Reviews

Riddled With Stereotypes & Misrepresentations

Before I delve into this super long diatribe about Extraordinary Attorney Woo, it’s important to note that I myself am not autistic. Also, I normally hesitate to watch media portrayals depicting the autistic experience because most of my family members are autistic. While I don't have an insider perspective as an autistic individual, I am tangentially familiar enough that the inaccuracies either exhaust me with how potentially damaging they are or I just cannot relate to the characters and the experiences they portray.

TV has so much power in shaping worldviews and perspectives. It's easy to brush a drama off and say it's just a fantasy, but television is instrumental for visualizing/introducing things that are unfamiliar to us—there's a ton of potential power and responsibility residing within that fact. You could read about a topic or examine a picture, but a video (i.e. movies/tv) will always be the most immersive way to be introduced to unfamiliar concepts you haven't experienced or personally witnessed. Just throwing out a small example: it is now on my bucket-list to visit Slovenia. Why? ...Dear My Friends (one of my all-time favorite dramas) was partially filmed there and it looked absolutely stunning. I live nearly 6,000 miles (about 9,500 km) away from Slovenia and no one in my social circle has ever mentioned wanting to go—watching a drama changed that for me.

The same concept of visualization/understanding can be applied to communities of people. Watching a lot of kdramas has made me more aware of certain aspects of Korean culture than the average person in my country—from birthday customs to drinking etiquette, to even recognizing the language being spoken around me. I'm more aware and my worldview has expanded because I regularly watch dramas. A broader example of introductions to a community (or shifts in perspective) is the greater influx in the past couple decades of media portrayals depicting LGBTQ+ people. It's easier to empathize and understand a community's experiences when you can either relate to or visualize their life—TV has the power to reel you in with all of your emotions and world-build something completely different from what you experience in your everyday life.

This is why misrepresentations in media depictions of a community can potentially be harmful, or at the very least, exhausting/not fun to watch for people belonging to or people familiar with that community. If we don't have ongoing experiences with that community in our real life, there's a lot of flexibility in what we might think is accurate/realistic—whereas if we're extremely familiar with or if we belong to that community, each misrepresentation/inaccuracy is like a blaring horn. Depending on the severity of the misrepresentation, sometimes it's possible to ignore those horn blasts and enjoy all the other aspects of the drama. I unfortunately cannot do that with Extraordinary Attorney Woo—it was too damn exhausting to sit happily through.

Media portrayals always seem to limit the autistic experience to either oscillating between a portrayal of nonverbal/uncommunicative isolation, or they're an amazing genius-like savant that is used as a problem-solving tool. These two archetypes of the autistic experience are not reflective of the community at large. My entire family speaks and expresses their thoughts; they're also nowhere close to qualifying as savant geniuses. I understand why these minority autistic experiences are used in TV shows—it can propel plot (i.e. be a unique problem-solving tool) and/or tug on the emotions of viewers (a parent failing to get their child to speak to them). It's just exhausting when NONE of the portrayals reflect reality back at you, and then out in the real world people are surprised if an autistic individual speaks or lives independently, can't quickly calculate math, and/or doesn't memorize entire books in their free time. Even worse, they might try to deny the autistic individual disability services/accommodations or question the legitimacy of their diagnosis because their disability doesn't match common media portrayals of autistic life.

