Can't fault this show

If you are looking for a thriller drama that is a complete package then look no further than The Good Detective.

This was a show that was recommended to me and it is rare that I like someone's else recommendation and it is also not often that I rate a show a 10. Every episode makes you want to keep going and watching what will happen next. Although a thriller, it also has mystery as well as a wonderful comedy element that will genuinely make you laugh. It also has unexpected twists which is rare to find if you are a fan of crime dramas. The show is fast paced which I love.

If you are wondering about romance, then there is a hint of it but no real romance as such since the story is very much focused on solving the crime and finding the real culprit. Any romance would have been out of place. However, you find a really nice brotherhood and male bonding as well as female bonding. The entire cast did a wonderful job and suited their roles perfectly with some grey characters in the mix.

Since season 2 is starting, I definitely recommend adding this to your watch list and binge watch it. I have high hopes season 2 will be equally engrossing and loved.

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Underrated masterpiece

The plot itself is so unique that I'm disappointed it doesn't generate more interest. Hong Ji Ah owns a real estate business of getting rid of ghosts haunting properties in order for owners to be be able to sell them. When her regular psychic, Hyung Shik, that she uses to trap the spirits gets injured, she looks to partner with another psychic. Oh In Beom is a con-artist pretending houses are haunted in order to "cleanse them" of evil spirits. Little does he know that he is in fact a powerful psychic.

Though the plot deals with ghosts and can be a little scary, it is not proper horror. The visuals and graphics are incredible. The action sequences are truly enjoyable. The plot is fantastic with mystery into why the female lead is in this business to begin with. The chemistry of the main leads is incredible however there is no romance. But this should not dissuade anyone from watching this masterpiece especially if you love strong female lead characters.

Sell Your Haunted House is one of my most favourite kdramas.

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Wasted Potential

I started Only For Love for Dylan Wang. BaiLu has also given an impressive performance in a previous drama. Both are talented actors but this drama gave both of them nothing to work with. The plot is terrible, the characters are terribly written and there is no chemistry.

I watched the first 8 episodes of the show with the greatest of difficulty because nothing was happening with the couples. The drama revolved around a CEO making business deals (boring!) and a financial reporter who is trying to secure interviews by flirting with him (ridiculous!) on the advice of her best friend.

I didn't get far enough to see what happens afterwards because there was nothing to look forward to. Dylan is not fit for a serious CEO role maybe because there is literally nothing interesting about this character. He doesn't even have interesting conversations. BaiLu has also been dealt a bad hand with a character that is unprofessional and immature in her dealings and the series sends a terrible message. We are just expected to believe both are good at their jobs without seeing any real work being done.

I was recommended to skip ahead and watch the last 6 episodes. Episode 31 also doesn't really carry much weight. Episode 32 made me fall asleep in the middle of it. I don't know if I have the ability to even watch the last 5 episodes. I'm so disappointed. But you can see some bits of romance thrown in if that is what you were waiting for. In order to save this drama, it should have wrapped up in half the episodes it actually has. It is so rare for me to drop a drama but I just couldn't do it. Not even for the leads. I hope in future they will work together again in something that has a decent story. As for this drama, sincerely, don't bother.

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Fluffy RomCom with Minimum Drama

King The Land is a wonderful romcom. It is light and funny with not too many ups and downs in the lives of the main leads. And perhaps that is it's biggest drawback. If you're looking for a pure romance story with lots of steamy kisses (leads only) and minimal drama otherwise, then this is probably perfect for you. The male lead is the epitome of a perfect rich boyfriend who loves and supports his girlfriend and also her friends. He gets along with her family. He's the perfect gentleman who will fight for her and be there even when she doesn't know she needs him. It's like the honeymoon phase of all romance stories with 0 conflicts between the leads.

The flaws of the story, however, is that despite them introducing some interesting plot points, everything is pretty much subdued. Whether it's Gu Won (male lead)'s struggle to prove his value to his dad, him trying to get along with his older step-sister who wants him to have no say in the business, the mystery of why his mother disappeared, etc - none of it is that big a deal and is all resolved fairly easily or isn't given much time at all. It all comes secondary to the time between the couples. Because of that it feels a bit pointless at times to even have these things happen. And it's not just these that get quick and easy resolutions. Sarang (the female lead) has two friends who also happen to be working in the same hotel's King group - in the sales department and in the airlines. Oh Pyeonghwa is a stewardess and has a younger male colleague who likes her. I was quite invested in how things go for them but besides only getting few scenes and a bland kiss, we don't get much. The other friend also has an interesting story of a pathetic husband who has lost his job but does nothing except order his wife around. There are other work issues involving these friends. Though they had more drama and interesting scenarios, both friends get quick and easy resolutions with their problems and storylines. Makes you wonder why these two smart women were putting up with so much nonsense for so long.

