A Solid Romcom!

So I feel like this drama has gotten so much love but also a lot of criticism, which I think is fair. It's a solid romcom with great leads but some questionable writing. The first like 4 or 5 episodes of this dramas was like a solid 9 or even 9.5, however that special magic did kinda disappear as the show went on. The highlight of this show is easily the chemistry between the main leads, and that does kinda carry the show. Kinda surprised we haven't seen theses two in a drama together earlier. I also enjoyed the second couple.

Now what this show lacks is mostly in the writing, its sloppy at times and certain things happens that are obviously there just to built up a conflict (even if it doesn't make sense). Also the mom is straight-up awful, like seriously.

Overall, I think this is a solid romcom. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, but I still enjoyed watching it for what it is.

Leggi di Più

Redeemable things about this drama:
- Interesting set design and world building
- I liked a few of the side characters, Moon Immortal & Pu chi were both very enjoyable to watch. As well as the side couple.
- Run Yu is definitely the best character in the show (even though he isn't always the most likable character). He was honestly the reason why I stuck through with this drama. He is well acted and is honestly one of the few multi layered characters.

Bad points:
- The two main characters has the personalities of two wet socks. The main male lead is honestly boring and I never felt for him. The Main female lead is super annoying and acts like a 8 year old, I did start to like her a bit (just a bit) around ep.45. But that's about it. Both of them are just very bland.
- It feels like the story wants the viewers to cheer for the main couple and feel sympathetic toward the Heavenly Emperor/Empress, which was just annoying since they both where awful people. (Run Yu was definitely right about them)
- Way to long (very typical of cdramas). This drama could've been 30 episodes.

I had a very hard time rating this drama. On one hand, It is a drama with major flaws, one the other, I did find myself still enjoying it. However I don't see myself ever re-watching it nor even really thinking about this drama.

Leggi di Più

A 2022 Drama, with a lot of late 00's energy

Starting of with my headline, this drama do remind me of a lot of the k-dramas that where released in between 2007-2012, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. First of all, the show is packed with tropes that where popular during this period (poor woman meets rich man, demanding/controlling parents, secret relationships, woman in love with childhood friend etc) and the fact that the show in it's essence is pretty simple and straight-forward. However this was quite refreshing as most new k-dramas tend too be slightly more serious (or at least have darker subject-matters to them). Because of this, Business Proposal is a super binge-worthy show, I was able to watch the entire show in just 2 days, something that is rare for me. I would recommend Business Proposal for anyone that is looking for something simple to watch at the end of a long day. Below I go in a bit more with the details...

Highlights:
1. The side-couple actually felt like a romantic relationship you could see in real life.

2. Good Pacing. Doesn't drag on too much, the second part is just as well paced as the first (A lot of k-dramas have this problem).

Aspects the show missed the mark on:
1. The music: Now this is ofc super personal, but the music in a show/movie can do so much for me. And Business Proposal simply doesn't have a memorable soundtrack for me.

2. I honestly wish we saw more of the friendship between Ha-Ri and Young-seo. It's almost like the show forgot about half-way through. In the same vain, I wished the show explored the relationship between Tae-moo and Sung-hoon.

3. The ending felt a bit rushed. I understand that the show only had 12 episodes but I just wished the show would maybe take 30 more min to wrap-up.

Leggi di Più

A must see!

Ok, first let me just start by saying that this is by no means a flawless drama. It has flaws, specially in the production and in the technical aspects. For example, the lightning can sometimes be a bit off, as well as the cgi. These are things I personally can look past when it comes to C-dramas and The Untamed is certainly not an exception. Because the good points definitly outweighs the flaws and as someone who has watched the show three times now I can't recommend this drama more!

Characters:
I'll start with the characters as I think this is the strongest aspect of this drama. Our two main characters are very likeable and very well played by the actors. I have to give major probs to Xiao Zhan for his amazing portrayal of Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian's relationship with not only lan wangji but also with his siblings are heartwhelming and heartbreaking at the same time. There really isn't much more here for me to write without me writing an entire essay which I want to avoid.

