Reviews

Started out so well, and then the main conflict gets resolved around the half way mark and the drama loses it way, and gets buried in cliché. The will they or won't they is the most integral part of any rebound romance story and if you take that conflict out, it's hard to sustain a story for the length of so many episodes. And you can hate me for it, Jung Hae In is GORGEOUS but he wasn't convincing at all when he was supposed to show sadness, like otherwise he was fine, but a lot of actors, are not great at everything but they are great at showing sadness which for a show like this and for kdrama in general was very much needed.

Maybe because of this and the lack of real conflict in the second half I ended up not buying their relationship AT ALL and both the characters seemed to feel unfinished and not well thought out. Acting wise though the rest of the cast was really doing well and you know there's something wrong with a drama when I was honestly siding with the ex lol seriously the two son in laws should have just hooked up they were so good together. Seriously, I really got involved in the other sisters story a lot more. And the sociopathic son in law from hell the actor was so good and all the actors who played the sisters same, I liked both the sisters! Especially the youngest, she was badass.

The problem with a story about cheating couples is if you don't have characters who are conflicted about their emotions and they show some emotion for the ex is what makes the character a worthy protagonist for a romance. If they say they have no feelings for someone they were with for four years not only do they sound self serving but you also are unable to believe they will be any different in the new relationship. Like you waited till you had a hot guy with a stable job to leave someone you claim you didn't have feelings for yet you were sleeping with them? And saying you'll get married, I mean the guy didn't even do anything besides 'not give her enough time' when he was in a business meeting! ! Is she going to resent the new guy when he cancels on her because he was working?

I mean I did not buy she was going to continue to be 'selfless' long term with the new guy it's just a matter of time.

Another thing that also became annoying was the fact that the perceived 'villain' in the story, the ex, was the not really evil and the stunts he pulled become so lame you're left watching a boring story because look the villain actually has to win at something to be a convincing villain! Lol here none of the 'villains' or the antagonists were actually scary and everything got resolved through a single conversation, lol literally, like that's why I was so bored.

That said I did enjoy it but mostly because Jung Hae In is GORGEOUS and I liked the cast, the ex even I felt bad for him.

Read More

The beginning of the drama had a ton of potential; it had a lot of characters that were very likable and had their own little story and you couldn't really hate any of them. However, the drama got boring after a few episodes (maybe 5). The leading female character also had a daughter but they didn't mention her after we met her (like what happened to her?). There was no longer any chemistry between the leading characters and after a while, I was more interested in the other characters' story than theirs. It got so boring that I would skip a few parts (which is rare for me).

Read More

An amazing journey... which ended up being miserable near the end (ツ)

"Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard" having such a unique and peculiar title was the first thing that made me took interest in the drama, but I was mesmerized by its beautiful cinematography and stunning soundtrack which comes with the very first scene. So I was literally hooked in the first 5 minutes into the show, it proves that it has that perfect first impression. Not just its beauty the way emotions were conveyed, I've never been emotional in the first episode of any modern C-drama but this becomes an exception. It was a roller coaster ride where I enjoyed, laughed, and cried... but there is a big BUT.

Talking about the story. It was really well written and almost perfect regarding characters' personality, their dialogues, the pace and direction of the storyline having all little details. I was impressed from the starting till near the end. Then they messed up... messed up so hard, I almost thought if they changed the writer as the whole setup of the story into a total melodrama. Loving all the way, my wonderful ride becomes rough out of nowhere adding all unnecessary things, cliches on the edge of the finale. Was it really needed?

They did a great job with casting. Allen Ren just nailed it! with all those emotions, being calm, composed, and his subtle smile just WOW! talking about the character Gu Chuan. I really loved the fact that they didn't go with all stereotype CEOs of C-dramas being rude, arrogant, and unreasonable all the time. His character felt like a real person just being cold due to the situation he is going through. Sad and depressed having just one goal to complete, till Xiao Ning came into his life and he got a reason to smile, to come out of his shell and actually live. Fair Xing... is definitely Fair for this role as she can play a bubbly, energetic, adorable character so naturally having that cute smile on the face all time. The chemistry this couple has is amazing and remarkable... one of the reasons why I was enjoying it.

