Woman Empowerment in a Different Way

What happens when a “peanut size” (his words, not mine) woman with super strength tries to save the world? You get a historic drama that challenges the conventional roles.Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is one such drama. Now, there are many woman empowering series or dramas with strong woman characters. However, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is a little different and here’s why.

In a country like South Korea that has developed so much in no time, gender roles are still much traditional. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon features a woman character physically stronger than her male counterparts. Where most woman are projected as a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued, this one comes as a change of air where the male leads standby and watch things unfold (not always but that’s a start).

Characters

Do Bong Soon has literally become one of my all time favourite characters. She know her priorities straight. Maybe it’s because of her strength that she takes on things and beats up guys without batting an eye. But it’s because she is Bong Soon she never gives up, even when the world calls out her worth and intelligence. Bong Soon stands up against the wrong, stand by her friends, protects her loved ones but also exposes her vulnerable side from time to time. Such a strong character placed inside a tiny woman makes it all the more charming.

An Minhyuk- this guy is a dream. Everything about him is lovable, his righteousness, his fun suave office behaviour, his passionate love, and even his anger and concern for Bong Soon. This drama was definitely the most cutest one, I couldn’t stop smiling whenever I would witness Min Hyuk swooning over Bong Soon. It made me feel all the butterflies in my stomach. Park Hyung Sik admitted to having a crush on Park Bo Young and it so evident in the drama. He wants her to take the main frame and be the main character. What I loved the most is that there are instances where he wants to ‘be the man’ and protect Bong Soon but there are also instances where he ‘man’s up’ and realises her strength.

He respects her family, her decisions, her space, and the fact that she is special. Infact, it is her abilities and her good heart that makes him fall deeper for her.
(What a guy! Do they manufacture them anymore?)

Gook Doo’s character tries to keep a balance between progressive actions and regressive thoughts. A macho man with a lot of pride. Initially, cold with his love interest and later somewhat a Tsundere. He tries to protect Bong Soon like a fragile leaf who possibly can’t take care of herself. His views on her being a ‘tiny little woman’ don’t falter much even after finding out about her strength. His character provides all the conventional elements in the drama. I love the fact that he did not get hung up on his girlfriend seeing someone else considering he had feelings for someone too. And is actually cool about crossing paths with his ex and even protecting her. We find his true strength in setting aside his feelings for Bong Soon and maintaining his friendship with her.

The whole Bong Soon family, Secretary Gong, Head of planning department Oh Dol-ppyeo and Baek Tak gang were great additions to the drama. They complemented the drama well. In fact, the whole cast did great acting.

Plot / Story developments

Now, I also want to talk about something interesting here. This series is one of the few where the guy or his pride isn’t hurt in acknowledging that his woman is stronger than him and can protect him better than himself. Not only does he acknowledge it, he embraces it! Korea still isn’t entirely open on the idea of LGBT but the show has given full blown screen time to bromance between ‘Gook Doo’ and ‘Min Hyuk’. Not only this, they also featured a gay character and his interaction with the rest of characters is both fun and interesting.

The series doesn’t pit woman against each other. Well, not really! I love how Bong Soon’s parents take care of Kyung Shim like she is their own kid, and the lengths Do Bong Soon goes to just to save her friend. She even backs of and subdues her feelings for Gook Doo, because he has a woman. This line of plot had a great message, that it isn’t impossible to get over someone you thought you never could. If you actually shift your eyes around a better door will open.

Moralities

Another important message is via Bong Soon’s will to help out the weak and abused with her power. She makes a faithful following out of the drop out kids who leave their ganster like antics. They actually start cleaning up the neighborhood and try to protect Bong Soon even from Min Hyuk. (How cute!)

My Verdict - Loved nevertheless , hilarious

There’s hardly anything that I don’t like. Maybe (just maybe!) the Bak Tae story development could have reduced screen time especially around the whole turning into a monk thing. But I loved that nevertheless, it was funny. The soundtrack is amazing and so in-sync with the story. Be it the cute song Heartbeat, the beautifully mellow You are my Garden or the fun and upbeat Double Trouble Couple and Pit-a-Pat I love them all. Most of the main tracks are sung from a woman’s perspective which is understandable. Super Power Girl should be declared a girl’s anthem!

