This review may contain spoilers
I don’t get why it’s getting too much hate. Maybe not for all.
If you’re looking for an overhyped drama where newbie fans end up disappointed because it doesn’t contain your usual cliches (fighting over females, cinderella leads, etc), this one isn’t for you.I tried to analyze why it’s getting a lot of hate, and I can only come up with 2 probable reasons - the pace and the ending. If you’re into fast paced dramas with happy predictable endings, skip this.
However, if you enjoy slice of life dramas while watching real character growth, characters who are actually relatable and mature romance, I highly recommend you watch this.
Things I love:
- I totally related to this story. Being a 27 yr old who still feels lost with my chosen career path, seeing the characters in this drama go through the same thing totally gave me a great comfort. The pressures Bogum’s character got from his parents for his career choice, wow, I’m sure a lot of us relate to this at some point. I totally felt for his character every time he argued with his dad, and every single time he started to doubt his own choices. I guess I wasn’t alone.
- The romance was very sweet and raw. I love how they were both mature enough in handling some of their problems as a couple, and I love how everything was realistic (no parents throwing money to undesired partners, no chaebol - cinderella, etc). These were two people who were struggling in life and found solace in each other’s presence. I loved how ordinary everything was about them. The only thing I didn’t understand was the break up. The slow fall out due to the ML’s stardom was understandable, but the female’s reasons for her decision felt too sudden and unexplained. Other than that, i liked how raw this couple was.
- The “second lead” who never stole the girl and destroyed his friendship with the ML. I appreciated how this character also showed depth, and I enjoyed watching his struggles with overbearing tiger parents.
- A glimpse of life behind the spotlight. This drama taught me a lot of things about the lifestyle of famous people in korean’s entertainment industry (like not to instantly believe articles about our favorite artists because a lot of them may be fake news). It was truly a treat to someone who’s such a fan of the entertainment industry.
There’s still a lot of things I love - acting, OST, the writing and the metaphors used, cinematography, the use of social media to as a record of one’s youth... too many. This drama really deserves more love from people who believe in stories that are more real.
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What were they thinking ??!!
Ok, let me start by saying that i watch a lot of fluffy shows so i know what to expect but this show i found soooooooooo annoying i cant tell you how much .The plot line is a girl pretending to be a boy so she could play hockey her roommate knows all a long she's a girl and doesn't say anything to her and just enjoying to tease her most of the time all the while she thinks no one knows about her big secret.
And of course they start to fell in love .
So can someone please tell me how is it possible to drag this out until episode 20 while all long she is wearing makeup i know it is not real life but that is just stupid and during this time they kissed 4 times so what does she think is going on , maybe his gay mmmm
No it cant be it is Chinese show after all.
So I'm thinking why oh why they had to write such a stupid plot line.
I know i am in the minority here and a lot of people really liked this show but for me it was a total west of my time i didn't find it sweet and fluffy i just found it really annoying .
So no i wouldn't recommend this show to anyone god knows there is plenty of new shows to watch now which are much better then this one and still sweet .
Sorry for the rant but this one was just it for me i couldn't keep quite because it felt the writers were thinking we are all a bunch of silly girls with no common sense what so ever.
So please do me a favor and skip this one .
I promise you will thank me for that.
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This review may contain spoilers
The thing that strikes me about Kill It was that the underlying story was compelling. Horrible? Sure. A little ridiculous? Definitely. But if it is the role of art to exaggerate to teach, then Kill It had a lot to say about the commodification of people.So it’s a damn shame that it didn’t say anything at all.
Kim Soo Hyun (played with the charisma of a dead tree log by the usually appealing Jang Ki Yong) is a veterinarian who is also a professional killer. Lee Young Eun (played with weirdly inappropriate sexual overtones by Nana) is a former ballerina turned cop who is chasing him. These two have a childhood connection around a shared trauma that brings them back together again and exposes a horrible conspiracy around experimentation on unwanted children.
Part of the problem is that I didn’t connect with any of the characters so didn’t really care what happened to them (with the possible exception of Kim Soo-hyun, whose arc was strangely under-developed considering he was the male lead). And the reason for that was entirely in the approach the writers took to tell the story.
Telling the story of these children from the ground up would have been a dark but fascinating story. But instead the show chose to tell the story from the other side.
Blank-faced assassins, helpless damsels, and rich men sitting around scheming just isn’t that interesting – unless the blank-faced assassin is dogmatic and determined and his motivation is entirely about revenge for the horrors visited upon him. A half-hearted blank-faced assassin who’d rather be playing with puppies might sound good on paper but this is supposed to be a Korean action/thriller, not a Guy Ritchie film.