Woo Young Woo is an amalgamation of every autistic stereotype, but the actress (and likely the directing team behind her) chose to cutesify her voice, mannerisms, and her colleagues’ and clients' reactions to her autistic traits—she was infantilized to the max and always had an 'innocent' outward expression attached to the character. This is an inaccurate and harmful misrepresentation of autism, and my suspicion is it was done for a 'heartwarming' effect and to sanitize the autistic experience (without rocking the boat too much). There was no growth in WYW learning her limitations and implementing strategies/coping mechanisms (aside from I guess that rhythm can be hard for her with revolving doors). There was a brief interlude about independence and living on her own, but it was quickly shut down and not explored. There was no philosophizing about how much she might have to rely on neurotypicals to exist in a neurotypical world and how exhausting/frustrating that can be. Instead, everyone encircled her and coddled her as if she was the office mascot or pet. It’s worth emphasizing that the infantilization with this portrayal of autism was STRONG. There were no discussions about masking or coping mechanisms, and her only feelings of overwhelm seemed to come from loud noises. There's bits and pieces of her characterization that you could attach to a large portion of autistic people: a tendency to over-explain, an inability to stray too far from literal meanings, and failing to accurately navigate social situations. But again, none of it was too disruptive or alarming to the neurotypical people around her. The drama stayed in its super cutesy and unrealistic realm. The assertion seemed to be that WYW’s sheer presence (full of stereotypes and what can only be described as cutesy quirks) was their ‘we’ve arrived’ moment deserving of heaps of praise. Which I guess they got, this is a super popular drama.

I like that the drama utilized a female character—autistic stories are usually limited solely to men. But a more accurate characterization might have been showing how difficult it is for women to even receive an autism diagnosis, or the unfortunate likelihood of a woman not receiving one until much later in her life (compared to young boys). Also, I don’t have any set opinions about WYW’s love interest. Though it is quite rare to see an autistic character get a love story, so perhaps that’s something I can place in the positive column? I really struggled with this drama; I understand why it’s popular, but I honestly think its overall impact will be harmful.

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A summer drama that looks better than it feels with paper-thin plot!

This is one of those dramas that walks in looking like a vibrant summer postcard and then quietly hands you… a plot that feels like it’s still on vacation. The set-up was promising. Lava, a moody teenager with emotional turbulence, is shipped off to an island to “reform” while living with his uncle. He meets Wave, a mysterious nan who was washed up on the shore and is memoryless.
Honestly, the drama has all the right ingredients. From identity secrecy to trauma and a prince in disguise, everything that you need for a good romance but somehow it lacks any depth and the emotional payoff is scant at its best.

Lava as a character, was one of the stronger elements, at least initially. He was prickly, resentful and lonely without fully admitting it. His moments with Wave were nice. But once the novelty of their connection settles, Lava’s characterisation hits a plateau. He reacts, he broods, he protects but he doesn’t evolve in any meaningful way. The script seems afraid to let him feel anything sharper than mild irritation or vague affection, which is a shame because his backstory had real potential for emotional bite.

On the other hand, Wave is introduced as this gentle enigma...vulnerable, soft-spoken and tender in a way that contrasts nicely with Lava’s volatility. But somehow the shallow writing doesn't give him anything. He feels like he was written to be more pretty than complex. And when I say complex, I don't mean complication, but to have a personality. Somehow, his entire personality revolved around being Lava's boyfriend. Remove that from the equation, and we barely know him. A prince stripped of memory should have been an emotional goldmine that could have been banked, but he was the least developed character of them all.

Their chemistry is… fine. But it lacks the intensity that would make their relationship compelling. Because the writing doesn’t challenge them enough, their bond feels like it’s floating instead of anchoring the drama. The drama seemed to be content with stolen glances, soft touches, and scenic silences. They were definitely beautiful but not necessarily meaningful. It’s the kind of romance that looks great in screenshots but feels lighter than expected when actually watching.

Another thing after the one-dimensional character was the pacing and conflict resolution. Some dramas try to reach for depth but this felt like it didn't even try. Every time the story tries to approach something heavy, it quickly backs away, scared and cuts to another scenic shot of the ocean hoping the view will distract us. The amnesia angle is treated similarly. It could have offered emotional depth, intense internal conflict and even moral dilemmas, but it’s used more for cute moments than meaningful character exploration. It almost works too, because the drama is visually stunning, just not enough to mask how hollow the narrative can feel.
There is a difference between calm storytelling and lethargic repetitive storytelling and this often tips into the latter. Conflicts appear out of nowhere and resolve themselves even faster.

