Reviews

"Live in the present, but don't shy away from the past"

I don't often feel the need to write a review for dramas nor do I give many dramas a 10/10, but after finishing this one and taking the time to reflect and collect my thoughts, the desire to share them with my fellow drama-goers ignited.

What makes this drama incredibly special is the realism in its' exploration of its' main themes. While at a glance, it presents itself to be light-hearted and fun; it begins to tackle some esoteric, sensitive topics. Much of which is emotionally invoking leaving the audience yearning for more. In real life, you have to tread on thin ice when talking about suicide, depression, survivors guilt, grief, and self-forgiveness because it is socially uncomfortable to discuss these topics freely and openly. What I love about this drama is that, what the characters do and say aren't far off from how someone would react in real life. There's a saying that the happiest people are the people who hurt the most (Ha Min and Jae Min). I would agree with this 50/50 as it is also true of the opposite. The quietest people in a room may also have a marathon of thoughts running in their head (So Mang).

The experiences of So Mang, Ha Min, and Jae Min are some of the most realistically presented in media. It's not over the top melodramatic but just enough really make you feel connected to the character. You can feel their pain, suffering, and troubles as the drama progresses. This is especially true for So Mang and Ha Min, who I felt carried the show. This is not to say Bo Mi, Jin Young and Sun Hee weren't well written characters, but little is desired from them as they aren't directly involved with the more sensitive issues tackled. The side stories helped balance out more serious topics so it was a good mix. The actors themselves did great all around and aren't as terrible as some people make them out to be in the comments. While some of the facial expressions may be somewhat rigid, all actors start somewhere and it didn't really take away from my experience watching the show.

The music all around was a nice fit and enhanced the emotions that each scene intended to both present and invoke from its' viewers. "In Time" is probably one of my favorite tracks now.

This is a must watch for anybody. We all have hardships and we all have different ways to cope, but learning to forgive yourself and move forward while acknowledging the past is what helps somebody grow as a person. As bittersweet as the ending was, it's also a perfect ending for such a drama because not all of real life is a happy ending.

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Wow. This drama is really unexpected. I really thought that this drama would be one of those romantic comedies with a cute and loving story but it totally wasn't. Instead of it being really a romantic comedy, it was more mysterious. I never ever expected for the drama to turn out like that which is why I really liked it. I thought it was going to be one of those dramas where the girl meets the guy and they have a few troubles along the way but it was much more than that. The things that happen in this drama really blow your mind. The plot was very well written and it really surprises its audience. Expect the unexpected....

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PLOT: Ambiguous
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That's the best way I can describe it. After I'd finished watching this drama, I remember feeling satisfied but somewhat confused. No matter how much I wanted to write a review, I refrained because I was uncertain what the point of the story was besides getting the main leads together.

If you've read the synopsis, you know the protagonists survived the collapse of a shopping mall. So at first, I thought the story was about the leads working to make sure a tragedy like that didn't repeat. Except the story moved into a different territory, exploring why the mall collapsed in the first place. So then I assumed the plot was about finding out who was really responsible for the tragedy... only to realize that was barely touched upon. So next I wondered if it was about building the memorial for the victims' families and, in so doing, allowing our leads time to accept what happened and heal... But by the end of the story, none of those things mattered. In fact, some of those plot points were left completely unattended or brushed over.

So what was this story about?

It took me a bit of reflection to find the common thread that wove everything together. This is a story of hurt and comfort, simple as that. All the characters, each in their own way, were hurting. And, as the story progressed, they each found some measure of comfort and peace. But despite the heartwarming story, some plot-points did drag the narrative and bogged it down, extending the plot unnecessarily. That is not to say the story isn't good, but that is exactly the problem. If it had had a clearer plot, it would've elevated this story to greatness.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Sensitive & emotional
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The strongest point of this drama is probably the main characters, their acting and their chemistry. It's also worth noting that the characters stay very consistent, growing with each episode in a believable way.

