A Mature and Memorable Story For The Ages

Never did I expect such a beautiful story when I first started the series.

In terms of the plot and storyline, I did find it hard to digest at the beginning due to one unnecessary time leap at the start, but I can tell that it was meant to be artistic. The show follows the story of our main protagonists, Li Xun [played by Chen Fei Yu] and Zhu Yun [played by Zhang Jing Yi]. They meet in college where they fall in love despite their rough first impressions and disputes. Alongside their friend Gao Jian Hong [played by Zhao Zhi Wei], they become a sort of unstoppable trio when it comes to programming. The show follows them through their college days into adulthood where you see how much they grow and change, while still maintaining their original personality. While other shows may add new conflicts that appear out of nowhere simply to add drama, this show does really well in keeping everything connected. When conflict does arise, you can actually see where it is coming from and anticipate it. The writing for the show was very smart and well done. It tackled plenty of hard topics that don't often get addressed in C-dramas and gives the viewers a realistic view of the world.

I found the acting to be incredible. Since the story takes place over several of years, from college into adulthood, the show had to make a couple of time leaps. Even with this, the actors did so well in portraying different levels of maturity at different points of the characters' lives.

Yes, the show is great, but it isn't perfect. While a lot of the plot makes sense and is realistic, not all plot points do. Even then, the ones that didn't seem realistic are minor and can be overlooked. As mentioned before, there was a time skip at the start of the drama that I found unnecessary and more confusing the first time watching than needed. However, if I were to be rewatching the show, then I would understand why it was written this way.

Overall, I would highly suggest this show for anyone who is a sucker for a classic enemies-to-lovers story with a genuine plot!

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The Power of Friendship, But Make It K-Pop

"Idol: The Coup", a drama that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions depicting the journey of a failed five-member girl group that is about to reach the end of their seven-year contract with their label.

This drama is centered around the failed girl group Cotton Candy: Stella, Elle, Chae A, Hyun Ji, and their leader Jenna. After debuting as StarPeace's first talent, they failed to become popular and were thus tossed to the side as the label continued to debut other groups in hopes of profit. Almost seven years pass and they are nearing the end of the contract with one question in mind: should they disband? We follow the girls on their highs and lows, interpersonal struggles, and battles with the general public as they work towards their dreams in the public eye.

The story itself is a journey, with all its twists and turns. In my opinion, this show can be split into three specific acts. The first act does an incredible job of depicting and laying the foundations of where the girls are at this point in their lives. You get a first-hand experience of what it's like to be a forgotten K-pop idol just trying to make ends meet. The second act is a bit messier when it comes to the plot. Storylines get drawn out, unnecessary drama is sprinkled all over the place, and it just feels like soap opera at points. However, once you get past that point in the show, you get to my favorite portion of the drama. The writing feels more cohesive, conflicts finally reach a resolution, and all of the characters get their own moments to shine. While at times the ending might feel rushed, the team behind this show did a great job of making the story feel complete at the end of the day. And while watching the show, if you ever feel like things are being rushed, sit back and think to yourself, is there a reason why things should be drawn out?

The music in the show is great. You can find a lot of the full versions of the songs on Spotify, which I appreciate.

If you do consider watching this drama, do try to watch it till the end. Only then can you get the full perspective of what the show is about.

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Sweet and Concise Story of Opposites Attract

(this is mostly spoiler free, but I notated the spoiler down below)

If I were to describe how I feel about this show, I would say this was heartwarming and simple. They delivered a sweet and concise love story between two seemingly opposite people that fit each other perfectly.

The plot is simple: Zhao Jiang Yue is our typical girl boss that doesn't understand love, yet is in charge of developing an app that teaches users about love (ironic, isn't it?). Gu Jia Xin is the heir of the company who has no intentions of inheriting the business and just wants to be a professional motorcycle racer. And as usual, Gu Jia Xin's mother, aka the CEO, wants him to take over the company after she retires and asks Zhao Jiang Yue to train him as her assistant. You got all of your typical tropes: older woman with a younger man, office romance, workaholic falling in love with a free spirit, etc. You also got your side pairings and love rivals. I must admit that I didn't quite love the side pairings, both of which don't feel like healthy and sustainable relationships. The main pairing though, they are a good example of a healthy relationship (to some degree, still not perfect).

What the show did really well was its consistency. The characters remain true to themselves throughout the show, with none of that silly change in personality once they fall in love. When conflict arises, they make a realistic and believable attempt to resolve it. When plot points and backstory is introduced throughout the show, they make sense with what we already know to be true and remain in the plot.

(*START of SPOILER*) My main issue with the show is how they handle the topic of marriage/divorce. While the relationships are well-paced in general, all of the characters suddenly are in a rush to get married by the last few episodes. It sort of ruins the last parts of the show but not entirely. Maybe it is just my beliefs on marriage, but the idea of rushing into marriage and leaving the whole "get to really know all sides of your partner" until you are already married seems like a failed marriage in the making. Is that just me? (*END of SPOILER*)

Overall, this is a good show if you are craving a wholesome and simple love story. <3

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A Fun Show, Just Don't Take It Too Seriously

This was my first mini-series, and honestly, it wasn't that bad.

Here's how the story goes: Qi Qi [played by Liu Xie Ning] is a manga character who has played many villainess roles throughout the years. However, when she enters the world of the manga "Night of Love With You", she accidentally ends up in the role of the female lead Luo Qing rather than the villainess and still has her own conscious, meaning she could act upon her own will. And when the male lead is out of the picture, she makes the most of what she has and tries to get the story back on track in order to reset everything and get back into the villainess role.

