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Completed
Never-Ending Summer
1 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
29 of 29 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers

When you know their love story will be never ending!

I reeeeeally enjoyed Never Ending Summer! It had so many emotional and genuinely sad moments, and the yearning from the MMC was SO good — he really had me feeling all the feelings. His eyes could say sooo much even without dialogue. I can’t tell you the amount of heart flutters I had each time Lu Xi Xiao cradled her head!

I honestly hated seeing everything they had to go through before finally getting their happy ending. There were so many hardships and moments where I just wanted to scream, “Can’t they catch a break?!” Zhou Wan was a standout lead, she powered so many great scenes and when she cried, I wanted to cry too.

The love rival was flipping irritating in places, I don’t know why we always need a love rival, although let’s be real… he never stood a chance against the FL’s true love, anyway! I felt bad for Jiang Yan; he was in an unpleasant life situation, and you could see his fondness, but as with all second MLs, he didn’t know when to bow out gracefully.

I’m also a fan of both lead actors, and I thought they gave such great, convincing performances. They really sold the emotions and made the romance feel believable. Oh, the longing was real, folks! And so was the angst.
Not a fan of time jumps, like at all, I always feel like we miss so much story of the in between, but I understood it was needed to get the couple to the next part of their lives.

So many episodes, this show got me in my feelings. That dancing alone scene, gah! I was a sobbing mess.

If I had to criticize anything, I never took to the second couple. They felt too immature from the school days into adulthood. I would have given screen time to Jiang Yan finding a new love interest over them.

Overall, such a great watch.
Aesthetically pleasing to the eye and wonderful acting.
I’d beg on my rickety knees to see the leads in another modern drama together.

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Ongoing 8/10
Your Summer, My Storm
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
8 of 10 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
I really like this drama 😭💗 It’s honestly so cute and lovely. I really like the whole vibe of it, it feels so soft and warm, and the characters are just adorable 🥹💕 The story is also really sweet and keeps you interested. I love how the drama has those cute little moments that make you smile without even realizing it 😭.

The chemistry between the characters is sooo cute too, and I really enjoy watching their relationship slowly develop. It’s such a comforting drama to watch after a long day. Overall, I’m really enjoying it and I’m definitely looking forward to every episode 🥹💗

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Completed
Bittersweet Love
23 people found this review helpful
by virgievirgie Flower Award1 Clap Clap Clap Award1 Soulmate Screamer1 Big Brain Award1
11 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 7
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

Frustrating watch with a lot of Bitterness and only a drop of Sweetness

Subjective Gut Rating: 6.75

Wow.. this is a frustrating watch. It’s called “Bittersweet Love” but it’s full of bitterness with only a drop of sweetness. I don't even know why I did not drop this drama. It’s like I was hate-watching it. The episodes are around 30-35 minutes, so they are not too long that I can’t tolerate.

When you read the synopsis, the drama sounds quite interesting, but also feels like the plot of a vertical drama. Nonetheless, Xiao Fan is forced to marry into the rich and powerful Bei family and ends up being the secret lover of his brother-in-law. Sounds fun right? Wait till you get to know these characters.

First of all, our lead main character, Lu Xiao Fan. He’s the biggest damsel-in-distress, pushover and doormat. You see where this is going, right? He’s so frustrating to watch that I just want to slap him and wake him up. Grow a backbone already! I can’t spend 8 episodes seeing him moping around with the same sorry and weepy face. Yes, he is unloved by his family, and was forced into a very difficult situation. But still, the writing could have been better to show some progression and growth in his character. But no, he’s frustrating all the way until the end when he magically becomes the smartest guy out there.

The other male lead, Bei Lu Qing, is the rich and cool guy on the block. He’s rich, powerful and intelligent. He is always scheming and many steps ahead of everyone. He’s hot too, but he’s just as frustrating. The narrator doesn’t go into Lu Qing’s inner thoughts and there are no inner dialogs. Therefore, all we see is him trying to do little things behind-the-scenes for Xiao Fan, and never verbalizing it. It’s not like he’s so shy that he can’t speak up. He just chose not to. The drama could have spent a little more time on his struggles on dating a guy and the control his family had on him. That would have given us some plot. But it’s just a casual afterthought. This paints a bad light on him, as he just seems uncaring and emotionless.