Lee Kang Doo (male lead played by Lee Jun Ho): His character kept me engaged. He's not an unusual character, but I've more often than not seen his type in a supporting role rather than a lead. Kang Doo is a character who's hurting but he doesn't know how to ask for help. In fact, at his core, he doesn't think he deserves to be helped. He clings to life by sheer force of will, hiding his insecurities behind a wall of impatience and anger. But his bark is louder than his bite and, though he's rough, his true gentle heart shines through his every action.

Ha Moon Soo (female lead, played by Won Jin Ah): Her character is a perfect balance for Kang Doo. If he's like fire, she's like a gentle river. She flows calmly, abundantly and consistently. She's almost always in control of her life and emotions, which allows her to help those around her. She's a good person through and through, and a nurturing one at that. I really enjoyed her character, especially when her control broke to let out her real feelings and, with it, give us a glimpse of the pain she's been hiding. She was the most balanced and emotionally intelligent character out of the entire cast.

ANTAGONIST: None
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Although there are characters that act antagonistic, their role wasn't really that impactful. So I'd call them blunders more than antagonists.

SUPPORT CHARACTERS: Sympathetic
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Seo Joo Won (second male lead played by Lee Ki Woo): He was a complex character, presented as someone who wanted to move forward, but who couldn't let go of the past because he was still very much hurting. He was also a likable character from beginning to end.

Jung Yoo Jin (second female lead played by Kang Han Na): She's Seo Joo Won's former fiance who's still in love with him. Despite Joo Won not reciprocating her feelings, she was a strong, dignified, intelligent and sympathetic character. Unlike the standard second lead female, she never once tried to force her love upon Joo Won, nor did she blame Ha Moon for being the recipient of Joo Won's affections. Another thing of note is that she becomes friends with Lee Kang Doo.

PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: Sweet & tender
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The relationship between Kang Doo and Ha Moon is tender and nurturing. As I stated, this is a story about hurt and comfort, so we got plenty of that. There was a lot of chemistry between the characters, which allowed the progression of their relationship from strangers to co-workers to friends to lovers to feel organic and natural.

The pace was well maintained. It was a slow burn, but when it burned, it did so brightly. Sadly, it did sizzle in the middle (lost some momentum) under an overdose of unneeded drama. It's worth noting that I'm not a fan of getting a couple together, then tearing them apart unless there's a believable reason for it. In this case, I do question at least one of the reasons towards the end because it felt very out of character. That aside, the overall romance is heartwarmingly sweet.

Here are some of the highlights:
1) I enjoyed the transition from friends to lovers and appreciated that Ha Moon Soo was an active participant in that. In fact, I'd say she was perhaps bolder than Kang Doo, which is always refreshing.
2) I love the balance of the relationship. They were almost always on the same page and it never felt like one of them had the upper hand.
3) Their relationship was very healthy and based on mutual trust. Which means that both characters were there for each other at their lowest point and, in so doing, demonstrated that they were comfortable being vulnerable in each others' arms.

OVERALL: Low rewatch value, but definitely recommended
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This is a tender story about bringing two characters together to help heal their emotional wounds. Even if the plot had its flaws, the characters and their excellent portrayal made up for it. If you're looking for a sweet romance, then you should give this a shot. If on top of that, you're into stories of hurt & comfort, then this story will definitely satisfy you.

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Watch Fights Break Sphere for the story

I deliberated a long time over 8.5 or 9.... Finally decided on 8.5 becos the camera work and production quality affected my watching experience quite a lot. If the props and costumes quality was better, or the camera men were more experienced and know to shoot at angles that would not make the props look so fake, this drama would have been a 9.5 or even 10 for me.

