Reviews

Season 1 is far more better...

Love Alarm S2

Netflix just wanted to do a variety not like any other K drama but they just failed completely....

The worst drama i have seen this year..
I just feel bad for waiting for this drama for all this time..The main reason how this S1 was hit is mainly because of jojo & sun oh chemistry...
In S2 sun oh & jojo scenes are very less...
They are just trying to make sun oh negative...
They just gave importance to the character who doesn't have importance in S1..
Even though only six episodes, lagging in many scenes...

Positives
Ost...
The acting of the actors..

Negatives
A lot of negatives are there....
The chemistry b/w jojo& hye yeong, i just felt like it is forced.(especially in episode 1 )
Didn't gave any role to sun oh. ( even hye yeong had more scene than him in S1)..
Ksh worst character will be jojo..

Still now the korean doesn't know how to take drama's with love triangle plot..
Look into Hollywood series and see how they make...
One of the best love triangle(not the main plot)Drama i have seen is The vampire diaries.
From episode 1, they have given equal importance to both the male leads( Salvatore brothers). So we will be happy with who ever she ends..


Total Disappointment in Love alarm S2.....

Not because of the ending, the ways to come to that ending felt forced...

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Bon Appétit, Your Majesty just saved me from my drama slump!

Do you even know how crazy this is for me?? It has literally been ONE whole year since I properly watched a Kdrama. Like I would start dramas, watch a few episodes, drop them, lose interest instantly 😐 nothing was sticking. I thought I was done with dramas, honestly.

But then Bon Appétit, Your Majesty happened. And oh my god. I don’t even have words. I am OBSESSED. I gave it a 10/10 when there are still 8 episodes left and I don’t even care if that sounds too early because that’s how much I love it. I am hooked, like actually on the edge of my seat, counting down days for new episodes. Every single scene, every single detail is just PERFECT.

I swear I’m not exaggerating 😭 this drama singlehandedly dragged me out of the worst slump ever and I am so thankful it exists. It’s been so long since I felt this excitement, this happiness, while watching a kdrama. I’m honestly in love with it. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this masterpiece. 🫶

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When Tears Speak Louder

Queen of Tears” serves up a solid introduction. It reminds us that love isn’t always perfect, especially in the complex world of relationships and marriage. The characters’ struggles resonate, and the ending promises deeper layers to explore. Whether you’re a seasoned K-drama fan or a newcomer, this series has potential. 🌟
**"Queen of Tears"** is a captivating Korean drama that delves into the complexities of love and marriage. The story revolves around Hong Hae-in, a privileged heiress, and Hyun Woo, a middle-class man. Their fairy-tale romance takes a dark turn as they struggle with control, freedom, and unmet expectations. A must-watch for those seeking a fresh take on relationships.

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The most overrated drama ... (pls read the whole review)
The female lead made me cringe. there were moments that had to make her look mature but failed... The writers probably wanted her seem like strong person- bullied and neglected by a lot of people, but even with such a hard life she keeps being super kind and joyfull, tries her best in school and ect... ok, that is good... but the writer forgot about her behavior. They trully over did it. She acted like a 8 year old girl, she way too cozy in a strangers house . I dont know if the actress (she is good) is in the wrong or the writers. I really tried to force myself to watch this till the very end ... Maybe the drama should have been about the grim reaper, cause I always saw the goblin more as a father figure to the female lead. Its seems creepy and she doesnt help with acting kind of spoiled sometimes. The goblin legit acted like a creep sometime tho, how is that sweet or romantic? I hope that those that liked the drama wont feel bad if they read this~ XD
I just wanna add, that I have seen similar type of "relationship" in real life to the one in the drama. Thats why maybe I am a little triggered. He legit can get registered as an offender (done something or not), cause she is a minor in the start. So ya, think about that and other unwise things Eun Tak did though the drama. Then you will understand maybe why I kind of dislike it :(

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Dying is easy, surviving is hard

All of Us Are Dead is adapted from the serialized Naver digital webtoon entitled Now at Our School, which was written by Joo Dong Geun and published from 2009 to 2011. I haven’t read the webtoon but it reportedly consists of only nine chapters. Therefore it would probably stand to reason that the live-action adaptation has expanded on its lore, especially when Netflix is involved where the potential exists for a series to be renewed for a second season, depending on the success of the first season.

The drama is co-directed by Lee Jae Gyoo, who won a Baeksang for Damo and directing honours for Beethoven Virus, and Kim Nam Soo. It is based on the screenplay adaptation written by Cheon Seong Il, the screenwriter for Chuno and The Pirates. Principal photography took place from June 2020 to February 2021, which was prolonged due to the Covid-19 outbreak during filming.

