Reviews

Even better than the first

I really liked the overarching plot and villain in this one, and the show does a great job of balancing it with a variety of individual cases.

The drama is once again great at showing Lee Jehoon's range as he takes on different characters, but the best part is still, without a doubt, the friendship between the main cast. It's especially interesting because we start out with a break from the status quo with them having disbanded, and we get to see them coming back together in a very heartfelt way. As a romance-lover, I also liked the subtle hints we got between Go-Eun and Do-Gi, but I appreciate that it's not a plot that takes up time and changes the dynamic between the team.

Read More

Chemistry is Chemistry'ing'!

This is my first time watchin' a dmd friendship series. I've not yet watched S1 & S2. First 4 episodes of S3 had many butterfly-giving moments. Other than Pung from Khemjira series, I was not at all familiar with the other faces. The best thing about this was the chemistry between 2 boys that caught me from the first five minutes itself. Wondering who? It's no one else but North & Otto. From the first look in North's face when Otto entered the house, I noticed some spark. This spark I noticed gradually caught up heat evoking many sweet and wholesome moments between them. While North was so damn sure of how he wants Otto to be his partner, Otto pretends to be unsure to 100% but I'm pretty damn sure that he secretly enjoys being with North. Their CHEMISTRY IS CHEMISTRY'ING'.
Another shop I noticed was Ryujin & Patji. Though Pat-ji's feeling are not yet known completely, Ryujin adores him so so much. I love them. Not to mention Pat-ji's extraordinary vocals & how Ryujin kept praising them.
Wave is so cute and adorable that I felt like I want to keep holding him in my palms. Fifa, I hope he would end up with Copper cuz they have this iconic comfortability with each other and are really talented. Pete is the one who I observed has gave me that wow-factor with his charm & vocals. He is so shy and outgoing at the same time which makes him stand-out for me ( stand- out in a good sense). Phupha is already looking like a male lead, he has such a perfect figure and strength. Porsch is that guy literally everyone wants to make friends with. Personally I found him the sweetest but I couldn't find any potential partners for him in this 4 episodes maybe because of the feeling of age gap with the other. I don't mean that age gap matter, but here I didnt feel any spark. I felt him as that best sweet friend I want to have. I want him to be patterned with someone 2-3 years younger that him. Pung, I have the same feel like I have to Wave, I just want to keep him close in my palms. His introvertness make him a potential y/n (iykyk).
I'm waiting for 5 & 6 episodes. Imina North-Otto, Ryujin-Patji, Copper-Fifa...

Read More

SLOW BURN with pure, green-forest romance (& a side of corporate war lol)

The drama starts off slightly slow and boring because of the SML and some business-y subplot but it kicks off much more interesting when the FL and ML are working at the company. I didn't particularly like the SML subplot because it was just annoying with the SML and Ye Rong. But when the MCs start actually flirting and getting together, I was definitely more invested.

The chemistry between the MCs was INSANE. Zhao Jin Mai's chemistry with all her MLs is always SO good. I'm always swooning during the couple scenes and it makes me feel like a third wheel (in a good way) lol. The eye contact, subtle glances at each other, just the flirting is insane. The relationship between the MCs is just so well written and Zhao Jin Mai and Song Wei Long executed it perfectly.

Lin Yusen is such a yeaner. And I love it. His character is so well written and executed there is not a single flaw.

The CGI is actual insanity. and I mean this in the opposite sense to earlier. Its just horrible lol. When the FL and her cousin go on a trip and the backdrop... I have no words...

The ending was okay. I didn't dislike it nor did I love it lol. I would've preferred more oompf for the wedding scene and it was interesting to have a big jump to when they had their daughter but idk it just felt a bit underwhelming.

I took off 0.5 cuz of the slow paced beginning, too much mulling over the trashy SML, the annoying college friends, and (ik its supposed to be like this but) THE SLOW BURN. Its just too slow lol. The plot focuses too much on her getting over the SML, stuff about the workplace and corporate giants drama it kinda takes away from the romance and since they took so long to get together, the dating era is just too short!

Anyways, overall, I really enjoyed it. It would be hard to find a good drama after this one.

p.s. This drama slightly reminds me of The Best Thing (with Zhang Ling He and Xu Ruo Han) because of how pure and green-flag the ML is. If you haven't watched it, I would highly recommend that you watch it lol.