All other things including music, cinematography, very interesting side couple this drama was near perfection to me. And here comes that big BUT it collapsed losing all its momentum in the last 6-7 episodes.. out of the track, almost wrapping ending, wasting much time on the very unnecessary situation and side couple but at the end of the day, we rather get a huge disappointment other than a satisfaction which I was anticipating. How to turn a very cheerful, refreshing, sweet, fluff into melodrama this being a perfect example here. That's how my 9.5 turned into 8.5. (On a side note: I never give high ratings, 9.5 is very rare).

It sure teaches 101 ways how to turn the perfect drama into a messy ride.
I won't say it's not enjoyable it sure was... but don't get your hopes too high.

Read More

Revamp : The Dead Story!

This had everything it needed to be a guilty pleasure masterpiece, from vampires to forbidden love to century-old curses to a tragic painting, and most importantly Boun Prem. And yet, somehow, it manages to take all that potential and throw it down the drain.

The premise opens dramatically with a vampire sealed inside a painting, freed by a modern man who is calm about meeting a vampire that he even offered to make tea. To be very honest, I wasn't expecting much from a vampire drama, but then it never lived up to the lore it built.

Coming to logic, or what I call the abstract art here, interpret it however you want. Now, starting from the start, Ramil being trapped for a century should make him disoriented, right? This man adjusts to the 21st century faster than most of us figure out new trends. Again, not asking for ironclad things, just basic stuff.

The drama till the very end couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Was it supposed to be a bit dark? A romance? A parody of its own genre? It felt like this project was directed by different people. One wanted it to be slapstick comedy, the other just wanted to see Boun shirtless but there must be someone who actually wanted the vampire drama with angst, so we also see sprinkles of that. I respect all three visions, but maybe not in the same hour. Somehow, the tonal whiplash weighed down the drama completely and made it boring.

They also introduced a hunter's subplot, and I thought this would bring back some life and excitement in this domesticated tale of a vampire, but I was again proven wrong. They totally underused it to the point that it just started looking funny. Imagine a secret organisation taking on supernatural beings and declaring war, but all of their plans lacked any preparedness. I will not even question logic here.

The only aspect that I enjoyed was the bond between Ramil and the vampire brothers (Methas, Ciar and Mekhin). It wasn't the central plot but I wished it was. They had each other's backs and it was fun where they shared the screen. Again, they totally wasted potential to actually explore the 3 characters and bring in some actual plot. Ciar might come off as rude and presumptuous, but he was the only one who acted like an actual vampire.

Coming to chemistry between the leads, the romance is what sank the ship. It was just too much and everywhere. I like the leads and their chemistry but here all the focus was on their love story, leaving everything else (the actual plot, pacing, character depth) adrift.

Acting-wise, Mark as Methas captured my attention and it was good seeing Barcode on screen. Rest, everyone was forgettable. Again, not bad but nothing to run home about.
The production itself wasn't terrible. The manor was gorgeous, and the opening OST was good. There were inconsistencies in editing, but at one point, I stopped caring.

Overall, this isn't unwatchable but boring. Things kept happening, but nothing held my interest. Everything was half-baked. Again, I understand the main plot is vampires and it is expected to be a bit campy. In fact, I welcome that trope, but this wasn't even a fun camp.
So yes, Revamp tried to suck blood but ended up sucking energy instead.

Will I recommend it? No. I am definitely not their target audience for this.
Will I recommend GMM TV to stop attempting vampire dramas? YES. PLEASE !

Read More

A Drama So Beautiful.. I Would Rewatch For The Visuals Alone..

Melo Movie might fall under the Rom-Com genre.. But its more than just a romantic story.. The depth it carries evokes strong emotions.. The drama had so many beautiful bonds and I loved how seamlessly they wrapped up the story in just 10 episodes.. Loved the main couple and their dynamic.. They each carried their own baggage and yet they gave each other the space to figure things out on their own.. Choi Woo Shik, Park Bo Young, and Kim Jae Wook all in one drama?? There was no shortage of memorable performances.. They were just too good.. Whenever a drama with Kim Jae Wook comes out I am always dumbfounded by how underappreciated he is.. With the talent he has, he should be far more sought after and have had way more dramas in his career.. He is nothing short of a brilliant actor and Melo Movie just proves that..

