Reviews

INSPIRING and Healing: Get over your RUT

A woman enlivens her boring life by going on DAYTRIPS every weekend.

A simple kdrama, yet inspiring message: To live more boldly and adventurously...Does not require LONG TRIPS, nor a lot of money.

Simple short trips can be healing too.

Lee Na Young does a wonderful job as lowkey woman, the Audience Surrogate who travels every weekend, as such the embodies the EVERYDAY WOMAN in such a natural fashion, no artifice.



The kdrama is encouraging the viewers to embrace the Wonder of HAPPENSTANCE / SERENDIPITY.
:
By NOT planning, and impulsively travelling without destination to nearby locations and neighboring towns and cities....One can heal ones mind.
EMBRACE THE SMALL RANDOMNESS, WHERE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

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Immersive well-acted Melodrama Romance

An athmosperic stunning Enemies-to-lovers Romance, but not for everyone. (People who dislike sad plots stay away!).

Male lead who has revenge vendetta against Female lead...but despite this, both can't help but be drawn to each other.

The acting really stands out, especially Shin Min Ah's performance was unbeliavbly raw and real. Rain did fantastic as well as the downthrodden revenging cold lead who falls for his enemy.

Beautifully directed, which increases immersion...
The OST is one of the best Kdrama OSTs I've heard, which increases immersion further.

The Atmosphere and music of the drama remains with me now still YEARS LATER.

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Flower Boy, it pleases my literary atavisms.

Flowers Boy contains elements that please my atavistic tastes in literature: the encounter between civilization and barbarism (although someone from the city isn't exactly civilized), the myth of the noble savage (who trades gold for glass beads), and, of course, the instinctive attraction of scent (for some reason they don't describe it as pheromones 🤔). The actors are on par with their previous work, Love in the Moonlight, although they distance themselves from the character of their former roles. If they maintain the pace and consistency of the plot twists, I think it will be one of those series that you'll want to rewatch. Incidentally, we'll have to see how Scent redeems itself from the damage it's been doing.

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LIGHTNING, POWER (iykyk)

Phantom Lawyer
Favorite Characters: Shin I Rang, Han Na Hyeon, Yon Bong Su
Best episode: 4/16

Phantom Lawyer is a very versatile drama that keeps you hooked with thrilling mysteries, very good comedy but also plenty of very beautiful emotional moments. The acting was top notch and the writing was actually amazing. It’s crazy how fast these eight weeks passed, I’ve enjoyed this drama so much!

I’m so happy that the leads finally made out at the end, it only took almost sixteen episodes hehe. It was really nice to see I Rang clear his father’s name and learn more about his father but also other ghosts. I feel like I really got to see how different lives you can have.

Could have been better: There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end. Here’s a list of what I wonder right now:

What happened to Yang Do Gyeong, I would have liked to know more about his ending.
Why was the priest needed when burning all talismans except for the one in the last episode? Also did he not have anything else to do instead of just hanging out with I Rang and his brother-in-law all the time?
How did Shin I Rang and Han Na Hyeon earn money when their only clients were ghosts?
The most important question - how did Shin I Rang come back to life? I know that this is fantasy but is has to make sense in some way you know?
Was there only one prosecutor working all the time? Like I don’t see no problem with Kim Hyeon U but it’s a bit concerning if there’s nobody else working. Sorry I’m being annoying.
How did I Rang’s family just accept that his father had possessed him in the last episode without questioning anything? But then they’re probably a lot more superstitious than me. And of course they miss their beloved family member too.

Favorite Characters: Shin I Rang, Han Na Hyeon, Yon Bong Su
Best episode: Episode 4

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A sort of guilty pleasure watch

I will keep this review quite brief.

First of all the plot, like what is this? XD It feels like something a younger person would write and publish on wattpad. Some of the things that happen is very questionable and if it was real life, I would suggest that the female lead run in the opposite direction. Now if you enjoy absurd plots with questionable romance you might enjoy this to a degree. Given that there are so few episodes, it's like watching a movie and then its over.

Acting wise, well no awards will be given that's for sure. But Deng Kai and Zhang Chuhan does a good enough job in their characters that it feels like they fit with this very absurd plot.

Will I rewatch this at some point? No, both leads have better dramas that are more worth your time.

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the Man Lead is the problem!

let me start by saying that I like the actor.
I saw him in "the day of becoming you" and he was great! my issue is solely with his character in this drama.

the plot:🗯️🗯️
nothing groundbreaking here. two childhood friends falling for each other.
I like this genre and have no issues with the story.

what I didn't like:
1) many drama in this genre usually start from the early school days and then slowly move towards adulthood and work life. after seeing this drama specifically, I think this should always be the case.

our 2 main protagonist constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, talk about their past together, what happened, specif episodes etc and the drama then shows us the exact same episode and how it played out. the same scene are also included at the end of every episode.
to me I was kind of irritating. you either tell, or show. this constant back and forth was frankly annoying and totally unnecessary to understand that they are close friends. we know it. it is pretty clear.


