Reviews

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One ?

Gosh... I cried so much, especially during the final episode. From the start, middle, to the end — I was in full breakdown mode. Buckets of tears.
The next day? Still sad. It literally felt like I had just gone through a breakup.

“In order for a breakup to be sad, you need to be in love.” — Baek Yi Jin
That line... it hit hard.

💔 Life Lessons This Drama Taught Me:
First love doesn’t always last — but the memories will stay forever.
Turn tragedy into comedy so you can find a way to move forward.

🫶 What I Loved Most:
The relationship between Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin was beautiful — the support, the longing, the pure passion between them. Their love shaped who they became. That kind of support? It brought them to the peak of their careers.
Even though they didn’t end up together, you can feel how deeply they loved one another. They moved on... but their memories stayed.

🎶 OST, Cinematography, and Direction:
STUNNING.
Some favourites OST:
Your Existence
Very Slowly
Stardust Love
Your World

🎭 The Acting:
Nam Joo Hyuk — wow. He has grown so much since School 2015.
That crying scene with the shoelace? When he cried, I cried.
Kim Tae Ri — always phenomenal. I already knew she was amazing from Mr. Sunshine, but here?? She nailed every stage of Hee Do's growth — from 18 to 29.

✨ Noteworthy Episodes:
Ep 5 ending — voice calls at the phone booth, snow falling, silent support 🥹
Ep 9 — Baek Yi Jin’s confession... my heart couldn’t handle it
Ep 15 — their passionate love 🥲
Ep 16 — a crying mess. That’s all I’ll say.

Final Thoughts:
Twenty-Five, Twenty-One 🤺 was painful, beautiful, bittersweet, and unforgettable.

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Another comfort drama

For me this show started slow but slowly grew on me. It's about 4 residents in OBGYN dept. We have all this different people from different backgrounds but we don't get much backstory. Hence this drama can feel incomplete. Things like why 520 has debt and her father's involvement in that is not explored. Same for pyo nam kyung. People thought there would be some explanation about her and oh yi young's remembrance of things and why she chose medical field. It seemed like inferiority complex but it's not explored. kim sa bi's background of having doctor parents could have been explored.
Things I like
-520 and ku du won's relationship- their slow burn romance was so cute!!! And ku do won himself is so adorable
-all the hospital playlist cameos!!! To see 99s was so refreshing and much welcomed. Chu mina getting to be professor over myung eun won was cherry on top
I also loved the music. It went really well with drama and it's feeling

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My Dearest Part 2 ?

It’s time to let go of this drama... but not without saying: THIS DRAMA TOPS IT ALL.
From the acting, storyline, OST, musical score, cinematography, to the love line — BROOO it’s just SO GOOD. PLEASE.

🌟 The Heart of Part 2:
This part really highlighted Jang Hyun’s sacrifices — both for Joseon and for Gil Chae.
Tell me, which man loves the same woman for nine solid years?!
WHO?! The things he endured and did — for love and for his country — no one does it like him. Period. 😭

📝 Deeper Thoughts:
This drama didn’t just give us romance — it opened eyes to the brutality of war, especially for women.
Back then, women were captured, sold, or even forced into sexual slavery. It wasn't their fault. They shouldn’t be blamed or shamed for losing their chastity — yet they were. The scenes where women had to commit suicide or mutilate themselves just to avoid disgrace? Horrifying.
Meanwhile, what were the men — the scholars — doing? Just sitting, shouting at the king? Words weren't enough. This drama really showed how women had to step up, protect themselves, survive, and fight in their own way. Truly powerful. 🥲

✨ Noteworthy Episodes:
Ep 13:
The ending when Jang Hyun saw Gil Chae at the slave market… and the OST started playing 😭
His shock and rage — unforgettable.

Ep 17:
“You are all I need. Poor Gil Chae, rich Gil Chae, cheeky Gil Chae, gentle Gil Chae, Gil Chae who doesn’t love me, my beloved Gil Chae — you are enough.”
And when she asked,
“What about the Gil Chae taken by foreign intruders?”
He replied,
“I should hug her. She must be suffering. It was very painful, wasn’t it?”
I MELTED

Ep 18:
The Crown Prince really slayed here. He was willing to go against his own father — the king — to bring back the captives from Qing. RESPECT.