"Life seems to have a fixed amount of happiness..
In another sense, there is also a set amount of misfortunes.. "

"Its simple.. If someone suffers a string of hardships, they should believe that good things will come soon.. "

First kiss in the very first episode?? In the snow?? And then the male lead disappears right after?? What a way to end the first episode..

"Just like that the dark night passed.. And dawn arrived.. And Ko Gyeom disappeared just like that.. "

Without any context his disappearance was such an interesting plot twist.. But the car drowning scene hinted at a backstory.. One that obviously had to exist.. Otherwise there is no coming back for him from this..

" I know I sound crazy.. But that day Ko Gyeom looked like someone returning home from a long trip.. I thought I saw a sense of relief and inexplicable exhaustion in him.. "

I didnt like Son Ju A and I hated how she coincidentally met Mubee at a bar and they just became friends.. That was such a cliche.. I didnt like her character overall.. She was honestly annoying.. The way she treated Hong Si Jun after becoming successful was just not what I expected.. And cutting off even the ML who was her friend was just too heartless.. What I hated even more was how she had the audacity to barge back into his life after her success.. I felt sorry for Hong Si Jun.. He had a family who never even tried to understand him and a girlfriend who did everything in the name of love without ever truly opening up to him.. Only to leave him suffering in the end.. She never tried to change him.. Never tried to guide him.. Just kept praising him.. The moment she realized she would drown with him she just left.. He himself didn’t know how to navigate life or how to fulfill his passion.. He lacked a guide.. He lacked any real sense of meaning..

Episode 7 was hands down the best of the entire drama.. In that one single episode the whole story found its meaning..

"Are you busy right now?"
"I have never been busy in my life."

Choi Woo Shik and his comedy were on point.. He is easily one of the best in the Rom-Com genre..

Two of my favorite scenes in the drama were when they finally accepted their feelings for each other and kissed near the sunflower field.. And the hug scene at the park.. Perfectly synced with the scene playing on the screen in the background.. I loved the framing of the park scene so much that I rewatched it several times.. It was just that impressive..

"There’s no one at home.. No one’s home, Mubee."

They portrayed the grief of losing someone so realistically.. The way he tries to act okay.. Yet even the smallest things like returning to a house without his brother bring a wave of sadness.. And the fact that Mubee could resonate with his emotions made it even more heartbreaking.. Its true that Mubee finds Gyeom at his lowest points.. She truly was the luck that followed his misfortune..

'' Visit me in my dreams from time to time.. ''

Special shoutout to Ko Jun.. This has to be KJW’s most tragic character to date.. After losing their parents and becoming an orphan, he took on the role of the provider and guardian to his younger brother when he himself was still young.. Dedicated his entire life to him.. Only to pass away tragically just when he finally realized he wanted to live..

Overall Melo Movie was an emotional rollercoaster.. Heartwarming yet heartbreaking.. It reflects how life itself carries multiple genres.. Its never just suffering and misfortune.. Happiness finds its way too..

The cinematography in Melo Movie was beautiful.. I would rewatch the drama just to take in those visuals again..

Read More

The premise is unique but the execution isn't

The story is about a married couple, Hyun Woo and Hae In who have lost and disconnected in their marriage. And after Hae In being diagnosed with terminal illness they try to reconnect and overcome their marital and life crisis.

In the early episodes, you might perceive ML as a jerk, which indeed he was. However, both the ML and FL exhibited similar behavior towards each other, indicating a lack of communication between them. So you should understand the distress experienced by the ML and his reaction to the preceding situation.

ML and FL undeniably have chemistry! They are one of the most eye candy couple one could ask for. However, the director seemed to overdo it in trying to sell their chemistry when it was already apparent. Repeating the same shot from 15 different angles and having them stare at each other for 2-3 minutes during every conversation felt excessive, especially given that they were already married. I also didn't like how they overly emphasized the childhood and fate connection between the leads.

