I just finished To Be a Better Man. In my country it was released in increments of 6 episodes every weekend so I was able to binge this drama in small amounts at a time. This drama revolves around the meaning of love present and love past. It is a engaging and enigmatic drama that is both visually stimulating as well as emotionally stimulating. You will laugh, cry and have all the feels you can handle in 42 episodes. All of the actors are amazing. The OST is absolutely stunning. I am still in awe over this drama and this review is very lacking as compared to my other reviews but before you stop reading, just know that if you enjoy melo or if this is your first Chinese drama, do not be afraid of the length. Go for it. Just try it out. You will be in for a great surprise. Rewatch value is low for me because as usual, I dont rewatch dramas. Not even my very favorite ones. TBABM will tear your heart out and then sew it back up. Must watch. By the way, my kids even would hum the soundtrack ... its super catchy!

Leggi di Più

First and foremost, I am not a very big historical drama fan. I have tried to watch several well-known sageuks and I havent found one to hold me and transport me. SWWTN did all of this for me and then some. There are so many dramas that dont get close enough to the feels that I want to see such as kissing at appropriate times, etc but yet again SWWTN did this for me. I am so so so glad I decided to give this one a try. I wanted so badly to fall in love with it. I had very high hopes for it and it hit a spot in me to make it my new number 1 drama

If you like vampires in the sense of brutality and also on the side of romance, this drama is for you. Do not expect to see a whole lot of some actors and expect a second lead syndrome if you are a LSH fan. I walked into this as LSH fan, and came out a LGG fan! I highly suggest looking into the Manwha before watching this, it may tell a lot about the story, characters and show uncanny resemblances to the actors they chose to portray this awesome story.

I am glad I didnt watch it when it was airing. If I had, I think I might have thought it draggy in some places. Considering I binged it in a matter of a couple of days, it was much easier for me to enjoy the story without worrying too much about it dragging.

Please give this drama a chance. It is very underrated for 2015!

Leggi di Più

First of all, I love this entire series. If you have a hard time finding it, they are English subbed on You Tube. Secondly, I am not sure what people are looking for when they watch these, but being American I know all too well about the flakiness and bad horror. Its a part of our culture to not really be scared, but to just enjoy the genre. I enjoy Asian horror because it is much more intense and fun than a lot of American movies, IMO and this one is no exception. This entire series is fun. I suggest watching them all in sequence so you can see how great they are!

By the way, I dont rewatch any move or drama, which is why it has a low score. Enjoy!

Leggi di Più

Innocent Man, Nice Guy.

This is a very touching tale of young romance that leads into adult obsession and eventually tragedy and thankfully, back to normality for the characters. I give this drama an overall 10, and it is posted as one of my favorites of all time.

It took me a while to watch this drama. It came out almost 4 years ago, and I could not begin to watch as I watched Queen of Ambition a while ago, and I will admit - IM does immitate QOA with story line on the first episode, but if you keep going - and watch it for its own story and not think too hard about it, it wont be anything to really compare to.

I normally am not at all upset about Drama Cliches, as I love KDramas and the "fresher" they are, sometimes means they arent as fresh - the cliches to me are what make the drama whimisical, sweet and its a way for the writers to "reset" a lot of the story lines and go a different direction. I give the story a 9.5 only because the cliche goes double in this drama and although I think the first part was needed, the second time around made it hard to follow. You will see what I mean when you get to the end of the drama. I dont want to spoil it! The ending was a bit confusing. I am not the type of fan to dig too deep into the meanings, as a lot of these dramas are made to be good fun that dont require much digging. However, on episode 20 I began to wonder what the writers were trying to do. Its ok, I can easily look over it and see its as one of my favorite dramas.

The acting was superb. I became a MCH fan after this drama and I will be looking into her other work. I was also impressed by the acting by the former Miss Korea. I thought she did a great job, and she is very different to look at than a lot of other Korean actresses, so I was intrigued and enjoyed watching her. I also became a fan of SJK. I started the drama and thought, how is this cute, easy going guy going to convince me that he can be any kind of a jerk? Rest assured, his acting is superb and is now one of my favorite actors.