The lead’s main relationship is based on miscommunication, or no communication, and lust. Why Lu Qing fell for a weepy boy like Xiao Fan is beyond me. Is it because he’s cute? Is it because he just wants to have an urge to protect a sad puppy? On the other hand, does Xiao Fan even like Lu Qing? Is it just a reaction to someone who threw him a bone and showered him with just a little attention? Are they just obsessed with each other but there’s no love in their relationship? I don’t mind having all these questions in the first half of the drama, but eventually, by ep 12, I should know, right? Did I miss it? When they are lusting over each other, the sexual tension was good. Their kisses aren’t bad either, but could go a little further.

Additionally, there are so many irritating, annoying and hateful characters in this drama. My friend commented “Bittersweet Love” is like a Chinese lakorn. She’s so right. This drama is full of evil family members. Xiao Fan’s family treats him like dirt and only uses him for their own benefit. Sure, most poor families in China are like that. It’s how real life forces you to make those decisions, but that doesn’t make the drama enjoyable.

I enjoy a dark and angsty drama with a toxic romance. I thought this would deliver as it has an interesting premise. But the writing is lacking. I never read the novel but I felt that the novel must have dived into many of my questions and criticisms and give a better description.

I see many highly rated reviews for “Bittersweet Love” and unfortunately, mine is not one of them. Maybe it’s just a ‘me’ problem that this drama just doesn’t do it for me. Maybe I am not analyzing this drama correctly and am being superficial. Whatever it is, this can either be a frustrating watch or a very enjoyable dark and angsty one for you.



Drama Completed: 8/16/2026 Review #713

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Completed
Love Me, Love My Voice
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
33 of 33 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5

For the fans of food, singing and green forest MLs!

Well call me a new fan!
This was such a cosy, feel-good drama that was honestly like a warm hug from beginning to end.
Oh my gosh. How I appreciated how low-angst the entire story was.
There’s no constant unnecessary drama or frustrating misunderstandings, and instead we get to watch the male lead being completely devoted and quietly yearning for the female lead. He was so sweet and patient, while she was just genuinely lovely and adorable. Their relationship was such a joy to watch.
Sometimes you just need this kind of drama. It’s all one pace, no jump scares, no angry moments, just sweetness.

The friendship group was another favourite of mine. They had such a close connection, and you could really feel how comfortable they all were with each other. I loved seeing their friendships develop alongside the romance, and it made the drama feel even warmer and more wholesome.

One thing I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy so much was learning about the world of voice acting. It was genuinely interesting seeing what goes on behind the scenes and how much work, skill, and passion go into it. I can appreciate when I know a show has been dubbed now. The episode when the voice acting group celebrated their 10th anniversary was honestly spectacular to see a live action stage production alongside voice dubbing. so well performed by all!
The drama also had so much singing; the OST is great, and if you’re a foodie, this is a show for you, our doctor man does all the cooking like a pro. I honestly would have fallen in love if he cooked that much for me lol
Between the music, food and cosy atmosphere, it was basically comfort viewing at its finest.

Overall, Love Me, Love My Voice brought me so much feel-good happiness. It's nice, mild, romantic, and warm, and sometimes that's precisely what you want from a drama. Looking for something heartwarming, and low on drama, with a sweet romance, great friends, beautiful tunes, and lots of cozy vibes? I highly suggest it!

Now I’m a new fan of Tan Jian Ci and need to watch all of his shows immediately! Mo Qing Cheng is the very definition of the gentlest, most patient, and adoring green forest leading man. I flipping loved every scene he was in. And those coaxing kisses….whew!!!

PS: Sidenote – I’m so glad I looked up my nagging thought about Mu Mu and Wang Ke. It seems I’m not the only viewer who definitely caught “couple vibes” from them both!! Even if the show didn’t/couldn’t include a gay couple, I will always see them as such whenever I think of this darling show.