I also thought this show would have the leads with in depth conversations between them about what went wrong in their marriage and why they drifted, showing their past love story was also a good move but I still felt that her illness magically resolved all their issues, conflicts and misunderstandings without much communication about their drift.

The drama primarily focuses on the familial and villain storylines, accounting for more than 70% of its content. If you're expecting a romantic comedy, I'd suggest skipping this one. It leans more towards melodrama than romance, so if you approach it with a rom-com mindset, you might be disappointed.

The most intriguing premise of the show was rebuilt of relationship between the ML and the FL, but unfortunately, we hardly saw any development on that front. Instead, the focus was primarily on a rich chaebol family facing a crisis.

This drama doesn't rely on action-packed sequences or rapid plot developments; instead, it embraces a slice-of-life approach with a leisurely pace. The drama has undeniable number of cliches although which are easily predictable, it couldn't categorized itself as "Cliche done right" for me.

Each character is meticulously fleshed out, their stories, personalities, and arcs fully explored. Almost every supporting character gets their own story arc. Initially, some seemed uninteresting, but as the drama progressed, even their stories became a little compelling,

A drama requires a balanced flow in it's story and narrative, but when you throw unnecessary tropes every episode without concluding the previously more believably it feels artificial that's what went wrong for "Queen of Tears", they threw plot twists left and right which were not even interesting or amusing rather cliche. Had they focused on one genre properly, like "Life" and "Action" offer two completely different paces so the simultaneous shifting from one to another disrupted the overall pace of the show, where some scenes were intriguing but some awfully filler and boring .

The writer overly focused on the villain arc. It didn't feel reasonable; instead, it felt forced to the point of frustration. This aspect significantly detracted from the overall vibe of the drama. Motive and the narrative regarding the villain was left underdeveloped despite so much focus on it.

The music is nice, but they played the same music during every sad scene, it lacked variety just like the plot LMAO.

With one of the highest budgets in the industry, the cast, locations—especially Germany with its breathtaking scenery—wardrobe, and the prominent Mercedes PPL 🤣, it served quality but it still isn't a criteria for a good drama for me.

Overall, this didn't offer anything particularly special. I've been watching dramas for four years, and there's nothing new I've seen here. While some twists here and there are amusing, the overall plot isn't too surprising. The writer chose the cliche route despite the unique premise, and the long 1.5-hour episodes didn't help either. The production and top-quality actors carried the drama because the plot was definitely lacking.

I lost my interest by Ep 10, watching the rest of it was a chore indeed.

REWATCH: It's really lengthy for a rewatch, and the only scenes id rewatch are of main leads, so id just watch a edit or mv of them, rather than the whole show.

Thank you for reading my review ^^
END

Read More

IT'S A CANNONBALL

Firstly, there are tropes you'll agree with me are made for some countries and just incase another country adopts it even if by chance and executes it well enough, that's going a bit higher and matching up to a standard. Originally Thai BL'S from being as scanty as 15 shows annually between 2018-2021, every trope was good enough because for the first time it felt new since we were having BL couples instead of heterosexual ones but after that 2022-2023 was a massive wave of close to 80+ BLS in each. The exposure was good but it seemed that some plots either felt too bland, some actors aren't the right choices for the shows or simply, BL fans are getting bored and we are looking for something unique.

Here is THE SIGN. First and foremost, the fact that this is the first Thai BL original that deals with Special forces was enough to intrigue me and just as I had mentioned that I felt this kind of plot had become more of a western monopoly a part of me was rather eager. The trailer delivered it well to have me quite expectant but after watching the first episodes I say the long uneasy wait was worth it. Of course the Special Investigation Forces part of it might feel unreal and rather having it too easy if you're to compare with Western Series like FBI and GANG RELATED. No offense, for Thailand I do respect that they could take this gr8 shot and it doesn't bother me that much since it was never the gist of the story so it didn't occupy space unnecessarily.

