If you have every read John Green’s Fault in Our Stars, there is a quote that states:

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once”.

For me, this sums up most of this drama. It is watching two people slowly and then passionately fall in love with one another. The doubting if the other feels the same, the awkwardness of new love, the heart fluttering moments, and everything in between. The realism, chemistry, and gradual buildup of the relationship in the story was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was reminiscent of the director, Ahn Pan Seok’s, previous work Secret Love Affair. Except this is less about two lost souls finding one another and more of a story of realizing the right person was someone you knew all along. Brilliant in its subtleties, this was a true example of a slow-paced romantic melodrama.

However, despite this drama’s strong beginnings, the middle could best be described as lukewarm. Muddled with repetitive plot scenarios that take far too long to resolve, around episode 9 this drama started to feel almost like a chore to watch. The chemistry was still there but the spark was missing, making what could have been my favorite romance of all time, one that I found myself barely making it to its conclusion. But despite its faults, this drama still deserves a solid 8, because it’s first 6 to7 episodes literally had ME feeling butterflies. I even wanted to tell random passersbys to watch this drama if they want to FEEEEEL what it is like for two people to fall in love. I did not think it was possible for me to feel so strongly about a drama, and for this it deserves the 8.

Overall, I recommend it, but mostly the first nine episodes. After that, you could probably skip to the finale and be just as satisfied.

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Envy is a powerful force, one that can drive someone to extreme measures.

Thus, is the case in Switched, when the least popular girl steals a popular classmate’s body. A common storyline of someone who switches bodies with someone else, but with a twist. The series focuses on Ayumi Kohinata, who was the once popular student and how she must now cope with her new body, try to get back to her own, and figure out who really cared for her, and not just for her looks.

One of the aspects I found refreshing in this story was the fact that Ayumi Kohinata was NOT a mean character. Many times, in body switching type stories, the popular girl would have been cruel and would have previously bullied the unpopular girl. That was not the case in this drama. Ayumi was sweet, and truly cared for her friends and boyfriend. However, you come to find out that not everyone is that way, and many care more for appearances than what lies beneath.
This drama was in no way the BEST drama I have ever seen but it was short, addictive, and totally binge-worthy. I LOVED some of the characters, especially Kaga. And I also, like the mystery, and twists that this drama had. I went into this show having low expectations but ended up watching it all in one sitting and truly enjoying it! The acting was great, the storyline was interesting, and the characters were interesting.

If you are like me and tend to steer clear of body-swapping dramas as they tend to be overdone and lack originality, reconsider on this one. This one is a really fast watch and has a different take on the subject. It might surprise you. (I know it did for me) Definitely recommend!

Happy Drama Watching!

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A sheer MASTERPIECE---except the last 30 minutes!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am particularly hard rater. (I have only ever given one perfect 10 out of over 150 dramas watched). However, this ALMOST made my second, as this drama was utter perfection until almost the very end. Dark, mature, suspenseful. This drama had me on the edge of my seat each episode and desperately awaiting each week’s new chapters. Besides the ending, I LOVED everything about the show: the acting, cinematography, soundtrack, writing, and wardrobe. Everything contributed to an amazing story that was unlike anything I’ve ever seen!!

In this drama, Kim Nam Joo blew me away!! She was unbelievable. However, I must say, EVERY SINGLE person in the cast did a fantastic job. This drama had characters that were so layered and complex, that could tell a story based solely on their eyes and facial expressions. There are so many aspects that I loved about this drama and its characters, as flawed as many of them were. One of the best things about this show, was that it was riveting from episode 1 to episode 16, no filler episodes, and filled with intelligent writing with twists and intrigue throughout. Its only downfall was the finale where it floundered what could have been an epic ending. It is not that it is unhappy or happy and I disliked their choice. Instead it was lacking, weak, and inconclusive.

Originally, I did not start this drama until episode 6 or 7 had already been aired, as I had doubts about whether this drama was for me. I love romantic comedies and have never heard of the leads. However, I am so glad that I tried it because it has now in my top 3 dramas of all time. DO NOT LET THE GENRE OR CAST SCARE YOU OFF--or the ending!!! This drama is definitely worth watching. Highly recommend. :)

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This drama was an absolute hidden gem! (And no one is as surprised as me.)
 