2) this drama is boring as hell. stuff happens if course and I wish they focused more on that than spending time repeating the same conversations over and over again and constantly go out for lunch.
they spend half of the drama eating.

3) the ml. he is the main reason I'm dropping out.
it becomes clear pretty soon that he is love with his friend but he stubbornly denies it.
on the other hand he gets super jealous and is constantly in his friend's business.

the scene that made me dislike him so much is when he is playing badminton with his group of friends and gets so jealous he literally strikes his other friend head with the ball and doesn't even apologize.
that scene made me so mad.
his is just a simp and a brat.
his whole life revolves around being a butler for his lovely friend.
the worst part is that she thinks it's totally normal. this guy does everything for her and it never crosses her mind that normal "best friends" don't behave like he does.

I am kinda of mad because I actually liked the other couples of the show. the married couple is hilarious, the tech guy and the influencer are interesting too. unfortunately I cannot bring my self to continue watching because the focus is of course going to be the main couple, which I dislike.

the setting was interesting. the female lead works for a bank and we see a more "corporate" environment while the ml works for a media interpose. I was genuinely invested in the story until these 2 made it unwatchable.

it's really a shame.

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must watch if you want to cry your heart out

absolute peak cinema. the acting, the colour grading, the cinematography, the script, they did not miss ANYTHING.

i love angst and this is literally what i reach for whenever im sad and need an outlet. i can't cry easily just from my feelings but this just opens the floodgates every time.

jeff and engfa literally KILLED IT in this movie. while this movie can't be called comforting AT ALL, it's become my comfort.

really shows the struggle that queer people went through JUST TO GET BASIC RIGHTS and still a majority of them in most of the countries don't have the same rights as the others. this world is such a unfair place, there's so much to hate in this world and people decided to choose to despise love, just because it doesn't look like THEIR definition of love.

i hope other countries become open to queer people and let them live and love however they want. while thailand has made queer marriage legal, most countries (including mine) are literally destroying what little rights queer people have, and it's so messed up.

this movie is a GREAT GREAT take on this inequality and it's definitely worth giving a watch even if it's not someone's usual style. kudos to the director, the actor and everyone else involved in the making of this film, i hope it gets more recognition in the further days.

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Will miss phantom lawyer so muchh!!

I hate you so much yang byeong he just destroyed two happy living wholesome families and why all that for SUCCESS? the scene where gi jung went to jail to ask yang BI why he did all that being all hurt,disappointed there he was sitting with blank face with no regrets and said the only thing he regret is HE FAILED THAT TOO BY A GHOST?🤬😭😭😭😭 gi jung have regreted trusting him this scene was so heartbreaking cried like hell and we didn't even get to see do hyeongs family reaction that would have been more heartbreaking as his son lost both his dad and his son. Overall a 9.5/10 drama will miss you so much yi rang han na hyeon!!🫠❤️

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I love a paranormal series with a well written script. It’s very rare to get a series that’s good from beginning to end. It did a great job setting up the world and getting me invested in the characters. This had the perfect mix of comedy and drama with many heartwarming moments. It was also nice how they slowly revealed both leads’ backstories. There were a few predictable things within the script, but they were very minor to me. However, it was very successful in connecting the multiple storylines, event, and characters together in the end. The cast was great and did an outstanding job. The CGI, special effects, and cinematography were amazing.

Random Note:

There was a very funny nod to some of Yoo Yeon Seok’s previous series (Dr. Romantic/Hospital Playlist) in episode 2.

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A raw masterpiece

This drama is not as polished as a lot of drama's out there, but that rawness is what makes this drama so great!
I watched every episode of this drama as soon as it aired and was so looking foreward to every episode every week! And now before watching the last one i rewatched them all in one go. I love this series so much and i really hope that there will be a second season. The story ended too unresolved and i need to see more of them actually in a relationship.

I loved the story and even though it was a rough setting with gangs and hardship, they did a good job including some funny moments to make it a little "lighter".
The subtle romantic moments and glances were perfect!
The visuals and music were great too.

The acting was amazing and the mains had such good dynamics and so much chemistry with great kisses!

My only complaint is, that it was too short!

This is a must watch and i will definatly watch it more in the future.

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It's a great show about women.

