Since I am still experiencing TKEM withdrawal syndrome, I found myself looking for another historical romance similar to The King: Eternal Monarch. And so I came across this Korean drama and I must say I am not disappointed at all. I easily breezed through each and every episode.

The plot. It is interesting, in fact, very interesting enough how they unfold each mysteries at a time. Not reading any spoilers about this show helps peak up my interest in this drama.

Actors. This is the first time that I have watched a Park Bo Gum drama. I am more of a Lee Min Ho person so I haven’t placed any interest in him up until now. And I ask myself, why now? I have added Park Bo Gum to my list of handsome Korean male leads and I am going to watch another of his dramas after this. The chemistry with his female lead Hong Ra On ( Kim Yoo Jung) here is very evident and I really find her acting very profound and her image is so easy in the eyes that I have began loving her and her acting in this drama. Good casting indeed!

The only downside I see here is I wish that our female lead would be a bit powerful considering what family background she came from. Instead, I see someone who needs a lot of saving. She should have equipped herself with some fighting skills so as not to appear helpless all the time. I was looking for more girl power in the sense. Nevertheless, she has other strengths like her writing prowess and with a good memory, she can be a good strategist in the sense. Good enough to help our King as she stands beside him. After all, behind every king stands people that he trusts and will back him up no matter what.

Sword fight and action scenes. I must say I love the sword fights. Our actors namely Your Highness Crown Prince Hyo, Chief of Rites Kim Yoon Sung and Kim Byung Yeon greatly placed a lot of training and efforts into the fight scenes particularly on how they handle their swords. Simply takes my breath away sometimes.

Although there were scenes that were dull, still this show managed to take us to heightened moments. I like the idealism of the king and what he hoped his ruling of the kingdom might be.

Anyway, I have decided that every time I do a review, I will have to go through my checklist. A have come up with a checklist that every Korean drama has and I must say, Love in the Moonlight almost have it all

- [x] Based on a fairy tale or there is a fairy tale reference ( Little Mermaid)
- [ ] Kissing scenes
- [x] peck on cheeks
- [x] smack or peck on lips
- [ ] forehead
- [ ] 10-15 seconds kisses
- [ ] Hugs or Holding hands
- [x] back hugs
- [ ] usual hugs
- [x] Shopping involved
- [x] Jewelry or giving of jewelry to either male or female and vice versa
- [ ] Marriage at the end
- [ ] Cooking ( apart of course if it is a drama on food or cooking show)
- [ ] Noodles or ramyeon
- [x] Drinking and lots of Soju
- [x] piggy back
- [x] Action scenes. Sword fight or gun fight
- [ ] Product endorsements and presence
- [x] Cheesy lines and dialogues
- [x] Bromance
- [x] Alcohol and jealousy
- [x] Library scene or books involved

“Destiny can never be made nor it can be avoided.” Over-all, this tv series have enough drama, romance and definitely action with its twists and turns. A feel-good series.

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Fate. An unexpected meeting after 25 years of waiting , just staring at your face and wondering if you are ever real. After re-watching the first episode, I just realize the power of their first meeting. Can you imagine how Lee Gon must have felt upon meeting Jae Teul for the first time and the realization that she is in fact a real person. What a way to introduce this show. Not many people realize the impact until you come into terms of this feeling, 25 years of yearning and longing. Destiny.

I have watched quite a few Kdrama since The Heir and Boys over Flowers or even Lovers in Paris but I have never had a kdrama series that not only I but a lot of viewers intensely “ENGAGED” to the point of mastering on the facts and brewing theory after another on whats going to be the next episode. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I have watched this as soon as it was aired. The agony of waiting for another week in order to find out what happens next created the hype and the passion for this show.

Nevertheless, its the comeback show for 2 of our main roles, Lee MinHo and Kim Go Eun not to mention the scriptwriter is no other than KES ( who wrote Goblin and the Heirs as well). She is known for her romantic dialogues, puns and witty lines. Plus the introduction of a parallel world and romance aka long distance relationship in a parallel world is unheard of in the Korean drama realm.

The undeniable chemistry between our FL and ML is another thing that made this show worth to watch and rewatch like 10 times over. Lee Min Ho as Lee Gon, the benevolent king from the Kingdom of Corea and our brave Lieutenant Jeong Tae Eul from the Republic of Korea mastered their craft and manifested in the screen.

As the story unfolds, the team behind this show didn’t fail to give as much spotlight for our other main leads and supporting actors as well. I like that they have their own stories to tell and how they are instrumental and uniquely intertwined with our main lead’s lives.

I love the quick-witted humor in this show and how it is being presented. Not the usual funny and comical antics like the usual rom-com shows I have binge-watched before.