Ending

The wedding scene was so good and deserves a special mention. You can easily see how Park Hyung Sik is actually swooning over Park Bo Young. I loved the fact that they end up with two girls, who have Bong Soon’s super strength. (Ah! Poor Min Hyuk!) Not only would I say, get a guy like Ahn Hye Min who looks at you and treats you the way he treats Do Bong Song. I would also say get a girl like Do Bong Song who would love you with all her heart and protect you from any danger. (Don’t mind the tiny injuries) All in all, it was an amazing one-of-a-kind drama that I have actively watched more than once or twice. (And that doesn’t happen often!)

Why watch it?

- If you are a Park Bo Young, Park Hyung Sik or Kim Jisoo fan
- If you like woman centric Kdramas
- If you are into rom-coms
- If you are into action and thriller
- Amazing storyline and ensemble cast
- Great OST
- If you like ageyo, cute couple type dramas

One of the drama that I give the highest rating and my favourite drama too !

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All about the complications and senses !

Finally, I just finished 19 episodes of my long awaiting drama. The reason for my waiting is Prang Kannarun Wongkajornklai (FL). I am her fan (because she is beautiful)…

My reviews are:

1.Sins to be beautiful…hahahah…I pitied our FL because she was being used because she is pretty. Then, has a chaos life because of 2 over the top suitors. And of course, from my jealously for their flawless skins (+ the magnificient camera use), good body figure and their faces..Finally, I swear that their skins are flawless.

2. Fashions…..I gave applaud to all the costume director/stylist/make up artist or everyone for beautiful design, clothes and accessories in this drama. The clothes selected for every characters are amazingly good and beautiful. I think all the fashion selected are the main trend in Thailand. Even, the poor characters get a beautiful clothes.

3. Mai Warit Sirisantana…..This guy is underrated. I never realized that he has sweet smile and he is never around my radar. He always in lakorn drama and I really don’t like this genre. However, Warit as Khun Dit make me fall in love with his beautiful smile. The character suit him and he is good. Hopefully, he can act in drama which can display his sweet smile..+ our FL,Prang which is beautiful like a goddess. But, being pretty cannot cover her some awkward act in this drama..However, her act is okay for me…

4. Bloodline inheritance war…This is a common genre in dramaland. On this contrary for this drama, only 1 greedy aunt make all the drama. Anyway, this war always end bad.

5. High class Match Making Program….This is a new topic that I found so illogical to know. A plan to produced a perfect wife for rich man with BIG payment. It feel like another class of prostitution for me. Even so, this is a new ‘trash’ knowledge for me that never been found in others drama.

SECOND LEAD SYNDROME

Too many characters to cheer in this drama..Ted, Khun Nam and Khun Dit are the top tier. Sometimes, I cheer for Khun Nam, then I love our Khun Dit and sometimes I wish Ted is straight. However, Khun Dit with His smile and kindness captured my heart and there is another episode without SLS for me.

ABOUT THE DRAMA

Used my 48 hours to finish this drama are worthy enough. So, I give 9/10 to this beautiful drama even the drama becoming a little bit drag in 2/3 last episodes. Everything are amazing directed, good writing + script and there are twists everywhere in this drama.

This drama full with sweetness, a brave FL then a kind ML, good friends and family etc. It 80 % different from others drama. Revenge but there is no revenge, lakorn but the is not slap-kiss-rape scene, kind Second Lead hero, new ‘trash’ knowledges for society and others. I feels good when watch this drama even with typical genre in dramaland.

The actors are amazing. Every each of the characters created well by the writer. In the nutshell, this drama is good. I will rewatch again from ep 1 until 19 because it is good…

However, there are some ridiculous scene in this drama:

Clothes for secretary- I never knew that a secretary can wear fancy clothes like our FL..
2 executives in 1 room- Parents of ML always had scene in office together but only the father has a table.
Money exchange-The transaction of money always involve millions..2 millions, 5 millions, 10 millions.
Background music- Every second per frame + loud enough to make my heart and brain sync together with them.
etc…..

But, there are my wishes for this drama:

Where is the FL’s baby bump?
At the end, Ted is straight which he and Ann is together.
or Khun Nam with Ann
What is FL’s dad function in this drama?


Hahahahahah..Whatever it is, the drama is love. Good Luck!