This is an idol-led drama, with a really young cast and it was before Wu Lei and Xiao Zhan were such hot property. It didn't have much budget or good camera men so the watching experience feels like I'm at a school stage play at times.... But the story!! The story is GOOD! One of the best wuxia plots in recent times! And the screenwriters are quite respectful of the work, the changes it made from the original did not take too much away from the story. The drama is free from usual tropes, at least I haven't spotted any.... I don't consider the bro-sis romance to be a trope as this is in the original book.

If you like a good wuxia drama without much romance, Fights Break Sphere is a strong contender. Wu Lei fits the ML role well, and he puts in a commandable performance! I'm quite excited to see how he would develop in acting as he mature, like 10 years later? For a 17 yo to put in such a credible performance, he would probably be mind-blowing when he is 28.

And you have members of XNine in supporting roles, including uber hot Xiao Zhan! And a really pretty FL who unfortunately couldn't act well, but that is okay, won't distract you too much. I really like Li Qin's cameo here! She has such good chemistry with Wu Lei, it is unbelievable they are 9 years apart in age. Her CP with Wu Lei is more sizzling than the FL with Wu Lei.... Haha.

This is a fun watch with a very good, engaging story. I do not know if there'd be a season 2, but the ending is good enough for me. There is the donghua version too! You can continue the story in its animated version.

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Sweet, Short & Simple

A short, sweet and simple K-drama, if you're looking for something easy-going to watch amongst all your other series this is the one for you. The plot is simple and the love triangle isn't too much of a heart-breaker that you'll be left sobbing for days. Whilst there are plotholes and some things that don't really make sense, it's easy to ignore and just focus on the story. The ending is realistic and to be honest, I was pretty satisfied with it. So if you're looking for something to complete in a morning with your hot chocolate and a packet of digestive biscuits, this is the one for you :)

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A real and raw reality show with NORMAL people!

I was very satisfied with this show. I loved how the couples were all NORMAL people and not very fancy or over the top people with dazzling jobs. For the first time in a while I saw a reality “dating” show which didn’t seem very scripted at all. All of it felt real and raw. I could genuinely make out that every person was being driven by their emotions and not by some script. Of course there were a few things which could’ve definitely been avoided and the episodes could've been shorter, but nonetheless, it was very entertaining and enjoyable. I’m also very satisfied with the way it ended. To sum it up, this show gives you a dose of reality with how actual couples deal with their problems.
I definitely recommend this to whomsoever debating to wether invest their time in watching this or no! Just know that whenever you start this, you’re in for the long run while experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions!

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Fun Harlequin bodyguard-trope mini-drama that gets unnecessarily convoluted

My Name is Zhao Wu Di is a rather silly, but sexy and fun mini-drama starring Zhao Yaoke and Leo Yang, that pushes the "skinship" and innuendo boundaries of what we would normally see in C-dramas.

You may have seen Zhao Yaoke in The Day of Becoming You and The Imperial Coroner, both very good full-length dramas. I also liked her in Healing Food, Healing Love with Zhang He. Leo Yang, or Yang Yeming, only came onto my radar last year with the (even more smoldering and boundary-pushing) Republican Era short-length series, Miss Mystery. In Zhao Wu Di, viewers will either swoon over the gratuitous shirtless scenes and his smoldering stares -- or find his "dead-fish eyes" an emotionless turn-off. Cheng Long, who plays the supporting side-kick security guard, was one of the highlights.

Among bite-sized mini-dramas with the "Bodyguard" romance trope, this is one of the better ones in terms of action-sequences, acting, and overall production value -- and unlike the vast majority of short-length dramas, this one was mostly filmed with live audio, meaning the actors are not poorly dubbed by another voice actor. But marring the drama's overall potential is a plot that gets unnecessarily derailed by increasingly convoluted and silly twists as the storyline progresses, culminating in a laughable climax involving the villain and his cellphone (I don't want to give any "spoilers" -- however predictable -- but you'll know when you see it).

Still, if you're looking for a low-commitment drama fix or background watch and your tolerance for goofy plot developments is high, Zhao Wu Di is a quick and easy watch.