Another missed opportunity was Wave’s royal background. This could have easily added layers of conflict with power dynamics or social pressure or the weight of public expectations, but we never truly delved into any of that. It did come but very late and seemed a little too convenient and last minute.

As for the second couple… I did enjoy their love story. The closeted uncle Pheng and Doc Wut. I loved how gentle and understanding Doc was of Pheng and his circumstances. Their relationship had real ups and downs that actually made sense for who they are and it all felt genuinely real instead of forced.

Acting-wise, I have mixed feelings about the leads. I have seen them in their previous dramas, but somehow the charm was missing. I don't know if writing was the problem. I hope we get to see more of Winny and Satang but with a better script. Mond and Ryu were a nice surprise. Neo was also very "himself" here. Never a dull moment when he was on screen.

Production and cinematography were the biggest strengths of this drama. It was visually gorgeous. The beach scenes, the atmosphere, the warm colour grading just matched the overall vibe and elevated in what ways it could...everything was crafted with such aesthetic care that it’s almost frustrating how little emotional weight the story carries.

Overall, while this is an easy watch where you can keep your brain aside and just watch, it doesn't stick. It gets cute, sometimes comforting but it feels hollow. I know the review sounds harsh but that's how my watching experience was. I binged the first 8 episodes, so I can't even recommend binging. Maybe weekly watchers might have a different experience. Not terrible, just underdeveloped.

Thank you for reading my review!<3 I hope you enjoy/enjoyed it more than me.

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Well deserved ratings

This review is going to be a long one.

"Hidden Love" is one of those dramas that really deserve all the attention, popularity and love. Ever since the beginning of the drama, I knew it would be good just by looking at our two main actors - Lusi and Zhe Yuan. Everybody probably already know they are good at acting and it seems repetitive of me to always rave about their skills but they are so on point in this drama, I am blown away everytime I watch them.

Before this drama, I watched "Our Secret" (multiple times) and was really impressed with Zhe Yuan from there. It's quite rare to see actors who can portray such good expressions through their eyes. It's as though you could feel whatever he was feeling at that moment by just looking at his eyes. There are so many scenes I really, really love from Zhe Yuan in this drama.

1. When Jia Xu was sitting outside of Sang Zhi's house, starring into the sky. I immediately felt how burdened he was, lonely and just sad. He wasn't crying, his face was calm, but his eyes - you can feel how tired he was, trying to shoulder everything that is happening around him.

2. When Jia Xu opened the red packet Sang Zhi slipped in his pocket. This is another moment where he was feeling extremely tired and lonely, unwilling to go back to his hometown to face the gazillion problems waiting for him. When he opened the red packet and read this simple message from Sang Zhi, through his eyes, you can really feel how touched he was. The warmth that one simple message brought to him.

As for Lusi, it's no secret that she is a very happy-go-lucky kind of girl. Perhaps, even in real life, she seems like a person who would bring joy to the people around her. With dramas like this, I can imagine it'll be very difficult to portray this cute, innocent girl, without coming out as annoying. I've seen so many dramas where the female lead would always act cute and innocent but resulted in being cringy, annoying and (honestly) stupid. Lusi really has that capability to make you really like her without making you feel like she's forcing to be cute. Her character in this drama is someone who I really like, too. Protective, strong, well-loved and understanding. There are too many scenes from the drama I love with Sang Zhi in them but I guess my favourites are these:

1. When she confronted Sang Yan for hitting Jia Xu. She was unafraid to stand up for herself and for the people she love. The moment when she was trying so hard not to cry while telling Sang Yan that she wanted to cut contact with him was so impactful.

2. When she was in high school and cried the moment she saw her brother at the airport after thinking that Jia Xu had a girlfriend. Honestly, if you look at the scene, it's really not something we would cry about because she was just a kid who misunderstood her crush having another girlfriend. You can't even call that a "break up". But when she cried, it was so sad, you couldn't help but cry along with her.