Kim Eun Sook is a genius! A lot of people seemed to give up on this kdrama just because it’s too complicated but it need not be. You just have to watch the whole thing through ... everything will beautifully unfold right then. The realization that their relationship is a bit sad and entails a lot of sacrifice since we are talking about a love eternal in a parallel world but they decided to just embrace their fate and live only for today and love tirelessly until forever ... Every dialogue, every word, every line in this show holds a lot of truth and depth, thus setting the bar so high on how a beautiful love story should be. Definitely a 10 in my book!

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Make Choices Instead of Answers

The best revenge is indifference. So true.
How we react in any given situation reflects our very character. The two to five seconds where we think of a reply to a question or statement to comment is crucial.

I am into the digital media world and project management. Hence, this TV drama is so relatable. Start-Up has this vibe of how it is to work for Google or a similar company. To work for Google or even walk in the building is a dream come true.

Start-up was indeed one hell of a rollercoaster ride to building a dream and doing everything you can to realize that dream. To the point of sacrificing family, loved ones, and heart.

Life lessons.
Everything is a choice. It is really up to you if you stand by that choice or not. How will you know that you made the right choice or not? You will never know unless you fail. For every choice, give it your all and best. For every failure, regret comes after. But in the end, always learn to forgive yourself. Then, move forward. Repeat.

Instead of finding answers, make choices instead. If you can’t make tough decisions, you can’t be a CEO.

Just like in life, you are the CEO of your life. There is no other person who came decisions about your life than yourself. Accept the hard truth. Whatever decision you choose, know that criticism is but expected. As long as you are clear on the why, why are you doing such things? Everything else will follow.

On another note, since this is my review, I am going to voice my choice. Who here is team Good boy? Well, I am! I was frustrated by how long it took for him to realize his feelings. And to do something about them. I guess that is how his character is.

In general, it was good drama. I highly recommend you watch it.

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Does It Really Snow In Spring?

Bae Yong Joon was my first love in Korean Drama. He is the very reason why I started watching Korean drama in the first place when he starred in Winter Sonata. When I read the casting , I didn't realize that it was Son Ye Jin as his partner in this movie so I was intrigued.

I know this drama is old and to think Bae Yong Joon is no longer active on screen but I was intrigued with the story. While watching the movie, I wondered how thick the script must have been and was there ever a script reading to begin with. This movie is all about emotions, betrayal, world-of- the- married kind of story.

When there are no more words to say to each other as a married couple, when there are no more tears to cry and when the heart is tired and when questions like "why" and "where did I go wrong" or why am I not enough" no longer matter...two people decided to console each other in the most intimate way one can express feelings.

April Snow is a powerful story acted by two professional and finest actors. Hats off!

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There is no such thing as a small task

For someone who is considered a foreigner to Korean culture and lifestyle, I have come to realize that baseball, considered as American’s favorite past time, has now become a big part of their lives. As they say in this drama, who in Korea can avoid baseball?

Despite the many terms and jargon on this drama, it is easily relatable and easy to understand. Yes, there might be a challenge in reading through the translation and at the same time concentrating on the analysis part to go with the whole flow of the story, still, Hot Stove League is a very good drama. Deserving of its 19.1% ratings.

I have come to appreciate our male lead Mr. Baek Seung Soo (Namgoong Kim) when he appeared on an award-winning Korean variety show, I Live Alone Episode 323. He had shown the clips where he needs to go to Hawaii to shoot for this drama. Then he had dinner with our supporting male actor Jo Byung Kyoo, who also has his life story of being alone featured on the same variety show. Byung Kyoo plays Han Jae Hee, assistant of the operations manager, Lee Se Young (Park Eun Bin).

This is somehow a refreshing change of genre for me and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Reading the long conversation has its perks as I watch the whole intriguing plans, all those strategizing and for everything to come in full-circle is just so worth your time. I recommend you shifting genres from time to time. I will always be the fangirl of rom-coms and love stories but I also need to hype up my brain once in a while.

I have to applaud the antagonists in this drama. I wonder how some of the characters could stir up vent-up emotions that you wouldn’t know you have all along. They are good actors in that sense. Witness Oh Jung Se (he played Sang Tae in It’s Okay Not To Be Okay) in a different role here, far from his role in IONTO.

POINTS TO PONDER. There are always two sides to a story. One should always listen to both.

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How far could one go for his dreams to come true?

I hope my time becomes yours...one of the catchy lines from this drama. Even the first episode had me reeled-in, big time!
How far could one go for his dreams to come true? Can you sacrifice principles over survival?

Watching this drama brought out the feminist side of me. In this modern-day and age, women still need to work ten times harder than men. I know that society has changed a lot compared to what was. For women, success and competition are always cutthroat, no matter what profession and industry that maybe.

Nevertheless, a woman can sometimes change the world. I have to agree with this statement that even nations rage war over a woman. Man can be fierce at work. But when his woman comes calling, even the toughest guy can turn into mush!