In a nutshell, the story revolves around a group of highschool students who are trapped at their school, the ground zero for the onset of a zombie virus outbreak. The drama depicts them fighting to survive both the zombies and virus infection while waiting to be rescued. The rating classification for this production is R-18 and aside from the expected zombie action and gore, certain trigger warnings are present in the form of bullying violence that even borders on sexual assault.

In a recent interview with director Lee Jae Gyoo via the online presentation of the production in South Korea on 26th January, he had intimated that this drama would be uniquely distinct within the K-drama zombie genre that has become commonplace in recent years. According to him, All of Us Are Dead features thought-provoking themes that add a different meaning to a zombie apocalypse, where the focus is on the choices young students make at the boundary between life and death. In addition, the story also provides a satirical take on South Korea's educational system and school space.

What I Liked

I love the K-drama zombie genre and anything closely or even remotely associated in the form of mutants, monsters and the like, complete with the horror, action, adventure tags whether in contemporary, sageuk or fantasy settings. As much as I’ve enjoyed the recently aired Happiness, my preference for zombies leans towards the more feral variety with hordes of them rampaging through the populace annihilating anything and everything in their path, in the mould of Train to Busan (which gets a shoutout in this drama), Kingdom and Rampant. Call me sadistic but I’m all for epic levels of productions with economies of scale in delivering the exhilaration of the action, thrills and suspense, along with all the emotive aspects of human drama as well. Based on what I’ve seen of the depiction of zombies in this drama, it manages to convey all of the above, and has successfully fulfilled most, if not all, of my expectations.

A co-production between JTBC Studios’ Film Monster and Kim Jong Hak Production for Netflix, the quality of the technical execution is beyond doubt. No effort or budget was spared as even a huge four-storey set was constructed as the setting of the fictional Hyosan High School. The money was very well spent indeed as the production design looks top notch with all the nitty gritty details providing an intriguing backdrop to the zombie outbreak. The zombies themselves are deftly manifested in terms of the makeup, special and sound effects, as well as the blood, gore and contortions which complement the extensive range of expertly choreographed sequences.

The cinematography is deserving of praise with the crucial aspect for productions of this nature being the calibre of the camerawork, which for the most part does not let me down (or induce nausea). The well rendered scene transitions are testament to the standard of editing as well, where it’s worth mentioning that the chaotic scenes at the cafeteria and library involving 200 or so extras are reportedly the result of a single-take shooting.

As far as the narrative is concerned, the premise of a school-based zombie outbreak is refreshingly new to me. Some viewers may associate elements of Dark Hole to be of similar vein but personally it really isn’t despite the comparable vibes. While I wouldn’t consider the overall plot trajectory as particularly inventive or groundbreaking, what distinguishes this drama from most others that I’ve seen is the storytelling approach.

In addition to the multiple POV perspectives of the main characters, the screenplay takes its time to explore the origins of the zombie outbreak and motivations behind the actions resulting in the said virus being unleashed on humanity. The depiction of characters dealing with the tragic circumstances in the aftermath certainly elicits an emotional response as well.

True to the director's word, this drama tackles both existing and hypothetical societal concerns which provide added dimensions to the storytelling. Among the thought provoking themes incorporated into the storytelling - unchecked and unmitigated school violence, the ingrained hierarchical social order within a society segmented by wealth and power, the deeply polarised mindsets of the local government and communities in the event of an apocalypse or the aftermath of a mass casualty event. The role that technology plays in binding all these themes together is tackled as well in the form of the ever increasing reliance on and abuse of social media as an outlet that fuels the dissemination of actual and fake news.

The infusion of a number of side stories, character arcs and a narrative that steadily evolves as the drama progresses helped to allay my initial concerns of the story sustaining its momentum over 12 episodes. The dynamic between characters giving rise to various forms of conflicts, teen angst, and even hints of romance contribute towards preserving an atmosphere filled with tension and suspense. That said, I do think the drama could have been slightly shortened without adversely impacting the storytelling.

The main cast is made up of young actors, some of whom were prolific child actors and even critically acclaimed talent as well. Park Ji Hoo, Yoon Chan Young, Jo Yi Hyun, Park Solomon and Yoo In Soo portray the highschool students who are caught up in the ensuing chaos. Featuring roles of varying capacities, these youngsters provide a decent account of themselves through characterizations that are adequately written, for the most part. Lee Yoo Mi is particularly impressive here following her brief appearance in Squid Game, given her experience of being the oldest actress portraying a student and for her captivating portrayal of the antagonistic Lee Na Yeon that actually steals the scenes from the protagonists at times. Meanwhile, I would consider Park Solomon’s affable Lee Soo Hyuk, Jo Yi Hyun’s stoic Choi Nam Ra and Ha Seung Ri’s heroic archer Jang Ha Ri as my favourite characters amongst the students.