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Dropped 7/24
Royal Rumours
0 people found this review helpful
by Mystal
11 days ago
7 of 24 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 4.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 2.5

Bored Out Of My Wits

One day I will have watched more CDramas with good pacing than I can count on one hand. That day is not today, as Royal Rumors abandons its plot midway so the main breeding pair can listlessly visit each other's mansions while the rest of the straights pair off. Gone is the focus on the female lead's secret mastery of martial arts. Her "uwu I'm so weak and delicate" charade became boring hours ago. I don't know nor care where the plot is going.

I guess some people will dig this stuff. Not me, though.
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Completed
Our Sticky Love
5 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

The Sum of all parts are not working, though I love the Female Lead

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

This review will be a little different format that my normal ‘structured’ one coz I just need to verbalize my thoughts.

You know there are dramas where you rate it higher or lower because you like or dislike a particular character or actor? “Our Sticky Love” is that kind of drama and it’s disappointing because I really want to like it as a whole. It started out well with an interesting female lead and the handsome and adorable Jung Hae In. But as the drama progresses, I can’t help but start to feel like there are elements I like, but they all don’t quite fit well to make the whole drama enjoyable.

Ha Young plays the female lead, Ko Eun Sae. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her in the beginning because I am not a fan of over-the-top characters, and comedies could be a hit-or-miss for me. But after an episode or two, I warmed up to it and eventually felt that Ko Eun Sae is the BEST part of the drama. She’s fun and outgoing, but sweet and caring. She’s playful and sarcastic but super smart. I like that she has amnesia, yet her intelligence continues to shine throughout the drama. She’s a prosecutor, so you know she is smart and she has the guts. That part of her personality stays true whether she remembers her past or not, or whether she knows the whole truth or not. Her instinct is spot on. And I love that so much in a female character. Ha Young did a fabulous job playing this role and she’s so pretty. I know she got into some ‘hot water’ these days because of her family and humble bragging, but I am glad she’s able to shine as a fun female lead here.

On the other hand, my sweet sweet Jung Hae In’s character did not live up to the expectation. I love a cute and dorky male lead as much as the next romance lover, but the character being a combo of a former gangster and a naive 34-year old in love doesn't work well for me. First of all, I do not believe a 34-year old gangster, even though has not been in a relationship, is really that naive. Seriously? He’s a gangster and has seen all the ugliness and dirt in the world, I am sure that includes women and nasty relationships. He can’t be that innocent. Additionally, the gangster persona is a little lackluster. Aside from the amazing action scenes (which are done really well), I was looking forward to a more mean and stern D.P.-like character in Jang Tae Ha. Unfortunately, the gangster part is a little bland and not the fierce D.P-like character I was looking for. As much as I love Jung Hae In, this is not a good role for him. I even like his role in “Love Next Door” more than this puppy gangster. Maybe Jung Hae In needs to retire from being a rom-com lead but an action hero with slight romance.

I wouldn’t say the leads have no chemistry. It just might not be excellent chemistry. I do love the cute and adorable scenes regardless of how I feel Jang Tae Ha as a character. Are the romantic gestures cute and romantic? Definitely. Is the intentional teasing from Eun Sae fun? Absolutely. These are the elements I love only if taken out of context.

The plot itself is quite cliche. You sort of know how the amnesia plot is going to play out. So in a way, this could be a comfort watch. The whole corruption investigation started out interesting, but fizzles out and becomes an afterthought. The ending twist is interesting but I felt that if it was explored sooner, that adds another layer to the plot. The background story of Jang Tae Ha’s family and parents could be interesting as well. But we found out too late for us to do anything with it. Instead, we spent time on the rural ahjummas. They are a fun group too, but I am not sure if the boxer teenager or the spirited ahjumma add much to the general plot. Oh, and I love the surprise of the guest role, Kaito. Gosh, I forgot how handsome he is and now I want to go watch more of his dramas (don’t want to spoil it for you coz I wasn’t aware he’s in the drama). Kaito doesn’t really add a lot to the plot, but I do want to see this actor more for his face card LOL

To end on a positive note, I love the found family trope. It’s especially nice because both leads did not grow up with their birth parents. Seeing them finding home and family in Taffy Village is lovely. Tae Ha has his grandma and aunt, and also coach and his wife (they are like godparents). The SES ahjummas could be a little bit annoying (I’ve seen worse ahjummas) but they do bring a lot of fun to the drama. They are the family that FL needs before she builds her own. Their song and dance in the last episode was hilarious!