They should have concentrated on the human aspect of the bioethics issue rather than throwing things together in some sort of plot soup of hit men, drug runners, organ smugglers, chaebols, corrupt politicians and human traffickers. That would have been a really tragic and compelling story.
I’ve come to realise that action thrillers are suffering from the same problem that romcoms are. They’re written from a template and the only thing that changes is the [insert childhood trauma caused by evil scheming chaebols] plot outline.
I also think the writers were trying to give a Healer vibe but Healer wasn’t a stone-cold killer for a reason and Healer had clear reasons for every decision he made. Which brings us to the way in which this show ultimately fell down: the core relationship between our male and female leads. At least, I think this was supposed to be our core relationship. The problem is it never made much sense.
I never knew if I was supposed to be shipping them, feeling aggrieved that she was being lied to, seeing this as some of doomed tragic love story, or what. I felt none of those things. Apart from the odd maelstrom of misplaced sexual longing, these two never connected: either as childhood friends or adults brought together by circumstance. Certainly not as potential lovers (although I live for the day a kdrama is brave enough to go there).
As a consequence, what this show lacked was an emotional core. It disassociated its characters from the emotional resonance of what had happened to them and so it failed to resonate with us, the viewer, as well.
The saddest thing about writing this is I can’t even mock the show in the end. It had all the ingredients of a much better drama. It’s not that bad, it’s just generic – even boring.
There’s no need to see it – you already have.
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This is how good “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” is.
In short, for those of you who are impatient, is a very sweet, yet very real drama, about friendship, family, love and coming of age.
But there’s so much grace in how it’s done, that it deserves a more detailed explanation.
The plot is very (very) simple, yet very well written. The story follows Bok Joo; a young girl in the campus of a sports university (?), that happens to practice weightlifting. That’s nearly all you will get to know about weightlifting (it could have been golf and there would’ve been no difference, so worry not about the topic. I’m mentioning this because I know the “weightlifting theme” could been a throwback to some).
Bok Joo has a group a friends; a romantic crush; a family; a passion (weightlifting of course), all the things and problems that any standard teenager experiences. The hole plot revolves around her and (again) the normal things that could happen to a normal teenager. The difference to other dramas, is that everything FEELS real. And that’s rare.
How many times did we found ourselves hating the protagonist or wanting to smash the TV because we couldn’t understand the decisions they made? Of course, deep down we now the writer makes them do that in order to fulfill the number of episodes that they need. But nothing like that happens here. The characters (and their dialogues) are delightfully written; each one consistent with each personality (which are very rich and most important, real life people), and they are incredible lovable. The writer skillfully makes you fall in love with each one of them (including the ones you initially “hate”) because you get understand them all.
Also, the character development is done very progressively (although that doesn’t mean that the show is “slow”); I’ll assure you, you will enjoy every second of Bok Joo & friends, as they discover who they are, and who they want to be in the world.
The acting not only is superb (everybody does their job so well and they’re SO believable); but the chemistry between Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
I was really surprised by Lee Sung Kyung! At first I was really skeptic but despite her character being adorably written, she also does a fantastic job in making you believe her. Her expressions and her body language is fantastic.
The music is very good also, and it respects the tone of the series, really sweet, but it's something that I rarely pay attention to, so there's not much I have to say about it.
Finally I wish to remark that despite all the good things I said, that alone it's not enough to be one of the best dramas I've ever seen (and the only one that has a 10 on my scores), it is because adding to all that there's the way it makes you feel. This drama is sweet, so sweet that every episode you'll watch it will feel as a warm ray of sunshine (and not cheese at all, that's only my poor metaphor choice). You'll find yourself smiling at the TV at all times. And that doesn't mean there aren't any sad moments, because there are, but it's not kdrama tragedy, it's real life problems/sadness. And the show has a very optimistic way to portrait it; instead of having you crying about how unfair life is, you'll be rooting for the characters as they (not without effort) overcome their problems and grow up in the process.
This drama accomplishes the (almost) impossible: It's sweet, joyful and innocent, (without feeling cheesy) and at the same time it's mature and realistic.
So, I'll definitely recommend this to anyone, despite what your preferences are, I'm sure you'll enjoy it and it will bring you joy.