The supporting cast come across as being more familiar, where we get to observe Kim Byung Chul (Sisyphus, Doctor Prisoner), Lee Kyu Hyung (Happiness, Voice 4), Lee Yo Mi (Squid Game), Uhm Hyo Sub (King of Tears, War of the Son) , Bae Hae Seon (Happiness, Inspector Koo, HomeCha), Jeon Bae Soo (Stranger, Lawless Lawyer), Kim Jong Tae (The Veil, Sisyphus), and Yoon Byung Hee (Hot Stove League). The more nuanced acting in the drama is provided by these mostly experienced veterans, especially Kim Byung Chul as science teacher Lee Byeong Chan. Utterly intense, sinister, and convincing, unsurprisingly the best performance in the entire drama comes from this award-winning actor. Jeon Bae Soo gets to play the hero this time in a memorable performance as firefighter Nam So Ju.

What I Didn’t Appreciate

When it comes to K-dramas and school students, bullying and violence are par for the course - they’re never far away and will probably remain as a staple trope. It’s infuriating and disturbing to watch at times and seems to be escalating in brutality these days. The scale of the savagery seems to be higher than the actual zombie action itself but it’s something that all viewers of K-content will need to accept and get used to, unfortunately.

The main villain of the story is featured through the gangster wannabe and low-life bully Yoon Gwi Nam, played almost too well by Yoo In Soo. This despicable human thrash has the typical clichéd story arc that stretches far too long, in my opinion, before eventually fizzling out as a mere afterthought.

As mentioned earlier, I think the storytelling would have been better presented if it were slightly shorter, perhaps with 8 or so episodes.Despite the multiple POVs, too much time is allocated to the teen drama at school than is perhaps necessary. I would have liked to have seen Kim Byung Chul’s character more fleshed out in real time rather than merely as a series of flashbacks. The same goes for Jeon Bae Soo’s firefighter who is desperately trying to get to his daughter.

There are numerous annoying characters in this drama, some of whom supposedly supplying the usual ill-fitting comic relief that appears very much jarring to the senses.The tough girl wannabe and her whingeing companion, the cowardly police sergeant, and the bickering couples, to name a few. I think generally the boys are better written than the girls who come across as petty and physically abusive towards their male counterparts, as far as the youngsters are concerned.

Final Thoughts

All things considered and despite its flaws as well as the overly dramatic ending that has the potential for expansion either as a sequel or a side story, I had a great time mainly because of my love for horror and zombies. We honestly do need more zombie stories because there is too much romance, rom-coms and melodrama in dramaland already and simply not enough of the macabre flesh-eating, blood-sucking undead. All of Us Are Dead is not the best in the genre, where Kingdom still reigns supreme, but as a one-time weekend watch it definitely fulfils my insatiable hunger for such content, albeit temporarily.

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Low Budget Xianxia Drama

To be honest, it didn't start off pretty badly, the front part was pretty similar to Eternal Love, where the mortal FL mistaken ML as an injured snake (instead of Dragon) and brought him back to take care of him. I was quite captivated at first and enjoyed watching how the Dragon is falling for the FL. Although their interaction was a bit childish and the lines are somehow cringey, it's still considered pretty entertaining to watch.

UNTIL they entered the second life, third then the fourth; the drama basically being split into four parts and repeat again and again with different settings (as the main girl reborn as different characters) where the ML protected her over and over. I felt the story was so repetitive and disconnected (especially FL needs to forget about the ML whenever she starts a new life) so I started losing interest on the main couple and can't help to move my focus to the second couple instead. They were both immortal with a master-servant relationship but their bickering was quite interesting and the protective second ML was surprisingly quite cool and charming that draws me in!

Acting wise, besides the second male lead being natural in his role, the rest were kinda ... (face palm). ML's role was supposed to very sorrowful as he needed to watch FL living lives without him whilst guarding her with his life but I don't think he portrays the "devastation" and "devoted" very well. FL's acting was okay but she doesn't really look innocent to act the innocent roles, not sure if it's because I watched her wicked-role acting in Eternal Love and has somehow shaped my impression on her, well... but I don't deny that she's pretty though! As for the second FL - Qing Qing, although I prefer the second couple, I couldn't really stand her acting as she exaggerated almost every expression, overturning the definition of "naive and mischievous" and acted like an immature 10-year-old kid that makes me cringe a little. Maybe some might find her pretty cute, yes she is - if she is not acting as an adult, otherwise it just looks a bit off for me, that's why in some ways I find this drama is more suited for younger age group.