Read More

So cute I could just eat it up

I honestly started watching this drama because I was bored and wasn't watching anything at the moment, but oh boy did it turn out be more.
It's quirky, funny, lovely, the characters are great, the actors are amazing, cinematography is wonderful. The whole thing just checks off all my boxes. I literally have no issues with Tastefully Yours. It's a true treasure that I'm happy I've found.
Ughhhh, it's so cute that I just wanted to eat it up!! I will definitely watch again and again, never being able to get rid of that foot kicking, giggling, hair twirling, butterfly feeling.
I wish there were more dramas like Tastefully Yours. It's truly one of the best that I've seen.

Read More

Just an ok drama

I didn’t read the reviews for this drama like I usually do. Overall, it was okay. Unlike most people, I actually liked the plot, and I really liked the male lead’s voice. What I didn’t like was that the male and female leads were supposed to be in their 30s, but when it came to romance, they acted like they were 12. It was very much “oh, we touched, oh no, what do we do?” It was hard to believe, especially for the male lead, that someone in their 30s would have never had any kind of intimate or romantic experience.
I also understood why the female lead got fired. Personally, she came across as a ditz and extremely dumb. I wouldn’t even call her childish — she just seemed clueless. She reminded me of someone who doesn’t pick up on social cues or understand how to behave around people.
Overall, it was just okay. I wouldn’t watch it again.

Read More

Spoilers in 7th & 9th *paragraph

I don't understand why this show is praised so much.

I recently read 2 articles that promote 2016 as the best year for KDramas; this show is usually in the Top 2. It is often credited for helping start Hallyu streaming influence. This show was expected to impress since all of the internet glows at the mention of the title. So I have to ask, "who is threatening you and forcing you to praise it? Blink twice if you're in danger."

Acting and story are the main culprits for this trash heap going up in flames.

The acting was flat. I can't name one actress who gave a worthwhile performance. A few of the boys had impressionable moments... just a few. It was as if they plucked this cast from the waiting line at a soap opera audition and said, "while you're waiting...?" The acting felt so performative; they never acted past the camera, to the fictional world, but right at the camera. Chemistry was nonexistant in both lead couples (and you don't have to tell me about the Song couple, I know). Chemistry among the 2 teams (medical and military) was lacking. The doctors, while at the UN medical camp, never gave me anything to root for. Why did I feel I'd rather see a poverty stricken village doctor then the likes of this foreign medical team.

Quick sidenote: costumes. Whose idea was it to have our female lead where only skirts and blouses while on a volunteer medical mission trip? Everyday, she was dressed ready for a picnic, not treating Asia and its ailments. She wore a skirt and heals to a disaster site. Just dwell on that for a second.

Back to cast. If you're a fan of seeing a favorite KPop star try their hand at acting, don't watch this. I don't listen to much KPop but I will avoid Shinee as much as possible, thanks to this show. Do you desire to watch a female emote nothing when she speaks romantically but, when she's doing her job as a medical officer, suddenly have a personality. Yeah, me neither. I prefer personality in both scenarios. Do you love being confused about the demographics of a fictional country within the story? If we want unexplainable diversity, just check-in with this country Urk. And our female lead. I think a kind estimation would be 35% effort. That's all she gave.

*My pitch for this show is "it weaved unimaginative junk together hoping we'd ignore the constant unrealistic and ludicrous situations." I mean, where to begin? One of the main antagonists is a gem smuggler and his trade is a handful of 1 caret diamonds? (rubs temples) Korean antagonists, aim higher! There's a Korean owned and opperated power plant in this small Arab country. Isn't that convenient! A young doctor, who has previous experience in a hospital, shrivels up at the reality of a human dying. Also, when he can't rescue a man buried in rubble - cause that's not his job - he loses all purpose in life and suffocates himself with guilt - again, for something that was never his responsibility. His wife is expecting! He is not gonna last one day parenting a child!*

Our main couple's story can be framed 'how does a soldier and a doctor court when their lives are so chaotic'? Well first, you can give the female doctor a realistic approach to healthcare. She wasn't just a doctor; the writers wanted her to be a Mother Theresa. A child stubbs their toe and she summons the whole Urk government to fix uneven pavement in the country. She spots a man with a slight bald spot, who makes no gesture of wanting to be bothered, straps him to a hospital bed, and surgically plants a wig. She notices that Urk children have a more agrarian diet and buys cows for each one to encourage growth and wellness. None of these happen in the show... but they could. Her savior complex was astronomical.