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A Very Different Rom-Com

Frankly speaking, I really don’t know what to make out of Intense Love after watching the whole drama. It doesn’t resonate with me in the beginning but it gets better as the drama progresses. I got used to the way it was being projected to the viewers. Hence, I could finish watching all the 24 episodes. I think this rom-com is very different from the usual fare and that is why I would term it as a love it or hate it drama. It is either you can accept the unique way the characters and story have been projected or you would find it absolutely cheesy and cringey.

Why This Rom-Com Is Unique
Intense Love is a pure escapism type of rom-com to me. It is not grounded in reality and doesn’t even try to be. The main characters are unreal. Dr. Zhou is already a senior doctor and professor at less than 30 years old. Jin Bei is an actress who tries to seduce Dr. Zhou by being cutesy and intimate. Some viewers would definitely find her acts over the top and they are because nobody would behave that way in real life!

Even in Love The Way You Are whereby the female lead has a disease that is out of this world, the rest of the story is very much anchored in reality. But in Intense Love, they have let the female character to be as outrageously beguiling as possible and the romance to be incredibly perfect. Thus, the rom-com is unique because it doesn’t aim to relate it to real life one bit but to give you an avenue to escape to fantasyland and dream of perfect love.

Acting And Chemistry
What pulls me in when I look at Ryan Ding’s acting is his eyes. They are expressive and conveys the emotions he wants viewers to see. With Dr. Zhou being a cold and rational character, Ryan Ding doesn’t have the luxury of using much facial expressions and body movements to convey his feelings and love for Jin Bei. Instead, we will be left heady with all the looks and stares that he gives the female lead. Zhang Yu Xi also has very beautiful eyes and a pretty face which are exploited to the full in the close-ups during the intimate scenes. Her acting is a little exaggerated at times but I would blame it more on the character that she has to play than her acting ability.

Overall, I think there is good chemistry between the 2 leads and they do look good together. There is no awkwardness in the kissing scenes although you can’t expect them to be as steamy as those found in K-dramas either. Kissing scenes that are considered mild by Western standards do get censored in C-dramas as can be noticed in series such as Love Of Thousand Years and Here To Heart. Generally, the intimate scenes in Intense Love look natural which is important to give the right feel in a romance drama.

The second couple is also cute to watch although I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect pairing. Somehow, Yuan Song reminds me of a similar character which is also portrayed by the same actor in The Love Equations.

My Verdict – Watch It For The Fluff
My recommendation to watch Intense Love comes with a big warning sign – not everyone will be able to stand it! If you are looking for something that has a great plot, then you should definitely give this a miss. This rom-com is just about 2 people falling in love and then dating with minor misunderstandings thrown in to make up 24 episodes. There is little angst and negative emotions in the main couple’s love story. There is no break up to protect the girl kind of cliche which is found in Girlfriend. It is merely an overload of fluff and sweetness which is akin to Love 020. Hence, if you like Love 020, then Intense Love might well be your cup of tea.

Don’t Overthink
The story is simple. The female character is unreal. The whole setting is superficial. So, if you want to watch it, you have to do it without thinking too much. It is pure drama-land to help you escape from the realities of life. It is littered with cuddles and a satisfactory amount of kisses although I think The Love By Hypnotic is still the champion in terms of the number of kisses in a rom-com.

However, it takes a few episodes to get into this drama and that is why I will only give it a 6.5/10 rating for this Intense Love review. It is very tempting to drop this after the first 2 episodes because it does seem over-exaggerated. As I have mentioned, you have to get used to the very different style of presentation of the story compared to the usual rom-coms. My suggestion is to watch 4 to 5 episodes before you decide if you should drop it. If you do, I can’t say that you will miss much either. But if you don’t, you will be treated to an avalanche of sweetness.

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It’s Cheating!

You Are My Destiny is the kind of drama whereby you need to ignore the morals behind the actions of the protagonists or create excuses for their behavior in order to enjoy the story. Basically, the main character cheated on his girlfriend by having a one night stand with another woman he met on a cruise. The woman who slept with him also knows that he has a girlfriend. Granted that the girlfriend stood him up and they were both drunk when they did it. If you can accept this excuse, then well and good. You might go on to enjoy the story. But if not, the story that unfolds could make you hate the guy even more.