It’s a very interesting story, mainly because it blends drama with a strong political backdrop set in a specific historical period. In some ways, it reminds me of Who Rules the World, but at its core, it’s really a story about women — especially mothers — and how deeply they sacrifice themselves to protect their children.
Throughout the plot, we see several families, and one striking aspect is how few female characters remain alive at a certain point. Because of that, the ones who do stand out even more: they are resilient, determined, and incredibly strong. They do everything for their families and assert themselves in a world dominated by men, where decisions are made by men and women are, in theory, just ornamental.
Even so, female protagonism is very significant. This is reflected through several key figures, such as the Empress Dowager, the main female lead, and the mothers of the main characters. At its heart, the story is about these women.
The main couple is also a highlight. I fell in love with the female lead in the first episode, and with the male lead around episode four. Together, they have a very compelling dynamic — they are strong as a couple, but also very human. They argue, hurt each other at times (sometimes intentionally), and make mistakes, but it never feels forced or overly dramatic. It’s not based on ridiculous misunderstandings; you can clearly see they care about each other, even as they struggle and try to protect one another.
The villain is another standout: incredibly well-written. At times, you even feel sympathy for him, but he remains a terrible person. This duality is portrayed very effectively.
The children are adorable, and the story also emphasizes the importance of community. From the beginning, we are introduced to this collective environment, where people are not purely good or bad. Of course, there are clearly good and clearly bad characters, but most exist in shades of gray, which makes the story more realistic and engaging.
It’s a story I consumed very quickly — in about three days — which says a lot about how gripping it is. It has 40 episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long, so it’s quite extensive, but very well constructed.
The cinematography is beautiful, and the storytelling is tightly woven: there are no loose ends or forgotten characters. Even minor characters have their outcomes addressed.
Overall, it’s a story that moved me a lot. I laughed quite a bit — there are genuinely funny scenes. It didn’t make me particularly tense, probably because I’m already familiar with this type of narrative and could anticipate some developments, but it still brings a fresh and well-executed perspective.
It’s definitely a great story.

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Could have been so much more, but ends in disappointment and frustration.

Wow. So much lost potential here. A story that started out as a heartwarming story about two strong female characters from different backgrounds and their friendship, them navigating different aspects of life and dealing with their respective issues and a mature love triange ultimately devolves into a stupid, petty fight over a man and a story that completely assassinates it's characters.

The first half is absolutely brilliant, with both female characters compellingly written with their own personalities, flaws, and strengths. Personally I enjoyed Jong-hee's character more (which adds to my later frustration) because of her implied tragic backstory and her strong, badass personality, but Young-rye also emerges as a well written character who is bubbly, cheerful and strong in her own way. The chemistry between Kim Da-mi and Shin Ye-eun is amazing in their scenes together, their interactions on the roof and seeing them laugh and be happy together will definitely leave a smile on your face. The more serious aspects of the show, such as Young-rye's financial struggles, the burden she carries being the elder daughter, Jong-hee's troubled past and the trauma she carries because of it are handled quite well. The love triangle in this part is also well done.I could understand and feel for Young-rye for having a one-sided love. Jae-pil falling for Jong-hee and her eventual attraction towards him were also portrayed well and I liked them together. While her decision to sacrifice her love annoyed me, I still understood where she came from. However, then, in the end of the first half, a key event happens, a time jump, and then everything goes downhill from there.

Firstly, about the event, Jong-hee stabbing the manager. The way the show treats it is as if she killed him when all she did was stab him in the shoulder with a pen, which is not even enough to paralyze someone's arm in most cases. But still, fair, it's a crime and she could get into trouble. And the solution provided by Young-rye is to run and disappear? Why so drastic? Like you could either plead self defence, and it's later revealed that Young-rye collected evidence and blackmailed the manager to drop charges against her. Then WHY COULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT JONG-HEE RUNNING AWAY? She could have asked her to lay low for some time, hide while the matter is resolved, instead of making her vanish.

Secondly, the post time jump show and the second half. The timeskip is just evidence of lazy writing. Can't figure out how to write a reasonable story about Jaepil falling in love with Young-rye after showing him being in love with Jong-hee? Simple, shunt Jong-hee out of the story and boom, they fell in love!

Young-rye, whose dream was to become a professor, is now working as a hairdresser in a salon. Why and how? Plot purposes. She lives with her former conductor friends and her now expanded family. Relationships and characters have completely changed, and now, she and Jaepil are suddenly the potential couple, which will be reminded to us again and again as almost every side character beats us over the head telling us that they will be a couple. They behave like a couple too, going out to eat, carrying her on his back, getting jealous and drinking, etc. but still aren't a couple. How exactly did this development happen? I know seven years is a long time but still, from the perspective of the audience how are we supposed to work this out? Also, among Young-rye's family and conductor friends, who also knew Jong-hee as a friend, she is not mentioned at all. The one time she is, it is treated like a shameful, taboo subject, like something that shouldn't be mentioned. It's not clear why exactly this is so. And Jong-hee returns, now the adopted daughter of a rich woman. From here, it turns into intolerable, stinking trash.

There are several issues but my main problem is with how the two female leads are made out to be after the timeskip.

