yan, who played Prince Ning. For portraying a character so well. It really brought the character to the forefront. The father-in-law and son-in-law duo could also be candidates for a good match. They've really nailed it. Zhang Ya Qin was more passive in the second season. She suited the role, I liked her, but I didn't see that in the second episode. Guan Yue, Guo Zhe, Tong Meng Shi, and Jeremy Qu were the ones that caught my eye.

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I was hooked to watch this drama when I watched a very well-made fanmade video in youtube. And Song Seung Hoon & Shin Se Kyung’s chemistry blends finely so I thought of giving this drama a shot once it finished airing (I usually pick up Kdramas based on the leads’ chemistry and next; the storyline). Despite the comments & reviews of how bad the drama is, I was already determined to put When A Man Loves on my PTW list.

I’m not sure whether WAML features a stereotype storyline or not since I had never yet to watch any Korean melodrama (I did watch a few episode of Nice Guy, but it has been on hold, until now.), thus when I watch WAML, I see the storyline as something new and fresh. Honestly, I couldn’t really expect what would happen next and that somehow kept me going.

About the characters, most of them are all messed up, but it was kind of interesting and I see that as some kind of characters experiment done by the director and scriptwriters. Because it is the first time I’m having a love-hate relationship with characters of a drama. I really liked Han Tae Sang character at the first few episodes, he has that manly look and tough personality yet is very naïve in love, it is sort of cute. So I thought I could like him until the very last episode but sadly, I couldn’t. It reaches a point where his love for Seo Mi Do doesn’t feel innocent anymore, all I could I see was him trying to keep her by her side without even trying to understand her real feelings and dreams. And that just turns me off.

I’m sure lots of audience couldn’t stand with Seo Mi Do character. Me too. But, I somehow could easily put myself into her shoes of why she is being like that. Her character is surprisingly more realistic compared to other Korean dramas’ female leads. If I were in her place, I would not know too of whom to choose.

This story focuses not only on the main characters but also the supporting ones, so it is basically one of this drama’s good points. The acting is generally good. Song Seung Hoon is already a pro; obviously, he did a good job here. Shin Se Kyung, yes, she needs to vary her expression more. And that Chang Hee guy (Han Tae Sang’s right hand), it’s now the time for directors out there to give him a main character- he is one of those actors who knows to convey his emotions perfectly through eyes!

Overall, it is a good drama for me. The only problem is the main characters- they aren’t that likable. Still, it’s a good thing, since they don’t stick to cliché drama characters’ traits.

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Capital Scandal is a fun period piece drama set in the 30's during the Japanese occupation of Joseon. In this mix are the rebels who wish to free Joseon from Japanese oppression and immersion, The Japanese police and their ilk and the middle grounders (I made that term up), the people who just want to live under the radar, embrace the fun of the times and the modernization of Seoul. It is at its core, the story of a playboy who has run from all forms of obligation for most of his life and how the love of a woman changes him. And while this may be an archetype that Kang Ji Hwan has played before, I found myself loving his character anyway. I've seen him step away from this type in movies and I hope he does continue to stretch himself in the future.

I liked how deep this story became as the episodes moved along. There are nuanced and complex relationships that flesh themselves out completely and are not left hanging. While not every character gets a picture perfect conclusion, you do get the satisfaction of ends tied up nicely. There is a lot of fun, smart and snappy dialog in this drama that I don't feel was lost in the translation of the subs. The love story between the two leads was very sweet. I liked their antagonistic start, middle and end. They had a kind of old Hollywood Hepburn/Tracy feel to them.

The cinematography, color palette, clothing and music were all added delights of enhancing the feel of the time period. The Concubine Cha Song Joo had so many costume changes my head was spinning; but it was wonderful!

It struck me as I was watching Capital Scandal that even as it must have completely stretched the truth of the Japanese occupation of Joseon, (it was much worse, of course) if not over westernizing the time period; this drama speaks to the sense of pride Koreans have of their long, ancient history as a people. They deserve to feel that pride. When I think about all the ancient civilizations that remain intact, I hazard to say that Asian cultures seemed to have remembered if not kept their traditions better than most. As an American mutt, I envy the purity of that tradition and the ability to go back thousands of years tracing your family and owning your people's history. After I watched this drama I dug a little and found out just how close Korea came to being lost by that occupation. God Love Ya Japan...but I'm so glad you lost that war.

Capital Scandal is not perfect but it is a fun show. Lots of intrigue, funny situations, intense drama and a lovely little romance wrapped up in Kang Ji Hwan's special brand of bad boy comedy.

Give it a try!

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I'm quite difficult with dramas and this one... wow. This is just my opinion, you should watch it to be sure, i'm apologetic of watching it, not only reading it coz a lot of people can have different opinions.

