I wasted my time so badly!

my feelings after watching this are frustration and exhaustion.
I just don't understand the 8.4 score on the MDL community. the story was so good in the beginning and ended up so badly that it hurts. the characters make bad decisions after bad decisions, I mean, who is that stupid? how can someone loose a dangerous artifact countless times and what kind of shaman lock down the wrong spirit? it's like the writer didn't know how to create a smart story with smart moves, so he/she described stupid people constantly making up for their mistakes. watching the last 4 episode was just so painful. I don't recommend.

when watch this? never. don't begin it because you will be searching for the high quality of the beginning and will end up watching all the show in an angry state of mind.

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being a chaebol isn't a piece of cake

Baek Hyun Woo, a "normal" guy, is the pride of the village of Yongduri, and the legal director of the conglomerate Queens Group. Chaebol heiress Hong Hae In is the “queen” of Queens Group’s department stores. They 2 married together due to an intertwined fate. We'll get to know how things change between them while they go trough the hardship of life. Why they love each other, why they hate each other and how they reconcile. This is also the story of a chaebol's family which face scammers who want to steal everything from them, and how they defend themselves.

the prior thing I really like about this drama is that it puts you in the position to rethink the way you analyzed the situation earlier. the same scenes viewed from someone else's perspective and everything shifts. I like this because life is so often like that. that's the closest it can be for me to a real story. We always end up seeing "abusive" RICH mothers who throw water and then a big envelope to the head of the shameless girlfriend of their son. This drama explain fully why these scenes are understandable.

this drama is the first for me where the description of a chaebol's life isn't romanced. the description of the chaebol's family too. and the way everything is described is damned logical and full of sens. you'll be hearing unforgettable sentences like "if someone leaves you don't bid him farewell, stab him in the back." (this definitely will stay in my mind....) and the way the story will unfold before your eyes will definitely explain why they all think this way. yes, a chaebol's family is a scary thing to encounter.

there is a lot of twist in this story, and I don't want to spoil your pleasure, so I'll just say this: the game will change at least 3 times, so if you don't really like the story be patient at least until the half of it. I want to share one scene I loved the most: the 2 families meet together while the children are mad at each other, and they are confused as if they are on the same team or not despite the circumstances, and one of them has this precious answer: we are like north and south korea. we are on the same team in the Olympics even though we fight against each other. we are together if we face the same enemy.

the chemistry between the leads is so good, and they are cute together. the writer made a very good job with cute scenes and touching dialogues. on each episode there is a 1 minute epilogue after the ending ost, don't miss it, it's very important to understand the characters.

what I didn't like:
there is some non sens (like taking a plane to the US with a real gold buddha 30cm high and holding it with one hand.... yeah).
there was no head lines about the narcissism of the villain. I'd really appreciate that writers fully explain the mental illness of the villains.
we also didn't get to know how everything began: it began with the mother of the villain, but we don't know what happened. how did she meet the family and why did she target that family among all.
the last episode was disappointing. the writer should have focused on the way to wrap things nicely, but he pushed the leads in an other complicated situation, so the last episode isn't as comforting as it's used to be.

that's a very good show though and I definitely recommend it.
when to watch: after work if you need to focus on someone else's problems.
audience: there is too much violence for under 15 people.
have fun!

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a missed target

a young woman return to her parental village after a professional issue. there she manage to de-tangle all the relationships she had when she was young.

that's a difficult review. the drama had everything in the beginning, but for one reason or an other I kept lowering the ranking till 5/10. I love the actors, the 2 ML are one of my favorites. the casting is ok, the acting too, the story is fine too, some people had hard time with the slow pace but I didn't. it's very slow though, for you to know. I think that my biggest issue is the disappointing ending. actually not only in the end, but all the time, everything is half-done. and I really can't stand that. you love someone or you don't, you apologize or you don't, you forgive or you don't, you stop a relationship or you don't. but in this drama, everybody seems to live half-way. and that's very frustrating for me. so I didn't like it and ended up disappointed. romanticism or poetry don't cover the cowardliness of the characters.

when to watch? if you like lukewarm situations, be my guest.