*Our soldier was no different. It's explained that he's an elite soldier within an elite team. But you're telling me that a night ops, rescue team to Afghanistan is the same team you pull for a North Korean escort? He and his team shouldn't do both. He's either elite stealth or he's bodyguard. Isn't it convenient that he's the one to wield the sniper at you-know-who. He's the only one who could do it! Of course, he gets dibs to return to the medical camp and become earthquake search and rescue. Korea's best stealth team isn't needed anywhere else? In the meantime, he'll try to solve disputes between a foreign couple cause his lady-love thinks 'the girlfriend deserves better.' He spots a childen being pursued for stolen candy. To him, that's his cue to become morality officer and enforce mercy on the kid.*

Addressing his heroics, though, is an interesting task. Half of his rescue missions are necessary because they involve... rescuing her. Yep, the doctor. She says in ep 12, "I'm considering if you're a man I can handle." THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE! He needs to consider if he can handle her! Half of his life-threatening moments arose because she did something stupid or selfish. She guilted him for having dangerous missions and making light of the duties he performs. She never wore that guilt, despite the dangers he faced, were her doing. If he admitted 'she's a pretty face but not worth the trouble,' I would shake his hand and congragulate him as he left the room. Whether I was the doctor or the soldier, I would break up with the other because life gets uncharacteristically and annoyingly ridiculous when they are together.

This writer really dug deep in the pockests of creative license to write this show. If she had grounded these characters with either more realistic events or just less nonsense, I might've understood the complications of our main couple's pairing. But she threw them under the bus, repeatedly. You can't root for something when all it does is struggle and wimper? I lost patience with her laziness.

Read More

Mixed Feelings, Love the Story but Directing Not So Much

I love a lot about this show. There aren’t too many shows that are set in the 80s of Korea and this gave me nostalgia of something I never experienced. A lot of the dynamics, setting and structure was refreshing and breaks some cliches. It did made me feel like I was growing up with them and loved seeing the friendships form. I love seeing the siblings and the parents get the screen time and their relationships. I almost wish there was more time to see all of the stories in more detail and throughout the years. But at the same time almost shocked how much happened in 12 episodes. There is too many thoughts that I have but loved so many aspects that I can’t even place my mind on. I don’t understand the low rating as I feel people may rate on the their personal feelings of the characters when they are sent to be seen like this by the viewer. However, most of my negative thoughts are on the directing and the actors did an amazing job!

Production:
Firstly my mixed feelings is about the structure of the show. Half was set in their “childhood” while the other was their adulthood. I liked how it almost felt like two shows put together and have enough to be reminded of the beginning of the story as the past them. Even with moments of the friends and the families. However, I felt they almost have too much time to Jong Hui and Jae Pil story. It had me wondering who was going to end up with who and if it was the leads then how they would do the 180 which is not necessarily a bad feature as it kept me curious. It almost made it seem like Jae Pil had no other choice but to like Young Rye. For them to have Jae Pil and Young Rye to be together, they should have given more scenes of what happened in the seven years time jump. As well as how Mr. Ma almost lost touch with the main characters.Even the confession scenes and ending romance seemed rushed and was more devoted to the Jong Hui story that almost made her the main lead. I did want Young Rye and Jae Pil to end up together but wish there was more moments of Jae Pil realizing he liked her. Their relationship did seem genuine and were so cute to see together! One odd factor that one really mentioned is how the boys in the beginning are in high school while the ladies were around 21 and 23. it just didn’t sit right with me to see Jong Hui (23) have Jae Pil as her first love for a high school student.

Characters:
These comments don’t reflect my rating of the show just how I feel about the characters as they are meant to be portrayed and the actors did a great job to make me feel these ways about them.

