Honestly, we're all just Anna sometimes.

This drama takes us through the life of Anna wherein we discover how little lies along the way can cause irreparable damage and steal your real identity away.

The best thing I loved about this is how it started during the early part of Anna's life and continued through the years as she grew up. The highlights and important events in her life gave me a sense of the nature and development of her character and her personality and in turn, made me understand why she made the decisions she made and why she did the things she did. I'm not justifying her actions, but I do understand.

This started out really strong but I felt like it fell flat in the middle. Anna used to be this unstoppable force in the beginning and in the middle, she was just...there. It was actually something that I can make sense of. She was trying so hard and of course, there will always be that point when you get too exhausted and just don't want to try anymore. However, I don't think this circumstance was carried out in a way that the essence of the message will reach the general audience. It felt close to boring.

Everything kind of fell into place but the ending was unremarkable given the potential. There was this big incident in the ending and I just thought they didn't take the tension and suspense to their advantage because after that, the next events were just "meh". They actually could've ended it with that incident and it would have been exceptional, to be honest.

I know there had been a dispute over this between the director and the streaming platform that aired it but the version I've watched is the director's cut, which is the extended version, so I can't compare.

Suzy is one of my favorite Korean actresses and I do admit that she's not that phenomenal in acting but she delivered such an astounding performance in this! The shift and range in her emotions through her eyes alone, literally breathtaking! She has brought Anna to life and she did a damn good job that's why I really connected with the character. I felt her hope, her sadness, her anger, I felt Anna. The music also added colors to the story and fit the mood.

Honestly, we're all just Anna sometimes. When things don't work out no matter how hard we try, we lie a little sometimes, not only to others, but especially to ourselves. It's easier than admitting that you failed, because we are not only failing ourselves, but those who believe in us. We kept justifying the failures with lies and we kept justifying the lies brought by the failures. This drama has made me realize that if you resist and refuse to admit failure, you will never experience success. Humbling yourself and accepting that you failed is the first step to find your way to success again.

Leggi di Più

A light, sweet, and funny romcom...until it's not.

A light, sweet, and funny romcom...until it's not.

I really loved the premise of this drama. It's actually such an interesting concept to be able to get a ticket pass to the lives of celebrities outside of the spotlight. We often regard them as perfect, faultless icons when in fact, they're just like the rest of us. It was fair to say that I was really excited for this drama, plus I love Sung Kyung in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo and I really wanted to see her in other roles.

Even with such a good feeling about this when I started it, I was immediately disappointed from Episode 1. They kept on using Africa as a plot device to build the image of the ML as a celebrity. It's just so baffling how we're in 2022 and PROFESSIONAL writers still regard the entire continent of Africa as some place that needs saving? They make it appear that the ML was a hero of Africa digging water wells and building schools. That made me cringe so bad. But since that was the first episode, I tried to get pass it. I thought that it will be over soon and things may get better...and it did get a little better. There were some really funny scenes and the bickering between the leads were kinda cute. But, guess what? They just couldn't let Africa go. They still kept on mentioning it, making it such an important part of the story and it just ruined things for me.

To make it worse, they've kept on throwing angst and mystery one after another to build up the character of the ML and it was just too much. It wasn't fully bad and I think that if done well, the twists could've been nice additions to the drama but it was just written so poorly and the pacing was just so messy. Everything felt unstable and unnecessary and the character of the ML felt artificial. He is so inconsistent so I didn't connect with his character no matter how hard everyone's seemed to be trying to make him look like someone who you should sympathize with because oh, look at that handsome celebrity with all these traumas! They really made him look so pitiful and then baaaam! Everything was just resolved like magic.

I felt bad for Sung Kyung's character. They didn't even give her character a proper story. Like, who is she? Why is she doing this? They tried to talk to us about her character one in ten times. The other nine times, it's all just about the ML.

I almost dropped it if not for the background characters. They saved this drama for me with so little screen time. (Lee Seung Hyub is so fine!) I was just bearing the cringe so I could get to their scenes. The friendship between the FL and her best friends were fun to watch, too, until they all got boyfriends and all they ever talked about is romance. Ugh.

It was nice, though, that in the last episodes, they dropped the angst and decided to become a romcom again. I did enjoy the last three episodes after going through such a disaster.