On the topic of Sang Yan, I think I'll miss the siblings relationship more than Jia Xu - Sang Zhi relationship. The way Sang Zhi and Sang Yan interacted with each other are honestly so, so, so real and relatable. This is one of the best sibling-relationship I've ever watched in the drama land. They would fight like cats and dogs, most of the time they are incapable of speaking politely to each other, they complain to their parents about each other all the time, but when one of them is in trouble, the other person will always be there to support.

If I am to nitpick on one thing that I think probably is a bit off in my opinion, is when Sang Zhi and Jia Xu got together. It's really just a preference thing. After seeing how well Jia Xu treated Sang Zhi as a brother during the beginning of the drama, it's difficult to accept how he could switch from brother mode to I-love-you-only mode so quickly. I understand, Sang Zhi has obviously grown up and was treating him differently. It probably makes more sense to me if Jia Xu didn't treat Sang Zhi that well at the beginning. Instead of Sang Zhi's "second brother", if he was more like Sang Yan's friend, it'll probably be easier to accept how Jia Xu could change his feelings like that. I love the beginning parts more than the later episodes, to be honest. Probably also cause it reminds me of when I was a child and had a crush on my brother's friend, the whole concept seemed very relatable to me.

The OSTs. Oh gosh, the OSTs! They are so good. I feel like everytime when I was immersed in the drama and cried was 60% cause of the cast's acting, but 40% cause of the music accompaniment. My ultimate favourite song from the drama is Forever Star. When this song plays in the drama, I get the goosebumps, especially during the scene when Jia Xu opened Sang Zhi's red packet in the airport.

100% recommend this drama. It's really not the typical high school drama that is probably 70% cringe and 30% real story. This one has so many depth and layers to it that it really hits differently.

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BEST DRAMA OF THE YEAR?! MUST WATCH IF YOU HAVEN'T STARTED!

Love Like A Galaxy is like a drink of coffee or tea in the morning, something you need to start your day. It can be quite addicting to watch!
This family-centered drama is highly recommended for everyone because its humorous, relatable in certain ways, even the banter between female characters are fun to watch! It feels as if you're part of the family, watching Niao Niao develop into more understanding and mature character as the story continues on.

Niao Niao aka Cheng Shao Sheng is the youngest of her family, illiterate due to not being raised well by her aunt and grandmother while her parents were away at war. I persoanlly like her personality, despite not being educated academically or in mannerisms, she has a strong, willful, curious and carefree personality. She says what's on her mind, is quite street smart which is something you need to survive in that time. She will fight back if someone hurts her in any way. This quality trait gained a few admirers. She's definitely one of my favorite characters in this drama. Acting wise, very natural and definitely cemented my love for Zhao Lusi as an actress!

Ling Bu Yi is one of the strongest and youngest military general in this drama. He has connections with the emperor who treats him like a son. Its quite endearing. His entrance is always dramatic which adds some flair to the scenes. haha He says that if he lays his eyes on someone he fell in love with, he will treasure and cherish her forever. That person is obviously Niao Niao. He's always there to rescue her, protect her from harm and evildoers. However, he has a revenge story that he's constantly looking into, getting his hands bloodied for the emperor or for himself. In a way, he has a cold heart for criminals, and his, suppoesdly, parents, Fear not, his heart is giggly and warm for Niao Niao despite the ice prince demeanor. He gives no shits to people who hurt NN or is obviously trying to take advantage of him or use him. And I love it! xD In terms of acting, Lu Wei did a great job because characters like Ling Bu Yi is known to be stoic, and indifferent but how far do you have to go to keep up the stoic expression? It gets exhausting after a while. The way Lu Wei acted as the cold general is quite different, he gives the character subtle expressions, it tells the audience he's not stone cold either. I suppose I like the subtley of the warmth Lu Wei gave to Ling Bu yI .