In short, Xi Yi is not your typical romantic hero. His behavior in the first half of the drama would not endear him to many. In fact, some may even find him to be a jerk. He got Jia Xin pregnant, forced to marry her, and then kept quiet about the marriage and the fact that he is going to be a father from Anna for a few months. Again, the excuse is he is going to divorce Jia Xin anyway and that such news is better told face-to-face. But then, he also starts to fall for Jia Xin. At some point of the drama, it is as if Xi Yi doesn’t want to give up either woman!

Plot Development (Spoilers Alert!)
Personally, I’m not so judgmental about the morality of the main characters or the lack of it in the story. But as the plot develops and inches towards the last quarter of the drama, it begins to feel lacking in some ways. Xi Yi and Anna seem to be a couple again. But there is no explanation on what makes Xi Yi re-consider his relationship with Anna apart from her refusal to give up. Then, when he meets Jia Xin again, there is a sense of deja vu. He drops Anna in favor of Jia Xin whom he still loves. Xi Yi’s relationship with Anna is never fully explored as she is made to be the evil one for the main characters to appear good overall.

Jia Xin’s brief fling with Dylan is also weird in terms of plot development. It feels to me as if they have to stretch the drama a bit longer by throwing in a fling that doesn’t seem to have any romantic notions to it. You wouldn’t even know that they are dating if you don’t follow their conversations closely. Add in Xi Yi’s online persona, Mr. W, and Jia Xin’s emotions seem like a mess to me since she is falling for a stranger she is messaging with while still feeling attached to Xi Yi. Then, she starts dating Dylan who pretends to be Mr. W when all along she has never had any romantic love for him. All these are happening within the last few episodes.

Hence, I think they should have stuck to a simpler plot as the story moves towards its conclusion rather than making it more convoluted than it should. Adding in more things that fall flat doesn’t contribute anything to the storyline to me especially when it is approaching a happy ending.

My Verdict
If you are looking for a rom-com like Intense Love, You Are My Destiny doesn’t belong to that category. But neither is it so melodramatic like Here To Heart. There are some crying scenes but nothing that will weigh you down heavily. If you want fluff and sweetness as well as enjoy a more natural relationship progression, then you are better off watching Love Designer instead.

For this You Are My Destiny review, I’m prepared to give it only a 6.5/10 rating. You can watch it for the Xing Zhao Lin and Liang Jie pairing as this couple have grown very comfortable with each other after working together in the Eternal Love series. Hence, their on-screen interactions are definitely easy on the eyes and they emit a natural couple vibe, more so than Xing Zhao Lin’s pairing with Bai Lu in Lucky’s First Love to me. You can check out some of their scenes in the above clip for a sampling of their chemistry.

However, to enjoy You Are My Destiny, you really have to be able to get into the plot as I don’t think it will resonate easily with everybody. If you absolutely hate two-timing characters, my recommendation would be to drop it and watch something else! And if you are a Liang Jie fan, you can always check out Mr. Honesty which is a slightly better drama in terms of relationship development to me. To be honest , I really regretted watching this drama

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Worth Watching?

Acting
I cannot comment if Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young managed to carry out their roles well as per the characters in the novel and comic since I have not read them. But they definitely have great chemistry between them as a couple and it shows in the drama. Being a romantic comedy, their expressions are funny at times to fit those light-hearted scenes. They don’t seem overdone and can elicit a laugh from me at the right moments.

For those loving and tender scenes, the love that they want to portray shines through naturally. I can feel it as I watch it as the acting makes it seems very real. A lot of kissing and bed scenes in dramas tend to look forced or stilted but you don’t get that feeling in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. In fact, the kisses may be what everybody is looking forward to watching because they just did them so well that one could feel their love and passion through the screen! I think the only other drama that manages to equal, if not surpass, their chemistry is Her Private Life in recent times.

Storyline
If you are looking for exciting plots and unexpected endings, then this drama is not for you. There is nothing creative or new in the plot construction. It is just a simple fairy tale romance kind of story with a wealthy and handsome boss falling in love with his pretty secretary.

Instead of the plot, what should interest you is the way their relationship develops. It is the courtship process that makes the whole drama incredibly sweet and romantic and this is the main selling point of What’s Wong With Secretary Kim.