Also considering the fact that we are moving out of the bedrooms and condos and getting more into the real adult world. I felt that highschoolers and campusers had overdone it and for some reason high school and university settings were making the BL STORYLINES lose an aroma. We have seen from Until We Meet Again back in 2019 the notion of lost lovers but never a profound and rather intensely chaotic couple like Celestial lovers who were never meant to be which makes the sign yet another one of those BL series that is exceptional.

I equally came to admire the fact that the character design here is quite mature and we are moving away from some stupid couple fights which were starting to get annoying to some point. We have seen love that challenges gender and social norms in my perspective but never one which challenges religious ones like the Sign which I had always anticipated at some point. The Lovestory of Billy and Babe unlike many challenges what you would considered some of the most powerful cosmic forces in existence.

Thirdly, finally beating an office romance, you’ll find out from this show how it is very cute when a special agent is playing hard to get and another is practically a naive big baby that's struggling at expressing themselves. Of course even if there is a progression of feelings, the top knotch of this chemistry is that two people with different personalities start to create a common ground for intimacy

New faces and ships to the genre who have gotten their jobs right is also the real deal, I don't believe that being a rookie actor justifies one to be a bad actor and in any case The Sign proves it right. Everyone seems to comprehend, fit in their role and even grow in it with literally every scene that it starts to feel more like a sincere portrayal than a very flat pretense. I have seen series that have gone South when they could have been better because of this annoying excuse.

Besides, the Supernatural fantasy in a cop drama hits different and right, Billy literally flirts the scene well and quite unobviously which keeps the show interesting, these guys are so past the point of stereotyping gay couples as sweet people with nothing to do, for once I feel a gay couple has real work to do in line with promoting law and order now you get to see them in action and in a way even offering a civil service apart from struggling with anger issues, overkissing and I think I literally LMAO at the fact that these guys each had way many sex dreams or thoughts.

All in all the pacing of the series seems quite right and after all this I can certainly say, coming from Thailand, they have found a way to end the year and begin a new one in style by giving us a show that is quite unique and hints on personal and spiritual diversities which have been confined to perfection and give us an unspoken warmth, sweetness despite the cruel designs of the world, fate and karma which make you see how every character lives every day as if it were their last.

Read More

The series is a cliché, which carries many problems. We have Third who is in love with his best friend (Khai), and he's a complete jerk. Not because Khai does not return his feelings, but because he is a terrible friend. In the first episode I even sympathized with Third's problems, but by the time the second one arrived, I was already full and wanted him to take the reins of his life and go after someone else, or be alone. What's wrong with being alone?

We have the main couple consisting of two unlikeable characters, one is an idiot (Khai) and the other is extremely annoying (Third). Does anyone really step into the shower with clothe on to cry and pity himself? It took all the drama out of the scene and made me laugh.

On the other side is Two, which the series tries to make us think he is a good friend, but he also takes some pretty stupid moves, such as selling the friend, even though he doesn’ t agree with the situation before (I won't spoil this further). He even has a nice story with another character, but it is never well defined what they are.
Finally we have Bone, who was probably the only main character that didn't piss me off. Unfortunately his story with the teacher was boring and even a little uncomfortable.

BLs, mostly Thai, often ignore sexuality, but this time it was done as strangely as possible, with characters who never showed attraction to a particular genre creating an overwhelming desire out of nowhere. Another issue is the female representation, which bothered me more than the problem of sexuality and I am a gay man. Women were either crazy or just plot device to make Khai look like a womanaizer. All the characters made extremely sexists comments at some point.

They did have some cute scenes, but I was already so angry at the toxic relationship of the characters that I wasn't even touched. Instead of shipping them, I hoped they wouldn't end up together.

The positive side may be that the acting was good, especially from Gun, Off was fine most of the time, but at times it was forced. It could have had fewer episodes. It isn’t horrible, but could be a lot better, even approaching the same history.

Read More

A Virtuous Business truly feels like an underrated gem amongst all the k-dramas that have come out this year, but it was never really on my radar until I stumbled upon it on Netflix once it started airing, but I was truly enthralled by every single episode and had a great time from start to finish. And it’s always wonderful when stories manage to surprise you like that.

There was something just so effortless and charming about the setting and the main characters, but they all seemed to be those moms who would usually never get to be in the lead role in most other stories, but here they got the spotlight. This variety of women who live in this small community inside this small town where nothing really happens. Until it does.