Considered it a low-budget production, it still deserve a 7.5/10.0 as I didn't end up dropping it and was actually okay to watch, as long as you don't take the plots too seriously. I personally enjoyed Xianxia Drama A LOT so I didn't regret watching this and I don't think we should compare this with other big production and raise our standards. As a standalone, I would say it was not so good but not too bad either, basically "so-so": A decent storyline with good looking casts, the magical effects were not bad too, just a bit lacking in acting and detailed plots. Sad scenes weren't that on point and not so much on the couple's chemistry but you can simply watch it for some light-hearted moments and a simple fantasy drama, each episode is quite short too so technically it's not so difficult to finish it haha!

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what's wrong with editing department

Okay let me see where should I start my review
yes first I need to thank god
I mean, I'm blessed so far that I didn't come across any other drama with this much bad editing. The poorest editing award goes to this drama.
They should Fire the whole editing department as well as those who are satisfied with this editing. They are all from the evil path sect.
Every single scene of this drama was badly edited. They just jump from one scene to another to another to another, cutting the ongoing conversation in half. Even child can tell their cuts.
it's like they put scissors ✂️ on a child's hand, and he cuts (destroys the whole house) whatever comes under his radar, and his parents don't even care. I feel, how dare they pollute their art.
There is so much to point out, but I'm not gonna since they didn't have much consideration for their work. Why should I waste myself writing a long review? I'm considerate enough to at least finish what I've started to watch.
Besides editing, the one and only reason it's not a complete waste of my time and their resources is the least I can enjoy Zhang Ling and Jing Tian such perfect eye candies.
Everything else feels rubbish. Credit goes to the director, and editing department and everyone who didn't even care about their project.

I know it's an adaptation of the novel, I haven't read it, so I have no idea about the storyline. I don't know if it's that simple novel. please do tell me if they made changes, or is it exactly like the novel?
Points I want to point out :
First, it was the first fantasy idol-based drama with a minimum cast. Characters appeared just to disappear within an episode. Everything about everyone was missing; u catch a glimpse of an idea because they considered to vividly putting everything in a few sentences here and there, so u know, okay, this and that might have happened, but that is it. Because of that, there is no impact on you. Characters die, and things happen, but u don't feel anything. There are no emotions u feel. 🚨Ml sacrificed himself, but u know he gonna come back, so it was that easy, u don't even care. (This was my first death ever from fantasy drama or any other drama where I don't feel anything, even if it's ML who dies. There is no impact or reaction of any kind. It was that tasteless and all because of editing).
I don't know if it was called fast-paced drama or no-nonsense drama, like the director telling us indirectly that u already watched 100s of this kind of drama, so whatever u feel are missing, add those elements urself. Let's move to another scene we have limited time and episodes.
I so hard to explain this drama the feeling I got from this drama let's say the episode is 30 minutes long without opening and ending credits but I didn't feel I watched anything in that 30 min, every single episode gave this same feeling ( like what today episode finished but their nothing much happen even ml die in that episode) and it all because of their edit style for some reason they focus on their silly funny comedy and so Called romance no romance angle. Tbh, I don't feel any romance it was like in one episode they put it that way.
21 episodes in ML Become Demon Fl Become Demon Slayer only 15 left I wonder if in the next 5 to 6episodes ML or FL, one of them die one more time since usually in this kind of demon and demon slayer love drama there are three lifetimes than last 9-10 episode everything reveals related Shao cang falsely convict and main villain came from great path sect non-other than the premier of great path leader ying zi wei our ml sifu 😆😆😆🥴😆😆😆🤤if that happens it was so typical I didn't even need to read novel I can predict.
Lastly, the whole drama so far gives Sen Lou vibes the so-called demon lord no need to take him (it) seriously.

p.s. so far the new demon ml and the thousands year old most hated demon lord sen lou conversation are funny. I mean I like how it was ml controlling him and didn't take him seriously. it was funny.


FINAL REVIEW : FINISHED WATCHING WHOLE DRAMA, END CONCLUSION IT'S A WASTE OF EVERYTHING MONEY TIME DATA HEALTH
IN ONE WORD SKIP IT


THANK ME later

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Overhyped and Overrated

With the amount of hype this show was getting, I was really curious as to how good this show must be to boast being the highest rated TvN show of all time...but of course as usual it's nothing new. It seems like these days any show with a good looking cast and high budget set and cinematography is enough for people to rate it a 9, completely overlooking the lacking story, plotholes and clichés.