Kim Bok Joo is SWAG! :)
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Wasn't super good, but wasn't super bad either
This review is mostly going to be me complaining, so I want to emphasize up front that this series does have good parts to it. The acting is solid and the cinematography is gorgeous. I loved the costumes as well. There are good scenes and initially the pacing of the story is good. The premise is interesting and it remains intriguing through part of the show. But it starts to fall apart near the end, could've been helped by being a bit longer, and the story is a bit messy in parts.For me, the romance plot isn't great. It's a bit rushed, like a switch was flipped and suddenly they're madly in love with each other. I also didn't really feel much chemistry between the leads. It's weird, because the actors are both solid, but yeah, I just didn't feel that spark between them. I also think "fakecest" just isn't my thing so it could be that the very premise of their romance was never going to work for me.
The plot was a bit messy and occasionally a bit of a letdown, including the resolution of the mysteries. There are a couple of mysteries ongoing, and I really didn't like how the show handed you the answers super easily. It was just a letdown and a waste of all that dramatic buildup. There are times when backstory information seems to contradict each other. The plot towards the end is a bit rushed as well, which unfortunately isn't too uncommon these days with shorter kdramas instead of the 16- or 20-episode long ones that we used to get. There are a couple of things that didn't make sense to me about the ending, but whatever.
Tbh I'm not sure why I finished this show. It certainly was intriguing in parts, but towards the end I just felt obligated to finish it since I had made it so far. Once again, I think the actors did an admirable job, but this wasn't remotely a standout drama or one that I'll remember.
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A boring and dissatisfying reveal
Celebrity follows the rise and fall in popularity of a celeb with humble beginnings. What really piques my interest is the mystery behind our female lead's statement that she is actually dead.With a stellar cast and a promising trailer... I was anticipating a lot from this drama. Also, it's directed by Kim Chul Gyu who also directed Flower of Evil, which is one of my faves of all time). I would say the pacing is great: the writers are doing a really good job at dropping breadcrumbs for multiple different storylines. The camerawork is also very creative and I want to praise it as it enhances all the emotions going on.
But my overall impression is not positive. After I watched half of Celebrity, the story didn't build enough tension for me. The depictions of wealth and glamour were quite enjoyable, but they're visual fluff that just doesn't really appeal to me. I was getting whiplash with one episode that would be so painfully boring, and then the next episode I saw the glimmer of potential conflict, but it never like reached the point of solid storytelling. Also, I don't personally feel as connected with the lead character. She lacks the charm for me to feel sympathy or buy her motivation. I feel like there's a lot about her that I don't know. So I didn't get invested in her relationships with other characters as well.
The last two episodes of this show were quite a drag for me to get through. Even though the episodes are short (20-30 mins), I watch them like in 10-minute chunks. I found the ending so dissatisfying. I wasn't shocked by any of the reveals. I wasn't happy. I wasn't sad. I was pretty emotionless because I could see that the show was ending and I just didn't care.
-July 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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A Disappointing Drag - Too Many Episodes for Too Little Plot
I had high hopes for this K-drama, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a huge letdown. From the very beginning, it was clear that the show was plagued by clichés. The storyline was so predictable that I could guess what was going to happen long before it did. The "surprise twists" were anything but surprising, and the characters felt like they were lifted straight out of a tired, overused formula.But what really made this drama unbearable was the pacing. It was excruciatingly slow. Scenes dragged on with little to no progress, and the endless filler content made it feel like the story was just spinning its wheels. I found myself checking the time constantly, waiting for something, anything, interesting to happen. Sadly, that moment never came.
Honestly, this entire series could have been condensed into three episodes. There simply wasn’t enough substance to justify the length of the drama. Instead of a tight, engaging narrative, we got a drawn-out, tedious watch that felt like a chore to finish.
If you're looking for something fresh and exciting, skip this one. There are plenty of other K-dramas out there that offer much more in terms of storytelling and entertainment.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Great comedy, lukewarm romance, underdeveloped drama…
which means only 1 of the 3 main genres are truly worth your time. And with how serious the topics that fall under “drama” were, I cannot just move past it and enjoy the funny fluff.For the comedy - they went into it and put all their brain power to make it work, and it truly did. Every episode had at least a couple of jokes that made me laugh and smile. Some were slapstick, some were filly, some were more subtle. I also appreciated at times dry delivery, which was obviously a deliberate choice. The absurdity of some scenes were perfectly used to create comedic moments.
For the romance, that’s just my subjective opinion, but I did not see that much chemistry between Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae. With how in love he was and with how open about sex her character was - there were truly no real sparks going on.
At least the second couple had more dynamic and fun to watch relationship. Gyu Hyun and Ja Yeon were the spark of chaotic fluff and I’m extremely happy we are getting (even though short) a sequel for them.