I am proud to be one and will always will.

Keynotes I have learned from this drama.
Mistakes don’t happen by chance.
Reputation and status can be all there is for some. We live in a world where a single post can ruin friendships, relationships, and even companies.
In general, I like how the story came to be and how everything played out. Our male and female leads acting were superb that Yoon He Jae and Jung Geum Ja had me believe as real people instead of their characters/persona in the drama. Joo Ji Joon always throws that funny face! His charm had me bewitched! He is the main reason why I watched this drama in the first place. But then I saw the first episode. Bait and hooked! Three days later, I finished the drama.

The romance in this drama is not the average rom-com. It is more of the adult kind of romance befitting of the more adult viewers.

And while this has the lawyer-prosecutor setting, being lost with all the jargon is common. Hyena, however, all terms were explained and very much straightforward simple. I highly recommend this drama. It is one of the best drama-world moments of 2020.

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Love Endures. Love accepts.

Although Flower of Evil is a thriller-suspense-mystery drama, it is first and foremost a love story for me too.

Hyun Soo, Lee Joon Gi’s character is a husband and a schizophrenic. Finding someone who will love him, made him change and forget the past is something to be contested with if that will happen in real life. The human brain is the largest and most complex organ in the human body and hardest to understand after all, but if you add in the heart, pretty much sums it all up…this is a love story.

Long before this drama aired, Joon Gi, in one of his promotional interviews, emphasized how he is going to portray the role of a husband when he has never been one. It is his first time portraying the character. Of course, he needs to make the romance and intimate moments only a husband and a wife shares realistic enough. I must say, considering how much skin or kisses you can show in a weekday TV drama (considering the censorship), he did a pretty good job!

I was amazed at how our female lead, Cha Ji Won (Moon Chae Won) battled with herself on the drama. She was in a constant battle with her principles. She was torn between her beliefs as a citizen of the law versus a wife.

I cannot imagine knowing someone who isn’t capable of feeling anything. It must be pretty hard on both. Even if this drama falls on the genre of a thriller or suspense mystery, it's a drama that is full of vent up emotions and for someone who isn’t in touch with his emotions but turned out to be the most caring, doting husband and father is a sick twisting reality for me. This drama resonates with me as I was watching it.

If I had to watch this when it was still airing, I would end up getting frustrated waiting for a week for the next episode. Good thing though I let the drama end first before binge-watching!

Thoughts to ponder:
What is the difference between important and precious?

The stuff that you think were important ends up becoming less important as time goes by. But when something is precious to you, it hurts you as time goes by

What is amazing about FOE is that the writers, cast, director, writer, and the whole production team paid much attention to detail. A minor thing or minor detail may appear to be insignificant in the early episodes but turned out to have a significant role in the end.

Downside.
I wish that Do Hae Soo’s character (Jang Hee Jin) should have been stronger. Being an older sister myself, she appears to have a lot of fights within her at the beginning. I guess that change after the fact. I wish that she put up the same fight in the late episodes when confronted with the thing from her past.

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Not Bad As Perceived By Many

Just like maybe a few lot of watchers, I also gave up watching this drama after two episodes. I couldn’t stand the business jargons and I somehow grew tired of hearing it. So I placed this drama on my “watch later list”. I decided to give this drama another try and watched this after all episodes have done airing. I lowered my expectation and didn’t watch or read on spoilers.

Not bad as perceived. Not the worst drama in my checklist. This drama was an easy watch and in fact, I binged watch this drama. I even could stand the FL’s acting amidst negative reactions from watchers. The planning was great I mean I couldn’t even predict Han Taeoh’s next course of action. Even with his unfortunate circumstance in the middle episodes, I thought was part of the plan. I was wrong! So somehow I was entertained in the end.

Ending. So, Korean dramas have their share of substandard endings. Fortunately, this drama didn’t fall under that category. I think they wrapped this up in the best way they could. Although the ending was a bit too slow for me or like they could have done a better job at keeping us on our toes and in keeping the excitement of a bitter-sweet ending.

Would I recommend this drama? Yes for fans of Lee Jae Wook and if you are a fan of stories and vibe like Reborn Rich.

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Adamas
An object made of adamant -- the most rigid steel or iron. Anything which is inflexible, firm, or lasting. (figuratively, of one's character)
In Greek mythology, Adamas was a Phrygian participant during the Trojan War.

I have been watching Korean dramas for quite some time now and as always, the ending makes or breaks the whole drama story. Adamas didn't escape this trend. It was promising at the very beginning and stars prominent actors like Ji Sung (Devil Judge) and Seo Ji Hye (Dinner Mate, Crash Landing). This drama has its own highs and lows so I didn't rate this with the highest stars I can give.