It is wonderful to see how they gradually started to bond and form friendships through their unusual business and the circumstances they face because of it, but also gain a certain sexual liberation and ways to show and express their desires, even if society does not want to admit that women over a certain age can have any sorts of desires.

But it was that aspect of the story that made many kdrama viewers did not notice this drama or pay much attention to it. It’s not a romcom, it doesn’t have the typical romance or characters, and it certainly did not feature a young heartthrob in the lead role. And the kdrama space, just like our society tends to put men at the center and their roles in the lives of women which is often why romance is such a focal point in our lives. We are all meant to be in love (with men).

There was plenty of fun to be had since the humor was good and with a heartwarming little romance as a side story which fitted a story such as this But the true love story here is the love between these women and how they grow with each other, and the drama seemed to understand that.

One thing this drama did very well was to show how the image and sense of self of these women within the society was often tied to their husbands and children. The men around them shaped their lives and the narrative that not only the story told, but also the people around them did, through the gossip that spread and how the actions of those men sometimes had greater consequences on the woman, which was something that most of them did not think or care about. So many things became a burden for the woman. And she is admired or pitied because of their behavior. Or their lack of a man, even.

The drama may have shied away a bit or hesitate to go all the way with the sex toy storyline, but it does fit the time and the characters who are the main protagonists of the story. And while the business around sexy lingerie and sex toys certainly liberated them to a certain extent, they were still allowed to be a little prudish despite being allowed to express their desires. But the real liberation within the story was their friendship. Because without it, they were quite isolated.

The romance or love within the story was, again, the love between these women and themselves, even though that story also brought out some rekindled emotions and the fun little flings and flirting. All of them got a man in their lives, for better or for worse, in the end. Because no woman in society is complete without a man. And I felt like the drama understood how that is how society sees the purpose of women. The main romance was very slow, which suited the story very well and never took too much time away from the main plot.

My biggest fail mark within the story is the investigation and the lost child-cold case that was a side story there dragged on a bit and sometimes I felt like that part of the story was hardly more than an excuse to give the main male character (and the only man there who was decent) more to do and fill in some dead time. It all came together in the end, which I was sure it would, and it was done in a kind of predictable way, and I’m still not sure if it added anything to the story or if the drama wouldn’t have worked perfectly without it.

Overall, it was a fun, lighthearted and easy watch where the hours flew by and the screenwriters did a good job of cramming all the character development and the slow-burning romance and wonderful friendship and everything else you could want from a drama like this in 12 episodes – but I will continue to insist that it’s a little too short for a traditional kdrama storyline and the pacing they’re used to having. But neither the character development nor the plot seemed too rushed here and the focus to tell a very funny and heartfelt little story about small town women, their quirky neighbors that make up their community and friendship never truly wavered.

Read More

SHOULD HAVE NEVER WATCHED

(this is my first time writing a review if anyone of you think it's inappropriate just comment anything i will remove it right away)
i should have never watched it atleast not now it's 2 am and idk what to do now... I'm traumatized what type of ending was that? writernim you really did us dirty this wasn't what we expected atleast not that? and what about the sphere nothing makes senses yes i never watched it idk i can't even rate it ik this script was hard to write, was hard to make, everything was hard but what type of ending is that? ughhhhhhhhhhh i can't help but be mad
i don't to talk bad about it as it's hard to make all these but it doesn't even make sense
everyone's death at the end of the episode was useless why did you have to kill everyone it just feels like ending was rushed
The "2 min scene" at the end of the episode what was that for after giving us such ending and about speheres why are they explained? not a fan of this
i will watch this drama everytime i feel like i have never watched some drama with such "good ending" and not rushed ending

thankyou writernim

Read More

sadly a disappointment-rushed and poorly produced

*This is not going to be a plot summary*
So I just wanted to start by saying: no i haven’t read the novel, I’m a big fan of Zhao liying and Wang yibo (so this doesn't mean I dislike them), and I was looking forward to this for a while now.
-for those that are fans of the untamed, the character yibo plays is quite different and was a pleasant change.