Leggi di Più

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS DRAMA AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND.

This drama has a special hold on me. I've rewatched this for so many times and every time still feels like the first time. I know this drama gets a lot of hate and well, I guess it's really a hit or miss but it's definitely a hit for me. I do understand the negative sentiments but no other drama has spoken to me in such a personal and emotional level like this one. While watching this, I just felt like it knew me. It knew my struggles, it knew my pain. It put into words my emotions and feelings which I can't even begin to express. I felt understood. I felt seen. I felt valid. When a drama do all those things for you, you just know that you will forever hold it close to your heart.

Tackling the love elements, I did like Dalmi and Dosan together. Unpopular opinion but not for one second did I feel that she'd end up with Jipyeong. I loved Jipyeong's character as an individual character but it wasn't just written to be with Dalmi. They were so awkward, to be honest. They had good dynamics as mentor-mentee, but a romantic relationship just doesn't feel right. People were holding on to their history together but it's history. It's in the past. They grew up. It had potential to develop into something more but that didn't happen. It is what it is. Dosan and Dalmi were meant to find each other, in my opinion. They aren't perfect, especially in the beginning, but being together made them become better people and I loved seeing them grow and win together. Whereas Jipyeong always had doubts and second thoughts, Dosan always was sure of his feelings with Dalmi. Falling for each other inspired them to reach for their dreams and they did reach it together. I could go on and on but I know most people don't share the same opinions and it's definitely alright, but this was how it was for me.

I saw myself in Dosan. He's like a mirror and seeing him rising up against all his struggles were very inspiring to me. To others, it may seem inconsequential but for people like me who knew how it was to be someone others see as "special" but deep inside is just a broken soul full of doubts and fears and lacking confidence, it's so much more. I knew how it felt to feel the pressure of all the expectations and feeling like a fraud because you just can't live up to what people expects you to be.

The family and friendship in this were also top-tier. Jipyeong's relationship with Won Deok was so beautiful. Found family always touches my heart in all the right places.

The OSTs, too, were among my most favorite OSTs ever! Keeps playing on my mind even years after my first watch!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS DRAMA AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND ?

Leggi di Più

Can I ever move on from this? Maybe, maybe not.

Finally gathered the courage to write a review about this. It wasn't easy going back to this drama and collecting my thoughts because it caused me a great amount of pain, and pain, and pain. No other television show has made me cry like this drama did and it was literally ugly crying and catching my breath at 3AM. I physically felt the ache in my chest as if it personally happened to me. Even until now, weeks after I originally finished watching this, the wound is still fresh and it's a constant sting that will forever haunt me. Can I ever move on from this? Maybe, maybe not. Seeing the actors' photos unrelated to this drama tears me up, even.

Let me reminisce the good things first. This drama has shown me beautiful representations of friendship, love, life, family, passion, dreams, and youth. The characters feel so close to my heart. Each and everyone of them has given me good memories and lessons that I will treasure and cherish forever. The character development is topnotch for everyone. The buildup is so strong with just the right pacing which delivered so much impact. Each character felt like a portrayal of each and everyone of us and our struggles. Witnessing how the they have spent their youth and waved goodbye to it sends a feeling of nostalgia, bliss, and sorrow all at the same time and it made me realize and think about how I'm spending my own youth and my life, what I'm doing for the things I love, and how I'm valuing my personal relationships.

I watched this drama completely aware of the nature of the ending but I am in the dark on the specifics of how things will go down. That's actually why I put off watching this drama for so long to the point that I even said I will never watch this so it was surprising, especially to me, when I finally did. As much as I have no regrets and I will forever carry the memories this drama gave me, this hurts like hell, partly because it depicts the reality we all go through. I fully understand why things happened. Sometimes life just ambushes us and punches us in the gut and we won't be able to do anything about it. It is what it is. That's just life and I've had my fair share of life surprises that I am able to always expect for the best, while preparing for the worst. However, I do think that there were some important events that felt so out of character and it's so hard to accept. Up until now, it doesn't feel natural as much as I try to make myself come to terms with it. I'm out of my denial phase but some things just doesn't feel right. To me, it just wasn't possible given the history. Though it wasn't perfect as all things are, but this easily found its way to a spot in my all time favorites.

