Formulaic Love Story that Falls Flat

This floated up to the top in the Netflix global rankings so it got my interest, I also have seen the ML in Red Sleeve which he exceled in his role. If you want a light romance comedy that pretty much sticks to the typical tried and true KDrama formula of rich handsome chaebol and commoner but special girl who catches chaebol's attention, then this is it. Nothing about it stood out for me, it was just tried and true recycled themes assembled together in a new KDrama.

The ML is a rich chaebol heir who has a weird competitive relationship with his step mother and he hates fake smiles. Typical cold inaccessible chaebol KDrama male lead. The FL is innocent doe eyed multi-talented girl next door who gets hand picked for her job as a gym equipment butt sweat cleaner until she gets promoted to the hotel desk lobby and eventually by the side of Mr. Rich Hotel Chaebol. Their initial meeting is full of misunderstandings and for some reason she is sooooo NICE to everyone except him who she mixes up as a Pervert. The FL's personality not the actress herself isn't too interesting, she's just Nice.

I started to get bored by the fourth episode, they need to add some color and complexity to the characters and to the story line. Perhaps it might get better but don't think I will continue with this and will sit this out for later episodes.

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Not All Demons are the Same

So far this has been a captivating drama and I recommend it if you want something different from the run of the mill dramas. The cinematography and production is excellent, it feels like you are watching a big budget movie even though its a drama series. It is DIFFERENT and breaks from any box that I tried to initially put it in. The female lead characters are not the cutesy ditsy ones you typically see in Xianxia fantasy dramas. It has an eye catching young cast who are doing well with the character portrayal that has some grown up themes. They each carry the weight of the character's burden of loss and regrets. You feel like you are watching something that is digging deeper emotionally where the characters are forced to look within to grow in their journey together. There isn't much romance so far although it is alluding to it with the demon ML and the goddess FL. It focuses on the fantasy mystery of a group of individuals who are as diverse from each other as they can be who have conflicting goals and a camaraderie that develops with the life and death situations as they fight demons and unravel the mysteries in the demon and mortal worlds. The one thing that I am kind of meh on is the comedy they try to inject in, sometimes its a bit jarring when they switch from a moment where it seems serious to one where its supposed to be funny.

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Intriguing Reincarnation Storyline So Far.....

Let's be real, the reincarnation with the enmeshment of the historical past and modern present day of the lead characters is not new and seems to be a popular theme in KDramas and CDramas lately. I still find those storylines intriguing and this underrated drama seems to be doing a good job in ensnaring you in the first episode. I find the FL to be good for her role as a tough firefighter with a heart of gold. The ML is good looking but his narcissistic character as the modern day actor is pretty annoying which was the intention of the story,. I'm hopeful he will be less of a self centered character with his transition.

With reincarnation dramas, the ML and the FL's lives and destinies are intertwined, the question is will the deep resentments continue? It's a love hate relationship they had in their previous lives in the Goryeo period?? and will the story makers pull off a compelling doomed love story of revenge that bounces between the past and present?

I don't know what will unfold since its just four episodes in so I may update the rating as I watch future episodes but they have done a decent job so far in keeping the viewers hooked. It's not a perfect drama but it seems to be underrated, worth giving it a chance.

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Cute and Unconventional in Some Ways

I decided on the whim to watch this, I was not sure especially after looking at the Kdrama cutesy pink poster if it will end up being too childish. It is a light romantic comedy but I like some of the unconventional direction it has taken so far. It looks like the ML was picked for the mobster role cause well he kinda looks like one, his look is unique and not idol like by far. Doesn't mean he isn't good looking in his own way, he certainly fits the part of what you would think of as a villain bad guy mobster. Even the way he speaks, its like the Korean version of the Marlon Brando of Godfather! LOL! At times its raspy and with a slight menacing tone to it. He is in contrast to the cutesy bubble gum FL who is the typical cherry and kind hearted character in these romantic comedies. He was a former mafia boss who went to jail and is trying to reform by doing legit stuff like running a food company while she's a struggling social influencer/marketer with children. Somehow, through a series of fated encounters they end up meeting each other. While it is light and bubbly and not meant to be realistic, it does gently probe our stereotypes of criminals and mobsters, do our preconceived notions of them mean they are far from ever being reformative much less a romantic lead to a FL who is completely opposite of him? There are some plot holes and would have like to see the romance build up more slowly at least on the ML's part. The ML doesn't seem to carry the inner darkness that we typically see in mobster criminal types but this is a comedy and it is refreshing they are flipping it around with a ML who is anything but conventional.