Is “Our Sticky Love” horrible? Not at all. It was a quick and easy binge. I love Ko Eun Sae as the fun female lead. I love the found family. I love all the action scenes. But there are also other areas that annoy me. I am especially disappointed that I don’t love Jung Hae In’s character here and that is a personal disappointment. Flashes of adorableness don’t cut it off and I can’t shut down my brain to just enjoy his cuteness.


Drama Completed: 8/15/2026 Review #712

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Completed
Hidden Love
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
25 of 25 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
This "coming of age" story is filled with heart wrenching and fluffy scenes that are delivered so impactfully by the cast that I was genuinely opposed to watching First Frost after I heard they replaced the entire cast. It was nice seeing Zhao Lusi and her mom from Love like the Galaxy in a warm mom-daughter relationship. The part with her traveling to another city to "meet an online boyfriend" was absolutely terrifying. She was an unaccompanied minor and could easily have been trafficked or much much worse. The fact that the ML cared and ran to make sure she was okay made him the greenest flag. The rest of the show just made him so green I'm having Elphaba from Wicked adopt him. This was one of the last projects Zhao Lusi made before her illness and subsequent transformation into more adult roles and appearances. While I wish she had never gone through what she did; I am happy and proud of her for her perseverance and coming out on the other end. Not everyone does in the entertainment industry. Dark mode aside: this was a fluffy happy drama that you should watch and rewatch a gazillion times. And yes, those siblings are sibling goals.

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Completed
GBRB: Joy Pops Laugh Pops
0 people found this review helpful
by DCALAN
11 days ago
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

10/10

To the people who rated it below 10 even 9.5 having standards are great. But if this does fullfil your expectations.

The thin line between fantasy and realtà in your case is broken and the fun part. You are not even knowing its broken.

Seeing kang woobin and that kid being themselves is exactly what representation is
the represation of reality tv a 10/10
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Completed
Our Sticky Love
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

twists over twists made the story twisted

the starting was so good because i thought she was dreaming herself in an action movie then later i realised no, it’s real. when jang tae ha tried to save her the first thing which hit me was she is definitely his first love. the story was okayish but jang tae ha’s lies were very absurd and obviously will make go ji won doubt him that they are definitely not dating. crazy but the actor played baek seung pil is no doubt versatile. till the end he made sure not to let jang tae ha know about him. maybe jang tae ha could have doubted him but he was clueless. them sharing same muscle memory proved “like father, like son”. lastly, if jang tae ha’s mother was still alive she would definitely not let her son follow his father’s footsteps but the story really showed that baek seung pil saw himself in jang tae ha after he won gold medal. go ji won really played the character well but their chemistry got me off guard, though i expected some more. the fighting scenes genuinely deserves 11/10 score. lastly, i would like to conclude with that i really love stories when they are portrayed in village rather than city coz all the women there was so supportive and lovable. they really cared for go ji won even though she was rude and used different tones with elders. they were like pillars to her and supported her till the end.
i would genuinely recommend y’all to give it a go. i know it depends from person to person if they like it or not but i really loved it!!!

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Completed
A Bona Fide Killer
7 people found this review helpful
by DCALAN
11 days ago
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Another example

"This drama is another great example of dramas well made but no one to see"

I don't know how to explain this drama if i am being serious.
Its not epic but not mediocre. Might have a second season.

This is a drama with great equilibrium the pace is just perfect.