Lastly, Kim Tae Ri is a revelation to me. She left me in awe of such powerful performance and from the bottom of my heart, I am sending her my sincerest love as sign of my gratitude for bringing Na Hee Do's character to life. Nam Joo Hyuk is my absolute favorite actor and just when I thought it wouldn't be possible to fall in love with him even more, I did.

This may be inconsequential but I think they could've casted a better actor for the role of Adult Hee Do. I swear she feels so awkward, I was so distracted.

P.S. THE SOUNDTRACKS ARE PERFECT AND I'M EVEN PLANNING TO PURCHASE THE OST ALBUM ?

Leggi di Più

In awe of how they had turn such an absurd, random concept into this masterpiece.

This experience has been such a delight. This drama has shown me lots of colors. I am especially in awe of how they had turn such an absurd, random concept into this masterpiece. I was honestly worried on how they could pull this off after reading the premise, but everything just worked.

There are some debates on the ending but personally, I wouldn't change a thing. Well except to get additional perception on one of the characters who had such a strong impact on the entirety of this drama. I think knowing and understanding her more would give the story, especially the ending, a stronger justification. I also really wanted to explore the ending not only for the main characters, but other support characters, as well.

I would love one more episode so we could see how the characters adjusted and lived but even without it, I firmly believed that everything fell into place. In a way, I loved how they didn't force a definite explantation of things on us so we are free to interpret it how we want to and depending on what feels right to us. I always love dramas where I could give it a touch of my own imagination. In some dramas, this may appear like a huge plot hole but if done right, it's such a nice element to add flavor to the story.

I loved every second I spent with this — from the setting, the vibe, the characters, the plot, the twists and turns, and the various lessons and realizations this has inflicted upon me.

The comedy hits on the right spot and there wasn't a single episode where I wasn't laughing out loud. I could be watching this at 3AM and I would be rolling on my bed, laughing.

I would also want to praise Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun for such remarkable performances. I appreciated their versatility. One second they're serving us peak comedy, then powerful emotions the next. I love them so much! Their chemistry, too, is through the roof!

Leggi di Più

This drama came to me in the right time.

So, so, so heartwarming. Seo Ri's story had so much impact to me. It's as if this drama came to me in the right time, when I needed it the most. To be honest, the premise was a bit far-fetched but the lessons it delivered hit so close to home. It made me want to look forward to things despite how messy everything is right now. What I used to see as a hopeless case that is my life, now just feels like an intermission — I have stopped for a moment as I wait for another awesome performance.

I love Shin Hae Sun beyond words. Gosh, she's so talented! Really underrated, to be honest. She can own every role she plays!

Leggi di Più

Summing it up in two words: brilliantly crafted.

To be honest, I didn't expect this to be that explicit. I wouldn't normally watch films like this so I was really uneasy at first but I gotta admit, that was one astounding cinema. Every little thing from the plot, the score, the shots, the characters and all other elements this was comprised of was just topnotch. You'd know there were some genius and creative brains who worked behind this because this was an actual masterpiece. Phenomenal. I am especially blown away by how this film was divided into parts and in each part, the whole story shifts. You think you know what's happening, but really, you don't.

I watched this because of Kim Tae Ri and yes, I wasn't prepared for what I have seen. I didn't expect that she'd actually have scenes with nudity. I first saw her in Twenty Five, Twenty One so seeing her in scenes like that made me a bit uncomfortable. That doesn't change the fact that she has proven her range and prowess in acting and she is exceptional. Kim Min Hee was also amazing in this. They were both sensational.

Sex and eroticism are major themes of this film. That may seem off-putting but when you get a grasp of the whole picture and what's it's trying to tell you, you'd realize that this film is sending a strong message. Females are often regarded as objects of sex and desire and no matter how disgusting that may seem, that's the reality of this world which prevailed even during the modern times. This film has strongly and bravely presented women rejecting this sickening belief that they are obliged to serve men and satisfy their pleasures all the while discovering their own desires and allowing themselves to actually enjoy their bodies and sexualities.

Well, okay, I don't think I would rewatch it simply because as I've mentioned, I am not a fan of watching heavily sexual films especially in Korean media in which I am used to watching wholesome Korean series and dramas. However, I won't deduct a point because that wouldn't really be fair to this work of art. This was perfect in every sense of that word.