Other character(s) I enjoyed watching is Wan Qiqi. She's my favorite support character, the actress, Zhang Yue, played her character so well!! I cannot give her enough praise! Wan Qiqi is Niao Niao's good, or possibly best friend at this point. Their fathers are close hence these two became friends as well. Wan is that friend who stands up for you if some bish is bullying you, its quite fun to watch! This is why I think the female banter in this drama is enjoyable because Wan is able to argue with a sharp tongue. Niao Niao is able to defend herself as well but Wan is more passionate in defending her bestie. Roasting her enemies just by talking back, its hilarious! Her expressions are fun to watch as well! Its so natural, you'd forget she's acting. haha The subtlety of her expressions is quite comedic espeically when Wan doesn't take notice of Niao Niao's second older brother. hahaha I really enjoy her character! I hope to see a happy ending for her!
The emporer is another note worthy support character because he would did anything for Ling Bu Yi, plus the fact that the biggest shipper of Niao Niao and Ling Bu YI, its fun to watch him give leeway to NN because he adores her for LBY. All because LBY has fallen in love with NN. haha

The rest of the cast are amazing actresses and actors, not one person is out of place in this drama and I love it so much. Especially, when there's subtle moments of parent & Niao Niao having similar traits, its funny. Albeit, her mother isn't the best mother because she clearly isn't fond of Niao Niao's mannerism and behavior.

I gave this drama a 9.5 because the music didn't stand out to me, but regardless 10/10 drama would highly recommend if you like historical settings of China, female bickerings, schemings, smart female lead, slow burn romance but the rest of the cast will make you enjoy the progress regardless.

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The title of the drama says pretty much everything that needs to be said about this drama before you start it and perhaps the mood this story carries with it. But then you read the description and it just gets even weirder. And the experience of watching it truly is out of this world. It’s mindless fun. It’s bonkers. It’s like some kind of fanfiction written by some kpop fan about their favorite kpop idol, but in a good way. I’m very glad I got to experience this.

I’ve been going through a bit of a long dry spell when it comes to kdramas for the last year or so, and I don’t exactly want to say that The Heavenly Idol cured it, but even as stupid and silly as this drama was I was always excited to watch the next episode. I looked forward to Wednesdays and Thursdays, because that meant the next episodes of The Heavenly Idol were about to come out, and I was going to have a lot of fun with it. And I have to give the drama some points for that. That’s how tv should be, in a way.

The Heavenly Idol doesn’t shy away from its ridiculous premise. In fact, it seems to just drive straight into the ridiculousness at full speed. It’s so silly and it knows it. And more importantly the drama seems to enjoy it, and I enjoyed that, even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense sometimes. But it will make you laugh and smile and feel for the characters. And that’s something.

There’s a certain simplicity and softness and gentleness to the male lead that we don’t get to see in a lot of kdramas, which I found refreshing and really charming. There seems to be a genuine friendship between some of the characters throughout this bumbling, odd plot that is just full of plot-holes and it’s almost like this story has just no sense of time. Things just happen, there is a different variety shows that the main character is on every other episode and things are not explained well enough, and you just have to take it as it is. It doesn’t really have a pacing issue, just a direction issue almost.

But then there is also this sincere attempt at theme with it’s critique of the kpop idol industry as a certain idol worship of these idols by fans with like gifts and such that the main character gains his powers from these odd tributes to him and other idols around him. It’s all a bit hastily done and I would have love to see it go deeper, but still does the job that it’s meant to do.

I do always appreciate sincerity in stories, and I love stories that even if they are not the best they feel like they, or the people behind them, are aware that they’re not that good but there is just a lot of heart put into it to bring people entertainment. I actually find it very charming, but I also love the silly but sincere stories. They are fun, if done right.