Watch it i rated it 10/10 because there is nothing to complain that is a great win in itself
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Dropped 15/28
Genius Girlfriend
0 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
15 of 28 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 3.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.5
This review may contain spoilers

RUIM

Muito ruim esse drama. Ele um fraco que nao aceitou a amiga ser melhor que ele e usou das informações privilegiadas que ti ha ppr ser amigo para vencer a competicao. Meio machista ate, Porque a menina nao pode ser melhor que o menino nunca? Achei totalmente fora do habitual dos dramas chineses aquela menina que sabotou o tempo todo a formacao da equipe da prota ainda conseguir vencer a competição. Se vc espera aquela historia de crescimento com Romance com quimica, nao é esse drama. Comecei pq vi comentarios que se tratava de drama estilo amor oculto, mas nao tem nada a ver. Apenas as brigas entre a prota e o irmao se parece um pouco, do resto nao tem nada a ver

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Completed
Key to the Phoenix Heart
1 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
28 of 28 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Very well-written storyline with great characters! ♡ And the plot twists are really plot twisting!

Kudos to my dear Hou Minghao, for doing a great job being a superb remarkable and excellent multi-talented artist, singing the two of the beautiful OST ("A Promise becomes a River" & "Scorching Light") with his impressive vocals. He's one of the great actors with his expressive acting skills and doing his amazing action scenes himself, which shows his breathtaking martial arts skills! 😍🎶⚔️💯 Even if he gets hurt during the process while filming 🥺

Very well-written storyline with great characters! And the plot twists are really plot twisting until the end, like literally, there's still one last plot twist has been revealed in the last episode lol 😉 Anyway, congrats to my beloved Hou Minghao and Aimi for their outstanding performances and successful series of "Key to the Phoenix Heart" as the main leads, Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu, highly recommended! 10/10 💕👏🏻 For now, they only had forehead kisses, holding hands and hugs here, but it's already enough to show that they have such a great chemistry! 🤗💘 Plus, I wanna highlight the fact that Xiao Wuyi is actually a green flag man—
a whole green forest to be exact, deep inside, especially when you got to know him better.
As a grand general / commander / leader, he's brave, upright, cold, intelligent, a strategic, wise, cunning, skilled and a strong warrior, while he's ruthless and standing on his ground fiercely towards the enemies in the battlefield. But when it comes to the one he loves, he's caring, loving, thoughtful, selfless, loyal and protector. Xiao Wuyi let Xie Jiayu go and let her choose on what she really likes and wants, letting her choose whoever the man she truly loves, even if it hurts him, he let her go to pursue her dream to do her own business with her mechanical crafts. Xie Jiayu indeed successfully fulfilled her dream, and she finally realized her own feelings with Xiao Wuyi, so she chose him and confessed her feelings to him. Overall, he can even sacrifices his own life just to secure the safety of his beloved Xie Jiayu, his family and for the peace of his whole nation 🥹🫶🏻🌳🌿🍃

Oh I love them so much! Wishing and hoping for their 2nd collab again as the main lead couple after 3 or 4, or even if I'll wait after 5 yrs! Either modern, wuxia or xanxia for the next one, any of it suits them together as well. Soafer bagay na bagay talaga silang dalawa dito sa story na to 🤭😍 Aimi and Minghao have such a wholesome, sweet and cutieee chemistry with their gorgeous face cards and impressive acting, also with a bit of their playful and funny moments, so they really look so good together in a cdrama fr! 🥰🩷💚 Age gap is not really obvious becoz they both have young looking faces that looks like they're just in same age,
kala mo magkaedad lang yung mga visuals nila parehas eh 😌 Love lots for my faves baobei, #HouMinghao and #Aimi couple pair of this beautiful series, #KeyToThePhoenixHeart, as the main leads, #XiaoWuyi and #XieJiayu, with their happy ending ofc 💖💯 I'll wait for their 2nd collab as the main couple again in the future, either if it's modern, wuxia or xanxia, or maybe the 2nd season of this series if the director confirmed it. I'll definitely gonna wait for Minghao and Aimi again, even after 3 to 5 yrs! 😘🫶🏻