Initially the plot seemed promising, most k-dramas do not start out with the leads already being married. Although, the cold CEO fl and sunshine ml has been done before (ahem My Demon ahem). The hype seems to stem primarily from praise for the actors, cinematography and OST, which are important factors for a good show don't get me wrong but like...does anyone even care for the story? Nobody cares that when Haein awoke from brain surgery (although it was supposed radiation therapy) she looked fabulous? Perfectly normal? Perfect hair, makeup??? Did they even TRY to make it realistic?? Am I supposed to believe she just underwent a major brain surgery?? And oh god they didn't even try to make Park Sung Hoon's character interesting. Just made him an obsessive evil rat with no personality whatsoever, it was such a disappointment considering his character in The Glory, that's what I call a real villain. Everytime he came on screen it was excruciating to watch, but Park Sung Hoon's visuals make it a lot more bareable so there's that. The family is your typical chaebol money hungry ruthless evil family, who turn into a big happy family toward the end to unite against a mutual evil force. The progression in their characters was lackluster and more depth could have been added into Haein and her mother's reconcilation. The story is extremely lackluster and honestly I feel like 12 year olds on Wattpad could do a better job than Park Ji-Eun. Most overhyped show of 2024 fr.

It seems like the writer Park Ji-Eun doesn't know how pacing works, she wasted the initial 5 or 8 episodes making them completely meaningless, plotless, boring which added close to nothing of value or substance to the story, and then rushed a crucial plot point in the SECOND last episode?? AND THE ACCIDENT??? HELLO??? Shock factor does not equate to good storytelling. It just makes for pointless tension. I guess this is what writers had to do to stretch the show to be 16 episodes. I never found it interesting even in the initial episodes, I kept watching because the ml and fl couple were eye-candy and had great chemistry, but if you overlook that, this is nothing but mediocore, maybe even less than mediocore. I kept watching and watching hoping it would get better but nooo oh god. You all need to seriously pick better shows to make popular. It's My Demon all over again. A less than average clichéd show which gets popular because of the cast and high budget set. How superficial. Truly a disappointment. But I must give credit where credit is due and I will admit that the stellar cast did live up to their names by delivering an exceptional performance and the cinematography delivered, truly an eye-candy show. Overall, if you value your time, don't watch it.

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ACTION THRILLER OF THE YEAR

Note: DO NOT EXPECT A BRAINY CRIME THRILLER & A CONTINUOUS STORY

Yes, you read the headline right! Do check it yourself. TAXI DRIVER is not a crime thriller, rather an action thriller, where you see a lot of action and stunts and it'd not be false to say that the action by Lee Je Hoon (Kim Do Ki) is not at all exaggerated or overdone unlike crime thrillers or simple melo dramas where everyone just flies off, climb walls like a reptile or jump high places like a squirrel (lol).

TAXI DRIVER is a perfect balance between thriller and melo, and a lil romance. The drama being based on a combination of real crime cases of Korea, is created on a concept of a transportation firm, namely Rainbow Taxi Service, that help people get revenge to avenge there dear one's death.

I am happy how brilliantly the main writer of the drama came up with this idea of portraying real cases and it's actually enthralling to witness this kind of direction. At the same time, I am unhappy how people have slept on this absolutely wonderful thriller piece. PEOPLE, DON'T DO IT.

I saw some people disappointed because there is no romance between the male lead and the second female lead, but what's with you expecting to see romance everywhere? Not everything necessarily has to be about it. Go watch romcom dramas.

I loved how this drama is straight-forward. Obviously, there are back stories for each of the major characters but you know what? They are not that long; even if they had stories to tell, those were shown as prologues and epilogues at the beginning and ending of each episode. You might not like the fact that there is almost no depth in there characters but I don't see that as a problem, given the drama is an absolute treat to yoyr mind & emotions.

Are you expecting a steady plot development to back a major protagonist-antagonist story? Well, it's better you to be aware that, you won't find a solid 16 episode long narrative here. Various cases that would be over come in broken prices will come together at a time in the end to haunt you down, haha.

Let's talk about acting? What exactly should I tell you? Just ummah! People, you have literally slept on Lee Je Hoon's acting till now. I am telling you he's one of the top 10 Korean actors. Let's start recognising his skills because it's not too late, okay? Esom noona is fierce as always. She did her job really nice. And oh my goodness, Pyo Ye Jin, I really really wish this drama will be a breakthrough to her carrier. This lady has waited long enough for such a role, which ahe deserved, and she's doing nice. Kim Eui Sung-nim is as always a solid actor. Jang Hyuk Jin & Bae Yoo Ram have done a impressive job as supporting characters which they've been doing fkr a long time.