Plot:
Before watching this drama I was told that the plot is the weakest point and honestly I really don't get that? The plot is not the most original but it is well crafted and very emotional. I will be honest, I am a total sucker for these kinds of storylines and character plots so it's not super odd that I love it. I usually don't like too make paralleles or draw comparisons to other films/dramas but I will say that The Untamed has a bit of a Lord of the Rings esque theme to it, and I mean that in the best way possible since the Lord of the rings movies are my favorite movies of all time. I mention this because going into this drama I though it would just be your usual constume c-drama.

Score/music:
The music in this drama is absolutly stunning, and whenever I hear just a second of the score I get chills. One of the best, if not the best c-drama score ever.

Production/technical aspects:
As I mentioned in the beginning, this is where the drama lacks the most. Some of the camerawork is a bit odd and overall seems a bit cheap? at times.

Conclusion:
Despite some of the minor flaws I could not give this drama anything other then a 10. Because at the end of the day those flaws didn't take away from the overall story for me personally, as well as this being the most emotionally invested i've ever been with a c-drama. The Untamed will leave you empty by ep.50 and you will never really get over this show, I know i'll never be.

Leggi di Più

Threading the line between reality and fantasy!

wow, what a rollercoaster ride of a show. First of all, this show is hard to define by one genre. It has comedy, thriller, horror, coming-of-ages themes. The show is also patient with its storytelling and doesnt treat the viewer like a dumb child. The pilot episode is arguably one of the best i've seen, and it ends on a high note as well. The acting was a big stand-out in this show, especially by Tseng jing hua who absolutely nailed the character. Pu yi yong as a main character is sooo likable, yet complex, funny and caring. His relationship with Chu ying and Guang yan truly is the heart of the show. I also adored his mom and his scenes with his dad and grandpa.

I do think this is one of those shows where its better to go in blind and simple experience the show as it goes on, so I won't talk too much about the actual plot. I will say that the episodic format isnt my favorite, even though it pays of at the end, I wish we could spend more times with the overarching story. That really is my only complaint. This truly is a excellent show that truly took me by surprise, will end HIGH up on my year end list.

Leggi di Più

Very Good Indeed!

This is honestly such a good coming-of-age Kdrama. Firstly, the acting was very stellar, I was especially impressed by Ryeouns performance here. The show also blends romance, comedy and drama in a very good and natural way. I was invested in both romances even though the parents love story hit a bit different. Honestly its difficult to point out all the good things about this drama because most things just work and tugs on your heartstrings. I even shed a tear or two watching it. Lastly, the soundtrack is just *chef´s kiss*. That being said, it does have a few flaws in my opinion which takes it down a bit.

What did not work as well imo:
- The first 2 episodes did not grab my attention, I was genuinely considering watching something else instead, happy I didn´t though.
- The show was a bit frustrating at times, with all the misunderstandings etc.
- I honestly wish they had ended it in a different way. It´s supposed to be a happy ending but I honestly felt a bit sad (not in a bittersweet way), because like...Eun Gyeol kinda missed out on his entire childhood? All his childhood memories didn´t matter in the end. Also I think it kinda went against the ethos of the drama. Because they had a happy life despite all the struggles, but now they ended up basically in the same way but rich? I think the ending would have been a lot more impactful if nothing had changed, just that the Eun gyeol now feels more connected to his parents and is able to follow his dreams. This was also how I predicted the show to end, because it kinda pointed in that direction, but I was wrong.

Overall, I totally understand the people who give this drama a 10/10. I just had a few issues with it that I couldn´t look past. I can imagine that this drama will grow on me as time goes by, but right now it´s a very respectable 8.5/10.

Leggi di Più

Stellar crime thiller! (he didn't do anything wrong)

Vigilante is a fast paced crime thriller, that is perfect for a fast binge. It's not the most fleshed out drama out there, we don't really get to know any of the characters backstories or why they do the things they do. I really liked the main protagonist/antagonist (actually he was 100% right in everything imo). It was super refreshing to see Nam joohyuk in this type of role. I'm so used to him just playing the "pretty boy next door". Actually acting was great all-around.