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Completed
The Apartment Job
1 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 3.5

APT, Apateu... Uh, uh-huh, uh-huh

Well no, Rosé from Blackpink did not make a cameo in the drama, but I think the title of her song with Bruno Mars is quite fitting here, since the story takes place in a huge apartment complex with nearly 9,850 households (yes, that's a lot of people). And the premise is rather original, since dramas set in these large residential complexes, popular with the middle and upper classes, are relatively rare. Because while in Europe our goal is to avoid ending up in these giant "rabbit hutches", in South Korea it is quite the opposite. Indeed, most residents are homeowners, with only around 10% being tenants, along with a similar proportion of social housing integrated into the complex. In addition to the main story, I thought we were going to explore the everyday problems faced by this population. This world is vast, but it represents a microcosm in which several themes unfortunately weren't explored in enough depth. The Apartment Job is a mix of comedy-drama, crime and thriller. This balance works reasonably well, except at times when it starts to wobble.

Park Hae-Kang**(Ji Sung)** is a former gang boss who has gone into managing an illegal gambling den and debt collection. But one day he gets caught up in a scheme and has to find 10 billion won to get his seriously ill spiritual father out of prison. Thanks to Hwang In-Sik, aka "The Lizard" (*Kim Won-Hae), a con man who owes him money, he learns that a huge reserve fund intended for repairs to a massive residential complex, amounting to around 18 billion won, could be recovered. Using In-Sik's apartment as their HQ, he hopes to first get elected as the representative of his district, and then as chairman of the residents' council. This is the perfect opportunity to empty the complex's bank accounts. To carry out his plan, in addition to his four accomplices, he calls on a broke legal assistant he had already crossed paths with, Kang Ha-Ri(Ha Yoon-Kyung). But Lee Chung-Won**(Park Byung-Eun)**, the CEO who built the complex, stands in their way, as he is also part of a gangsters' club. The local "concierge", Jang Suk-Jin(Moon So-Ri), who knows everything as the neighborhood gossip, could prove to be a valuable ally.

What I liked about the series is the concept of infiltrating this complex: the residential setting allows for a fairly original blend of comedy, social drama, thriller, crime and a sprinkling of action. Overall, it works quite well, even if it becomes a little shaky in the second half. We get a basic but also entertaining look at how a Korean apartment complex is organized and managed. So, contrary to what the French title suggests, there is no property manager in the usual sense, and the complex is represented by a chairman who represents all the residents and sets the budget to be administered. The little gang gives it their all and sometimes manages to make up for the script's shortcomings. The little boy is genuinely convincing and adorable. This "family" is the most likeable part of the series. There are also some funny twists, even if they are often predictable, good character dynamics, small action scenes, and memorable moments thanks to the inimitable Kim Won-Hae. Especially at the beginning, the atmosphere and pacing are quite good. The potential is definitely there, with concrete examples of recurring problems affecting neighborly relations.

Unfortunately, this enormous social potential is underused, quite simply because the drama doesn't have the budget to match its ambitions, nor the well-developed script to go with them. Everything is only skimmed over: homeowners versus tenants, social housing, construction defects, dilapidation, neighborhood disputes, real-estate interests, etc. The Apartment Job could have been an extremely original social comedy. But most of these elements remain in the background. We are shown the problem, and then the story quickly moves on to something else. It's a real shame. The complex is enormous (several thousand apartments), but visually it feels small: whenever there are protests or meetings, it feels like we're in a small neighborhood. This is a major problem because the complex is supposed to be at the heart of the drama. In short, it desperately lacks life; the streets are almost deserted, so the impact of this supposed anthill completely falls flat. The discussions always revolve around the same people, who represent the archetypes and stereotypes we see in K-dramas: everyone has their neatly defined role and sticks to it. The only character who actually evolves and brings some life to this stagnant environment is Jang Suk-Jin; that's not enough.

