
This review may contain spoilers
It's Maya back with another overly typed out review! Overall, I really enjoyed this drama! It's entertainment value is good, but I just thought it was too long. After I go into details, I'll give you two ways to watch My Dear Warrior based on what kind of drama you want to watch.First, I want to go into what I really liked about My Dear Warrior. The reason I watched this series, to begin with, was because I saw Oab was in it. I'm a big fan of Oab, and the fact that he is portraying a cartoon character come to life and he just walks around in a kick-butt outfit the whole time... SIGN ME UP. I was also intrigued by the concept of cartoon characters coming into the real world and seeing what they will do.
2019 was really the year of characters from another world or time coming to our modern-day period and adjusting. One of the best parts of this series was seeing how Luna, Hoshi, and Kairo reacted to the real world. Finding out that Hoshi had no idea what normal bodily functions were was just hilarious and so unique.
There were some amazing action scenes, but the lack of them was one of the weaknesses. If you are looking for romance, the romance scale is through the roof on this series. There are also some hilarious side characters that are actually useful for once.
Alright, time for the dirt. As much as I love a good romantic drama, My Dear Warrior may have gone a little too crazy with the romance. As I said before, there are not a lot of action scenes throughout the series and those scenes are filled with a lot of staring into each other's eyes while the instrumental version of the theme song plays in the background. Of course, if that's what you want, then you're set!
The reason I gave the story a 7.5 is because it was just too long with not enough risk. You gotta admit that no good drama has a romance with no imminent threat lurking in the background just ready to pounce on our fragile hearts.. In My Dear Warrior, there are four risks that exist: Hoshi's romance with Luna, the evil beyond evil villain, the fact that Hoshi, Luna, and Kairo are cartoon characters and they have to disappear at some point, and something about a full moon. While all of these risks are mentioned throughout the series, the biggest threat to Hoshi and Sky's romance is him going back in the book. The other risks really do not have any importance even though the series wants you to think that they are. And like seriously what is that thing about the full moon, cause like they never come back to that, do they?
Alright, enough of that! Now you're wondering how you should watch My Dear Warrior. I'll cut to the chase:
1. If you want a nice drama filled with romance, action, and magic... Watch episodes 1-10, skip 11-14, and then watch episodes 15-20. You're not really missing anything in episodes 11-14.
2. If you want more of a romantic punch with your sprinkle of action, then watch all the way through.
Was this review helpful to you?

From the start of Seondal, I found myself hypnotised. The storyline played out beautifully, fully capturing your attention from the start. With a harrowing beginning of war and loss, it's hard not to feel for the characters at the start. The first thing I noticed was Seungho Yoo, playing the main character - Kim Inhong aka Kim Seondal. His acting as our main character shows within the first few minutes as his honourable character begins with his protective nature and charm. Seungho really creates a character that is likeable from the beginning - even though we know Inhong is written out and scripted, Seungho brings a truly amazing feeling to the character and truly makes Inhong his own.
Following on from Seungho as Inhong, there is also Kim Minseok as Gyeong. An idol that I have grown to be quite fond of over the past year, Gyeong was a character that I was very much looking forward to meeting in this film, and my expectations were definitely not let down. Kim Minseok brings to Gyeong a side of the character that felt playful, but still serious. Along with his own heroic and honourable actions, it's hard not to fall in love with this misshapen small family of crooks.
The storyline itself of family, loss, and revenge truly shows the spirit of this film. A storyline that's often overdone in a lot of genres and in many countries nowadays, this film truly brings to light how it all connects together. It's been a while since I watched a film about family and it was as connected and well done as Seondal is. There's a connection between all the characters, and as well done as the film has been made, it's obvious that they all had a lot of fun filming it. When you can see this, I believe it truly makes the film even better, showing that the actors truly enjoyed themselves.
Overall, this film truly has a lot of charm to it. With its mix of comedy but yet darker storylines, innocence and the ruining of innocence, and the reminder of war throughout, this touched my heart in ways I never expected this film to do. I found throughout this I felt every emotion that the producers wanted us to, and I found myself in tears numerous times. If you've never watched a Korean film before - I recommend this is your first one. If you are looking for another film to watch, I recommend this. It's a work of art, and I will definitely be watching this plenty more times in the future.