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This movie is so underrated. I’ve seen many reviews about this movie, but most of them are saying that this movie gets boring in the middle, trust me, it’s NOT. I stumbled upon this movie while scrolling to channels and this was played in tvN movies. Unfortunately I missed the first 10-15 minutes of this movie, but from that point till the end, it doesn’t disappoint at all.

The casts portrayed their characters excellently, and the story wasn’t cliche either. This movie shows how family isn’t always blood, but whom you find love in. This movie was light but also heartwarming, it made you smile but will also make you cry some parts near the ending. It’s beautiful how the writers can sum up this whole storyline and make a great happy ending.

Overall, a 9/10. A great family-movie to accompany you on this quarantine season! ⭐️

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The Ocean's Quiet Hero!

7.8/10
This drama left me with mixed feelings. The journey starts with Hae Jo trying to find his purpose in life and his parental lineage while grappling with a ticking time bomb in his head.

'Mr. Plankton' is such a beautiful and apt title and metaphor for the story. While plankton may seem insignificant in the vast ocean, their lives are crucial to maintaining the ecosystem much like Hae Jo, who feels overlooked yet contributes in his own ways to people around him.

At the start, Hae Jo came across as a brat but as the drama progressed I found myself sympathizing with him more and more. His flaws and initial arrogance gave way to deeper struggles and vulnerabilities, making it hard not to feel for him. The transformation from a seemingly self-centered character to someone with real pain and abandonment was gradual yet powerful. Woo Do Hwan did an excellent job portraying this character.

The road trip part was exciting and the cinematography was simply stunning. However, I wish the show had delved deeper into Jae Mi's character and her own internal conflicts which felt somewhat underexplored.

Also, I loved the bonding and sort of 'found family' dynamics overall in the drama, especially during the second half! The pacing was also better in the latter half, which made it more engaging than the first.

But the emotional weight of the drama is undeniable. Yes, it is not perfect but WDH's portrayal of Hae Jo was so raw and heartfelt. His struggle with abandonment and his illness leaves a bitter-sweet taste in the mouth that lingers.

Despite its flaws, this drama is worth a one-time watch, especially for the powerful performances and emotional depth it delivers.

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Love Earth/Mix, but this is no Tale of a Thousand Stars

I was reluctant to watch Cupid's Last Wish, because Earth/Mix set such a high standard with ATOTS. This series was nowhere near as good, but there was still a lot to enjoy. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

MIX AND PMS. The best part of the series for me! Mix (as Win, in the body of Lin) did a first-rate job of behaving like a woman with PMS. I mean, really remarkable and hilarious. Give the boy all the awards!

JAN ACTING LIKE WIN. She did a great job.

WHITE'S HAIR. I've always liked White, and it's a shame that he's recently been demoted to only supporting role parts. (I have my theory as to why, but I'd rather not write it here. If anyone wants to know my thoughts, I'll be happy to share in a private message.) Anyway... I really liked his shaggy hairstyle in this series.

CONS

THE WHOLE WIN/LIN THING. It's not the body swapping thing that bothered me (fantasy-fiction can work just fine), it's the idea that Korn (who is gay) is staring at Lin's face and body during all their adventures together. Yeah, yeah... I know the whole "love has no gender" spiel. Not buying that Korn is going to be physically attracted to Lin's appearance and wanting to make out with her, not until Win had regained his actual body. Sure, one can rationalize (the writers certainly did) by saying "but he knew it was Win." Meh.

WIN'S MOM. (In the final episode) the dialogue went something like this: Win: "Why do you want me to hate Korn?" Mom: "Because honey, your mom's a big ol' homophobe." (Proceeds to start crying and hitting herself, causing Lin and Win to comfort her immediately.) Mom: "It was all my fault! You almost died because of me!" That's right Mom, you almost DID cause your own children's deaths. So you absolutely SHOULD be beating yourself up over it. Grrrrr. Suffer bitch, suffer.