Jong Hui was an annoying character for me. In the second half she was always there, I get how it showed that she missed them and liked her life there but it was almost overbearing. She somehow made it into the confession scene and limited moments we had with the main couple, even in the very end making it seem all three were dating. Like I get it but understand the boundaries. She also had no respect for Young Rye relationship and feelings. Throughout the first half, Young Rye suppressed her feelings so she could make her two friends be happy even “letting go”her first love for them to be together. However Jong Hui, after the seven years she was gone and knowing Young Rye liked Jae Pil, kept going and trying to get with him. She ended it in the past “for Young Rye” but then regrets it later. She eventually BLAMES her for breaking up with Jae Pil while Young Rye is dating him. There were times she took a step but I believe not for them to be happy but bc she felt insecure about herself and didn’t know how to “catch up” to the relationship Jae Pil and Young Rye built (which she states). People may say it was selfish for Young Rye to get with Jae Pil but she understood he boundary even after Jong Hui was gone and never confessed. Jae Pil was the one who did after the seven years. Also Jong Hui and Jae Pil only had at most a 6 month “situationship”. So Jong Hui was more selfish and disrespectful to her “most cherished best friend”. I do like her with Young Rye brother but again felt like a second option.

I love Jae Pil’s character and ever more the actor. At times I did feel that the character was leading Young Rye on like in the beginning. However loved their long friendship was always something more for him and he knew it but never expressed it until he had some competition. The actor does an amazing job of being nervous to express his feelings to both of the female leads. I also love when dramas show the real feelings of the male leads life and shows that he has struggles with his father. He has a sensitive side and the crying from the actor felt real and raw. I wish he did more dramas where he was the man lead.

I also wish Jeong Bun ended up with her daughter’s father. And if not at least gave her daughter’s father a chance to prove himself or even them make the father more genuine to her in the past. She gave him no relationship with his daughter.

Read More

What a gem...

For some reason, I’d been avoiding this drama like the plague, despite hearing so many good things about it.
Well, let me tell you DON’T MAKE MY MISTAKE — WATCH IT NOW.
Even though the plot is nothing special (a pretty basic long-term rivals-to-lovers story), it somehow still manages to feel fresh and entertaining, and I think that’s mostly thanks to the acting and the production.

ACTING.
Both actors who played the main couple are AMAZING. This is exactly what I mean when I say, “You don’t need to make characters fuck every episode to showcase good chemistry.”
The tension. The slow burn. Chef’s kiss.
Also, Yu (Zhou Shu Yi) completely stole the show for me. He was charismatic, sassy, and emotional, but never cringey or over the top.

PLOT.
The themes of unrequited love and rivals-to-lovers blend really well here. The creators didn’t use stupid clichés like turning the woman the main character fell in love with into an evil caricature just to make viewers sympathize with the other character (thank god).
Yes, there were a few questionable moments (like… did that guy really need to act flirty around his own cousin for a couple of episodes just to make the main character jealous?? I got scared for a second, knowing how much Taiwanese bls love the incest trope), but overall, I had no real issues with the plot.

PRODUCTION.
Surprisingly excellent. I don’t know if y’all will be as impressed as I was (I had really low expectations for this show), but to me it felt so warm and intimate. It really brought everything together.

CHARACTERS.
Lovely. Sweet. Once again, Zhou Shu Yi is the star of the show. (And please get that creepy cousin off campus — I really didn’t vibe with that guy.) I also loved how the dialogue was written.

OVERALL.
I WILL be rewatching this until I memorize every sentence.

Read More

You don't want to miss!

Glory was so intense that although I started it after The Unclouded Soul, I found myself watching Glory far more consistently with each new release. There was something about its scheming and ongoing chemistry that I felt I had been missing, and once I started, I couldn’t stop. I’m only about twenty-something episodes in, and while everything has been great so far, I can’t shake this sense of dread. I’m worried about the direction the story might take, and I fear I could end up dropping it despite being so invested. For now, I’ll definitely keep going for a few more episodes before deciding.

Glory follows the male lead, an imperial court inspector tasked with investigating and solving cases. After being betrayed by one of his subordinates, he is left at death’s door and crosses paths with the female lead again. Having lost his memory, he ends up working for the Rong family at their tea plantation, slowly climbing the ranks from a servant to the female lead’s most trusted companion.