Special mention to cinematography and the screen editing. The background themes and the songs that give you goosebumps, uff! Fabulous direction, coordinated and well organized script. A bit disappointed with the change of the main writer when only 3 eps were left but okay.

Please don't hesitate to watch. I am assuring you, this is the year's on of the best thriller because 2021 is indeed the year of thrillers.

P. S. First two episodes are introduction episodes. So don't drop the drama thinking it's slow, okay?

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I have mixed views about this series. On the one hand: Hyun Bin! On the other hand: shitty writing.

The Story:
Waaaay too long. This could have been shrunk down to a 16-episode show and it would/should have been a better drama. Meaningless plot lines were dragged out, hypnosis was treated like some sort of super power, and I don't know but I'm pretty sure this writer didn't do much research on DID (I'm not saying I know more about DID than she does, but I'm pretty sure DID doesn't work like that). The whole kidnapping plot was something that was supposed to keep watchers on their toes, and although I think Sung Joon is brilliant, more could have been done.

The Cast/Characters:
I cannot even right now. Hyun Bin could have picked a much better drama for his comeback. I need to go rewatch Secret Garden right now. Seo Jin was a much better character than Robin, who seemed over-the-top and fake. I liked him when we first met him, but I began to want Seo-jin more. Hyun Bin can act, I'll give him that, and he may have salvaged the train wreck that was this drama. What even happened to Terry? The third personality barely had half an episode to himself before we never saw him again. I have no idea what Han Ji Min was doing, but Hana is the next Bella Swan. No expression, no personality, selfish in the name of selflessness... and practically no chemistry at all. I was rooting for Eun-chang and Woo-yong more than anybody else in the show. The only delight I got was in Cousin Seung-yeon and his weirdness.

I do not recommend this drama, but if you like this kind of thing, then watch it if you like flat plot lines, poor writing, and Kristen Stewart-characters.

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Rape in the first episode. How is this dubcon? How does this show how so many good reviews?

Funny how everyone is either calling what occurs between Vee and Mark in literally the first episode "dubcon" or completely glossing over what happened completely.
What happened in the first episode is rape, pure and simple. It wasn't even dubious consent? Mark is still drunk to the point of stumbling and falling, and completely mistook the person he "slept with" for someone else. Vee was sober enough to drive the both of them to his place, and completely ignored how Mark literally could not consent. I can understand a drink or two, or a character sobering up on the ride home/after getting home, but he literally doesn't even act like he's sobered up at all?

Not to mention the morning after Mark is so freaked out. He's angry, calls Vee a villain like 10 times, and runs off AFTER Vee threatens to kill him if he tells anyone what "they did" last night. Which to be fair, obviously to Mark and the viewers he isn't really serious about doing something like that and he just wants Mark not to tell about his "infidelity only", but imagine someone sleeping with you when you're on the cusp of black out drunk and then making this kind of remark to you the morning after?
AND NOT TO MENTION Mark goes home and the first think he does is scrub his skin over and over in the shower.
I feel kind of disgusted watching this.

Watch what you want I guess, romanticize what you want (I guess?). But don't downplay what happened to make yourself feel better about continuing to watch this fascinating mess of a relationship.
Dont be a coward lmao, call it what it is.

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Slow mo Musical..

Was the director of this drama a conductor?? You know the person who leads and directs an orchestra?? Because it felt like an orchestra.. Music everywhere with background scores for every single scene.. In some scenes the music was so loud that you cant hear the dialogues.. And The slow motion was overused.. It felt like it popped up every other minute and every scene was in slo mo.. If they had just toned it down this could have been a 16 ep drama instead of being unnecessarily lengthy.. The camera work?? Let’s call it " Dynamic " to be kind.. Rapid jump cuts and erratic angles made the drama even worse.. While the story was alright up until ep 20 it suddenly took a nosedive.. Just went from average to worse..

I watched this for Fan Zhi Xin.. He deserves better scripts because he is genuinely good.. The drama was visually appealing and the main leads did well.. But overall it didnt offer much else.. If you are expecting a proper romance drama.. Better lower your expectations.. The romance was far too sparse to carry the genre.. Watch it for the cast but dont expect much beyond that..

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I'm honestly surprised I made it to the end because I thought when I started I wouldn't be hear till the end. I honestly heard about heirs when it was 14 episodes in. I was told it was bloody awful and I would seriously hate it, but surprise surprise, it is an addictive mess that I might recommend. I think it's my lack of expectations but I enjoyed it. There's a lot of bashing and trolling which I think is based on the fact that a lot of people think this is similar to Boys Over Flowers which was pretty damn awful, but it's not quite.