THE MONEY-GRUBBING AUNT AND UNCLE. Or were they cousins? No matter, they were terrible people. But what happened to them? They were great villains, then they just disappeared, then they came back at the end, suddenly softened and almost wimpy. I was disappointed.

KORN'S GOING ALONG WITH THE ENGAGEMENT. Wtf was that all about? Sure, he was in love with Win, but seemed willing to marry Lin just because her mom wanted it. I understand that respecting parents is very important in Asia, but -- come on -- it's 2022, and arranged marriages are a thing of the past... aren't they?

Despite some fairly big flaws, I still found much of it enjoyable. It's a 7.0 from me.

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STORY:
A typical modern-time-travel-back-to-ancient-China thing. Which is something I oddly really like!!! Idk, I just always think time traveling to ancient China is the coolest thing ever... I really like the ideas thrown in to make this drama of how and what it became. It later on turns out really unexpectedly weird with a sort of plot twist in the end, which though it does all makes sense in the end in it's own way, I guess.

ACTING/CAST:
Acting is 8/10, most did very well and some did ok.
Here are some of my thoughts of the main characters:

Xing Zhao Lin as Mo Lian Cheng:
OMG he is soooo adorable and sexy. I freaking fell deep in love with him. How can a 20 year old be so freaking hot!!! *Sweats & gulps* I caught myself falling for him and I was like, why does it feel like I am falling in love with him?! So weird?! Okay! Okay! Anyways! This drama shows very well of his acting skills. When watching Princess Agents, I never thought Xing Zhao Lin would have such skills!!! XD His character is so full of love and soooo fucking romantic even I felt the need to want to be his wife, LMAO. He is suuuuch a maaaan, whooo!

Liang Jie as Qu Tan Er/Xiao Tan:
She is a real talent... I am very impressed of her playing as 2 different characters. It shocked me like wow... It seem so legit like she can truly act as a gentle woman and you would believe that is her nature until she was playing as someone else who is wildin. That was the part of her that got me the most, so I think they did a good job choosing her for the role. When actors and actresses are to portray different characters in one show or movie & it is that believable for you to dislike the "other side of them", that is when it shows their true talents. She did a very good job in this drama. She's very funny, it's cute, I truly enjoyed her in this drama.

Wang Richards as Mo Yi Huai:
He is very handsome. LOVE his cheekbones, LMAO! This is my first time watching him and I really love and enjoy his cheekbones and his pretty face, ahahaha. Overall, I think his acting is very funny. I can't really take his acting seriously, it just very funny... He still needs a lot of improvements or so. But his acting goes well with comedy, hahahaha.

Sun Yi Zhu as Jing Xin:
Looool. This girl was very entertaining to watch! She is suuuuper cute and adorable. I grew to like her a lot. She does a very good job as Qu Tan Er's maid. I really love how they designed her as a maid that stands out, loved how they styled her hair, it is very cute on her. How she portrays her character dealing with Qu Tan Er's switching issues is what caught my attention the most.

MUSIC:
I've heard better soundtracks for dramas. I usually obsess over and fall in love with soundtracks from dramas and add it to my playlist and listen to it often, but I was just not feeling the music for this drama at all. So I would not download the soundtrack for this drama ):

REWATCH VALUE:
This drama currently tops as my #2 favorite drama out of all the other dramas I've seen in my life as Ten Miles of Peach Blossom tops as my #1. If I were a DVD collector, I would definitely buy the DVD set just to rewatch as I grow older, lmao. But I am more of a "watch-it-on-the-internet" type due to the new generation & technology of shows and movies online. So my list is visible on my kisskh account! Any that stays on my top 10 is definitely worth rewatching.


Love, love, love it so much. This masterpiece will always have a spot in my heart forever! It's so cute and I'm glad I had came across it to be a part of my life. As a 24 episode web series, it is definitely must watch!

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