Was this review helpful to you?

They made her character so "blah" that by the time she gains a little backbone you don't care and hardly notice.
I have never watched a drama that kept me saying "What the heck could happen after X, Y and Z!" and yet something always did. I spent many a late night telling myself just one more part then i'll go to bed just one more! There were times when I said, ok they could end this now and I would be happy or yeah they can't do any more to these people lets end it now. One crazy thing is that I feel they could have added a few more episodes to close a few gaps they had to give the story full closure.
I would never re-watch this so I can't give it a 10 but I don't feel it was a waste to watch,
If you really don't think you could handle watching such a long series watch about 10 episodes every two weeks (but if your like me you will be hooked after 10) The main male lead Kim Tae Hyun (I find his name as Jin Tae Huyn as well ) should have gotten a Grand Bell (even though it's for movies) I don't know why he doesn't appear as the lead in more dramas this man has talent you notice the growth and development of this character!
The music wore on my nerves, 159 times hearing the same song not a surprise there were other "tunes" but the main song they played just didn't move or reach me it just had the emotional sound to tie with the drama. Overall I gave it an 8 because some of the characters and subplots were just not to my cup of tea. I would watch another drama by the writer(s) if i haven't already, though at this moment I don't think I could handle another one this long.
Was this review helpful to you?

Something is rotten in the state of Tang...
I started this drama on a dare with myself. I mean, who makes a 48-freaking-episode drama set in one city over the course of just 24 hours?! Well the joke is on me, cause I just spent a week binging this show.The first half is a thoroughly engaging mystery/action joyride and a feast for the eyes, featuring explosive horse cart chases and parkour on lantern-lit rooftops. We get to explore this marvel of a mediaeval city, while dragged on an immersive and spectacular journey from the highest seat of power to the darkest underbelly - meeting on the way a gallery of people who were made or broken by it. Action/superheroes/comics lovers will find a lot to keep their interest here, with the all-powerful boss of the underworld that likes to play cruel mind games, Wolven squad with a set of fantastical beliefs, parkour-loving prince of Persia and an unbreakable superhero Zhang Xiaojing who can win against any odds:D
The second half though wasn't an easy watch for me, as the heavy choices that the characters had been forced to make earlier in the day, started to catch up to them. It was actually quite refreshing not to care as much about the protagonists and sympathise with the troublemakers. Too many shows nowadays lead the audience by the hand, telling us who are the good guys that we should root for… Here, we get to see everyone's humane and inhumane sides, and most of them get to say their piece before the end… And they actually have a code of morals that fit the times! Not like the recently prevalent modern-day thinking people wearing costumes. By the end, the script started to gnaw on its own tail a bit though, with a few too many twists, confrontations and unlikely outcomes. It slightly muddled the characters' motivations and relationships.
In short, the mood and pace of the storytelling differs a lot between the two halves of this show. The first one is gripping and exhilarating, while the second one takes its time to peel the layers off characters, schemes and past events. In any case, this show is well worth watching as a visual masterpiece with authentic feel, memorable characters, unique plot points and one sexy villain in Zhou Yiwei's Long Bo;) Highly recommended for history and art lovers!
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
Who doesn't love a good reincarnation story or finding resolution/closure for wandering souls? However, the one word I can sum this up in is "long-winded". I watched the entire series through severe fast-forwarding and ended up with a pretty weak ending.The positives to say is they did focus in on the backstory of your main leads and your main supporting characters. I found myself looking forward to unveiling of everyone's past that was presented in bits and pieces. The chemistry between all of them worked pretty well. The only major disappointment was our lonely firefly who was misunderstood for so long and then just pretty much kicked to the side. It really downplayed the strength of their long tragic love story and made it too real, where one easily replaces another these days. Why build up the lovely surreal to smack us with this coldness of reality? It would have been fine if it didn't feel so awkwardly done.