Ep 21 (Finale):
A happy ending 😭 We made it!!!

🎶 Noteworthy OST – Part 2:
Love Affair by 2NB — this one hit so hard. The emotions it carried in every scene? Ugh, perfection. 🤍

Final Thoughts:
This drama has officially earned its spot as one of my favorite dramas of all time. ✨
It's beautiful, painful, inspiring, and unforgettable.
“My Dearest” — thank you for the heartbreak, the healing, and the masterpiece that you are. 🌙

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What a drama!!!

From mystery to anticipation to angst — DAMN, this was INSANE.

The acting?
Jo Bo Ah — I didn’t really vibe with her in past dramas, but wow, she absolutely slayed here. Her performance was next level.
And Lee Jae Wook? As always, serving looks. Honestly, I feel like he shines the most in historical action dramas.

Story-wise?
Surprisingly solid. The whole family's journey to find the long-lost brother had me hooked — and then boom, a wild plot twist connected to the king??? Chef’s kiss.

OST & cinematography:
GORGEOUS. Just look at it. The visuals and soundtrack? Pretty damn good! The action scenes were breathtaking. No words. Just wow.

Noteworthy episodes:
Ep 9: THAT ENDING??? When Hongrang's shirt got cut and the drawing was on his back — the same one the king’s been obsessively searching for?! MIND. BLOWN.
Ep 10: The forehead touch and the “I love you” moment… MY HEART.
Ep 11: The OST kicked in at the end and it HURT. So good it was painful

Best OST pick:
🎵 Kwon Jin Ah – Yoamjae

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The yearning. The longing. The angst.

Someone should have given me a warning before I started this drama. OH LORD. This drama absolutely tore me apart.

Both leads — OMG — they each have their own charm.

Let’s start with the male lead, Jang Hyun.
BOY. I tell you. He is the ultimate walking red-and-green flag combo 😭💔

Green flag: He’s humble, never flashy. He would literally go to war just to save her. The way he talks??? The words he says??? I FOLDED AHAHAHA 💀
He even bought her SO MANY pairs of the flower shoes just because she asked for the prettiest one 🥺 He really, truly likes her.
Red flag: He keeps leaving her… WHY??? He could’ve stayed and fought beside her 😩
Now the female lead — at first, I found her annoying and kinda irritating.
BUT as the episodes went on, you realize her very personality is what saved not just herself, but everyone around her. She’s a keeper.
Yeah, she was blinded by her first crush, and sure, her attitude toward Jang Hyun sometimes made me scream into the void... BUT even after realizing she liked him, she still chose to hurt him 🔪
That said, I get it. She chose her family — a father with dementia and a young brother to care for. Ugh, poor thing 🥲

BUTTTT why didn’t Jang Hyun just ask her to bring the whole family with him???
Why didn't he say that??? I’m confused.
And then Part 1 ends with them separated... and both have new love interests??? WHYYYYYYYY 😭😭

Anyways,
Cinematography? 10/10
OST? 10/10
Quotes? 10/10
The acting? SOLID. Both of them delivered.
This drama has easily become one of my favourites.

Best quote:
“I swear by the moonlight. This time, wherever you are, I will make sure I find you.” 🌙
THIS. QUOTE. RIGHT. HERE. GIRL. I folded when he said that. And the fact that he actually did find her again and again... 😭