To start off, I had no desire to watch this drama. I had heard great reviews raving about the chemistry and how great the story was, but I still regarded this drama with little more than a passing nod. I had never seen any previous works by the leads and clips I saw never seemed to catch my interest. In addition, despite it being a very popular story line, I do not typically enjoy contract relationships (don’t hate me!), business dramas, or incredibly mean and arrogant male leads. However, I was craving a romantic comedy and was running low on options, so I figured I would give it a try. And I am so glad that I did!!!

This drama was incredible. The chemistry and the acting by all the characters, even side characters, was fantastic. The story line was perfectly paced, great soundtrack accompaniment, interesting and dimensional subplots, a romance worth swooning over. I was hooked immediately and binged the entire season in 2 days. No episodes did I feel were just filler, everything was intriguing, and contributed to an all around great story and truly memorable story. I cannot recommend this drama enough. If you have doubts, as I did, give it a two episode try and I hope that you will find it just as entertaining as I did. Happy drama watching :)!

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*CAUTION* - In order to enjoy this movie, one must not take things to seriously.

This movie has a concept of sibling love, and although things are not as they appear, this aspect alone may be uncomfortable. However, if you suspend reality for an hour and half this film is fluffy, cute, entirely ridiculous, and whole lot of fun! Yes, the acting, plot, and screenwriting is questionable, but it will have you laughing and having a great time. The soundtrack is upbeat and the antics are hysterical.

Sometimes you just need a movie that can lift up your spirits and make you giggle like a 13-year-old girl, and this is definitely one. This can help especially if you delved into several serious melodramas of late. (I am currently re-watching Empress Ki and sometimes you need some silly fluff to break up THAT much angst). If you enjoy the manga style live actions such as Heroine Disqualified this is a fun watch and absolutely worth your time!

Happy Drama Watching! :)

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Dark. Twisted. Messy.

This movie was like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know it’s going to be bad, and yet you can’t seem to look away. It was one of those stories that there are no characters to route for, as everyone is horrible and severely flawed in their own way. Throughout, you keep hoping that someone will grow and develop but that never really happens. In the end you are left watching the credit screen think, “What the heck did I just watch?!?!?”

However, throughout, I must commend all the actors’ performances, which were extremely well done especially given such dark material. In addition, the soundtrack was fitting and enhanced the mood without detracting from the subtle and slow melodramatic pace and way of storytelling.

Overall, worth a watch if you want a more mature, VERY twisted melodrama. Or to see Lee Won Keun’s butt. Whichever.

Happy Drama Watching.

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I especially enjoyed the irony in this title, because like most love stories, finding love and keeping love is not at all easy. It is anything but, a piece of cake.

For me, this movie was a hot mess. Severely flawed leads, random Michael Jackson’s Thriller/ Drag Show-esque Play scenes thrown in, and a storyline that is a bit all over the place. Also, abusive relationships… abusive relationships…. EVERYWHERE! From verbally, physically, sexually to emotionally. (Or guys who only want one thing) However, the FL was not an innocent flower herself, and very much a self-sabatoger in both her life and relationships. Honestly, she was her own worst enemy in this film. Towards the end she starts to grow, and becomes independent, successful and happy. And then, SPOILER, decides to go back to her emotionally abusive relationship that cheated and lied to her… and it was made to look like a happy ending… YUP… that happened.

However, all in all, I cannot say that regret watching it. It was an okay film and it kept me interested the whole way through wondering what would happen to this odd bunch of characters. In addition, the acting was really good especially given the questionable plotlines. I also appreciated that during its intimate scenes it was more realistic in that it wasn’t necessarily glamourized. There was awkwardness, there was laughter. It wasn’t always sunshine and daisies. And since I find this this a rarity in most movies, I found it refreshing.

Overall, it was okay. Worth watching once, if you want a mature drama that is less romanticized and closer to real life in that it contains flawed characters, who do not always make the best decisions, and things do not always work out perfectly in the end. However, very low re-watch value.

Happy Drama Watching!!

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In all honesty, I am not a fan of teacher-student relationships. Something about this common storyline always turns me off. However, this is also a fairly common plot in Japanese movies and after watching Kinkyori Renai (which was AMAZING), I have decided to give more of them a chance.

My Teacher was interesting in that it did not just have the common plotline but also addressed some of the issues associated with student-teacher relationships. Especially in that case that someone witnesses it, and how that can spiral out of control from rumors, losing one’s job, and everything in between. I liked theses realistic aspects added in, and I felt it gave a more complete view on the topic.