The drama do lack any type of realism when it comes to injuries, logic etc etc, like why can everyone in this show fight? Why can that guy lift a car? why did the reporter barely react to the crazy stuff happening right in-front of her eyes? This did bother me a bit, but honestly it wasn't a huge deal for me, since k-dramas do tend to go out of the realm of reality pretty often. Also the show didn't really have a emotional punch to it. I did really like the ending of the drama, I would actually be fine if that was it you know? (don't wanna spoil)

It's a drama worth-while if you like these types of shows! A solid 8/10 from me.

Leggi di Più

Gay? K!

This is one of those shows that I feel like I should have liked more than I actually did. I was really excited to start this drama, since this show is generally in the same "genre" of k-dramas that I like. The cast is stellar and having seen some clips on twitter from the show I really thought I would like it more. But unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed. Not because the show has a glaring issue, because in my eyes it doesn't.

The show falls very flat in its second half, ending up just feeling like a boring "cop has to discover his past to solve the case" drama. I couldn't help put feel like this show should have been a pure action comedy. Because the comedy is without no doubt the best part of the show. The dramatic parts just end up being kinda boring and you just wait for the banter between the two main leads. That being said, I wished Wi Hajoon had been in this more as he was the highlight of the drama for me. The character of "K" is very different compared to his other roles. I love a morally grey and very pathetic main characters, so obviously I like Lee dong wooks character here. I also found the main villain kinda boring (despite being played by an actor I like), I actually found the russian-korean villains to be much more interesting.

To be honest, I was considering not even writing a review for this show, because I just don't have that much to say about it. I can absolutely see the appeal of this show as it is a good drama, I just was a bit bored watching the second half of it. There was too little of the good stuff and too much of the boring stuff. Just left me feeling very "meh".

Leggi di Più

just 8 years late...

After 8 years, I finally sat down to watch Goblin, one of the most popular k-dramas ever. Did it live up to the hype? did it fall flat? Down below I break down what I liked about the show and what I liked less.

What I liked
- Lee Dong Wook with his slutty trenchcoat and funny hat 10/10.
- The show probably has the most recognizable soundtrack around. Hits different.
- All of the friendships in the show, probably the best part of the show tbh. Specially the dynamic between the goblin & grim reaper.
- I loved the character of Sunny, kinda obsessed.
- Loved the themes of death, god, immortality etc. Genuinely interesting
- The overall pacing is slow, but at least it's even which is the most important thing for me.

What I couldn't wrap my head around
- Ok, let's just get it over with and talk about the main romantic couple...it just didn't work for me at all. I normally don't mind age gapes that much, however, the main female lead acts more like a 12 year old than a 19 year old. I like Kim Go eun as an actor and she does a good job here as well, but it's more about how the character is written. I don't get why they didn't just age her up? Go Eun was like 24-25 during filming, there was no reason for her to be 19. They could just have made her a university student and written her in a more mature way and the plot would still make sense. Because of this, the main couple just have 0 chemistry, they act more like very fond siblings.
- Some of the editing and camerawork was a bit iffy at times, not a huge issue for me though.
- The ending seemed a bit rushed.

To be honest, this was a pretty difficult show for me to score, so I settled for an 8/10, even though I was planning on giving it a 7.5/10 first. Goblin for me is a show with a lot of great aspects that do a lot of heavy lifting for the show, but also some critical downsides. I did enjoy this show overall and felt emotionally invested in the characters. Do I get why this is one of the most popular k-dramas ever? yeah I can see it. Is it one of the best k-dramas in terms of entertainment and quality? No, absolutely not. Does it live up to the hype for me? Unfortunately, I can't say that it does, but it's still a steller k-drama.