Indeed, a heck of a lot of first world problems but the story is still interesting. I would love to say the characters are interesting but Kim Tan played by Lee Min Ho, is dull uninteresting and a character we have to take at face value. He lacks any real power or motivation that I am an emotional rock to his pain and even when he's taking action, it just feels very face value. He never in the end has to work hard to make things happen. Eunsang is equally dull and boring and so devoid of power, it's frightening. She almost makes no decision herself. She is dragged around and toyed with everywhere. She is also either bipolar or strange. There are moments she seems genuinely frightened at Young Do to the point of shaking then the next moment she is lecturing him, making us confused. No worries though, should she be in any real trouble there are countless men willing to save her.

The saving grace is Young Do and it's not because I like Kim Woo Bin because I genuinely liked Young Do's character. He's a self aware mess. He's very aware of his flaws but he still makes no attempt to fix them because he's not ready to acknowledge his pain. It makes for a compelling character who's flawed yet to some extent understandable.

The best part of the series are the last three episodes, not because the series ends but the directing is stellar, the acting picks up a notch and the script really delivers. There are very simple and poignant moments that transcend this drama from being a guilty pleasure to genuinely enjoyable.

However, overall, points were docked for my indifference to the two main characters and a lot of this cast. Some nonsensical plot devices and character changes. There was just a lot honestly, that didn't necessarily need to be there. I must also admit, at the end the conflicts were kind of unnecessary and also nonsensical.

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A heartwarming romcom and my all-time favorite for the genre

[EDIT: I have now completed all ten episodes of the show <3)
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Sometimes, love doesn't need loud, elaborate declarations for it to be felt. Sometimes, it can be felt strongly with just having someone to greet you when you're home, someone to share a meal with, someone to have a casual conversation with over dinner, and someone to sleep beside you. They are all just simple acts that are done in everyday life, but even then the warmth it emits is something you would always treasure. Because no matter how mundane it all is, having someone you love and care for to live such an ordinary life with you is what makes it special. And that is essentially what Nami Urakaka Ni, Meoto Biyori is.

From the very start, Meoto Biyori lived up to its main premise: that it’s a romantic comedy depicting the ordinary life of an arranged marriage couple during pre-war Japan. Nothing more, nothing less. And that made the show so addicting. It was just refreshing to see romantic comedies at its very core, showing a relationship grow from the roots and flourish as time passes with a few awkward moments along the way. In every episode you could see how they grow closer and closer, and there wasn’t any moment of regression. Every heart-fluttering moment, no matter how conventionally tropey some it is, is portrayed so sincerely that it feels giddy yet heartwarming at the same time. To provide a more comprehensive review:

STORY – the show itself doesn’t promise excellent storytelling, which you might expect in acclaimed dramas like First Love. Instead, the story itself leans more to depict ordinary life. And that made it very special. One thing I would like to note is that compared to other arranged marriage dramas, the show never made the arranged marriage the point of the show; only the starting point. Whatever Natsumi and Takimasa did to progress their relationship was due to their actual free will and interest in one another, rather than them thinking that “we’re married now, so we have no choice by to make it work.” They naturally started closing in on the distance without forcing it, and let their affection grow without restricting their feelings from moving to the next level. But then, it's not really all giddiness. Since the story itself is set in pre-war Japan, the story also delves deeper into the couple’s inner anxieties surrounding the tensions that are rising at that time, especially since Takimasa (the husband) is part of the Navy. With this, it brings an extra element of heaviness as we peek through the life of people who lived through that period of uncertainty, of a “peace” that is threatened by an upcoming conflict.

Moreover, I LOVED how they made use of a narrator! Honestly, I dislike doramas with narrators because I think it overemphasizes the fiction behind it all, but for this dorama it worked out very well in adding more depth to the main characters. It adds a lot to the comedy department too!

THE MAIN COUPLE – Individually, I loved that while both Natsumi and Takimasa exhibit characteristics of a conventional dorama FL and ML, they have so much more depth to them than the stereotypical ones so far. Natsumi is naïve and innocent, but also honest, forward, and steadfast. She’s timid, but never passive. Takimasa is stern (though the "coldness" only lasted for one and a half episodes lol), but is also awkward, unintentionally & intentionally expressive, honest, and caring. It is very refreshing to see them provide a new take on personalities we’ve been seeing for years.