In addition, the acting was great! There was definitely chemistry between the leads, despite the age gap. Also, I enjoyed all the side characters and subplots. The cinematography was also wonderful, which is a rare find in the youth romance genre! To its core it was a movie the demonstrated how love comes in many forms, and how these forms change you and those around you. Additionally, the soundtrack was fitting, but was not a standout, in and of itself.
Overall good movie that is worth watching if you want a youth, school, romance. Although, in this genre, I found Kinkyori Renai MORE enjoyable.

Happy Drama Watching!! :)

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What. Did. I. Just. Watch?

I’ll repeat it to myself because I still do not understand. What did I just sit here for two hours and watch?

Have you ever loved a show so much that after it finished, you watched highlight compilation videos on Youtube? Maybe that’s just me. But THIS movie, is exactly what one of the Youtube videos feels like, but without the context of actually watching the show.

The entire movie jumped from scene to scene without context, explanation, motive, character development…. Nothing. And because of that, nothing really made sense at all. Side note. Why did the soundtrack pretty much only consist of this lullaby tune they tried to make into some sort of edgy score to the movie?! IT IS A LULLABY. No… Just no.

However, I have to say that most of the moments in the movie were quite intense and many were very interesting. They should redo this and make it into a 30 episode drama and I’m in for it. But as it stands watching it will simply confuse you. Most likely frustrate you. And definitely leave you staring at the screen, if you make it through to the credits wondering, ‘What did I just watch?’.

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Incredible acting, intelligent screenwriting, and an intriguing storyline.

Traditionally a romantic comedy junkie, I have switched course recently after finishing the incredible drama, Misty, last month that simply blew me away. I have been yearning for another mature romance drama with intrigue that could even come close to the Misty (that I have not already seen). After finding this drama under the Misty recommendations, I decided to give it a shot despite not being a fan of legal or political shows and I am really glad that I did. (THANK YOU whoever added this to the recommendations... not all heroes wear capes)

First of all, this cast is amazing! I honestly wish that I saw many of them in more dramas because their acting was on another level. (The only one that I feel that I get to see a lot Yoo Ji Tae… although he is phenomenal) In addition, I loved the premise of the show and how it has such an incredibly strong, determined female lead. Also, the storyline was unique and honestly, when I started the show, the ending and what ended up of these characters was definitely something I would never have guessed. And with so many shows having an almost formulaic take on their stories and endings, this was a true breath of fresh air.

I enjoyed this show so much I even ended up writing a “5 Reasons to Watch” article on it. But as of the time of this review it has not been published yet. Although this show is great, it was not without fault. I enjoyed its way storytelling, similar to that of Misty and Signal, that has a blend of individual cases/stories mixed into a much larger ongoing story. However, I found some of the cases in the middle episodes a bit lacking. And I found that in the end there was still some loose ends and parts that were added to the show that in retrospect did not seem to fit. This may be because it was an adaption from a show that had many more seasons, and a lot more episodes per season and they may have been trying to squeeze too much in. Having no experience with original American Show, I am not certain, but it seems that way.

In the end, this drama is well worth the watch, even if it’s not the genres you usually are drawn toward. This drama has something for everyone and the cast and writing make this a drama that is not only memorable, but one that will make you think about it even when the episode is over. It was exceptional. Highly Recommend.

Happy Drama Watching! :)

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Started with a boom but ended in a fizzle.

For me this drama started off amazing! It even turned me into a Lee Seung Gi fan, which I NEVER thought I would say. And I really enjoyed the exaggerated performance of Cha Seung Won which after barely making it through Greatest Love, because of his exaggerated performance, came as an extreme surprise. Here his performance and over the top reminded me of Choi Siwon in She Was Pretty. Ridiculous but utterly amazing and hilarious!!

However, around episode 12 this drama started to change. For some, they enjoyed this change of plot/storytelling. For me, I HATED it!!! The storyline for me, lost focus. Added in plot lines, that instead of contributing to the stories development left it scattered and felt as if the drama was taken over by an entirely different writer.

Overall, it had a lot of potential, a great cast, and original story. I loved the supernatural elements, chemistry between the leads, and the love story. However, because of too many hindrances in the final episodes it lost a lot of its potential for a re-watch value and from becoming one of my favorite supernatural dramas. I would recommend for someone to watch (especially if they want a new supernatural drama following Goblin and Master’s Sun), as long as they are prepared for a shift halfway through the series.