Top OST picks:
🎵 “My Star” – Kim Feel
🎵 “Unforgettable Love” – Yang Yo Seop

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Dear Hongrang

I was waiting for this drama because of Jo Bo Ah and she was the reason for watching, I did not have any high expectation for plot or any other aspect of this drama - maybe it is a reason why it was even better - but yeah this drama is just great. So moving on to actors/characters, then ending and story ( I will repeat warning - THERE WILL BE SPOILERS - so read only if it does not bother you).
Jo Bo Ah - I just love her acting, her crying scenes were heartbreaking here, I feel like her character was the only one which we could actually put in morally good category, I liked her chemistry with other actors, I also feel like she likes when dramas have some historical aspect, but she looks great in hanbok so I understand her, I loved her high ponytail hairstyle in 10 episode I think, maybe it was 9 - now I want her to play assassin in some historical drama
Lee Jae Wook - my first drama with him where is main character, I do not know yet if I fully like his acting style, sometimes he looks like lost child but at the same time it made perfect sense with his storyline, oh my how much his charactered suffered, it is crazy, and I am happy that he knew since the beginning that they are not siblings cause otherwise it would be weird (so good thing that she also suspected it), I liked their kiss scenes (yeah, maybe dark drama but it is still romance so we got it!), SPOILER: there really was not a way to prevent his death and that is probably the saddest part about it
Jung Ga Ram - I did not recognize him at the beginning, he is guy who got a gilr from Love Alarm (yeah, I was team him in that drama XD), here his character was sweet at the beginning, then you literally start to hate him, SPOILER: good thing that in the end he choosed to be good and protect her
Kim Jae Wook - he know how to play crazy characters/villains, just perfect acting but story is crazy, I expected him to be a villain and at the same time I thought he was not, SPOILER: scene with lost hands felt a little like from anime, not my favourite part but excellent "revenge" for him
Well the rest did great, everyone acted perfect, although I have to admit that I had some hard time to recognize who was who because of mustaches and beards.
Hongrang - poor sweet child, he only wanted to protect his sister.....and I hate his mother, eventhought well no, I just hate her
Great fighting scenes, great villains, still I do not know who was The snow man......., beautiful romance, more bitter than sweet ending, yeah more sad than anything, how she lost everyone she cared about but I do not think people really expected something light, even poster made it clear that we will cry during this
I do not really understand the last scene - if it was her imagination or if it was after she died because of old age - but it made the ending a little sweeter.
A little bloody but I do not think it was too brutal.
Totally worth watching, even amount of episodes is great, just give it a chance!

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journey of memories, food edition

The synopsis is misleading, not in terms of events but in terms of pacing. The two-episode story isn't anywhere near as rushed thankfully. It's a wee road trip around central Thailand, focusing on the themes of memory, aging, love and food - and the ability of food to evoke memories and connection. With lots of cooking, local specialties, two temples, a cheeky elderly uncle who's always joking, a serious young man, two notable older actresses and another who I'm guessing is a noted Thai singer (will have to go back to get her name).

If you get on with the Thai PBS way with a short story, these two episode series are a lovely way to spend some time and get to know something about another part of Thailand and its many cultures.

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A drama to watch when you want to feel at “home”.

Let me just start by saying- this is my first ever review on this platform.

After indulging in Korean dramas for almost 10 years now, you ever so often come across a drama that just makes you feel at home. For me, there have been a couple of dramas that I’ve never wanted to say goodbye to, ResPlay being one of them.

From the beginning this drama is relatable, fun, light hearted & intriguing- just the perfect watch for when you want to be comforted or receive a warm hug. From the script all the way to end result, everything about this show has been flawless. The character development is top notch. Even though they’re doctors after years of dedicated studying; they’re still just humans at the end of the day, this is their first try at life and working as well- and throughout the drama you are reminded of the same.

It evokes emotions in you of love, life, gratitude, hatred, annoyance and you feel as if you are one with the cast. It’s realistic and non-dramatic. Seeing the first year residents’ friendship blossom and their growth as individuals is truly a delight to watch.

Overall- cutting it short, I’d definitely recommend this drama to everyone who likes feeling nostalgic and at peace. Afterall, this drama feels like a warm cup of coffee on a cold and cosy rainy evening.

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Very hollywoody meaningless showy SOAP. Like a 100-episode morning drama in historical context

So many ppl wrote that the ML was a great actor and FL terrible, and I agree. She cannot act. I saw her in All About my Mother and she is acting there the same way she is acting here.
I watched the side actors and they are all pretty bad. They cannot act It is clear they are pretending.
ML on the other hand can act a wide range and is rather convincing.