As with most dramas that are not airing, I binged watched this one. Very glad I didnt watch it when it was on air, as it would be have been took much to have to wait weekly for a new episode! I highly recommend this drama and that you binge watch it. Keep an open mind, heart and be prepared for a wonderful story!

Leggi di Più

I doubted this drama at first. It wasn't my usual brooding revenge or sad love story. I put it in hold twice even though both leads are some of my favorite actors. Boy am I glad I have it a shot and saw it to the end! It was so worth it. They made the story short and sweet with 16 episodes. They did everything right.

Furthermore, it has a lot of sexual overtones and may not be ideal for younger viewers, however it's all tied in perfectly with the lives of 30 something's sharing their lives. The romance that develops is perfect, sweet, pure and true. You watch and feel like you're falling in love. The comedic tones of the characters are just right and always when it needs to be, which was great for someone like me who hasn't seen a drama who could master that yet. The seriousness in this drama is toned down with the power of LOVE. I suggest everyone give this a serious try.

As for the OST, I was a skeptic as you can see from my comments below, but even if you prefer traditional Korean music in your dramas like myself, they did this so all that at the end you end up singing half of the songs.

Over all, this drama gets a 10 from me all around!

Rewatch value is low for me only because I don't want to ruin my emotions and see it again, but I'm sure others might!

Leggi di Più

I absolutely loved the actress from Oh My Ghostess and K-SNL, KSG. She is a riot in everything she is in. Plus, she is the size of a young girl, so she is absolutely adorable in anything she wears and all rolls she plays. In this drama she is a high school student who doesnt have a purpose in life. She wishes to be swept away to a far away land on a very important day for her, academically. She finds herself splashing her way (hence, splash splash) to Josean where she turns her academically challenged thoughts of herself into a scholar as naturally, no one has any idea on modern thoughts. Living their lives in superstition and neo confuscionism, this fresh breath of air appears out of nowhere in the most hilarious of ways and the cute drama short takes on from there. I give this drama a 10 because for two episodes, it packs it nicely into what you want to see and when you want to see it. They could have turned this into a normal 16-24 episode drama, no problem. However, to keep it clever, I like that it is only 2 episodes. In my opinion, it makes it rewatchable. However, I have yet to ever (which, that has been a very long time) rewatch a drama. A general rule of thumb for me, is I like the feels the first time and I do not need them again. I like to savor what I have seen and preserve it. That way rewatching it doesnt do much to change that initial impact. But, I digress. For the short duration of the drama, the OST was cute and thanks to Viki I know what the words actually meant. Very cute, very original. Overall, this drama earns a 10 from me, and unless I hated a drama or absolutely love a drama, I generally do not review it. :-) Hope this helps!

Leggi di Più

I started watching this drama around 2 years ago. I was never at a place to where I could finish it. It took me about 2 years to watch episode 1-8. However, I was at a place where I was needing this drama and I was able to binge watch it in a few days time.

First off, the child actors (familiar faces we see throughout most dramas during this time period) is absolutely SUPURB. They portray realistic acting during a really serious and sad time in their childhood lives. The story starts out very dark and emotional, so if you are not able to watch those kinds of scenes, then I suggest you skip this drama because you need to watch them in order to continue the rest of the drama and be able to keep up.

I do suggest not waiting as long as I did to get through the episodes because it took a while for my mind to refresh the story in order to understand the later episodes.

The story is fresh, heart-wrenching, and emotionally draining. However, it is in typical Melo fashion and I LOVE melos. If you dont like them, or are iffy, dont watch this one. It is VERY melo and it isnt suitable for all audiences.

Cast is excellent. I didnt care for the two main adult leads in the beginning, but after a while they grew on me and it all comes together. They are great actors and fit their parts very, very well. They also did a great job on the child actors. They are believably the same person as they grow up. That doesnt happen as much as it should in a lot of dramas. I am sure its hard to find.

