Immature

It's an ok watch for something light and if you need something to pass the time, a lot of cute moments, however, story wise it's quite boring and flat, and I also have to say for people in their 30s the characters are immature. For someone who comes from a country that has conservative dating and marriage customs, I totally get that there are a lot of tradition to follow, but seeing their actions and reactions was like watching a teen drama, and I'm left wondering why this couple were together. There wasn't really a "glue" that keep them together in my opinion. The side stories also felt on the shallow side, with status, looks and material possession being something that's quite important.

Also, coming from someone who recently got married, and have helped quite a few friends get married in the past, their marriage planning seem to be a lot more smooth sailing than what it would be like in reality, in my opinion.

Overall, I think my problem is with how the characters and the story were written more than anything. The characters lack communication with each other, and I feel their relationship isn't really "healthy" or realistic.

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Good idea

I'm a bit unsure about this drama. I watched it having just gone through the 4th trimester myself, and I'm in the older age group as well and was working full time with a really busy schedule while pregnant. So while there are quite a few things in the drama that I could relate with, I also sat there thinking "yeah right" A LOT, and I'm not sure who the drama's target audience is. My first thought when I saw that the babies don't stay with the parents was that I'd be pissed if my baby was separated from me unnecessarily. And then there is the unrealistic appearance of someone who just had a baby - high heels, tight clothes and looking that thin? Yeah right. I appreciated some of the humour though, but overall I just felt like I'm watching a highschool drama given how the characters behaved, and it feels like they're in an antenatal course that happens post-natally. Also, have they not heard of breastpads? Cute baby nicknames though.

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Thank you for surviving and for holding on.

Beautiful stories of survival with plenty of tear jerker moments. Overall, I really enjoyed this drama, and I appreciate that they stayed true to the rule of their universe, not trying to give unexplained exceptions at the end for the leads that seem to happen a lot in Kdrama. The episodes were really well done and beautifully presented, the only one I didn't quite enjoy was the 2nd to last episode where I thought it fell rather flat. I'd definitely recommend this drama, but with a trigger warning attached. Story aside, I really love the costumes (loving Koo Ryeon's wardrobe in particular).

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Here's to WenZhou!

I had a hole in the shape of ‘Word of Honor’ after finishing this drama. Not long before finishing this, I finished reading the original novel this drama was adapted from, ‘Faraway Wanderers’, and that was a very enjoyable read. The drama was… I don’t know if I have a word for it other than amazing. Super happy to see the drama embracing it as a BL instead of a BL adaptation disguised as “Bromance”, and the result was amazing. I think this is the first time I watched a drama while it was still airing (well, the English sub anyway).

At first, I started watching it because of its genre (Wuxia), but soon I was basically sucked into its love story. It was beyond my expectation to be honest, because I often got irked by the romance in a lot of dramas, and though this drama still has some of that extended shots of stares (thankfully there was no calling each other’s name millions of times for no reason), it felt natural. Also, knowing that this is a BL adaptation, I didn’t expect to see any sort of romance between the leads, as they often would have bromance instead (though after ‘The Untamed’, I admit I’d expect to see some subtle romance). Then in the first few episodes I remember being so surprised at how openly and blatantly Wen Kexing flirts with Zhou Zishu (seriously, Wen Kexing brought a whole new level of flirting with his poetry and fan). Though the story is a bit different than the original novel, they stayed true to its essence. That loyalty and devotion to each other are at the forefront of it. They’re willing to die for each other, they vowed to live and die together, and they bicker like an old married couple (poor Chengling for being a third wheel, and got confused earlier on when the two of them would teach him different things then argue about it, thus hindering Chengling’s martial arts progress).

In general I like the progression of the relationships, as I feel that it was on a good paced. However, I’m not a big fan on the ending (even with the epilogue episode) as I felt it a little rushed (and I thought it fell a little flat), and was also unsatisfactory in some parts (Scorpion’s fate, for example). I felt that the drama could be a bit longer to close things off properly and explain things further, especially since they’ve changed quite a lot of things in the drama from the original material anyway (the novel was quite short).