Happy drama watching!

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Most times with remakes, I can distance myself enough to compare a movie or drama as its own entity. However, this movie was one of the rare exceptions where I could not. This was mostly stemming from the fact that I had not seen the original kdrama version of this drama, I would not have known what was going on for ¾ of the movie. Thusly, I apologize, but my review will be based mainly on how it compares to the original kdrama (NOTE: I have no experience with the webtoon and therefore cannot compare them).

First off, this storyline format was messy. The original had a better way of presently this story, which in and of itself is actually quite a unique premise. Honestly, in the movie version I was confused. Why did the director choose to put the scenes in that order BOGLES MY MIND… Poor choices were made!! I was unable to understand any of these characters or care about them. They felt flat and these are some amazing actors so that was EXTREMELY disappointing to watch.

In addition, it lacked the intrigue of the original. I was honestly bored…and this is NOT a boring story!! So why was it so hard to trudge through this movie?... I think it was because it lacked the comedy, the mystery, and adorable awkwardness of the original. Not to say the original was perfect. I think it lost focus halfway through. It ended up going in a different direction, that I personally think took away from a drama that had such amazing potential. However, it far exceeded the movie in every aspect!!

Honestly, I cannot really recommend this. Even as a HUGE fan of the story of Cheese in the Trap and someone who waited a long time for this adaption. Truly saddened by its lost potential.

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Short, cute, and whole lot of fun!!

I randomly happened upon this series and it was a fun little drama that although ridiculous, was incredibly entertaining! It had many little plot twists and odd plot lines that were mostly nonsensical  but were a blast to watch. It had Manga/Anime style characters and situations that will have you laughing and smiling the whole way through.

In addition, this drama is composed of 8 episodes at about 20 min each (if you account for the ending theme song) because of this is easy to watch the entire series in 1 or 2 sittings. Making this the perfect end to a stressful week or a great buffer between more series dramas.
This is definitely a guilty pleasure watch and one that if you break it in to parts does not look the most promising. T
he acting was meh, the story was interesting but nothing overtly original, the soundtrack was catchy enough but was nothing to right home about, and the ending was left open (appeared as though they plan on future seasons). Despite all this, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama and would probably re-watch and would DEFINITELY watch a season 2.

Happy Drama Watching!! :)

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It started with childhood promise: “We will meet again.”

A slow and deliberate drama about two people who fall in love and yet to the outside world do to not seem to fit. This drama was beautiful and painful, brought to life but an impressive performance by Saito Takumi. This drama is not meant to rushed or hurried. Instead, it is one of quiet contemplation.

However, although the premise and some of the performances were exceptional this drama is not without fault. The camera work was poor at time, it was muddled by some over-the-top performances from supporting characters, and contained some unnecessary drama tropes. The soundtrack was also barely existent.

There were some small twists that added to the story’s complexity. Also, the son’s subplot displaying his brewing first romance added some humor and lightheartedness to the drama.

Overall, this drama is worth watching once, when one wants a more serious and somber melodrama on whether two people can be truly destined-in-love or if one must create their own destiny.

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What an all-around great drama to finish off 2017 and begin 2018! Funny, cute, romantic, interesting. This drama has it all. I love the cohesiveness of the story, as far-fetched as some it may seem. All the lose ends were tied up by the finale (a rarity) creating a fully complete drama that left me completely satisfied and interested throughout.

To start off the acting was incredible! I first started following Yoo Seung Ho after he impressed me in Missing You. A drama that because of him, I found myself rooting for the second male lead, despite him technically being a villain. (He has SKILLS, when he cries you can feel it!) And I also fell in love with Chae Soo Bin, she is so cute! I did not even realize until halfway through the show that she was previously in Sassy Go Go, in which I LOATHED her character. She is definitely someone too watch out for and has great versatility! And all the side characters were phenomenal as well and had interesting subplots that really contributed to making the drama have a depth that is hard to find in many romantic comedies.

In addition, the soundtrack was solid. Not a true standout but went cohesively with the scenes. This is definitely a drama that if you have shelved in favor of other dramas you MAY want to reconsider. This drama will have you smiling, laughing, crying, and all the time having a great time and emotionally investing in this group of characters. Highly recommend!  Happy drama watching :)

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