The OST is great. It really fits. I give it a because if I hear it on my Spotify (web based radio), I turn it up in the car (and look all crazy).

I give the rewatch value a 2. I dont rewatch dramas, period. Not even my favorite ones, or the ones that are light. I just cant. Never have and I probably never will unless there is a drama shortage and I have to watch the same ones over and over again. However, for those that do rewatch dramas, I dont suggest it. Unless the emotions you felt make you want to see it and you cant get those from another drama. Otherwise, I would just watch this one once, savor their moments and move on. It isnt a light drama therefore rewatching it might cheapen and and I wouldnt suggest that!

Overall, I give this drama a 10. I gave it a 7.5 for 2 years because it never really clicked with me and It was hard for my to get into. I contemplated dropping it for a long time. However, the mood was just right and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I highly suggest this drama to those who need a good, emotional piece that will keep you hooked for many reasons. I know the reason I wasnt hooked - I just wasnt in the mood for this. But, when you get in the mood - it will suck you in and keep you there until you cant be kept any longer! It is original, emotional, sad, agonizing and yet you cant look away when youre hooked.

I hope this helped! Enjoy Missing You, I Miss You!

Leggi di Più

Ok. I had this in my Hulu+ queue for a very long time. I got around to watching it after I had watched a romance melo and needed a good revenge drama to set things straight.

This drama had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I binge watched this show so quickly it was like I watched an entire episode in 20-or-so hours.

I barely know where to being. I fell in love with UTW. Ive seen him in other dramas (The Devil) and he has never been so sexy and so passionate than in Equator Man. I thought at first the portrayal of him being blind with his eyes rolling around was TOO makjang (and I rarely put those two words in a row) but after a while I figured it all out.

The imagery was out of this world, the love story to me was just impeccable. I rarely see two characters in a drama that honestly push me to romantic motion but -- this one did it for me. To see when the main character gets his revenge feels like you are actually there.

This is an amazing drama and I suggest everyone to watch it. It needs mature viewers as there really is no comedy, nothing cutesy. Its gritty, its sad, its moving. One of my favorite dramas of all time.

PS, the OST has no words but is honestly the best one i've heard in a very long time.

Leggi di Più

Golden Rainbow as written by your..... Queen of *Makjang*! I would like to think I am an expert in this department, or I would not title myself as such!

On the Makjang scale of Makjang, this one is a 10. So, if you are not a fan.. please move on. This 41 episode wont keep you engaged, despite how much our Lee Jae Yoon's muscles wish to squeeze from this clothes, Uee's cuteness makes us squish, or Jung Il Woo smiles makes you swoon.

All of that being said, it has our classic young actors in the younger years and for several episodes. It always does something special to me when I see these young poeple together. If they are cast, you can generally know its going to be a great Makjang that will make to my 10's list. But, to each their own.

I binged this show in between kids, school and work but, I made it in a few day's time. There are some cute little side characters and comic relief. But, for the most part, this is a very, very serious drama.

There is heartbreak, insufferable characters, smiles, cries and all the like in this drama from start to finish. It will take a great comedy to get me out of this drama being over. Once again, I have made a few friends in this drama and the characters are going to last me a lifetime.

Cheers to everyone involved in this drama. It made my heart sing. In close, if you are a fan of deep Makjang such as I am, please watch this from start to finish. No fast forwarding. Only rewinding. <3

Leggi di Più

The start of this amazing drama has a lot of familiar faces we have grown to love seeing together that are the usual "child stars". I love seeing each of these great "kids". They are amazing actors and actresses, so whenever I see them start in a drama as the "child" I just know its going to be a good drama, as their agents have done them a solid and only cast them in wonderful dramas that I dig. That being said, the buildup is several episodes. It took me longer than the average amount of time (1 year) to get past episode 4, however when I finally did - the rest flew by in 3 days (I also work full time! lol). Please do not read through any comments and allow them to sway you from watching this real gem of a drama.