My Verdict
For this What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim review, I would say that it is definitely worth watching, especially if you are a romance drama fan. It only has 16 episodes which is just about right for a romantic journey that feels neither too rushed or too dragged out. Not many romantic comedy dramas can pull you along for the ride like this one does. Because the acting is so natural and the love between Young Joon and Mi So feels so real on screen, it will leave you feeling warm with all that sweetness.

So, watch it for the on-screen chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young that will make your heart flutter. Listen to the dialogue too because some of the things that they say to each other during those tender moments will just melt your heart. And of course, the kissing scenes that take the drama to a whole new level. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to miss that!

The Kissing Scenes In WWWSK
Young Joon and Mi So shared quite a few kisses in the drama. But the ones listed below are definitely the hotter and steamier ones. While some may see them as too steamy for prime time dramas, somehow they don’t come across as “dirty” because as the story progresses, you can overwhelmingly feel the love that they have for one another. Hence, the kissing and bed scenes ended up being more about love than just merely physical acts. The intimacy is off the charts and it might even feel as though you are intruding on their private moments while watching those scenes!

These are the episodes with hot kissing scenes in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim:-
The first kiss in Episode 8. This is the scene when Mi So confessed her feelings to Young Joon. It’s a very tender moment for viewers to savor.
The closet kiss in Episode 9. Young Joon was made to hide in the closet when Mi So’s sisters came visiting. He was naturally angry, but the make-up kiss after the sisters left will leave you feeling sweet.
The couch kiss in Episode 12. This kiss happened when Young Joon said to Mi So that he wanted to be honest with his feelings. You can expect an intimate kiss here with deep emotions invested. But be prepared to be disappointed because they got interrupted half-way through by a phone call.
The bed scene in Episode 13. This is the hottest and steamiest scene in the whole drama. Mi So, who has been holding back, decided it’s time to spend the night with Young Joon. I can only say watch this alone and blush all the way through! And don’t forget to check out the morning after in episode 14. The sight of Mi So in Young Joon’s white dress shirt is a sight not to be missed!
There is also a kiss in episode 15 when Young Joon proposed to Mi So and a wedding kiss in episode 16. These scenes have a touch of tenderness to make your heart melt and craving for more!

So, go and watch What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim now and then feel free to come back here to drop your comments about this romantic drama.

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Dropped

I’m not one who likes to start a drama and then drop it when it doesn’t really suit my taste. Most of the time, I try to be fair and watch all the way to the end to give my readers a more comprehensive review. The last drama that I dropped was Fake Princess and that was almost a year back. So, I did try hard to continue watching One Boat, One World, but I just have to give up once I reached the middle of Episode 14.

A Poorly Developed Female Character
The screenwriters have written Tian Yue to be a clueless woman who lacks common sense. So, you get the feeling that she is kind of dumb and that makes it hard to root for her. For instance, Ding Kai is kind enough to allow Tian Yue to stay in his apartment temporarily when she has no money to rent her own place. He tells her that she can stay but mustn’t touch his stuff. She then suspects that he could be suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and purposely breaks down a glass wall when he is away because she thinks it could cure him.

Of course, Ding Kai is furious when he gets home. They are not in a relationship and far from it. In fact, the 2 of them have just got to know each other because of work. To purposely break down his wall in his own home when she is just a guest is just kind of stupid. More so when Tian Yue doesn’t understand what it means to respect Ding Kai’s privacy and boundaries.

The same thing happens again in Episode 14 when Tian Yue intrudes into his private matters and relationship with his mother. I’m sure the problem is solved eventually but I have stopped watching because her cluelessness is too much to take. I don’t know whether she will grow to be more mature as the drama progresses but after 14 episodes, I have had enough. Basically, Tian Yue’s character is just very poorly written that it is hard for viewers to relate to her actions.

Casting And Chemistry
I have not got to the stage where the leads begin dating. But from what I have watched, it is hard for me to feel any chemistry for the main couple because of the way the female character is written. It just erases any romantic vibes between them. I also feel that the casting could have been better as Claudia Wang just doesn’t seem to be the ideal candidate for the role of Tian Yue. She is too old for the role as Tian Yue is supposed to be a naive young woman. Hence, Claudia Wang has to act clueless and cute but it just doesn’t suit her age anymore to be playing this kind of character.

Therefore, it is not so much the acting that spoils the drama for me but the character and casting. Perhaps a younger female lead may make the drama more watchable just like in Sunshine Of My Life although the age gap will become more evident then given Zhang Han’s maturity.