Leggi di Più

Some good, a lot of bleh

This is one of those shows that hook you in the beginning, only to end of nowhere with the story. I'm not gonna lie, the last 6 episodes I only had on in the background as white noise, just so I could say that I finished it. Which is a shame because I genuinely really liked the first couple of episodes. The characters seemed interesting, they had good chemistry and it just seemed like a simple and fun k-drama. However about half way through, the plot takes a bit of a turn and just turned into a boring nothing story. It seemed so forced and like the writers didn't have any idea how to make the story interesting anymore. I wished that they had instead focused more on Yoon Ahs character and built the relationship more slowly, instead of rushing it.
Don't get me wrong though, I mostly enjoyed the drama and could see the appeal for it. If you just wanna see pretty people fall in love in a simple, light-hearted k-drama you will probably enjoy it. I though the cast did a serviceable job with the relatively flat storyline they had to work with.

Leggi di Più

Don't mess with my parents!

Moving is at heart, a family drama. Yes, it has a lot of action, supernatural elements and romance as well. But the heart of the drama is the family dynamics, it's what glues everything together. This is a must see for all kdrama lovers, I think everyone can find something they love about it. Warning though; it can be very gory sometimes (had to look away more then once). I'll go into detail down below with what I loved and what could have been done better.

What I loved:
- The acting/casting was great all around, not just from the main cast but also from the supporting cast.
- The romance; it was just done so well. It wasn't sleazy or forced. It all made sense to the overall story. Just *chef's kiss*.
- The dynamics where indeed dynamicing. Especially between Mihyun & Doo shik. Like they really just made a more interesting love story in 2 episodes than 99% of these other kdramas do in 16 episodes.
- Loved the last few episodes. They where able to built up the tension, I was glued to the TV. The ending was also satisfying. The show doesn't need a second season (but I want one, and I can see opportunities for it)
- Moving treats ALL it's characters with love, even all the villains gets backstories.
- Music is just great all around
- Good and fun action scenes. I tend to find action scenes a bit boring sometimes, if there are longer, but that didn't happen with Moving.
- Lee Mi Hyun!


What I loved less (and the reason its not a 10/10 for me):
- The show has a few episodes in the middle that dragged on a bit too long for me. I wasn't super interested in the whole gang stuff, even though I loved the character of Joo Won, his backstory was the least intriguing.
- Wished the show wasn't as "cut up" into parts. I kinda forgot about the kids at certain points, because we had not seen them in so long.
- More of a want from my part, but I just wished we could have seen EVEN MORE of the dynamics between the characters in the present day. It was just too good. Literally the reason why I want a second season.

Leggi di Più

Squid Games meets Hunger Games meets The Bachelor meets...

I stumbled upon this show whilst scrolling through netflix a few months back and thought it seemed interesting and like a quick watch. I had basically zero expectations for this show but damn I was surprised, as I had fun with this drama. Firstly, I thought the flow of the show worked well, it didn't take too long to pick up the pace and it didn't drag either. I thought the acting was good, the set design was fun (obviously extremely inspired by Squid game), I liked the side couples probably more than the main couple. The world building is definitely a bit confusing and under-baked. However I didn't really expect much from a 6 episode rom-com drama. If you're looking for the show to actually dive deep into it's own world building and potential social etc issues and make some kind of deep parallel analysis to the real world, this show is probably not for you. If you're looking for a fun rom-com that just happens to take place in a dystopian universe, you will probably have fun with this show.

Leggi di Più

Heartwarming & Heartbreaking

What a gem of a show. Beautiful in every way. Firstly, I loved the cinematography of this drama, my eyeballs where blessed. The acting, music, story, well most things just works in this drama. Emotionally, its so devastating, yet it warms your soul all at once. It's kinda difficult to explain what works in this drama, so I will keep this part short. It's just..very good. I do have some minor issues with the drama, but they aren't really major flaws.

Some of the flaws:
My main issue with the drama is not necessarily what was shown, but what wasn't. I would have loved the drama to focus more on the dynamic change between Geu Roo and Sang Gu towards the end. I feel like they didn't have a clear conclusion to what was at the end, the main story of the drama. Moreover, since the show kinda reaches it's climax during episode 8 (imo), I almost feel like they could have spent more time on the uncle's story. As much as I enjoyed to watch the whole father/family storyline at the end, I feel like they could have incorporated that storyline more early on, and not dedicated the 2 last episodes just for that.