The plot of the show seems straight out of a webtoon, so much so that I'm surprised it wasn't an adaptation of anything. The story itself isn't mindblowing nor was it unique, but there is something about it that makes it special.

It's pretty obvious that the show had a relatively low budget. Sets/locations are reused, the OST consisted of maybe 3 songs in total, the editing was lackluster at points, the acting was subpar, etc. There were definitely scenes that would have benefited from just having the cast film another take.

However, even with its limitations, the show made the most of what it had. The story itself was interesting and kept our attention. They knew when to slow down the plot and when to amp up the conflict. Since each episode was only 9-15 minutes long, they knew what scenes were important to include for the overall story to make sense. Yes, there were some inconsistencies and hand-wavy things, but as a whole, it was a fun watch.

Don't take the show too seriously and enjoy it for what it is.

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This is the best movie adaptation I could have asked for as someone who loved the manga.

This story perfectly captures what it feels like to first fall in love with all its highs and lows. The beginning premise can easily be summarized as "country girl moves to the big city and falls in love with her teacher". However, that's just the beginning. The story is about this teenage girl learning what love is. The movie is about her journey in falling in love, not specifically a love story about how a pairing gets together.

I read the manga about a year ago, so my memory of the details is a bit blurry. As far as I remember, this adaptation does a great job of retelling the original story in the form of a movie. Although some scenes and subplots had to be removed due to the runtime of the film, it really does well in capturing the essence of the story.

The casting for the film was spectacular! Each of the actors brought life to the original characters, making it feel as though they were always meant to play them. Especially Nagano Mei who played the main character Yosano Suzume. From her appearance to her acting, she was perfect for the role. Suzume is a very quirky and selfless character. She could have very easily come off as awkward or as an airhead if done poorly, but that's not the case here. She felt real and genuine, as if she jumped right out of the manga and came to life.

If you've read the manga, then consider this a live-action summary of Suzume's story.

If you haven't read the manga, consider this a cute coming-of-age story. And if you enjoyed the movie, I highly recommend reading the manga for a more fleshed out version of the story.

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A Drama Designed to Keep You Guessing

This show knows how to keep the audience guessing and on the edge of their seats with the storytelling and production style. I would highly recommend this to anyone who's interested in a good murder mystery story.

We follow the story of a third-rate lawyer Park Chang Ho who has been known for his low success rate in the courtroom. Mayor Choi Do Ha hires him to play the role of the double agent: an incompetent lawyer who'll follow the orders of three suspected murderers in order to win their case, while secretly trying to find concrete evidence of their crimes. However, Park Chang Ho is suddenly framed as the notorious crime leader Big Mouse and is sent to prison. Outside the prison walls, his wife Go Mi Ho who works as a nurse tries to uncover the truth behind the case her husband was looking into prior to his sentence and works towards proving his innocence.

Overall, the story was captivating and filled with twists and turns. Of course, it wasn't perfect. Some plot points feel like they fell through, not coming to any conclusion and left feeling like a red herring in the grand scheme of things. As other reviews have mentioned, the last 10 minutes of the show can really be a hit-or-miss ending depending on the viewer. For me, I didn't mind it and found it interesting. I do understand why it may ruin the overall show for some and believe that it could have been resolved by having one more episode to better wrap things up, but again, I didn't mind how it is now.

The team behind the show did great at constructing the plot twists, however, it did feel like some of the actors would have a complete 180-degree change in character as the story reveals their true natures. I can only describe it as the actors only being told their full backstories/natures the day of the scene (which I hope isn't true, but that's how abrupt it felt for me).

All things considered, I still loved the show, its flaws and all. Rewatching some of the first few episodes after completing the drama opens my eyes to all of the tiny foreshadowing hidden at the start, making me appreciate the writing even more.

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Fun and Enjoyable Show that Tried Too Hard

I think the biggest downfall of this drama was that it tried too hard to be a lot of things that it just wasn't. That being said, it was still a fun, good show in your downtime. If you just take it at face value, then I think it's very easy to fall in love with this drama.

In terms of the story, we follow Rembrary, a being from another world who is known for his divine powers and ability to heal, on his quest to defeat The Evil One. In the midst of their final battle, the two of them were transported to our reality. Now, Rembrary is stuck in the body of a K-Pop idol Woo Yeon Woo, a member of the washed-up K-Pop boy group Wild Animals. While trying to figure out a way to return back to his world, he meets Kim Dal, Woo Yeon Woo's biggest fan. The show follows the two of them as they try to defeat The Evil One and save the world.

Essentially, this show tries to mirror some of the popular tropes in webtoons while also trying to mix in some popular K-drama tropes as well. This is where the show can be really hit-or-miss for people. "The Heavenly Idol" tries to mix in all sorts of concepts that may seem inconsistent or all over the place. It juggles heavy concepts like mental health and religion but also tries to be lighthearted and comedic. It tries to deliver a deep and well-thought-out story, but at the end of the day, there was too much going on that none of it really stuck.

However, I still believe that it wasn't a bad show. The messages on mental health are good messages, things that many dramas stray from talking about. They delivered backstories and motivations for all of the characters and gave a reasonably realistic depiction of life as a failing K-Pop idol. The characters all had their moments to shine. If you just watched the show and follow along with its plot, not trying to critique its every flaw and plot hole, then you can see the charm of it.

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