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disappointing

what a disappointing ending!
the story was very unique, and I had a lot of expectations! it could have been sooo good! but the writer buried himself in day to day details. he also dragged on pointless aspects of the whole picture.
I really disliked the way they reconnected together in the end. I also disliked the way they handled the unfaithful aspect of the story. so many things should have been done or said, so many shouldn't have! very shameful!
this should have been cut at least at episode 14, and sooner if it had been written in better way. so, here is the disappointment...

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must watch

stumbled upon 2 trailers on youtube. searched for the real thing and saw the scary "70 episodes lasting 45min". thought for myself "no, won't do it".... then was enable to forget the trailers. decided to give it a try and drop it if the first couple wasn't appealing. watched one, then 2, then 5 in a row. and thought for myself "I am so happy there is 65 more left!"

it's just so catching! I watched all 70 episodes in 9 days. slept very late twice doing so. really, be careful and strongly plan your viewing schedule. otherwise it will mess with your sleeping time.

it's just an other palace story, with intrigues and bad guys. the main character is very unique though. I was a little disappointed with the 2 last episodes, but nothing really bad. the journey was enchanting because the character development is so well done! really a must watch.

when to watch? there is some violence and the relationships between the characters are very complex. it is still suitable for teenagers over 15. the complexity of the story can lead to very interesting conversations with relatives and friends. so watch with them!

(spoilers in my comment bellow, come and let's talk about it after you watch)

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don't watch this... unless you have no choice.

I love the 2 leading characters, and the acting was ok. their relationship is as predictable as you could imagine in real life. the second leads stories are just bland. actually, everything is so normal that I just wonder why in the first place somebody needed to shoot that movie, and why somebody could like watching it. if I had to summarize, I would call it "melancholia", and conclude by "what a waste of time!"
there is 1 situation in which watching this could be nice: if you are sad/depressed (whatever the reason), and feel like crying out would help, be my guest!
****************************************
a few months later: I didn't know the personal story behind this drama. I am not saying this was made on purpose, but you'll agree that the timing is odd: Song Hye Kyo, the actress playing the main female lead, was divorcing at the time of the shooting. she met her ex-husband (yoo shi jin) on the shooting of "descendant of the sun" (2016). they married the next year and divorced 2 years later (2017-2019). so, when she chose this drama, she was divorcing. I find it very odd that I wasn't able to feel how deeply this must have hurt her.

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how to make things complicated

the story is about woori, a girl who gets pregnant by accident through artificial insemination. this would have have less impact if she wasn't a catholic who made a purity oath. and on top of that she had a fiance for 5 years. at this moment all the complications begin. the baby's dad is her one and only ex-crush. the son of the CEO of a big hospital. so you've got intertwined stories with all the characters, you've got murders, plot, multiple plots, proud working girl stories, proud single moms stories, murder investigation, love temptations, so many break-ups and make out! after watching it, while thinking about the story, it just remind me of a plate of spaghetti: so many intertwined stories that look like a mess. it's a bit too much complicated for no reason.

it's a good show to watch while chilling with friends or family, the story is nice, you don't need to think into it too deeply, it has a lot of ridiculous and funny situations. just switch off your brain and have fun!

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wayyyy too long

I was very interested in the synopsis and expected a lot about this so unique story. but I was disappointed because everything took too much time. the show could have ended at episode 12. the story makes so much unnecessary loops, they take ages to talk and figure things out, and for everyone in the story to take decisions last like forever. the 2 last episodes are soo annoying! it's like the writer doesn't like closures and keep pulling strings to avoid it.

I can understand if you feel hooked by the synopsis and are curious to watch this story. but don't expect too much and be ready to wait a looong time before things are sorted out.

when to watch: if you can't help but begin this, watch it with talkative friends who will help time go faster.

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that ennoying endding...