Overall, Move to Heaven is a brilliant drama. I would recommend everyone to watch this!

Leggi di Più

Took me by suprise!

Unlike most other kdramas I watch, I went into Daily Dose of Sunshine with zero expectations. I literally just watched the short Netflix trailer and started watching. I also hadn't seen anyone talk about this drama so I basically knew nothing about how it was received either. And let me tell you, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this.

The highlight of the drama for me was the friendships between the staff. My favorite scenes was honestly when they where all gathered. Overall I really enjoyed all side-characters in this drama. The show didn't actually focus too much on the romance, which was fine by me. I did really enjoy both romantic couples in this though, nothing dragged on for too long, and there was no over-dramatic moments.

Now when it comes to how the show handles mental health, I actually think they did a decent job. Look, mental health in real life is bleak, boring and never progresses linear in anyway, and no one wants to see that on screen. Yes, the show deals with mental health in a very surface level way and certain things in the show doesn't really make that much sense. But i'll still give some probs for at least giving it a go and clearly at least caring enough to give a somewhat good representation of it.

One thing that I didn't love about the show was the main female character. Now, I didn't dislike her necessarily, but she was a bit too "I'm just a uwu nice girl that never wants to hurt even a bugs feelings". There where certain points in the show where I just wanted to scream in her face to grow a backbone tbh.

Overall, this was just such a nice evening show to watch. Filled with both sad and euphoric moments, there wasn't a boring moment in this show for me. It does have some flaws, but nothing major in my eyes. If I could, I would give this show a 8.3/10, but will have to settle for a 8.5/10.

Leggi di Più

Just me and my totally normal uncle

A very tightly written and directed drama, full of action and suspense, with a hint of found family...and actual family. I'm not really gonna go into the plot because I think you just have to see how everything unfolds for yourself. Down below is everything I liked and likes less.

Why this is one of the best dramas of the past few years:
- A very tightly written plot, which keeps the suspense through-out the show. The drama kept me engaged from start to end, no unnecessary scenes or side-plots. Everything was directly connected to the main plot. The drama is also well paced, which is a big beef I have with Korean dramas in general.
- Actually interesting action scenes.
- Yes, the show is violent and I had to turn my head a few times. However, I didn't find the gore/violence excessive or for chock value. There where a few scenes where they decided not to show it, and these turned out to be some of the most powerful scenes (SLIGHT SPOILER: the scene with the women in the cell, and us just seeing Jinman's is the prime example of this)
- Acting was very good. I'm was very impressed by Lee Dongwook in this, best role I've seen him in and makes me wanna go back to some of his earlier dramas.
- Good use of sound affects and score, which is always critical to a suspense thriller.
- Loved the use of space. I felt like i was in there with them. I usually don't like when movies and shows only takes place in one place. Here though, the house just felt so big, yet intimate. Very well done. I also feel like the flashback scenes helped with this.
- PASIN!


Why it's not a 10/10 for me:
- I would say that the first half is slightly better than the second half. Generally pretty even though.
- Jian as the main character does a serviceable job, I didn't dislike her by any means, however i felt that her development through-out the show was non-existing. She was presented in the beginning as a young, yet street-smart character women but somehow that didn't come through later in the show. Maybe this was just my personal expectations of her as a character, and maybe we will see more of this in a future season.
- Super small point, but something I though about when watching, was how the episodes was weirdly cut off.
- More off a note than a personal critic, but the show ends with a lot of open-endings and questions. The reason why this doesn't bother me though, is because the talks of a second season. If you ask me, they very clearly had a second season in mind when making this show. However, I can see how some people found this frustrating, especially when it first aired.

To conclude, this is a very well made drama that will keep you glued to the tv for the entire runtime. It does have a few flaws as mentioned above and the show do lack an emotional punch that I would have liked, even though that is usually very difficult to achieve in this sort of drama with this few episodes. A very strong 9/10 for me!

Leggi di Più