There was no shixiong/shidi relationship between Zhou Zishou and Wen Kexing in the novel, but I thought the addition of this in the drama was very well done. I often feel that we can't seem to have an epic love story without childhood connection and sometimes it feels forced and I was a bit worried about this too in this drama, but in the end I think it gives Wen Kexing ties to the human world and deeper connection to Zhou Zishu.

There are other things I'm annoyed with but those are the things that almost always comes with cdramas - the audio, the jumping over the 180 line with no reasons, etc. The underwater scenes were... let's just say I wished they didn't do them on wires and actually shoot underwater, because it wasn't very well done, and you can see a very jarring difference between the shots that was done on wire with the ones actually done underwater. I was also a bit irked by a lot of things in the fight scenes, there were a lot of close ups and slow mo and twirling that didn't really add anything.

That being said, I felt satisfied after watching this. Definitely give it a watch… and bring tissues, and maybe ice cream to soothe your emotional heart.

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A great watch

Overall, I think this drama is a must watch. The story is intriguing, there are plenty of twists and layers in the characters. The pacing sometimes felt a bit slow for my liking, but I still enjoyed the drama on the whole anyway.

Now, some elements of the show felt repetitive, like the monster of the week kind of feel. I personally like the framing of the story, and how the twist came into play. Though gotta say there were quite a few twists and by the end of it you're sort of expecting more twists are just going to come into play.

Anyway, I think the drama is well presented and it was definitely worth watching if you like the genre, though I personally wish there are more action.

My personal favourite is Eul Tae, there are so many layers to this character, which brings me to my next point...

***SPOILER***

I wish there are more build to Eul Tae's backstory, because it felt underplayed and that he didn't get enough build up on why he became the way he was, and why he was so obsessed with Hwal.

The ending was heartwarming, and it ties the big plot points, but I do question why they met again when it was established that Bulgasals don't reincarnate. I know it's nice to have a happy ending, but I feel this invalidate Hwal's sacrifice, and that why this happens requires an explanation. Also, if Hwal reincarnates, does that mean Eul Tae did too? It was Eul Tae's soul to begin with anyway.

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Solid series

First of all, I don't rewatch things outside of research purposes, hence my rewatch value score. Now that it's out of the way, I love this series. Having read the manga too, I love it even more. It's engaging, keeps you on the edge of your seat all the time. Character development was done nicely, and the relationship development also built up nicely. It doesn't follow the manga in everything, but it stays very close to it. Overall, this is a very solid series. I'm not sure if Netflix is going to pick this up for season 3 (since the manga has a sequel and spinoff), I don't think it's needed at all (for both the series and the manga), as this concluded nicely.

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Cute

I have mixed feelings about this drama. It started out nicely, I think, but over time, it became a bit boring on the main storyline, and I found myself more excited for the side storyline. However, that too, became bland. I think this could have been a lot shorter, as it felt like it was dragged out to fill space.

There are a lot of things I enjoyed in this dramas, mainly the funny interaction between the characters, and their familiar love. I also quite like the dynamic between Dong Kyung, Seon Kyung, and Ji Na, and also between Joo Ik and Hyun Gyu. I like that Dong Kyung is fearless and speaks her mind.

However, there are also plenty that I don't quite like.

The love triangle between Joo Ik, Hyun Gyu and Ji Na was interesting to start with, but in the end I felt like I wish Ji Na just reject both of them and go her own way. In the meantime, the further into the episodes I went, the more it felt like Joo Ik and Hyun Gyu were an old married couple, and Ji Na felt as if she was injected into the middle of their relationship so that there is something to talk/fight (or not) about. It felt clunky.

I'm not sure the purpose of Kevin was other than to be a comic relief in some moments. Most of the times, he felt like the token foreigner. I found it very hard to believe that Soo Ja and Kevin were in a relationship considering she didn't speak English AT ALL and he could only speak/understand very little Korean. I've been in a couple of relationships where language barrier was an issue, and I'm not seeing anything between the two of them that indicated that they have their own way of communicating so that they understand each other.

I didn't think that last episode was needed at all, it felt a bit out of place and very slow. I don't really care if they end up getting married or not, these days it's fine not getting married anyway, but the problem lies in the fact that I don't care. The drama has failed to make me care for the characters.