The cases where they assist souls in resolving issues was also a bit below average. It started off fairly interesting but just slowly descended into not much. If you're an absolute romantic, then you might enjoy this piece more than I did. As much as I appreciate a good love story, this one dragged on too much with each scene unnecessarily. It didn't help with the excess flashbacks that assumed the viewer didn't pay attention at all a couple of episodes ago. Overall, it wasn't great and it wasn't terrible but doable in higher-speed viewing.
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
Awesome acting, directing & music meets tired plot with cop-out ending.
Wow the acting was so good, especially considering many scenes were probably difficult to stay in character, due to cgi or cheesy script. But ML and FL were truly believable with awesome chemistry. Directing was really good, everything was beautiful, sexy and exciting. Music elevated the scenes and pulled the story into cohesion. Costumes and makeup were budget-excellent.But the plot is cliche af, and the story/script are loaded with cheese. This could have been overlooked if the ending was satisfying, but it isnt. So very worth one watch, but idk about a rewatch though.
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
The action drama you've been waiting for
Spoilers alert:Loved; the action, seriously the opening episode is explosive but the fight choreography all the way through was excellent and I loved how it used Dal Geon's background as a stunt man to make the action more interesting.
Loved; the chemistry of the leads but also the fact that the story didn't focus on romance. So many 'action' dramas turn into never ending 'will they won't they' mushy love-fests, this doesn't and it's better for it.
Loved; the constant revelations, cliff hangers and double crosses. Makes for very exciting viewing. Have to say the 'ultimate baddy' is not hard to guess as they are hiding in plain sight but getting to that reveal was hella fun.
Loved; the badass women. Instead of watching love sick women get bossed about by men it was great to see the women (whether good or bad) be victorious in the face of doubters or just being super villains.
Disliked: I'd like to say nothing, but I can't decide if I loved the ending or need more. My main complaint about most non k-dramas is that they go on for 5 years and the story never really gets resolved...so if it ends here I will be happy and still give 10/10 but I would watch a hypothetical season 2 in a heartbeat.
Neutral comment: I know ALL dramas have product placement but it was particularly un- subtle in this, not that it affects me really...anyway, I'm off to get a Subway wearing my Lancôme lipstick.
Was this review helpful to you?

First thing that impressed me was the idea - something rather unique and unexpectedly well mixed. The first encounter of the four neighbours is one of my most favorite in the whole show. Because it naturally leads to the second best thing in this drama for me - the dialogues. Witty and fun and natural.
Acting was the third part of the show that made it the most re-watchable of all the dramas I've seen yet so far. (In fact it's a tie between Love Shuffle and Liar Game...)Everyone suited their parts and was likable in their own way. I believed in their stories and saw them as fully fledged humans not just characters in a script.
The thing that surprised me most was the fact that this drama was not a sweet romance with flowery and dramatic declarations of eternal love but a realistic down to earth life story of eight different people with different lives and ways of thinking and acting. Not fluffy, just steady and smart. Even if you're not a fan of romance, you may find enjoyable the relationships and dynamics among the characters simply because this story has so much more to it than romance.
Was this review helpful to you?

the drastic change in storyline.
to be very honest, they just spoiled the ending of the drama. talking about the characters- PARK JAE EON, YU NA BI AND YANG DO HYEOK HERE. na bi is the most confused female lead in any kdrama ive ever seen. she would've chosen to stay single and pursue her future in paris, if i was in place of na bi i would've chosen my carrier instead of being in a toxic relationship with a jerk with whom i know living will be hell, neither will i choose my childhood best friend and make his life miserable as the likenesses will be one sided!? the ending of the drama instigates young teenagers to be in a toxic relationship even when u know the person with whom u are is a jerk. she doesnt care as the ending line says- "i know this will cause pain, but im okay with it" WHAT AN IDIOT NA BI IS. girl get a life! i just feel bad for my potato boy :") i rated this drama so low because the ending was not just appropriate according to me (different people have different opinion) otherwise, the casting of this drama was perfect, i was happy and satisfied about every other lead, the ost is catchy as well!! gonna miss this drama every Saturday :") signing off. ***AGAIN, I AM JUST ATTACKING THE CHARACTERS AND NOT THE ACTORS*** ps- i ship han so hee and song kang alot, i mean who doesnt?? NEED ANOTHER DRAMA WITH THEM BEING LEAD!!Was this review helpful to you?