Young-rye is made to be this perfect, innocent, pure as snow character who can do no wrong at all, who is loved by all, and to achieve this development, the other female lead, Jong-hee, is put down. She is made out to be a bad person, but funnily enough despite the butchering by the writers, even in the second half I still found her a more interesting character. If you are a Jong-hee/Shin Ye-eun fan the latter half of the show is a painful watch. It's as if nothing she does can ever result in good for her. She protects her friend? Now she's pretty much lost everything and no one ever cares, or acknowledges the sacrifice that she made while doing so, not even Young-rye. She saves a woman from committing suicide? Now she's stuck in a make believe dollhouse where she doesn't have the freedom to be herself. It is genuinely so hard to watch, especially since we even know that her childhood was rough and she comes from an abusive household, and suffers from PTSD, which basically makes her entire existence one long story of suffering, and yet we have to think she is a bad person because Young-rye has to be good. Even the act of protection in the end by Young-rye becomes just another reason for Jong-hee to suffer more and fall in everyone's eyes, and to take away from Jong-hee's final achievement of the Miss Korea title - can't she just have one moment, one moment of success and happiness?? The way Young-rye's mother and friends look at her after that, especially the two conductor friends shutting the door away and ignoring her, made me furious - like why are you acting as if she was the one who killed her, or as if she was responsible for any part of what happened? She didn't ask to be attacked. If it's fair to blame her for that, then who is to blame for the seven years of life she lost while saving Young-rye? Oh, wait. Only Young-rye's sacrifices matter, because Jong-hee is just destined for suffering and nothing else.

One user commented here in the discussion that Young-rye is like someone who trips on the pavement and scrapes their knee, and is helped up by others, asking if she's okay, while Jong-hee is someone who is punched in the face with full force, hits her head badly on the pavement, is asked why she allowed herself to punched, and is left alone lying in the street. There couldn't be a more accurate description than this. Young-rye is surrounded by people who love her and support her at every step, while Jong-hee is only surrounded by people who either are controlling or abusive like her mother, or actively want to hurt her. She has no one in the show who takes her side or supports her, and is left completely alone. The only person who is there for her is Young-sik, Young-rye's brother, and even he wouldn't support her if it came to choosing between her and Young-rye. Still, the presence of Young-sik is actually a relief, and he provides some respite to Jong-hee which is pleasant to see. He is the only one who looks out for her in the entire show and cares about her wellbeing. The scene in which he hugs her and tells her not to blame herself for Young-rye's stabbing is a satisfying scene, I was just happy to see someone finally hug Jong-hee and comfort her after all she's been through.

Also, why doesn't anyone know why Jong-hee had to run? Forget about anyone, why didn't Young-rye even tell Jae-pil about it? One of the most frustrating moments in the show is when Jaepil comments about Jong-hee along the lines that she just runs away all the time, and Young-rye AGREES WITH HIM!!! Like, girl, I get he does not know, but you knew why your friend had to run, didn't you? You know that she sacrificed her job, her life, the relationships and stability she had built here and went on the run - AGAIN - because she was protecting you. It wasn't a choice she made out of her free will. She even insisted on staying, but you insisted that she run. So how can you agree with him portraying her as a coward when you know that's not true? Young-rye came off as a terrible friend to me because of this. It would have been one thing if she had just stayed silent, but she even agrees with him which made me furious.

People may disagree, and I'm open to that too, but for me, pursuing your best friend's ex, especially when said friend disappeared because she had to protect you, isn't a great move.

Overall, it's bad. Watch the first half, and end it there. Not worth the time at all.

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Breathless tension...

This was intense!!! I literally stopped breathing at certain points when the intense tension was so thick and then that one kiss in particular...you know which of them I'm referring too had me hold my breath and put a hand over my heart...the tension and passion was off the charts! The ending kept me guessing or double guessing...was it still the play or reality? Actors were amazing in their roles, they got me hook line and sinker! P.S. I am not a fan of any bit of dark stuff in my dramas, I prefer butterflies, rainbows and a necessary few conflicts that get neatly tied up at the end. I like to escape reality watching dramas not suffer more in the fantasy world too, so most of this pushed the envelope for me because of my preference, I would even have prefered a different ending...but here I am signing up for mydramalist just so I can leave this review because this little drama had me in its grip all the way through to the end...phew, I can breathe now! 🤪

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Dont get fooled by the negative reviews

This is definitely a show that you have to let marinate. At first it starts as a cliché fake marriage trope, thats why the acting feels off and exaggerated but as the story develops and the characters get attached to each other you can feel the chemistry building and the bond getting stronger, the interactions feel a lot more genuine and the acting natural - episode 8 is a good example of this. It might not win best kdrama award, it doesnt bring anything really new to the table but does every piece of media have to be innovative to be enjoyable.

Also, if you need one good reason to watch it just know that the producer is the same as Alchemy of Souls’, so the cinematography is just stunning.

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