I was quite disappointed with this drama. It seemed super rushed and was lousily put together.
Firstly, the production quality was below my expectations. Trash sets and props. The sets looked extremely fake and by that I mean I could tell half the plants were plastic and the rocks were super fake looking. I'd say a good chunk of the drama takes place in a "foresty" setting and every single time a scene is shot in the forest, it looks identical to the previous shots...(I think they used the exact same forest set for each scene...) The snow scenes looked like someone dumped flour all over the actors and the set. The dubbing of the actors/actresses was poorly done. The fighting scenes weren’t all that memorable and seemed a bit below average considering this is a drama centered around a sword fighting FL and sect. There were no blood spurts when people were killed; to me it looked very poorly choreographed and produced coming from someone who watches a lot of martial art dramas. The screenwriting was just terrible and the camera work was poor with way too many close up shots and meh editing.
Secondly, my main issue with the drama is the story and the pacing. all the way even till the very last episode, it was incredibly boring and slow paced. I breezed through the episodes, fast forward the heck out of the last 20 episodes. Yes, there are a couple episodes here and there where there was more suspense and depth in the plot but after that it just quickly fizzled out. I just feel like the screenwriters were trying so hard to come up with content and keep the plot going. To combat this, they introduce new characters every single goddamn episode (i can literally name 40 characters right now). I’m not frustrated that “oh there are so many characters to remember” but it’s more like they are pointlessly trying to drag the story out in all different directions. There are literally 6 different sub-plots happening, not even counting the main couple. In my opinion, I also didn’t really feel much chemistry between the two leads; in my eyes it was more of a good friendship. The female lead, Zhou Fei, is stubborn and doesn't have much character depth....While watching the last couple episodes of the drama I was asking myself “what is the point of all this? What is this going to build up to? Why mention Xie Yun’s identity if it doesn’t contribute much to the story?” I'm just confused. It seemed like there is this one big overarching plot and arc about to happen yet with the introduction of a new character in each episode, I feel like its straying the drama farther and farther away.
The antagonists and side characters are pretty one dimensional. The costumes for the antagonists gave more of a comedic relief than a villainous aura :/ The acting is fine. Not spectacular but not poor. Wang Yibo and Zhao Liying were great as always, but the rest of the cast didn't really stand out to me.
I will probably clean this review up later but sorry, I just see this drama as a flop with way too many flaws. They tried way too hard to keep this story going for 51 episodes and in all the other aspects failed as well.

Read More

Not bad but not good.

Not bad but not good!
I would say that this drama is for a family time. I don't really recommend it, I only watch it because of the ML and FL. After divorce insurance and this, why they giving bro this type of drama!! And both at low ratings. I agree to you all, I only watch 4 episodes of divorce insurance and completed this one while skipping some scenes, why all these flashbacks.
Ep 1 was nice, but overall not. I don't recommend this drama if you searching one for having a good time or some fighting action.
Maybe for some viewers, it can be their cup of tea, all I would say if you can't decide whether to watch it or not, seeing the bad ratings and comments. I would tell you watch 2 episodes or 4 and decide. I know because of the actors you want to watch it, like I have done, but "not bad but not good".
Also it's just my opinion, I not telling you to don't watch it or something else. Everyone has their own opinion and are free to share.
Always be respectful.
A shop for killers, please come quickly.

Read More

Slow paced & soulful slice of life - HOW we are living being more important than surviving

Beforehand: Anyone who expects "Goodbye Earth" to be a 12 episodes long doomsday blockbuster in the face of an impending apocalypse is completely wrong here. The KDrama has nothing to do with a fast-paced, action-packed and adrenaline-arousing desperate fight against an approaching asteroid.
Plus: Yoo Ah-in's lead role, due to a charge of illegal drug use, was reduced to a minimum during production. So somehow it had to be improvised in terms of content. But in my opinion, a stronger focus on the female lead (played by Ahn Eun-jin) didn't hurt.