Weirdly interesting and fun 1st half but poor writing in the 2nd half.
While “I am Nobody” was airing, I read good things about it. Little did I know I’ve stumbled onto one of the wackiest C-dramas I’ve ever watched. I really did not have much expectations and I never read the comics. I’ve seen some live action Japanese adaptations of anime and manga, and am not always a big fan of the comedy. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the first half of the drama, despite its weird comedy. But, I was also disappointed in the second half when the writing got sloppy and they seemed to run out of money.What I Enjoy:
1. Bao Bao - One of my favorite characters in the drama and also in all of C-drama comedies. She is hilarious!!! Wang Ying Lu did a fantastic job portraying the emotionless, naive, crazy, violent and just pure wacky character. I look forward to funny things that come out of her mouth and how she reacts to different situations.
2. Peng Yu Chang - This is my first time watching him and I’m surprised to find out that he’s been in the industry for quite some time. His acting is probably the best of the bunch amongst the younger cast members of the drama. He really does stand out in his portrayal of the protagonist, Zhang Chu Lan. The success of the show rests on his shoulders and he does an admirable job.
3. Veteran Supporting Cast - “I am Nobody” is one of those dramas where the more experienced, veteran actors really outshine the younger generation. There are so many great actors, especially Old Taoist Lao Tian Shi/Zhang Zhi Wei, Grandpa Zhang Huai Yi, Taoist Tian Jin Zhong and Elder Lu Jin. I’ve enjoyed every single one of their scenes, serious, emotional and comedic ones.
4. Action Scenes - There are some pretty great fight scenes in the first half of the drama and during the competition. This is also one of the reasons I want to watch this drama as early comments praised some of its fight scenes. There are quite a few memorable fights during the competition.
5. Comedy - I normally don’t quite over-the-top comedy and shy away from pure comedies. But I thoroughly enjoy all the jokes, second-hand embarrassment, especially when the jokes happen with the veterans. Their deadpan expression while speaking some of these funny lines, make the scenes even more funny. BaoBao’s Sichuan accent also adds to her strange but unique personality.
What I have Mixed Feelings about or Don’t Like:
1. Second Half - I did not read the comics, so I am not sure if the drama follows the plot faithfully or loosely. However, I was very disappointed that after the competition, I did not see more camaraderie between the younger main cast and/or their adventures in continuing the quest to find out about the truth. Instead, we got an unimportant detour of Wang Ye’s family story and barely got Zhang Chu Lan, Wang Ye, Feng Bao Bao and Zhu Ge Qing back together. Zhang Lin Yu got his own side plot of accepting himself and continuation of the ill-developed romance. We spent so much time in Lao Tian Shi’s ‘revenge’ and another character’s search for their sister. I am not saying these side plots are not important to the development of the main plot, but screentime is not distributed appropriately. Maybe the drama should not have focused so many episodes on the competition, so it leaves enough time to develop all the other subplots afterwards. But then, the competition episodes are the most fun! If you spend so much time for viewers to get to know the main characters, then give me more of them together!
2. Inconsistent acting - This drama has a very big supporting cast of young actors and actresses. Some of them I’ve seen in other dramas and they did fine. But aside from Peng Yu Chang and Wang Ying Lu, the others don’t really stand out or exceed my expectations. I’m glad Neo Hou is not in another cold-on-the-outside role (can’t say the same for Bi Wen Jun) and he definitely acts better when he’s given more. Even so, he has room for improvement. A few other minor supporting actors are below average. No one is horrible, just inconsistent.
3. CGI - I wonder if the drama spends all their money on the special effects in the first half of the drama. Maybe the competition episodes use up all their budget, because in the second half, there are some pretty bad special effects. You can tell the green screen is right behind the actors.
4. Words Disappear - This is very personal and might only bother me. The drama did not give me a chance to fully read all the Chinese characters/sentences on the screen. And this happens not just once or twice. Instead of using a narrator to give an update or epilogue of what happened, the drama flashes these words on the screen so quickly. I tried to pause and read, but that gets annoying and doesn’t always work. I guess I should have turned on English subtitles, because I can read English a lot faster than Chinese.