As a couple, I personally think that by far, Natsumi and Takimasa is one of the healthiest fictional couples I’ve seen in the world of Asian dramas. Even from when they were still "married strangers", Natsumi and Takimasa have always been concerned and gentle with each other. They exhibit maturity despite their inexperience in relationships in general. They communicate their feelings well, they don’t forcibly cross boundaries, and they choose not to rush things. They even trust each other ENTIRELY, that even in bouts of jealousy they think that “Natsumi/Takimasa is not the type of person to betray me.” They are also very sensitive to each other’s emotional needs and ensures that they are met. Moreover, they even ask for consent when they try to start doing something physical (even if it's just holding hands), which I love. And the moment they became affectionate, they let their feelings flow naturally.

However, what I find most refreshing about Natsumi and Takimasa is that they barely have misunderstandings because they don’t shy away from talking about uncomfortable topics (that other dorama couples would AVOID talking about at all costs, making us all pull our hair out). With the both of them, it was the first time where I didn’t undergo the process of having to convince myself of the love the characters had for one another. Even without words, it was already very obvious.

THE ACTORS – To be honest, I first doubted the chemistry of Yoshine Kyoko and Honda Kyoya when they were first announced as the cast. I’ve watched some of their previous dramas, and I couldn’t imagine how their chemistry would turn out. But Kyoko and Kyoya had an amazing chemistry and they seem to adjust to each other’s frequencies very well. Kyoko would rely on subtle emotional delivery to balance out the (initial) stoicism of Kyoya’s character, and Kyoya would match Kyoko’s level in scenes where Natsumi’s emotions are heightened. As a viewer, I felt SO much emotion even with their glances and hand-holding. They didn’t even need an intense slowed stare-down with a romantic background music for you to feel that “wow, Takimasa and Natsumi are in love.” What I found to be the most heart-fluttering moments were them glancing at each other with no music at all, but it’s obvious from it that all they see is each other. It has so much weight to it.

While both their characters require animated reactions (which JDramas are infamously known for), they never made it feel cringe or awkward. Actually, I found it lovable.

For the actors themselves, even though Yoshine Kyoko is 8 years older than the age of her character, she perfectly encapsulated the innocence and naivety of Natsumi. Her clumsiness wasn’t a bothersome clumsiness, but a cute one. Her portrayal of loneliness over a husband that has to consistently leave their home for work is very convincing and it really sets a serious tone. Honda Kyoya, on the other hand, was a surprise for me. He decided to offer something fresh as Takimasa, showing that he’s capable of more than what he’s normally typecasted as. He did very well in portraying a stern but internally awkward man. And, even from his facial expressions alone, you can see how Takimasa’s walls are crumbling bit by bit as he softens and acknowledges his feelings for Natsumi. Also, since much of Takimasa’s character in the first episodes could only be discerned from his inner thoughts, he did a really good job of “appearing cold,” while his eyes say otherwise. Both of them captured the essence of Natsumi and Takimasa from the manga while also making them their own, and I honestly couldn’t imagine a Natsumi that is not Kyoko, and a Takimasa that is not Kyoya.

THE SIDE CHARACTERS – I’m not even exaggerating. This is the first and only drama where I actually rooted and looked forward to the stories of the side characters. Fumiko and Fukami were very interesting characters, since they were the opposite of Takimasa and Natsumi’s traditional marriage. They were the ones who add discussions over the foundations of marriage. But even then, their chemistry is superb. Hope that Koseki Yuta and Yamamoto Maika would have a separate project in the future!

THE CONS – Of course, there is no perfect JDrama (though this one is nearing it for me). The very prominent con of this dorama is the CGI. It’s literally very meme-able that even Japanese viewers say “this drama is popular, please give it more budget.” Especially in EP 2, wherein there’s a scene where they were under the moonlight; if it wasn’t for Kyoya and Kyoko’s chemistry at “that” scene, I wouldn’t have ignored that ridiculously large moon at the background. Literally laughed so much at one Japanese viewer saying that they could basically see Armstrong with how big that moon was. Also, they occasionally use a “stage play” format for flashbacks. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like it takes away from the weight of that specific flashback and its contribution to the plot, and I wish it could have been presented normally. However, I can see that it was endearing to some. Maybe it’s just personal preference. Lastly, I think it would have worked better if they didn't take up so much time doing flashbacks during the last episode.

Overall, I would honestly very much recommend this drama to anyone who’s interested in watching it, if this is a genre of romance that you’re into. It’s the type of drama that you can come home to after a tiring day, to remind you of how much warmth there is in a gentle love and life. A home you could return to, just as much as Natsumi is to Takimasa, and Takimasa is to Natsumi.

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