This drama is small, it’s low-key and doesn’t feel like it has a lot of money behind it. It’s not trying to be anything other than it is; a fanfiction on steroids. The characters are fun and sincere, but also so incredibly exaggerated. The plot makes no sense; things just happen that way because things have to work out somehow for whatever plot reasons there is. It just takes you on a mindless spectacle every week, which is just good entertainment if you are in the mood for that.

There’s a lot going on in this little drama, and I’m not so sure it managed to really do all the random narratives it threw at us justice, or built up the romance that wasn’t needed in this drama, but also why it feels like a self-insert fanfiction. But this was still something that was just pure entertainment. It was serving fun. At least in my livingroom. And sometimes that’s just enough. Sometimes that’s all you need. Something brainless and fun.

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Well, so it's over. And let's review it! (I feel orphan.)

The story is well built, the characters are well articulated and portrayed - every single one of them, even the supporting roles, the music goes along with the scene, just adding more emotion to it, and the way the episodes were developed was magnificent! I don't find myself so amazed by a drama since Reply 1997!

Generally k-dramas have this thing for making you scream of anger while watching them, but in this one, the screeches were of agony, because the feelings - especially pain, of course - were being so nicely portrayed that it wasn't possible to not feel along with the characters.

I like how the characters are human. I mean, none of them are completely perfect or completely awful, all of them have good and bad feelings - the want to do the good and the bad thing. Even the villains - you can't call them that, seriously, but let's go with it - have genuine emotions and actions, and everything is substantial and explicable.

Things in this drama happen like you would see happening in real life, the plot twists aren't something you would laugh about because they are so ridiculous (seriously, some dramas are impossible to be serious about). And for me, it's so good to see believable acts and events, especially because the plot is all about something that is inherently present in our everyday lives. There was only this or that scenes that probably wouldn't be possible to see (hello, Yoon Yu Rae, I'm talking to you), but they were made for the comic relief, so I just laughed and moved on.

Overall, Pinocchio is a great choice if you want to see a realistic drama. Kudos for Park Shin Hye for not making me want to kill her because of her acting and character - the first one is her fault, but the second I know it's not, I'm just glad she finally chose a character that wasn't developed by the screenwriters so... ugh. (Go Minam... Eun Sang... just no.)

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Pointless Idealism, beware you will be dissappointed

I consider myself a very broad-minded individual who watches all sorts of dramas and honestly, the subject matter is important to me but they failed to deliver it compellingly. I'm not even complaining about the romance but about the lack of coherence and the presentation of the story itself. The real issue isn't just the plot but the pacing, tone, coherence, and expression of ideas throughout the drama. The script starts with a strong foundation of idealism, but those core themes are abandoned by the end. It's a classic case of bad writing where the initial promises aren't fulfilled. It's too preachy and idealistic while lacking that "realness" quality. You can tell what they were trying to say but they failed to convince the audience with their story-telling and execution it in a memorable way. Surely there is more to a hagowan teacher's life?

I hated the preachy tone of this drama and the impractical idealism (country, education system issues vs personal idealism). Can one teacher change a whole socially entrenched system? I get the issues of Korean education but I was excited about a story of that one teacher that actually cares about the kids, but it was not. the drama is written in a weird, cliche way. The portrayal of the characters doesn't tell their stories well at all.

From the outset, this was not a story about the struggles of the FL to reach her dream but a critique of the education system, teaching, and how teachers see themselves with all the pressures that the hagwon industry brings. That's why we have the struggles and the politics, the competition etc.

After acting like a virtuous sacrificial lamb who was ready for a crusade fighting for the academy & the students and profession she loved. Even going to the extent of being so condescending and preaching to the “white-haired witch”, talking about ethics etc.