The plot as the story is interesting and realistic to some degree. What ruins it is the Hollywoody shocking thing (and unfortunately real thing) of abusing children in evil rituals. That part was .. iffy. ... Although historically and currently that happens in the West (and the east too??) .... well... it was too much and it took away from the drama because it introduced more mess than necessary. It was one of those signature SENSATIONALISTIC Hollywoody tricks and it is just ... distasteful in the end.

Well the topic of using children for evil rituals has to be talked about though. But in a way that doesnt make it just a show but a way that makes it a social commentary on why that is possible and how to prevent it. Not just a big heading in the news with flashy bombastic text and pictures, leading to no change.

So the plot without too much emphasis on the "shocking stuff" would have been ok... .but .... nothing was done with it. There is no character development, or conflicts worked out and resolved. It is just ... mindless show. AND, the overall message is the message of desperation and gloom, or a sugary ending without any explanation and any pointers for how it happened. Just like most Hollywood is. ALl glitz and glamour SHOCKING stuff and supposedly catchy scenes, but no content. WHAT WERE WE SUPPOSED TO LEARN FROM THIS KDRAMA?

How the drama was made, plus the overdone soapy acting, just doesnt cut it for me.

I watched the end episode too

I watched a lot of it with sound low and without much subtitles so I saw the acting really close up. Then I listened to the music - it is sooo over the top soapy and terrible.

Overall, the soap factor here is about 100% and it reminds me of morning 100-episode dramas, just done with a lot more $$$$ spent on costuming and scenery. Total Hollywood. I see that Netflix makes kdramas like that and I really dislike it. I think Netflix is basically killing kdramas as it is making them americanized to sell more of it in the west, but then the kdrama charm is GONE. True Kdramas with their CREATIVITY and MEANINFUL CONTENT and shows about real people from daily life and their struggles and how they overcame them, kdramas with content and without much vulgar or violent scenes, with sophisticated humor and deep insights, kdramas suitable for all kinds of audiences and ages, showing WARMTH of relationships and GROWTH, and FAMILIES, and society, .... etc. well they might die at this rate. I am really concerned.

The only thing that came a little close to real kdramas is the very very very very end scenes, like last minute of the last episode.
I like the very very very end scenes with FL recovered from the trauma and grew from it. She moved into a better life and helps children, being at peace. It is a realistic and meaningful ending. The horror did not destroy her. I wish we got to see HOW she did it. This unexplained "magically happened" happy ending is too much Hollywood and Disney for me. It is too sugary and soapy. What would make the drama worthy is to see HOW she overcame the trauma. And I wish that FL actress acted those end scenes better. It almost got ruined by bad acting.

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In summary: I dont like this kdrama. I think it is a very glorified morning 100-episode SOAP..... and I have watched some of the morning 100-episode soaps and imo they are better than this.

This drama is good for nice historical costuming and scenery. That's about it.

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I have a love-hate-relationship with this drama.

The ending and the final stage of the revenge was a little underwhelming, considering that ENTIRE BUILD UP. Plus I wish we got more background on each revenge step DongEun had, since some of the parts during her revenge I was like "How if did she go from A to Z here?!"...

Other than that the acting was top notch and I love how raw everything was. You could feel every pain and rage moment through the screen.

OH the chemistry between DongEun and YeoJeong OMGhfsbdjhv I'm so happy they got their happy ending. DongEun really deserves sunshine in her life and that's exactly what YeoJeong is.