I really loved the story. it was from what I understood a slice of life into 30 yo people's experience. I loved every characters of this 30's years old group. all with their background and their story, all with their specific personality, so diverse and so lively! the problem is, as the story goes, it is more and more about one person's story only (and not the more interesting one in my opinion). the last 2 episodes were the worse because we get to follow everything about this person, her personal life and her work, from morning to night! and it's like we are supposed to understand how interesting she is when I actually think she is not. in my opinion, they should have stopped this drama on episode 14. the last 2 were just straining.
it's a very good show though, it would be even better to watch it with friends because talking about the variety of questions asked can lead to know someone better.

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the MFL has no expression

I think I don't like mini-format's dramas. it's very difficult to dive in if the momentum is cut all the time. but this story is still cute and it can be interesting to watch a mini drama if you have no much time to spend on a regular one.
this being said, the most annoying thing about this drama is the face of the MFL, who is just cold and composed all the time. even when she is supposed to be upset, in love, afraid or crying, her expressions are just so odd and cold... maybe too much botox? she seems too preoccupied to be beautiful to let the emotions change her face. that's a big loss for a romance's drama.
but this is still entertaining if you need something fast to watch.

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divers' slice of life

what I loved about this drama was how they depicted the life of these men and mostly women who dive into the sea all day long to catch fresh fish and shells. this is definitely a thing in korea. I like the story about this little girl who quit her little town to become a famous photographer, but actually, all these was (for me) not necessary for the story to be charming. she could have a been an anonymous worker in a big corporate facing hard time in her job.

I think that the main focus of this drama is about how you handle the social pressure. how you handle anonymous pressure on the internet, how you handle it at work when someone is badmouthing you, how you handle the expectations of your family and friends, and from your lover. they looked very deeply in this matter and did a really good job. I appreciated the light they put on real friendship and family bound that can help you go through the hardship in life. the conversations and little advice they give every now and then are very accurate and heartwarming.

the love story between the two ML was touching, but I felt it a little too much idealized. it's very nice to love forever, but for me, long lasting love has a reason: it is in the way the two lovers handle themselves and their partner. and this part is a little bit lacking here. but, we can agree to just accept that they love each other for no reason.

when to watch: it's a very light and uplifting story, watch it after work.
audience: family friendly

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too dense for it's own good

the first thing you must be aware of is the intensity of this story. if there was a darkness barometer, 1 being the darkest and 10 the brightest, this show is on 2. it's on 2 because they managed to put some light every now and then. don't watch if you are facing hard time.

2nd: the story is very complex, and the first 4 episodes are like 4 different movies about the same characters having something like a slip of dimension's experience. it's very unsettling. and then things come together and you start to understand what is going on. or do you?

3rd: that's a very good drama. my 8 score is a little harsh, I was taken aback by the darkness of the story, it wasn't what I needed to watch right now, but I liked it nonetheless and found it addictive. so, if you like dark stories, or if you want to watch something more "serious" and less superficial, it's a great choice.
enjoy!

when to watch: this is not a story for relaxation after work. watch it on week-end, with friends.
audience: this is definitely not for under 18 audience. everything is hard and there is a lot of life's complex lessons, even for grown ups. let children enjoy this pearl after they grow old.

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chaotic and cheerful family abuse story

this story is about children overcoming abuse from their father. I know a lot of people loved it so much, but I didn't (not as much). why?

1st: 12 episodes seems to be a few, but the duration is 1:20 hour. that means the show has 14 episodes lasting 1h. it's not so far from the usual 16;
2nd: there is a lot of things happening during these 12 episodes: a music star being born, an old music star surviving the decline of her career, 2 families getting rid of their abusive father (this alone should have been enough), and how a young girl got lost on a remote island and how she got rescued, and how she adapted again in the society (this also alone should have been enough). the result is a little bit overwhelming. I really think that the quality of the show would have been better if they chose to focus on less main subjects.
3rd: the music was nice, but I didn't LOVE any of them.

what I loved: the actors were really good, especially the young actors. the atmosphere of the show was very well transmitted. the writer did a very good job sharing his views about the complexities of relationships. you are sometimes very mad at some characters then understand that they had their own reasons and it's forgivable. I think that it can be very interesting to re-watch the show.

audience: not under 15 because there is some violence
when to watch: it's a dense story, watch it on week-end so you'll have some time process it.
even if it's mostly cheerful I didn't find it relaxing.

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