King The Land also had a controversial character - an Arab guest portrayed by an Indian actor that drew a lot of criticism. Personally, I didn't find the portrayal as bad as some of the other viewers. I would have preferred they chose an Arab actor to portray the character who could have also given them some cultural insight that would have avoided any issues. But to really enjoy those episodes, you have to remember this is a rom-COM after all and some silliness is to be expected. I also don't blame people for their criticism considering how common it is to misrepresent or negatively represent Arabs and Muslims in dramas thus making viewers slightly more sensitive.

None of the above was really a cause for me to dislike the drama. I enjoyed it quite a bit, in fact, because of it's light nature and the comedic moments. But there is a recurring theme of toxic authority and forced respect throughout the show especially in the workplace. It's actually quite honest on how people in higher positions misuse their power and take advantage of those working under them. Where the show went "wrong" was when the best staff working at the hotel were shuttled off to the Gu family home and made to work as personal caterers for a month's worth of salary. Sarang went in blindly for this job without knowing what was required of her and when she tried to ask, she was shushed and reminded of the NDA she had signed. This scenario would otherwise be a hotbed for exploitation where it would be very easy to violate the rights of the employees. The whole aspect of this story was unnecessary. I wish more thought had been put on how this was presented. It was also a tacky rich man poor woman romance cliché where the poor woman has to wait on the rich man just to show the difference in their status. There also created a hurdle with this scenario that they simply forgot about. So I failed to see the point of it all.

Hope this review helps explain what you can expect with King The Land. Don't expect for any great revelations or any kind of rollercoaster or overcoming of great hurdles. The male and female lead are progressive and mature by nature and treat each other with respect. Though Sarang being constantly excited about everything is a bit too much at times. I would probably get sick of that first, if she was a real person. lol. But that's me. Otherwise all the actors did a good job. It's a fun drama. Maybe not the absolute best, in my opinion, but a good stress-buster. That's all we can really ask for.

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Based on an authoritarian propaganda piece

My main reason for dropping the title is that the book plot eventually revolves around war and authoritarian regimes and normalises xenophobia. We can further understand the mindset of the author, Liu Cixin, for his statement defending the Chinese government's mistreatment and mass internment of its Uighur Muslim population.

Speaking on the show, it's a slow moving story with multiple repetitions, eg. "The scientists are killing themselves!" every so often which was unnecessary. The people investigating these suicides don't really seem to care nor have any intelligence capabilities. It all rests on one scientist to act as a spy agent and provide them with answers and a cop that acts as his handler. Three Body is based on the first of three books. 30 episodes is overdoing it for an already slow moving plot.

The aspect that originally attracted me was the science which the series then proceeds to drive the point that "physics isn't real", again repeatedly.

Up to the mid of the 9th episode, the women in the series don't seem to serve much purpose apart from minor roles and eye candy. An apparently talented female officer is treated like a maid and 'errand boy' while doing the work of 10 men and not paid much (by her own admission). So much for equality.

There's also a game which seems pointless. One of the benefits of a computer is it allows us to do calculations and run simulations at a faster rate than a human would take. If a pattern exists, a computer would likely find it as long as some basic information is provided. The game offers no insight towards a solution. It's just added CGI effects to further drag the plot along that explains nothing. With every episode you are left with more questions than answers.

After reading the author's disdain for other humans, I didn't feel the need to watch further and it pretty much killed my curiosity. If these things don't bother you, you might be able to enjoy this lengthy series.

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Nice but missing the wow factor

The concept of the show is pretty good. In the Josean era, a king dies and a physician known for his talent in acupuncture is blamed for his death and banished by the crown prince. A conspiracy surrounds the death of the king. Dejected, the physician nearly kills himself but is rescued by a maiden who also has great interest in forensic medicine. The physician joins a clinic in a nearby village and starts seeing patients but is unable to use acupuncture again.

The series shows different cases and each episode has it's own story while developing the story behind the king's death. However, the show focuses most of the treatment on the use of acupuncture and herbal medicine and there are not many cases involving psychiatry so the title will not make sense until you realise the series is expecting a second season.

There isn't overt romance and the drama and mystery progressed slower than I liked. There are comic moments but again, it may not be to everyone's taste. I felt like the drama had become a bit stagnant midway and finally picked up the pace in the final 2 episodes. I quite enjoyed the two episodes and feel like the show was simply delaying the inevitable for a few episodes.

If you do not like cliff hangers and open-endings, then you can wait until Jan 2023 when the second season will air and watch this season just prior to that.

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