After creating a strong female character like the "white-haired witch", the writer wants me to believe that she was slapped out of existence when she was a good strategist and businesswoman throughout the drama. Questionable ethic yes, but very focused.Many things sub-plots are left hanging with no explanations or closure at the end. I found it hard to believe that the "white-haired witch" who was a strategist who planned her moves would get into a catfight as her ultimate end. That was so out of character with all the expectations built up by the writer from the beginning. I thought there would be some great mind games and a reveal at the end that would justify all the politics, fighting, and competition. In the end there was nothing.

I would have applauded the writer if the story was all about the FL's struggle to reach her dream from the 1st episode but it's not it's about a system she was trying to protect. Therefore the whole build-up of the drama from episodes 1 - 16 is totally out of sync with that ending.

You are made to believe that there is more but there really isn't anything, just a disappointment.

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Jang Na Ra is Refreshingly Magnificent - Always

Sell Your Haunted House is one drama I'm really, really going to miss. I got so used to the magnificence that is Jang Na Ra every Wednesday and Thursday that I'm not sure what I will do for the next couple of weeks. But that said, I truly enjoyed this finale for its unexpected ending. I have to say I didn't foresee Do Hak Sung (Ahn Kil Kang) as an unrested spirit, so kudos to the writer for that very well-done twist. His exorcism was brilliant, one of my favorites of the series.

Week after week, I found myself continuously saying the same thing repeatedly about the cases and the exorcisms -- this episodes' case of exorcism was the most fulfilling until I finally realized each case and exorcism were special on its own, be it for the message in them or the method. I don't think I exaggerate when I say besides having Jang Na Ra, the exorcisms and the stories they carried are the best parts of this drama.

As for Do Hak Sung, he wasn't so much of a villain as more of a thug and criminal who, to the very end, did not dare to recognize the errors of his way and let greed rule his life, destroying countless other lives in the process. They say greed is a bottomless pit that exhausts the person carrying it in an endless effort to satisfy a need without ever reaching satisfaction -- greed makes a man blind and foolish and makes him easy prey for death. I don't think better words would have described Do Kak Sung. Sealing his unrest spirit to eternally feel the pain he caused is a fate he more than deserved.

Kudos to all the actors in this drama, from the lead to the support, guest appearances, and production team -- a job well done. From Jung Yong Hwa to Kang Hong Suk, Kang Mal Geum, Baek Eun Hye, Ahn Kil Kang and Changhwa Restaurant owner Baek Hyun Joo. They each completed this drama, driving its ultimate message of letting go -- only when one lets go of past anguishes, grudges, and sorrows can they forgive themselves and find joy and love in the people around them. And what a lovely voice Jung Yong Hwa has - his rendition of the I Got You OST is excellent.

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Well...I said I would change my rating once I'm done with this drama but alas....my rating stays the same.

If I had known this series was going to go the way it did I wouldn't have watched the first season over. That was a BIG BIG BIG mistake. But it's not my fault because I thought the second series was going to be like the first.

I was so dead wrong. This series was so bad that it made me go back and see who the writers were. I was thinking did the original writers do something wrong to the new writers?

Sadly enough it was the same writers!!! How could they have done this to the people who fell in love with the first series??

To anybody who watched the first drama, everything that you loved in the first drama....it's not there in this drama if you haven't seen it.

There were stupid things in this drama that was a waste. For instance the so-called 'evil' characters who struggled to speak Chinese. There was no purpose for any of them. The extra counters...why?? Another waste. Ju Seok becoming more powerful than anybody and the explanations as to how he was so powerful didn't make any sense. Not to mention the fighting scenes if that's what you call it. It was more like a telekinesis battle than anything. Everybody got choked by thin black air so many times that I was shocked they were still able to function.
Then there's So Mun who turned out to be the cockiest and most powerful of the bunch while Mo Tak just sat back in the shadows. Mae Ok was the only character who progressed. She fought more but still had that endearing heart of hers. That was the one saving face for me. Then there was a gun battle....why??