Leggi di Più

This movie really warmed my heart.

I clicked on this movie with absolutely no idea what this is about. I saw Jung Hae In and I was sold. That being said, I absolutely had no expectations for this. I even almost dropped this within the first five minutes because I thought I wasn't feeling any chemistry between the leads but oh man, I was in for a treat.

This movie really warmed my heart. The mood and the aesthetic was very nostalgic and the music is just perfect. When "Fix You" by Coldplay started playing in the end, I was just bawling my eyes out because I was just so touched. The actors have the best chemistry I have ever witnessed and it's just made so much impact on me because I didn't expect it. The story does felt a little underwhelming especially the conflict towards the end. It was messy and unnecessary so the ending fell flat but the execution by the actors kinda made up for it for me.

One of my takeaways from this one is how timing is really everything. You could be trying so desperately for something but if it's not yet meant to be, it won't be. That being said, have faith that in time, everything will fall into place.

Leggi di Più

A beautiful drama of resiliency, friendship, second chances, love, and family.

I'm honestly surprised by how much I liked this drama. I have put off watching this for so long since I've read several reviews saying this is disappointing so I never felt like it was the right time to watch. But one random day of missing seeing Lee Jong Suk in a drama, I finally decided to give this a try and I didn't regret every second I spent watching this. It was actually a beautiful drama of resiliency, friendship, second chances, love, and family.

The top reason why I loved this is the book references. As a huge bookworm, it's definitely a big plus for me! The story was mainly set in a publishing company and it was absolutely nice to see and witness the process of creating books from the first manuscript until it reach the bookshelves.

Most of the characters were really well written, especially the side characters. I loved how they weren't just bland characters inserted to complement the leads, each of the characters were given a distinguishing personality and their own storyline, even.

More than the leads, my favorite character was actually Song Hae Rin. She's an editor who works with the leads and she's just a literal angel. I love how she isn't written as the typical second lead who falls for the male lead then decides to make things hard for the female lead just to get back at her. She's a passionate, goal-driven, warm-hearted person and I just love her so much.

Meanwhile, I do love the relationship between the leads and how they transitioned from long-time friends to lovers. It gradually and slowly developed so for me, nothing felt forced. Knowing and understanding their history, everything felt natural to me, like things were just meant to happen. I loved how mature and domestic their relationship is. It felt so stable and seeing them just felt peaceful. Individually though, their characters aren't that remarkable.

Kang Dan-i, the female lead, was introduced so strongly. She made me cry in the first episode, in fact. A divorcee and a single mother trying to regain her place in the world no matter how much the world rejects her. In the latter episodes though, this image wasn't maintained when she got too caught up with the romance. She doesn't even remember to mention or call her child. That detail really annoyed me. Cha Eun Ho, Lee Jong Suk's character, as swoon-worthy as he is, didn't really live to his full potential. He was veiled with mystery with so much potential in the beginning but I'm not very satisfied with how everything unfolded. I felt like it could've been so much better. We didn't even get a scene of him in his full elements as a writer. I wanted to see his character in his writing process so bad. Instead, he was just referred to as a bestselling author, receiving the highest royalties from their publishing company. Although when picturing it in general, the development of the characters of the support roles kinda make up for it.

The acting was phenomenal, though. Even small scenes of support roles with filler scenarios make me tear up because it was executed so well.

Leggi di Più

This drama has absolutely wrecked me.

Trigger warnings: Suicide, Death

First of all, let me tell you that this drama has absolutely wrecked me. I knew what was bound to happen but when it did happen, I was still caught off guard. That last scene was such an emotional moment, something that will forever be engraved in my memory.

I have put off watching this for so long because I was well aware of the tragic backstory and I just didn't know if I can handle it. However, upon watching this, I've realized that Shim Deok and Woo Jin's story is more than just a tragedy. It was also a beautiful story of falling and fighting for love, owning your identity, appreciating art, and finding peace.