I'm also not sold on the ending. I'm a bit annoyed that there are so many dramas forcing a happy ending just for the sake of happy ending, even when it doesn't suit it. I feel that it would have been a lot more meaningful if Myeol Mang didn't come back and Dong Kyung lives on her life happily. I feel that what Myeol Mang did for her would have carried a lot more weight and that Dong Kyung celebrates the live she was given from Myeol Mang dying for her, by living to her fullest. Also, what's with Myeol Mang being reborn as a human straight into adulthood? Sure, it can be shrugged off as the goddess wanted it that way, but it feels like one of those "forced" elements from the creators so that the drama can have a happy end.

Overall, the drama has interesting and great ideas, but didn't really come through in its execution. I still enjoyed it enough to keep watching though, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

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Beautiful!

Such heartwarming story beautifully presented. This character driven drama was moving, relatable, well written, and the characters were well thought-out and amazingly performed. I thought I could get away without shedding a tear, but in the end I couldn't help but got teary eyed, and it makes me miss my family. I was worried that this drama would drag on like many others in similar veins are, but I'm pleased to find out that it was really well paced.

There are certain things that I didn't agree with, but on the whole, this hits the right notes. I love the message that this drama is trying to convey. This is definitely something I'd recommend for others to watch.

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It could have been better

"Cute" drama - I don't know how else to categorize this, it's one of those cutesy dramas, with a lot of puppy eyes, overexposed visuals, shallow depth of field, dreamy look, and even the sound tracks are light and airy. Which fine, it's a thing, but I find this to be a bit hard to watch because of the pacing. It made me feel like I'm watching something made by a newbie, the pacing was not well managed, too much room to breathe which became awkward moments. Then the product placements... makes me feel like I'm watching. a very long ad.

Story wise, it could have been better, and I wish that they have shown this as a positive thing. Open relationship and polyamory exist in this world, and who are we to judge people's way of living? If it works for them and everyone involved, then go for it. I know enough people in open relationships, it requires honesty and open communication. I didn't like that she wasn't honest at the start, and she was cheating then. I really don't tolerate this behaviour, however, I also understand that the relationship that she wants is not conventional, and in some countries it's a lot harder to have this kind of relationship in the open, but that's not an excuse for her to not be honest. I don't particularly like that she's given the label of "bad girl" either, just because she wanted an open relationship and that she's sticking to who she truly is, I find it to be demeaning. I admire that the creators are sticking to their guns for keeping to it to the end (she didn't change who she is to fit into the society). However, I find it annoying that the bestie ended up with her anyway after saying that he didn't want to be loved at the same time as others (and I get it, open relationship is not for everyone). Is it so bad to have her not date him? It's not the end of the world if the FL doesn't end up her bestie that has been in her life for a long time, just saying.

In saying that, I do think she's a "bad" girl in the sense of being quite selfish from how she wasn't being honest at the start and in her past relationships, and how she's treating her bestie. Overall, I feel that a lot of the characters in the story are bland, like they have no personality. I also find it very hard to believe that the two guys accepted the situation that easily, as they're pretty much a one-woman type of men, and they entered the relationship expecting it to be exclusive.

So yeah, it could have been better.

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Minimal yet effective

It's a bit of "Home Alone" with zombies. Almost the entire film happened in one location (Joon-woo's apartment), and we get a sense of how lonely it was for him. My eyes were glued to the screen watching this. The introduction of the character Yoo-bin brought a breath of fresh air into the film, and the interaction between the two was great to watch. I don't think there's anything new in this film though, as this is very similar to a French zombie film “The Night Eats the World", but it's still very gripping in its execution that you can't help but grip the edge of your seat while watching this. Effective use of moments of silence, dark environments, narrow hallways as well as the building's setup. It was a great watch.

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This drama had me laughing my butt off, to being annoyed/frustrated, to teary eyed. I love Cha Min & Go Se-yeon's cute interactions. Throw in Park Dong-cheol & Lee Mi-do in the mix, and it's easily on of the most entertaining relationships I've watched so far. Though honestly, I don't like the message that this show brings across regarding beauty ideals.

That aside, this drama has some annoying bits with characters doing stupid things, and I admit, I find the mechanics of the universe being a bit on the clunky side, but it's an easy watch, and it has some really sweet moments and loveable characters. Despite the drama receiving a lot of negative reviews, I enjoyed this drama.

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