The first half of the series is fast-paced and intense, filled with backstabbing, murders, and morally corrupt characters whose actions keep the story moving at a gripping pace. Eventually, the male lead rises to the point where he is set to become the Rong family’s future son-in-law. However, I’m currently at the part where he exposes his identity by taking in Madam Jiang as a witness to a murder, and I feel like I may have missed something. Did the female lead already know his true identity at this point? So much happens so quickly that it can be hard to keep track of every detail.

What I Love About Glory

The storyline and the intense political maneuvering within the family dynamics are easily my favorite aspects. Every character has their own schemes and hidden agendas, all working to serve their personal interests. This kind of layered plotting is completely up my alley, and it’s what kept me glued to the screen.

The cast is another highlight. Zhao Yi Qin was a welcome sight—I’ve missed seeing him on screen. Cheng Xiao, whom I last saw in Fangs of Fortune, did well in this role, and I’d love to see her continue taking on scheming characters (just preferably not the angry ones). I was also excited to see Richard Li in a major project playing a villain, and he absolutely nailed it—he was that good. Seeing Asher Ma again was also nice; although his character annoyed me half the time, that just means he played the role well. The last time I saw him was in Word of Honor, and his death scene during the wedding left such a strong impression on me.

The screenwriter is the same one behind Story of Yanxi Palace and Perfect Match, and it definitely shows. No wonder I was so captivated—I really love her work.

Overall, the pacing has been strong so far, with one scheme unfolding after another, keeping things engaging and addictive. I’m hooked, but that lingering sense of dread remains. Maybe it’s just me, but I have a feeling something frustrating might happen later on that could sour the final episodes.

This will be an ongoing review as the series continues to air.

Current rating: 8/10

Read More

This is for you, Sad Ending Enjoyer!

I give you warning if you don't like BE or Sad Ending go see another drama.

I quite like most of Peng Yao works. For Yang Peng Cheng, his works is hit-and-miss but i am not avoiding his work since i believe he can polish his acting skill. The chemistry between them has potential even there is almost no romantic moment.
The plot is about the FL seeks for ML who was young thug helps to fight her abusive uncle. The relationship between FL and ML from mutual use to mutual salvation and they found themselves "home".

My pet peeve to this drama, in the middle (eps 50 above) the plot was kind of dragged and ML mother death are biggest letdown to this drama. I understand the writer want to make tragedy drama but there is unnecessary to make ML mother died.

Recommended to someone who love BE.

Read More

DAMMMM! that was unexpected!

I need to breathe and stop freaking out, don't know how I will move on.
Firstly, my expectations for this drama were very low, since I have only seen one actor before in other dramas, and I just wanted to watch this one to pass time, because of another drama.

BUT HOLY MOLY THIS WAS GOOD! WAHT!
This is not going to be a long review, but my honest opinion with no spoilers, and only hints to let you know, why i enjoyed it and if you maybe will.

Firstly, this drama is meant to have a female lead, cheerful & happy, smart but not wise.
I normally HATE! these sort of characters and don't really watch dramas with just a female lead like this, but the actor did such a good job, and you get so many breaks, because the second female lead is a strong independent woman, and the female leads ALWAYS TRUST ONE ANOTHER! There is no unnecessary drama there.

It gave me the wrong vibe to start off with the couple of first episodes, but at the same time, the way they did this drama, I just kept watching and have now finished the whole drama in under 50 hours...... it really can suck you in, so let me put it into simple terms with hints to see if you will like it.

- Cheerful female lead, who never wavers and is always honest and trusts the people around her.
- NO UNNECESSARY DRAMA! The plot points are good and VERY SURPRISING! I got surprised by 2 major ones, and spoiled myself from TikTok on one of them.
- Never wavering love
- This drama really has the female lead at the center role, with her bff coming in later strong!
I feel like there was no character development from the female leads, besides the romantic part of the story BUT
- HOLY MOLY! The male characters have major development and honestly, you don't feel like you're missing out. The characters are well written and the story and plot as well. I don't get why people find it boring.
- The males are soo well written and i love their acting, i was freaking out a lot because of their "interactions" with the females and such, and each other.

Is it 36 episodes? YES! but in a drama with that many episodes, you have to wait for your turn to see all the good stuff, and honestly! They come so quick. So quickly that I was worried that it was going to have a bad story around 20 episodes, but NOT AT ALL! Totally surprised me as well.

Read More