I would say "Goodbye Earth" is a ´slice of life´ centering around a bunch of rather ordinary people in a rather ordinary residential area in the city of Ungcheon. The remaining city population is expecting the crash of an asteroid that is on a collision course with the Earth and, according to calculations, will hit the Korean peninsula. Other than that, people live their lives - which, compared to before, obviously are not quite the same... So this dystopian KDrama is not about averting disaster. It's about continuing with life - until the end. Together. But, now, what do all the noble, dutiful, corrupt, holy, street-smart, arrogant, simple, life-hungry, in love, pregnant, believing and criminal variations of human beings do with this knowledge of their collective death?

Significantly, the looming asteroid isn't the worst thing at all in “Goodbye Earth”. In this particular scenario, the political order had already largely collapsed. Those who could afford it, had tried to save themselves. Eventually, the power vacuum was filled in no time. But fortunately, "Goodbye Earth" does not medially exploit the dystopian scenario to gleefully indulge into man's cruelty, unscrupulousness and insatiable greed even in the face of the bitter end. In fact, the KDrama gives its time and space mainly to interpersonal dynamics of a certain community - a diverse collection of people, young and old, who know each other from their community life, from school, from childhood. Only over time, little by little, in interspersed flashbacks, do we find out how they are all related to each other and what actually connects them. We walk along with them - during their last days, which are unstoppably shrinking in number… until the collision with the asteroid. Thus, emotionally, episode by episode, we get to know the people and their neighborhood better and might even grow fond of them, too.

The people in Ungcheon are actually less concerned with the approaching asteroid itself than with why and where their priest had disappeared or what had happened to the church money. And then there is this gang of criminals who among others specialized in child trafficking. The pain, fear and hopelessness felt by the people of Ungcheon is more likely to be caused by the collateral damages beforehand of the asteroid collision, than by actually facing their end.

It is slice of life in the context of a rather bizarre, extraordinary life situation. While people have to process their traumatic, crucial life experiences, talking and sharing might actually help to overcome emotional alienation or even frenzy. Yet... This is beautifully demonstrated in several examples. Sooner or later, close to the end the question arises as to what really counts...

In my opinion, this is a quietly gripping and complex KDrama. So complex that a few questions might remain unanswered at the end. But for me they are not so important here, therefore I can leave it at that. I´d say “Goodbye Earth” is rather about the personal processes that all those different characters have to go through, while dealing with those obviously extraordinary challenges their ordinary life is confronting them with.

For all those who expected e.g. “Deep Impact” in a series format, "Goodbye Earth" is certainly disappointing. For fans of slice of life, however, an almost unique scenario opens up in this rare dystopian context. The focus is on a former teacher who had to helplessly watch the children of her mid-school class becoming the greatest collateral damage in the run-up to the asteroid collision. For her this is representing the actual catastrophe.

"Goodbye Earth" lives from subtle interpersonal dynamics, coping with everyday life in a state of emergency and the daily struggles for emotional balance, for humanity and structure, for law and order in the midst of chaos. The KDrama is primarily a soulful and slow-paced study about the people of a neighborhood in Ungcheon bravely continuing with their lives in the light of their definitive collective death date. Because it's not over yet. Well aware about day X, life goes on. Until then. Together.
Bottom line: In the end, HOW we are living is more important, than surviving no matter what.

Read More

Lacking in plot development and character motivation

Queen of Tears is story of Hyun Woo & Hae In's unhappy marriage life, threatened by chaebols and Hae In's fatal illness. A classic soapy melodrama, with star-studded ensemble cast and cameos. The production quality is top, with the stylish wardrobes, wonderful scenery and romantic OSTs. However, the execution was not up to the par.

The first 2 episodes set the story quite well, but they didn't make their characters' motivations sensible. At least give a reason to make me believe why their relationship was failing, instead of crying too much and lack of communication. Really, most of their conversations were ended by crying or fighting to the point I got numb. I was bored with the villains' suspenseless and super slow scheming. By the end it gets ridiculous with all the cliché tropes shoehorned. What ended up to be the most anticipated scenes was the cute auntie Beom Ja's romance, it's fluffy & gave off immense heart-fluttering moments. Overall, the flaws of the drama amounts to my disappointments.

Thanks for reading!
April 2024, Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More