But if you are into mysteries, problem-solving, and action and are prepared to give 16 hours of your precious time, then go ahead and watch this drama.

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The Intricacy of Beyond Evil

I have been watching crime thriller dramas non-stop for quite a while now. But nothing prepared me for the intricacy that Beyond Evil brings. Unlike some dramas that the villain is a bit predictable from the get-go, I have a tough time deciphering the characters of our protagonists-male leads-villain in this drama.

If you are going to embark on this 16-episode journey, prepare to read through a lot of the subtitles and, listen to a lot of narration from our “subs” or suspects. But as the drama reached its conclusion, you will have this sense of fulfillment and accomplishment to finally see the drama come in a full circle.

Not a bad watch. Thanks, jTBC! And kudos to our actors as well.

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Have you met Kim Woo Bin and his abs?

"Kim Woo Bin is mine too. Stop hitting on her! Or else, you are going to have your next meal in your next life!" These are a few lines in the drama that had me chuckled while watching it. And yes, although this drama is more in the heavy melodrama genre, it has its share of witty and funny lines.

Everyone here is indecisive. One lesson of this drama is everyone has the right to change their mind over and over since it is your life. One is responsible for every choice, every decision, and every moment. If other actors other than Kim Woo Bin portrayed the role of Shin Joon Yeon I wouldn’t think that what his character stands and what he is about wouldn’t be successfully portrayed across. For a man suddenly confronted with the hard truth that his life is ending at a very young age is hard enough to fathom.

Downside. I don’t like the way how he spent his last 3-4 months living his life. I mean, I understand where he is coming from but to go through all that plan just for the truth to come out? I just wish the story would have shown more romantic moments with No Eul and how they could create great memories before his condition worsens.

But then again, after years of debating with myself whether to watch it not, I finally did. And all because of Kim Woo Bin. I hope I can see him again on my screen in a new drama.

On a side note, what's up with the 100th day together fad? I even heard it from the Running Man members. Is it a thing back in 2016? Or is it only the Kim Woo Bin style?

I have a lot of years to prepare my heart for this drama. Based on reviews, this is a melodrama that could make you cry buckets. And so I did.

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When It’s Fate..its Fate

Part 1 of "My Dearest" was undeniably a masterpiece, setting a high standard that Part 2 had to live up to. While I was glad to see the continuation, my expectations were naturally elevated.

Throughout the episodes of Part 2, I remained optimistic. Despite any shortcomings in the storyline, witnessing the journey of our main characters, the ML and FL, reminded me to cherish the moments of joy they shared. It's a valuable lesson—to focus on the positives amidst the challenges.

Admittedly, there were moments in the drama that seemed far-fetched, where our leads couldn't catch a break. However, I choose to interpret it as the writer's portrayal of fate prevailing against all odds.

Namkoong Min's exceptional acting, worthy of the Baeksang Award, undoubtedly salvaged some of the shortcomings of Part 2. While some may dismiss this drama as a waste of time, it still had its fair share of heart-fluttering moments and comedic scenes, making it a worthwhile watch in my eyes.

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Life Lessons in a Drama

"Some moments shake our lives entirely, even then we must get through today. So we won’t regret the coming future and this moment." This is a line in the drama that makes a lot of sense to me these days.

This drama was a breeze for me. I am not sure what it is with prosecutor-lawyer-court drama that somehow gets to me and it is one genre that I truly enjoy. Since the ML from this drama is from My Mister is the very reason why I didn't hesitate to watch.
Is this truly how it is in South Korea? I wonder what's the average budget for an office worker on food alone. As I watched how they get to enjoy every meal from different restaurants or takeout meals...or how they unwind over booze..soju...and karaoke...Korean culture is at its best.

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Basked in the Awesomeness of a Piano Concerto

I watched this drama because of our "Stranger" ML Cho Seung Woo. I wasn't prepared for the trot and piano association of the drama but for me, this was an easy watch.

I admire the friendship of our three musketeers. I couldn't help but smile, laugh, and I have to fight that desperate urge of wanting to join their squad! especially when they are out there camping.

So expect to be touched and to feel good about living . Expect to cry, and be angry at the same time. And most of all, expect to be entertained. And that's Divorce Attorney Shin ladies and gentlemen!

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12 Different Vibes 7 Different Regions of South Korea

This show has ended and it is only now that I get to watch the last two episodes. This was a different camping show unlike the 2 days 1 night or Journey to the west shows. This started when the pandemic has broken our desire to travel and see the world. But thanks to this unique concept of a show that our feeling and our wanting of traveling have revived. I felt that I was one of the girls setting up the tent, planning my costume, preparing and cooking the food, playing games, and just sharing experiences, tears, and laughter with the members and guests.
This is a feel-good show. Hands up to Chief Park and the rest of the members and staff.

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