The writing is too simplistic: the story moves forward through little nudges and elements that always happen to arrive at exactly the right moment. Don't expect any major surprises; everything is predictable and formulaic once the thriller aspect takes over. The residents' reactions are also problematic and stupid: when Hae-Gang and his team are involved, everything is either completely black or completely white. It's like the "Sheep Club Association." It's funny at first, but by the end, it becomes tiresome. But the real false good idea (FBI) was introducing an overly caricatured main antagonist: Lee Chung-Won starts out as a potentially interesting character, a powerful construction chaebol with interests of his own. But as time goes on, he just seems like a spoiled child suffering from paranoia: "I'm evil because I'm evil." The further the series progresses, the more inconsistent his behavior becomes. Park Byung-Eun is a great actor, but they really make him look like a clown because he constantly overacts. In short, everything often lacks credibility because the story gets lost in pointless convoluted schemes. The direction keeps trying to tease us with a future relationship between Hae-Gang and Ha-Ri, but another romance eventually develops at the end.

Like an old gimmick, we get the usual PPL for Subway and pain-relief patches, followed by the inevitable "X years later" 15 minutes before the end. This could have suggested that we were going to get something more authentic and unconventional... And nope. This series leaves me with a strange and paradoxical feeling: the actors give a lot and know how to entertain us when necessary, and we grow fond of them; the atmosphere is good, the few secondary characters are likeable, and the basic idea is nice, because we are sold the concept of a thug who gradually gets caught up in the game and starts investing himself in the well-being of the residential complex. Some scenes are genuinely funny and others touching, but... the script doesn't always keep up, and inconsistencies and writing shortcuts rain down, especially after the halfway point. The drop in pace is obvious toward the end, with far too many scenes that feel completely disconnected from the story, as if they were only there to fill time. And that's usually not a good sign. In conclusion, I am left with an unfinished feeling, because with an idea like this, a quality cast, and a setting that could have been teeming with life and sincerity, we could have had a great drama instead of a very average one.

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Completed
Spooky in Love
5 people found this review helpful
by Sam
11 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

A spooky love that isn't even a little bit scary.

Spooky in Love, based on the 2011 film Chilling Romance, introduces us to Cheon Yeo-ri, the heiress of a chaebol family (owners of a business conglomerate) and CEO of a hotel, who has the ability to see ghosts and is tormented every night by the spirits of people who died unjustly. Ma Gang-uk is a prosecutor investigating cold cases. After joining forces to solve paranormal cases, they develop romantic feelings for each other.

This drama presents a fun and chaotic couple with a ghost story; it's so addictive, and I like that it's something new and not like the rest. The chaotic and comical situations are the best part, although some of the ghost situations feel a bit superficial since they aren't explored in depth. It may seem perfect, but it has some minor flaws, such as some episodes becoming a little boring because they focus too much on Yeo-ri's family feud and leave the ghost plot aside, which has been dragging on in these last few episodes. Our main couple has amazing chemistry, and they make a very adorable pair. I must say that Park Eun-bin never disappoints in a drama; she manages to pull off that role of a chebol woman, and her outfits are so beautiful. Yang Se-jeong also manages to act well as a prosecutor and as a clumsy protagonist. The OST has good songs; among the best for me are Tunnel, Stay With Me, Promise Rings, and LOVE & GHOST. They made a Beautiful work with them!

Thanks for reading!

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Dropped 8/50
Love on the Menu
1 people found this review helpful
11 days ago
8 of 50 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

Cute start, starts to lag & illogical thinking

The beginning starts off good, then it started to frustrate me because the storyline doesn't make sense anymore. It really isn't real life, unless Mu Jin & Gyurim aren't stupid people. The audience knows Gyeol is Mujin's son. We're not stupid and obviously we know they (ML/FL) are still interested in each other but because of their pride or whatever it may be, they choose to be selfish and decide to ask the supporting leads to date even though they have no feelings for them not caring that they may hurt them in the long run. W e know they are going to gravitajte back to each other. The other storylines in this drama seem more realistic, ex: sister's & brother's situations. I'm a bit disappointed right now. I'll drop it for several weeks then pick it up again to see where they are.

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