HOWEVER the undeniable potential DongEun and DoYeong had?!?!?! HELLO?!?!?! As much as love and want YeoJeong, an alternative plot I have in mind is that they could've left YeoJeong's character and his entire subplot out of the show. I feel like his background and subplot was a little to big and irrelevant to the main story of the show. The subplot was only connected to his character, meaning that if they wwould've erased his character, that entire storyline would've been deleted and nothing would've damaged the main story... whereas all the other subplots in the show had a majority of the characters connected to them and therefore made them more relevent... does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is that removing his character, would've given us room to have a DongEun and DoYeong love story instead, and wouldn't that have been a much more interested love story, not to mention THE ULTIMATE REVENGE towards YeonJin? He would've divorced YeonJin earlier which would've stirred up more drama, considering he would've been risking losing custody of YeSol to YeonJin AND FREAKING JAEJOON. I would've loved to see how that could've played out ughhhhh and ending with DoYeong winning YeSol back and DongEun co-parenting with him. This would've given the scene where DongEun says "Using YeSol wouldn't have only hurt YeonJin, it would've had hurt you (DoYeong) too" more significance. AAGHHHH!!!!!!!! Either way, you can't be watching all the scenes of DongEun and DoYeong and tell me that he wasn't YEARNING whenever he looked at her. Eyes don't lie.

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?️❄️ Sword Snow Stride: A Wuxia Epic Where Strategy Outshines Swords ?⚔️

If you’re craving a wuxia epic that flexes its mental muscles more than its martial arts chops, Sword Snow Stride delivers in spades. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace—think more chess match than lightning-fast duel—so give yourself permission to settle in 📖♟️. The early episodes ask you to lean in for every whispered plot twist 🤫🔍, but once you’re invested, the payoff is a masterclass in intrigue and strategy 🏆✨. Unlike a roller-coaster ride like Joy of Life, this drama savors each moment: a quiet stare carries more weight than a sword clash 👀⚔️, and dialogues are peppered with dry wit that sneaks up on you 😏🎭. If you’re patient, the world-building is rich 🏯🌳, and the humor popping out of unexpected father-son banter provides a delightful counterpoint to the grave scheming 👨‍👦😂.

At the center is Xu Feng Nian, the heir who’d rather indulge in a prank than swing a blade 🤡🗡️, yet never lets you forget he’s two steps ahead of everyone around him 🧩🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️. His interplay with his father, the steely warlord Xu Xiao, is like watching two grandmasters spar with words—each line is loaded with double meanings and hidden intent 👑🗣️🔒.
If you came for romance, you’ll have to look elsewhere 💔🚫. Despite a cast brimming with celebrated actresses—Jiang Ni, Nangong Pu Ye, and a host of others—the few hints of attraction float by so subtly they’re practically camouflaged in the courtly conspiracies 🕵️‍♀️🌸.
And yes, the production values are top-notch: sweeping landscapes 🌄, stately costumes 👘, and a soundtrack that underscores both silent schemes and sudden jests 🎶😄. Just don’t expect epic CGI battles—when fights do erupt, they lean heavily on effects rather than swordplay artistry 🎥✨. It’s a drama you savor for its storytelling finesse, not its flashy visuals.
All told, Sword Snow Stride is a slow-burn that rewards those who appreciate a brilliant strategist on screen and don’t mind putting romance on the back burner 🧠🔥. If sly humor, political intrigue, and cerebral duels are your cup of tea 🍵🧐, you’ll find it utterly compulsive.

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Great side dishes but average mains

Like its previous namesake "Hospital Playlist" this was a hospital centred drama, but it failed to live up to the standard set by its seonbae (선배) . There was a lot to like in the case studies that played out through the series. I think these side dishes held the best writing and even sometimes, the best acting of the show. They were varied and often quite moving, with frequent opportunities for a bit of weeping. But the mains really lacked that spice that locks you in and changes something from OK to good.

The writers should shoulder a large chunk of the blame, in that the characters of the four 1st year residents were somewhat one dimensional. There was some character development, but to be honest it was more a progress through learning a skill set and becoming a bit more mature. Only one of them really had their personal life filled out to any extent, which meant that we didn’t really see any rounded characters emerging. A slightly better attempt was made to showcase their group interactions, but it didn’t really dig far enough or get down and dirty enough to reveal the layers of the characters. I think it was an opportunity missed to make the whole thing much more engaging for the audience. At twelve 80 minute episodes they were hardly short of time.

I’m not a great fan of unlikely and convenient romances, and by the end of the series we were drowning in them. Surely in this slice of life genre there is opportunity to explore a range of different types of relationship. Overall, it was not a bad watch, but not a particularly good one either.

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