Anyway, for me, if you're watching this because of Mike He forget it. Just forget it. His character brings shame to him. He portrayed it well, as always, but it just doesn't fit him. You know his magic spell, that one he always had in his other dramas? This drama is only saved by his presence bt yet it doesn't even let you see that sparkle of him. His character is really low, at least for me.

The main actress too... she doesn't know how to act. She's too automatic, and doesn't fit with Mike He. I heard opinions saying that was because she was not used to good girls roles but still, it's awful.

The drama scenes doesn't seem real and the character feelings as well. They didn't really develop the story and thats a pity.

For me it was not a worthy drama. Ive been looking for more opinions, thought.

The first episode is quite okay but later it just gets worse and worse.
There's not emotions, I can't feel anything from the drama and i think the things we get the most from dramas and make us like it more are the feelings the drama gives us.

I'll quote here a review of blog.dramafever.com: "Calling for Love is not a bad drama. It’s even fairly charming in its own low-key way. But a cast of talented actors seems wasted in a drama that can best be described as inoffensive."

I don't really like to tell people bad comments that make them not watch it.. but after this drama i cant think otherwise.

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totally wrecked Zeke/Fifth (watch ep 1, 2 and 13)

Overall: I liked Zeke and Fifth in My Story because they were flirty and sweet. In this season the writer totally ruined their characters and relationship. I was actively rooting for them to NOT end up together. Our Story is the third in the trilogy (season 1 is My Day which is not needed to watch to understand Our Story, season 2 is My Story which shows the beginning of Zeke/Fifth as a couple and is helpful to watch but not totally necessary) 13 episodes about 37 minutes each (taking out the built in commercials at the end). Aired on Oxin Films YouTube channel.

Notes: I watched most episodes but skipped a few because I wanted to poke my eyeballs out, I kept up with comments/what happened overall though. I suggest watching episode 1, 2, episode 9 part 3 at 7 minutes (nsfw scene), episode 10 part 3 at 10 minutes (nsfw scene) and episode 13

Content Warnings: attempted suicide, past suicide, parental abuse, intimate partner abuse, homophobia, non con picture taking/sharing, alcoholism, depression, sexism, gaslighting, manhandling

What I Liked
- Zeke and Fifth were cute/sweet/flirty (ep 1 and 2)
- GL rep (though the pacing was odd/not enough screentime)
- it was too frequent but the innuendo jokes were fun
- Xion Lim (director) played an assistant as Easy Ferrer (writer) as the other assistant
- Zeke's supportive mom (though she was a bit too involved at times)
- opening song and ending credit song

Room For Improvement
- the writing destroyed Zeke & Fifth both as individual characters and as a couple, Zeke said how he was hurt that he was called toxic while he screamed at his boyfriend was terrible writing, Fifth's actions make zero sense to me, so many characters did total nonsense things
- abuse was handled really poorly, Fifth said "he {dad] beat us" and the response was "that means you still matter to him", like WTF?!? and then later Jelai says his ex-boyfriend who was abusing him is awesome and Jelai apologizes to his abuser?!? what year are we in?!? akldfjkslajkdljaidla!!!!!!!
- way too many couples (6 couples/love triangles) and I somehow didn't like any of them
- exposition dump/voice over to start the series
- so many nonsense/unrealistic plot things (I'm not even going to try to write them all out) example 1: that a significant other didn't know of a life threatening food allergy until 6 months of dating, example 2: that a hospital didn't have any A+ (30% of the population has this blood type) or O negative (universal donor) blood?!? they should have had Zeke have AB negative blood because a 5 second internet search showed that number of people with: O positive: 35%, O negative (universal donor): 13%, A positive: 30%, A negative: 8%, B positive: 8%, B negative: 2%, AB positive (universal recipient): 2%, AB negative: 1%
- the comedy sound effects
- toilet humor
- super dramatic thing happened at the end of episode 11 and then the majority of episode 12 we have no idea what is going on, just random side character plots happening?!?
- in the final episode, did Zeke ever apologize for all the awful things he did?!? why was just Fifth apologizing?!?!!!!!!

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Beautifully made.

This was kinda long since it's an 82 eps drama but I wanted to give it a try. And I'm glad I did.

It may be boring in the first episode or maybe two. But DO NOT drop it.

The relationships between all the cast are really attaching. Specially the MAIN LEADS.

A lot of romantic scenes and hot kisses that it makes your heart flutters.

They pretty much got chemistry. I even wished they were dating in real life, because their acting deceived me.

The plot is really good. Every episode got something special. So you can't skip an episode because you'll get the feeling you'll miss something important if you do.

The acting is REALLY good. They made me laugh with them, cry with them, and fall in love with them.

P.S: You'll envy such a love story. I totally wished somebody will love me that much. T_T

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