Then we have the true issue of the writing - a mess that was any and all serious scenes, storylines and plot points. For 12 episodes, they truly tried to have it all without putting in the work and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Hae Yeong and her mother’s relationship was a tragic case of parental neglect of a child's emotional needs, but why at the end did it feel like it was all a “misunderstanding” on FL’s part and her mother “truly loved her”? Why does it feel like the drama is trying to tell me the mother did not really do anything wrong? Why the conclusion to this extremely complex and damaged relationship is the death of the mother? Why was there no real conclusion? The mother was selfish till the end. The mother chose other people over her own child till the end… the mother lied till the end. But now I as a viewer am supposed to forgive and forget because she dies and FL is sad about it? If that’s not it, then what is? Because the drama was not clear what exactly their message here was.
Then we have the issue of Nam Ja Yeon’s abusive father and how they decide to give a close about that story by adding a dildo fight between him and Gyu Hyun… that was just a new level of lows. That was the issue that kept coming back - good comedy, but ill timed comedy.
I also at some point started to see how selfish each and every character was and instead of liking them more with every episode and seeing their growth, they started to annoy me more and more. Some examples: .
For Ji Uk the promise he made as a teenager was more important than being honest to the person he claims to love. With how her whole life something and someone was always more important than Hae Yeong, to now know her partner also chose someone over her… painful.
Hui Seong deciding to not take a DNA test for her child is also selfish. One would assume a child would want to know who their biological father is… I guess it is on brand with overall message of the show: how biological parents don’t give a fuck about their biological kids. Not one good parent in this show… I am honestly impressed.
Overall, I just felt frustrated. They could have had a good pure rom-com with great comedy, but mishandled too many important issues. If you don’t give a clear message of what you want to say, you need to give more details about the circumstances so the viewers can form opinions - it lacks said details. And if you are not willing to put the work and time into developing these stories, don’t make trauma a major motivation and factor for almost all characters…
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Initially I like this drama. I liked the lead female,Makino Tsukushi, as a strong female role because she would't succumb to the arrogant F4(especially from the lead male Domyouji Tsukasa). It was cliche, but I've come to expect that in any japanese teen drama. Some reactions and plot devices were unrealistic, but I can ignore that. What turned me off was the complete 180 the drama took from reality involving Domyouji. Let's get this straight, Domyouji is a narcissistic, obnoxious, arrogant creep. Nothing leads me to feel empathy for his character. Domyouji does awful, terrible, things to harass Makino; even going as far as hiring people to sexually assault her. The 'excuses' for his behavior (his background story) are not at all valid for being such an awful human being and I feel no empathy for the character.
I had to quit watching after I searched for the ending. I couldn't make myself sit through the entire drama only to be enraged at the end.
The only semi saving grace for this show was the acting. Oguri Shun is a brilliant actor, and Jun Matsumoto portrays his character well (as does Mao Inoue). So I guess if you are a fan of the manga you will like it (???). For me, two thumbs way way down.
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Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants
26 people found this review helpful
This is a masterpiece
I loved this so much, the plot is great and the way Xiao Zhan plays Guo Jing makes it so perfect. His acting skills are amazing make you feel every feeling he feels. Everyone in the cast is awesome too, the story gets really alive. I will surely watch it again. It has some legendary scenes I really can't forget. One of the best movies I've ever watched.Was this review helpful to you?
Love, Lies & Manipulation – Welcome to Secret Relationship
Wow. I don’t even know where to start with this one. Being my first-ever Korean BL, I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this drama threw me on. But I do know one thing— it set the bar ridiculously high.For a drama with only 8 episodes, each around 30 minutes, it never once felt rushed or incomplete. The pacing was so well done. Every single episode left me wanting more, and somehow, they managed to pack in all the tension, angst, and emotional wreckage without making anything feel forced. It’s rare for a short-format drama to feel this full, but Secret Relationship nailed it.
The Plot – A Toxic, Twisted Love Web
Jung Daon is caught in a very complicated situation—stuck between a controlling toxic oppa, a sweet sunshine who deserves the world, and an absolute devil who enjoys playing with people's emotions like it’s a sport. It's messy, so messy, and that’s what makes it so damn addictive.
Characters – A Messy, Flawed, and Completely Addictive Bunch
One of the biggest strengths of this drama is its characters. They are not simple, one-dimensional tropes. They are deeply flawed, frustrating at times, and painfully real.
Jung Daon – Walking Emotional Damage
– If "walking heartbreak" was a person, it would be him. The poor guy has been stuck in this cycle of self-doubt and emotional torment for so long that he genuinely believes he’s not worthy of happiness. Watching him struggle, make questionable choices, and slowly fight to break free was one of the most compelling parts of this drama.