One Boat, One World vs Sunshine Of My Life
As both dramas are being aired concurrently, which one should you watch if you have to pick one? Both star Zhang Han as the male lead and I know he does have a legion of fans due to his good looks. For me, Sunshine Of My Life is a much better drama to watch. Yes, it could be a little draggy but at least, the female lead is a talented and independent woman with a high level of maturity in that drama. The chemistry between Lulu Xu and Zhang Han is also more natural and evident.

However, the downside is Sunshine Of My Life is a typical romance drama with a fairy tale-like feel. It is sweet but it also has nothing new to offer. On the other hand, One Boat, One World has a less explored theme revolving around a cruise ship. I guess if you want freshness in your drama, One Boat, One World could offer something different while Sunshine Of My Life sticks to the tried and tested when it comes to a love story. Moreover, Zhang Han plays a domineering CEO yet again in the latter after doing so in Here To Heart and Boss & Me.

My Verdict
I can’t give a score for this One Boat, One World review as I didn’t finish watching it and it wouldn’t be fair to do so when I have only completed about a third of the whole drama. But I can tell you that it is a little different from the usual productions. Different characters are introduced as passengers for different voyages. The leads will then get entangled in their lives and problems due to the nature of their jobs. So, to a certain extent, these cases will need to be interesting in order to carry the drama all the way through. Up to Episode 14, this part of the drama is not exactly boring but it lacks the intensity to make you really hooked. If it did, perhaps I could have overlooked the female character’s weaknesses and carry on watching.

I think One Boat, One World could have been a highly watchable drama with the beautiful sceneries, top cruise liner, and refreshing theme. It is just a pity that the producers have marred it with a badly written female character. I guess you could try watching a few episodes and see if the female lead resonates with you if you are a big Zhang Han or Claudia Wang fan. Otherwise, I would say forget this drama and pick something else to watch instead.

Oh, one last thing before I end my One Boat, One World review. This drama has an element of racism being depicted. It stereotypes Westerners as racist which I think is unnecessary. I know racism happens in real life but the way it is projected in the drama is just overdone. It feels forced rather than being smoothly blended into the story if it is indeed integral to the plot. Overall, One Boat, One World just falls drastically short for an enjoyable watch.

Note - I shouldn't be giving ratings without watching them fully . It's just I'll be never able to post this without giving ratings . So , I'm gonna be just throw some random numbers at the ratng section .

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A strong impact on audience

** Note : I've already watched them 2 or 3 weeks back . But , I'm just writing the review because I was pretty free and suprisingly not having house chores . **

As I finished Squid Game last weekend I saw that it was # 1 on Netflix. On my tiny little island of all places. Just a couple of years ago people scoffed at me when they found out I was watching kdramas. Squid Game is basically just a korean movie that has been extended to 9 episodes and in many ways I think it is a very typical gory and violent story that you often find in Korean movies. Something that has been slowly finding its way into Korean television in recent years, especially with shows produced by Netflix. And it is clear that a lot was put into this series from what it’s visuals, to the choice of actors and the budget etc.

As I said Squid Game was a bit of a typical story from this type of entertainment that you often find in movies from countries like Japan and Korea (like Battle Royal) and for me it was not that original with them and neither did they do something new with this type of narrative. Which may be why there was very little to the story that actually surprised me. even if I really enjoyed watching it. I found it a bit typical and it mainly just reminded me of other such stories that have come before it.

The violence is not for everyone. I can stomach quite a bit of it without it bothering me. I often think the violence in this type of stories goes a little too far but there is a purpose to it in some ways and the story puts a lot of pressure on your endurance as a spectator, because that is the purpose of it. It’s hard for the characters, it should be hard on you. You can hardly look away even if you want to and that is one of the traits of these types of stories. And in that Squid Game is very successful.

The story starts off with a bang, but after that is does take it’s time to find it’s footing but when it manages it toward the middle part the show becomes really binge-able, before taking a slight dip towards the end. The theme of the effects of late stage capitalism and it’s grip on our society and the situation that has created among us is very interesting and the story does a good job underlining that.

Really good amount of suspense going on there and some good character moments in between them, although I thought the story never really took full advantage of it’s characters as it spent more time on other aspects of the story. It was also a little too noticeable to me that this was written by a man based on how some of the characters were written and it bothered me a bit. I think the choice of actors, who are all great, made the character more interesting than they might be.