The last episode had me skipping through a lot. For the take down to be so quick it sure was drawn out. The series could've easily ended within the first few episodes but again, everything was drawn out.
I wanted to like this series but it wasn't the same as the first. I shouldn't have been so greedy by wanting a second season to come out.
For what it's worth the very last few minutes of episode 12 was worthy of a second watch.

if a drama is good and they only stick with one season, I will be fine with that.

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I don't care what anyone else has to say because this show is a master piece. Those of you that take drama's so technical are wild because it's honestly a TV show so I'm sorry if they don't follow common laws and everything is over the top and dramatic; it's a KOREAN DRAMA. I had a hard time with L's acting at first but it definitely picked up but Go Ara was phenomenal with her emotions and so was Sung Dong. Every character in this show played an amazing part and I was obsessed from the very first episode. This show took real life issues and turned them into situations where we all wish we could help. Someone has been or seen a situation like this and this show tackled it because in real life we really can't tackle it sometimes and that's why people suffer. That's why there are so many abuse, molestation and etc cases. This show was high in emotion because every episode teared me up and usually I rush a a show but I couldn't even imagine rushing this one because every single second was so important to me and the basis of the story. So I'm sorry to those of you that have an opinion about not liking it, to each their own, but if you want a funny, intense, emotion wringing drama with the basis of connection between characters, this is the one for you and trust me, I've seen a lot of drama's and guess what, this is also A DRAMA.

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I liked this movie a lot. I heard about it last year on a blog somewhere and it piqued my interest right away. When I wasn't able to find it with English subs I sort of forgot about it for a while. Then I started to notice Uhm Tae Woong. I'm glad I did.

Like the synopsis say,s the movie is about a troupe of down on their luck actors who open a dating agency and utilize their skills to help people win the object of their affection. It's fun watching the tricks they come up with to hook the prospective mate for their clients. Things take a complicated turn when a man comes in hoping to acquire their services and the woman he fancies is the ex love of Byung Hoon (Uhm Tae Woong).

The story obviously plays on the theme of Cyrano De Bergerac and it's done quite well. But this is not a re-telling or even a moderization of the old classic.

The set design is wonderful. I wanted to hang out in the old theatre where the troupe has their head quarters. The dynamics of the troupe and their interactions were some of my favorite scenes. Although this is not strictly a comedy, there were times when I laughed out loud. I consider it a success when a movie can draw a spontanious loud laugh from me rather than simple amusement. Uhm Tae Woong does a great job here as well as Park Shin Hye (that was a surprise).

The main themes of this movie are love and trust and which is more important? There's also friendship and learning to let go.

The director did a good job of setting the mood of this film and telling the story in way that flowed at an even pace. It is a fairly light movie and I can see why it did so well at the box office.

If you're looking for a fun movie to watch that isn't too dark and yet not overly light and fluffy, this one is a great pick.

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Honestly, I watched this for my love of Jo In Sung. I was pleasently surprised by a refreshingly different drama. The story is easy to follow while the characters are complex and quirky. The underlying story of domestic abuse and over all violene is very sad. The mental anguish that the characters go through is palpable. I like that the love story lines are unconventional and mature. The story also attemts to lessen the general publics ignorance and fear of the mentally ill. Over all it made me think about all aspects of life. I enjoy dramas like that.

Jo In Sung can play any part he is given as proof through his enactment of Jang Jae Yeol. His character was cool, confident, and romantic on one hand, then hurt, scared, and child-like on the other. It is so great when a good looking actor is actually good at acting. Gong Hyo Job was also wonderful as Ji Had Soo. She is strong yet vulnerable. Side note: she has some long legs. I never realized that before, but seeing her standing next to In Sung made it prominent. There is also great chemistry between them...really between all of the actors. I love me some Lee Kwang Soo. He is a good actor. I some times forget that from watching him act silly on Running Man. For those of you who like EXO, D.O. does a good job as Han Kang Woo.

The music is good.

I will rewatch this...tempted to do it now.

If you like the strange and unusual, then this is the drarma for you.

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