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With a sword, that boy cuts the rope, dividing this world from the next.

Came across this on Netflix and saw the trailer, it seemed intriguing and glad I got around to seeing the prequel to this popular manga series. I'll keep this review short since this is a well known series. As a warning, it is bloody and ultra violent at times but there were no annoying explicit sex scenes, thank goodness for that.

This was a fascinating watch about an assassin who was used as a part of a revolution to destroy the Shogunate. This drama had beautiful cinematography, historical settings, and costumes. The prequel storyline isn't complicated and had tight plotting so it was easy to follow even for people who are new or not familiar with the franchise. While it has its fair share of blood and a bit of gore, the sword fight scenes were choregraphed very well and there were some scenes were it was almost elegant despite the blood shed. I originally intended to watch this for the action and sword fighting but was rewarded with a lot more. The love story is subtle and stoic. While it is a main part of this prequel arc, it doesn't dominate and allows the other areas of the drama to stand out.

There were some well written scenes with poignant moments such as a philosophical conversation Yukishiro Tomoe has with Himura Kenshin, it questions whether all those murders were worth it for the peace he thinks he is fighting for and the morality he is sacrificing.

Even with the violence and blood shed it was tastefully done and executed.

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Married to a Jerk

This story doesn't start off any crueler, the female lead is surrounded by pathological narcissists whose lack of empathy and self serving nature leaves you sick to your stomach. She's meek, trusting, and tries to persevere despite circumstances placed on her by her husband who is cheating on her with her best friend. Of course to add more fuel to the fire of sadness and tragedy, she has cancer with a poor prognosis. With circumstances related to her continued medical treatment that leads her to find out her best friend's betrayal; it is a catalyst for her reincarnation for a do-over and revenge.

I appreciate its storyline so far and its portrayal of narcissism at its cruelest coupled with the manipulative gaslighting of a spouse and best friend who executes their extreme cruelty on the person closest to them. Unfortunately, reality sometimes isn't too far from fiction. More light needs to be shone on pathological narcissistic partners, friends, family, and coworkers and their mask needs to be revealed.

I hope this drama will continue to give hope to anyone out there that has been abused, belittled, gaslighted, and told they were worthless. The tables can be turned and one can move on before they swiftly give their abusers a kick in the rear end.

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See You No More

We thought this was a serious drama, the trailer looked good and got our interest. This was a disappointment. It's another time travel CDrama where the ML movie star gets plucked from the Republican Era into the modern day to start his romance with the FL and to solve the mystery of his circumstances before he was transported.

There wasn't anything original about this which is fine if it can compensate in other areas. NOPE.

What was disappointing?
- ML wooden go through the motions performance. It's like he shows up for a 9 to 5 job in a cubicle farm while watching the clock. One has to get paid and its a just job right?
- FL she overacts too much. Tone it down a few notches. She's trying too hard to be cute.
- No chemistry between the leads which is important and central to the story? FL initially slobbers over the ML supposedly for his good looks and guess the ladies love his height; wasn't convinced any sparks flew between them.
-Cookie cutter overdone story of time travel
- The mystery part of it falls flat

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This one is a Rotten Tomato

I blame myself for picking this one. GF usually takes the lead on what to watch. Like the dutiful BF, I sit, suffer, and watch with her while taking my potshots on her choices. I saw the review stars on MDL and didn't bother to read the description, reviews, and comments to even figure out what this was about.

Wow, this doesn't get any worse and had to drop this one. I get it, some folks like that six pack the ML constantly flashes to the viewers. The dude is half naked for part of the time, I guess it saves on the costume budget for the drama. The FL is constantly getting beaten up or she's being forcibly grabbed by the ML. It definitely breaks some of the conservatism of mainstream Asian dramas for sure.

One can only take so much with BAD acting, story line, bad plotting, and bad production. I had to sit through this with potshots being thrown my way by the GF before I shut this whole thing down five minutes into the third episode.

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