I felt the ending was a little too empty which slightly made the ride on this roller-coaster of a story slightly less thrilling. It didn’t leave that much behind. I felt I was missing some emotional payoff from the story. I felt like the personal journey was a bit lacking in the end so it didn’t stick the landing. And I didn’t feel like enough questions were answered in the narrative. It was as if the story was relaying little too much getting another series. And I appreciate kdrams for giving me complete stories in one season.

This is a nine-part gory Korean film. It really felt like it was made with that sort of target audience in mind; those who really enjoy this genre of Korean and Japanese films (as this is one of the most popular genres of Asian films in the west, which I sometimes find a bit sad but I also understand the appeal). It’s good gory entertainment and I can see why it is as popular as it is. It’s thrilling, violent and addictive while it’s going on but it didn’t leave me with much in the end except maybe blood and gore.

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Is This The Best 2019 Rom-Com K-Drama?

Many fans would definitely see Her Private Life as the best rom-com for 2019 despite the year being just halfway through. I have to admit that it would be a romantic drama that is hard to beat because of the pairing of Kim Jae Wook and Park Min Young. Basically, you won’t be giving high marks for the plot but you will be swept along by the explosive chemistry between the two leads. Watch the behind-the-scenes (BTS) clips and you will understand why you will miss Her Private Life when it concludes. In fact, some fans find the BTS to be even more romantic than the scenes in the drama itself!

Thanks to the nature of the story, it allows the two characters to express their feelings in a very sweet and tender way. So, together with the off-the-roof chemistry of Kim and Park, the drama will fulfill viewers’ expectations of a very loving couple for a romantic comedy. In this aspect, Her Private Life beats What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim – the tenderness and supportive nature of the two lovers just overwhelms you in the former.

While Ryan and Deok Mi as a couple is very adorable to watch, Her Private Life is also refreshing for its handling of a romantic drama. There are no unnecessary big arguments, jealousies, tantrums or break-ups that are so common in such shows. Instead, it moves along based on how to be an understanding, supportive, and communicative partner. Contrast that to rom-coms such as Put Your Head On My Shoulder and you will see the difference in maturity in the relationship. Park and Kim nailed their roles very well to portray such a matured couple in the drama.

Where It Disappoints (With Spoilers)
The plot pertaining to Ryan’s past is nothing original. In fact, the link to a childhood problem gets kind of old. The last 2 to 3 episodes that suddenly brought up Deok Mi’s brother and her subsequent memory loss are unnecessary to me. I guess they have to throw it in to explain why she did not know that Ryan is the kid from her childhood. Anyway, the background story to their past just isn’t that realistic because Ryan was 7 at that time – old enough to give others clues about his mother and where he lives.

Furthermore, Deok Mi’s private life as a diehard fan of Shi An remains a secret. Shi An was never told who was the owner of Shi An Is My Life fanpage. In fact, he was sad when the page was put on hold as Deok Mi started to get more involved with Ryan and subsequently had to move to New York for a year for work. Thus, the fangirling topic kind of dropped off halfway too when it is supposed to be the theme of the drama. I don’t know why they couldn’t put in a scene to reveal the secret to Shi An because that would be interesting to watch. After all, Deok Mi is his brother’s girlfriend and future sister-in-law.

I also feel that Eun Gi’s sudden romantic interest in Deok Mi is kind of awkward. He has been like a family member since they were brought up together. I guess it is a way to give some competition to Ryan and competing for a girl is almost always part of the plot in a romantic drama.

My Verdict
Yes, Her Private Life is worth watching to me. But don’t put high hopes on the plot. Watch it for the romance and kisses. The chemistry between the two leads will make your heart flutter with sweetness all around. The kisses are not so much about sex or a lead-up to a bed scene but they are more about love, passion, and tenderness of the moment. So, it is easy to get emotionally invested as you watched their romance unfolds.

A word of warning though. I find the first few episodes to be a little cheesy. The fangirling thingy leads to much daydreaming that is over the top. Sit through all that and you will find that it gets better from around episode 4 onwards. The kissing starts from the end of episode 6 and begins to heat up in episode 8 onwards. Also, you can swoon over Ryan Gold as the perfect boyfriend. Happy watching!

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