Seong Hyeon – The Ball of Sunshine
–This man? Too pure for this drama. The absolute sweetheart of the show, My precious, soft-hearted, warm-as-the-sun baby.. He’s the kind of person who puts everyone else first, even at his own expense. He’s pure, kind, and incredibly loyal, which makes it even more painful to watch him get dragged into this emotional battlefield. He deserved all the happiness in the world, and honestly, I just wanted to protect him.
Kim Su Hyeon – TOXIC Hot Oppa™
– Where do I even start? Sir, you need therapy. Immediately. This guy is toxic, obsessive, abusive and emotionally unstable and unavailable in the most frustrating way possible.
You are toxic and I hate you. And you are HOT
Jaemin – The Devil in Disguise
–If there’s a character that deserves an award for mind games, it’s Jaemin. A psychopath. A master manipulator. This man plays chess while everyone else is struggling with tic-tac-toe. Every action, every word, every little gesture—it’s all calculated. He smiles like an angel but manipulates like a devil, twisting people’s emotions and pulling the strings behind the scenes; he’s always one step ahead. And the worst part? Jaemin, you are a menace. He was just that terrifyingly good.
Brilliant performances – These actors delivered— They nailed it.
Music & Atmosphere - The background music? Perfectly placed. won’t say it was the most memorable OST ever, but it did its job so well that I can’t complain.
Final Thoughts –
If you want a soft, healing romance, this is NOT it. But if you’re looking for a dark, twisted, emotionally charged love story that keeps you hooked from start to finish. It’s messy, it’s intense, and it will ruin your peace of mind—but you’ll love every second of it.
For my first Korean BL, I don’t think I could’ve picked a wilder, more gripping watch. It was toxic, dramatic, intense, and utterly unforgettable. If you’re looking for a romance with real emotional depth and a chaotic love square that’ll have you screaming at the screen, this is it.
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For me melodrama definitely has its limits. Innocent Man thankfully didn't cross those limits. It was obviously absurd, but over-analyzing ruins pretty much every drama out there. If you take it as just entertainment, it does a good job of it. Also there is Song Joong Ki to make things easier for the female viewers. The occasional nonsense in the drama only got bearable thanks to a good cast. I believe every one of them put up a good effort and did a good job of their characters.
While I have lots of issues with this drama, I think this might be the best melodrama to exist with a not completely horrible ending. Of course that doesn't make the ending okay in any way because it is actually the weakest part of the whole drama if you ask me. Another thing that got to me was the overuse of amnesia in the plot. It felt like a cheap plot device just to make things dramatic. That is a very big flaw on the writer's part.
Apart from these things, the drama has some very interesting moments to keep a viewer hooked. It has lots of cool revenge and scheming that is enjoyable to watch. But then again- it being a Kdrama things tend to get very repetitive. I suppose I can forgive that bit though.
Overall this is a drama which was a mixed bag of feelings for me. There is stuff that I enjoyed and stuff I didn't enjoy as much. It does have a very good cast though. I have to mention that again. Sadly, in the end like almost every other melodrama it leaves no room for rewatch value. In the end, it is a highly forgettable one.
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Real enemies to lover troupe and justified the title-Fated hearts
It’s a story with complex characters and a straightforward plot, yet it’s impossible to hate anyone in it. Every character, even the ones labeled as “bad,” shows depth and potential — you end up admiring them in some way. What I loved most is that it’s the kind of drama you can enjoy without judging anyone because each person has their own reasons and emotions that make them real.The hero is a truly powerful figure — fearless and determined. He would go against anyone who threatens his loved ones, even if that person is his own father, the majesty, or anyone else. Heroine stands for righteousness above all. Even if someone close to her does wrong, she wouldn’t hesitate to oppose them to uphold what’s right.
The positive side — the leads are like ride-or-die partners. It was so beautiful to watch! The chemistry between them is truly amazing. We couldn’t take our eyes off them. The female lead has a strong character, and her expressions, everything, are just top-notch. It’s a solid 10 out of 10 for me.
Chen zhe yuan: nailed his character and micro expressions ..
Li qin: she justified as female general and her acting is top notch
It's a HE. give it a try❤️
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seems so good
nice to see First and other familiar faces. I like the tone and the story. acting is good and just generally the chemistry is amazing. I am frustrated I started it as it means I can't binge it. this is a binging series otherwise you don't get so hooked and feel the slow burn between the two leads. I will defo rewatch to get that excited feeling I got. it's so call to see First like this, he often does dark roles or is the main hitter in something fighting like... so a bit of romance is nice for him . I don't know of I'm just filling up the 500 word thing I genuinely am happy with the show and just wanted to express so in 10 but it wouldn't let me. so I will went on a tangentWas this review helpful to you?
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