5. Product Placement - It’s been a while since I watched a C-drama with so much in-your-face product placements. It was funny when they worked it into the advertising of the event, but after a while, these products are just everywhere. I thought I would only come across this level of product placement in a Thai BL.
Overall, this is an interesting drama and I had a pretty good time for most part. But this is definitely not for everyone and I can see many get put off by its humor. I would have given the first half an 8.5 and the second half 7.5 for a lower budget drama. So, an average of 8.0 would be my final rating. I am not sure if season 2 is going to happen, but I don’t think I’ll watch it. I am quite disappointed in the second half and really wish the writing is better.
Other Random Observations:
1. There are times I got confused if I am watching a wuxia drama (historical) or a modern drama.
2. This drama has a very eclectic soundtrack.
3. Peng Yu Chang/Zhang Chu Lan cries a lot!
4. Neo Hou looks so pretty! He can pass for a pretty girl with a nice, long ponytail.
5. So many characters and their signature moves that I get confused sometimes.
Completed: 9/26/2023 - Review #359
Was this review helpful to you?

I felt that almost everything about this drama was top notch in the beginning. The costumes, sets, and cinematography are beautiful. The music is dramatic, dark, and lovely. The plot was reasonably interesting. Most of the characters were complex and interesting.
Ning Yi is an especially fascinating character, as he is at once a gentle, compassionate, ruthless, and manipulative character. I'd never seen Chen Kun in anything prior to this drama, but I was very impressed with his acting. Of any drama protagonist I've seen, he is perhaps the most believable in his ferocity and ability to assert his power over other characters. Chen Kun has great screen presence. I enjoyed the character's capacity to manipulate and control his adversaries – and he is one of the darkest protagonists I've come across who remains mostly likable – but my favorite aspect of the character is his more lighthearted, frivolous side (even though it is usually fake). There is a genuinely kind and idealistic side to him that is constantly at war with the wounded, vengeful, and ambitious side of him, and watching him try to balance those two contradictory sides of himself is interesting.
Feng Zhiwei is also generally a very likable, fun character to watch for most of the series; Ni Ni is a beautiful and talented actress who imbues her character with warmth, charm, and wit. She is usually careful and well-spoken, but she sometimes struggles with restraining her emotional, impulsive nature - especially when her loved ones are in danger. I enjoyed her most when she was acting as Wei Zhi (the male student turned court official under the title of Ultimate Scholar).
I've seen some viewers comment about the lack of chemistry between Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, but I actually very much disagree with that. Despite the fact that the show is pretty lacking when it comes to physical displays of affection between the two, I found their interactions to be mostly enjoyable until the latter part of the series. I enjoyed how much they enjoy each other's wit. There's more than enough foreshadowing in the early episodes to alert the viewer to the fact that their relationship will not end well, so the fact that things fell apart between them came as no surprise. Still, I feel like it could have somehow been done in a way that was not so tedious and frustrating to watch. Although I prefer happy endings and generally try to avoid dramas that I know will end tragically, I have seen it done well before. Alas, like the drama as a whole, their relationship just kind of became boring.
There are several other enjoyable relationships that offset some of that (although some of them fall apart, too). Zhiwei had an interesting, complicated dynamic with the emperor, as well as a cute friendship with her bodyguard, Nan Yi. (I lowkey shipped Zhiwei and Nan Yi, especially towards the end.) I also enjoyed her close friendship with Hua Qiong. Ning Yi also had a couple of close relationships that I appreciated: an entertaining, playful friendship with his advisor and close friend, Zi Yan, and a brotherly relationship with his loyal guard, Ning Cheng. His interactions with his father was generally interesting to watch, too, due to its complexity. The emperor loves Ning Yi and seems to find him the most relatable of his children, but there's a lot of water under that bridge and Ning Yi's siblings drive a wedge between them further.
The main character who really never added much for me at any point is Helian Zheng. His persistence in vying for Zhiwei's love even after it has been made abundantly clear that she's not interested is just... so tiresome. He goes to great lengths to aid and protect her, and it's clear that he does care for her a great deal - but he is also self-serving in his motivations. He has a fairly big role in the story, so this aspect of it diminished my enjoyment of it a bit.