With a splash of the metaphysical and a splash of reality, this drama combines perfectly. The storyline is one that I dont want to describe because I truly feel watching it all the way through is the best way to give it justice. I cheat sometimes and read Dramabeans, as I love her reviews but even for this one - I just allowed myself to watch and not read blogs until after. This drama has a merry-go-round of several lives and to watch the rise and fall is beyond captivating. I am glad I didnt watch it when it was airing, as I would have died to watch each week! Binge this one, you wont be disappointed.

The cast? Just, wow. Unlike others - I liked the casting of the female lead. I think what they were trying to prove with her and her acting, is how demure, well-kept and classy the child actress was/is. I think they tried the best they could to not fit the child with the adult, but the adult with the child. Its hard to find strong likeness, as each of those actors have their own striking features, which is why they are the go-to veterans of the drama world when it comes to child actors (not child so much anymore, hey guys? Almost adults now, but ive been watching you all for a long time!) Lets get real, having LSH and JIW is a dream match up. That is an easy sell. Seeing LSH in the gonryongpo has me sold before I even know what the drama is about. There is eye-candy galore. As usual, the palace is amazing and they throw in a the Korean Heritage Location several times. Cool.

Music - long before I saw this drama, I had the ringtone to the main song as my alarm tone. So, everytime I heard it - I thought it was time for work. lol. At any rate, its very classy, catchy and I like that they didnt overdo it with the OST. Simple, classic. Nice.

Rewatch? Well, I have yet to this day ever rewatch a drama. I dont care if its my number 1 or 10. Never. Not even a movie. So, to me this is a 1. If I could go lower I would, as it is N/A for me. However, I am not sure id recommend it anyway as rewatch so I would still go with 1-4 if trying to sell someone else on it.

Do yourself a favor and watch this drama. It was all the rage when it was airing, and it still is - 3 years later. Still cant believe its taken me this long to watch and/or complete but. Glad I did. If you dont think you can get into Sageuk, I say watch another gateway before this one. However, its in the top 5 for Sageuks to watch when you are a historical beginner. :-)

Leggi di Più

I have bot found a real depiction of everlasting love in a drama to date. Usually dramaland is full of unreal depictions and expectations. Which is why I thibk I vsn speak for a lot of us and say, it is that way.

Alot of people are real worried about focusing on the wrong things in this drama. I also think you have to be at a certain point in your life to enjoy this drama. I thi k that particular audience is who the drama is for.

That being said, it has been a hot minute since you've seen a review from me so here goes :

Story: as we age, we don't all fit into a particular cookie cutter life. That is the one depicted here. Pretty Noona is now attracted to what she loves in a man and it happens to be in a younger man. Younger man is mature enough to go back yond cultural, familial and societal pressures to be with her. Will she be able to handle it? Watch and see.

Acting/cast: they did the right thing and found two beautiful people who honestly were attracted to one another and it showed theough their acting. This made the drama unbelievably real and very easy to watch.

Music: as an American, I had enough of "stand by your man" to fill my life. Bad choice. However, the sweet melody song made me cry ecerytime it was played. So, excellent choice.

Rewatch: the drama is light and sweet enough to play at night while sleeping but I doubt I'd sit through the whole thing again.

Overall: 10. This is one of my new favorites. These characters walked right into my heart and I know I will be thinking of them for a very long time. A++

Leggi di Più

If you love both Japan and South Korea, this is your movie! What a delightful collaboration. We have suspenseful thriller between that develops entirely through the movie. If you are looking for the translation in English, you can watch in its entirety on Drama Fever. You do need to sit down and watch it without any distractions, as it can be hard to follow for some viewers. However, when the story comes to complete fruition, 00:00:00:00, you will gain complete appreciation.

Music gets a 5 only because well, there isnt really an OST. Its just instrumental, albeit wonderful instrumental.

This all around gets 9.5 for me. It is an amazing movie that I suggest everyone check out!

Leggi di Più