I am still conflicted over how the characters resolved the conflict in the end and even before watching this, I couldn't imagine what reasonable reasons would push two people to end their life together. Although, I know I wouldn't be able to fully understand their pain, I had a glimpse of what led to these two people to do what they did and I'm just glad it was for love and they were at peace. Most importantly, they weren't alone, they had each other. The fact that they didn't even falter and waver once and remained resolute with their decision actually haunts me. It's fightening and admirable at the same time. They know the only way they could be together is to leave this world together. They were very flawed people. If you will overanalyze things, some things could've been avoided and dealt with properly and things could've ended differently but at the end of the day, they were just humans struggling to live and to love and facing very real and dangerous situations so I would choose to remember them as two beautiful people who fell in love with art and with each other, then ultimately decided to be somewhere that would be more appreciative of this love.

Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jong Suk were both commendable in their roles. They both inflicted their own touches to Shim Deok and Woo Jin's characters and they have succesfully brought them to life. I am always in awe of Hye Sun and how she always delivers phenomenal performances and her role as Shim Deok wasn't any different. I felt her character's joy and I especially felt her pain. Jong Suk also was quite a revelation in this one. I've loved him since I first knew him but honestly, this was one of his most powerful performances, in my own opinion. I am especially stunned by how their characters didn't even need words in expressing what they're feeling. Their eyes always do most of the talking.

All of the other elements of the show such as the cinematography, the music, the dialogues, the poetry (!!!), and just the overall vibe of it fit so perfectly together. They all complemented each other so much and and everything helped convey such a melancholic retelling but at the same time, a beautiful masterpiece.

Leggi di Più

I love, love, love, love, love everything about this.

This made it to the top five list of my favorite korean dramas...ever.

I love, love, love, love, love everything about this. Not to be too dramatic but this drama found its way to me when I needed it most. Randomly clicked it in Netflix and it was just perfect. I was laughing every episode there is and it just made me so happy. I guess that's really the most important thing about liking a show, you know? How they make you feel and this one made me genuinely happy. Like thinking-about-this-show-always-make-me-smile happy.

I love the characters and they bring me so much comfort. I loved how different they are from each other but they make it work. The chemistry is just through the roof. I loved seeing them live their lives and follow their dreams. I loved rooting for them. I even loved the romantic subplots.

I love the characters too much that I don't think I can ever watch Season 2 since I found out it will have different characters and only 1 character from Season 1 will be present. I wanna relive this show with how Season 1 ended. I want to think they would always be a family.

Ohhhh, this just brings me so much good memories. Just thinking about some scenes make me wanna roll on the floor laughing. An exaggeration but I wouldn't put it past me.

Anyway, do yourself a favor and watch this if you haven't yet. You don't have to know much just that this show would definitely bring a smile on your face.

Leggi di Più

What a wild ride it has been!

Big Mouth has started off really strong with a bang. I loved how the story has initially presented Chang Ho's character and how they turned things around so dramatically. What a wild ride it has been. From an incompetent, debt-ridden lawyer, he was tagged as one of the most notorious criminals in the country, Big Mouse. Each and every episode was gripping and heart-racing, adding more and more layers to different mysteries. I must say though, the ending was disappointing. This could have easily been a 10/10 but the ending left so many loose ends and felt so rushed and forced. The development of the story was so intense, consistently throwing viewers off-balance with puzzles to solve which may have been actually too much since the ending didn't give justice to it. Minus the last episode, though, this drama has been nothing but genius.

Chang Ho's character development was topnotch. It's such an amazing portrayal of how desperation and the fight for survival changes people in extraordinary ways. Realizing that the main theme wasn't really the revelation of Big Mouse's identity, but how Chang Ho himself transitioned to be his own version of Big Mouse was definitely satisfying.

I loved the dynamics of Chang Ho and Ji Hoon. What an unconventional and powerful alliance. Although I wish we could have explored this in depth, too. I also really liked the camaraderie formed between Chang Ho and some of his fellow prisoners. I always love to see a good relationship building between characters.

What a shame that there wasn't too much romantic elements added to this, though. YoonA and Lee Jong Suk are undeniably one of the most gorgeous pairings I've seen on TV. I liked the "I have to do it. Who else would do something dangerous for you?" kind of relationship they had, though. I just hope they got a better ending after everything.

Spectacular performances by the actors, too. May actually be Lee Jong Suk's best to date. As usual, Kim Joo Hun was breathtaking. I wanted to kill his character myself, I swear.

Leggi di Più