Although I did love many things about this drama, I can't recommend it. It is very time consuming and ultimately disappointing. I was honestly very annoyed upon completing it, because it had been so good. If I were to rate the first fifty episodes, I'd probably give it around an 8.5. Unfortunately, the story was stretched too thin and it ended up being a mess.
Was this review helpful to you?

Apparently Xie Xiang had joined the military pretending to be her brother. She met the rich, rather spoilt Gu Yan Cheng and the quiet and calm, Shen Jun Shan.
Xie Xiang excelled in the miliarty and garnered the respect of her co-students as well as the teachers.
And then the two men fell in love with her
For me one of my best chinese drama, friendship, love and patriotism. I like the story, acting, and music.
Great chemistry from the main lead Xukai and Bailu. The funny and cuteness of Gu Yanshen and cool badass of Xeng Xiang.
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
I owe my mother another movie
I told my mother at the weekend, “Ma! Netflix released a new Filipino movie and it’s a romantic comedy”. We settled into our favourite couches and was ready for some mother-daughter time. The movie started, and we laughed. We bonded, we laughed again, and then we did not.Why? The ending.
This story started well with Dee going back to her hometown for her grandmother’s birthday. The FL is beautiful, loves her lola (grandmother), and has a kind personality that draws people into her sphere. She rediscovered the village lifestyle and its many characters who eat at her lola’s eatery. Along the way, she reconnected with the ML, Edong, whom she knew through secondary school. They hang out, drink his coconut moonshine, smile a lot at each other and fall in love along the way.
Simple and sweet. Perfect for a relaxing weekend viewing. My mother and I laughed at certain parts, dismissed at some questionable pacing and storytelling, and gushed at the sweetness of the ML’s traditional way of courting the FL (he asked her lola’s permission to court her). It is, after all, a romantic comedy where it promises us a warm and fuzzy happy ending.
Then, the story changed its genre to a tragic romance at the final 10% of the movie. Once the movie ends, my mother and I just stared at the screen and said to each other “well, that was not happy at all”. We got up from our respective couches, turned off the tv and ate something sweet. The sweet food managed to get rid of the sour taste from the movie.
Was this review helpful to you?

Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist Season 2
9 people found this review helpful
Light-hearted
You don't have to watch the first season as they do recap it in the first episode but it's better to watch it as you understand the background of how the male lead got his name 'Poong' and the situation of the female lead. Also the circumstances in which he started working in the clinic. Also the last episode will make more sense if you've seen the first season.The second season was quite enjoyable for me. There was more focus on psychiatry in the second season which was one of my biggest complaints with the first season. I personally enjoyed this season more. Though there was some good mystery in the previous season as well. Don't be turned off by the SFL as her part is not much. But the SML can be annoying. The thing that bothered me is why Man Bok's character was not properly used. It didn't make sense.
There is more romance in this season but don't expect too much. Most of the time it is just awkwardness and spending time with each other.
If not for the finale, I would rate it as 8.5 because I was entertained. The final episode was underwhelming. Missed opportunity of cashing in on the couple that everyone wanted to see more of. It was overall sweet. Just missing some bang or maybe that's how I usually expect finales to go.
I actually didn't think I would even watch the second season after the first but I'm glad I did.
Was this review helpful to you?

Through the evocation of their common past or the glimpse of their current life, we feel that they have managed to preserve their good moments. I also felt the unsaid things, the affection that shines through, the care for each other and I think that maybe there is a possibility for them. Maybe the recipe at the time wasn't elaborate enough, or maybe it wasn't just right for the 20-year-olds they were.
Note: there is no predefined recipe for making a relationship work, each person finds the right fit in their own way to make it work.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
Who do You Prefer?16 seconds ago
-
Add Vietnam to the Database next23 seconds ago
-
BL Drama Lovers Club7 minutes ago
-
Which song by the next artist is your favorite? (Kpop)9 minutes ago
-
Kpop with traditional Korean musical elements10 minutes ago