BlueberryMuffin
out & about
THIS C-DRAMA IS ***PERFECTION***
This is the most perfect Chinese drama that I have ever watched. I loved every moment of it. It has only been a week since I completed it and I already want to re-watch it!Why is it sooooo perfect?
1.) THE CAST was gorgeous. Zhao Lusi, Chen Zhe Yuan and Victor Ma, brought this drama to life in such an enjoyable and aesthetic way. The sibling chemistry, the couple chemistry, and the bromance chemistry was amazing all around.
2.) THE PACING. I cannot stress this enough. A lot of C-Drama often fail to catch my interest because they tend to drag and this mainly has to do with the pacing of major events in the drama. With 'Hidden Love,' on the other hand, everything unfolded beautifully, there was NEVER a moment where I was bored, there was something to look forward to with every episode. This is the first time I didn't want this to end, and I even wanted the drama to be longer than 25 episodes.
3.) SANG ZHI, which was Zhao Lusi's character, exceeded my expectations and gave me hope that other C-drama heroines could be just as fantastic. I liked that Sang Zhi was quick witted, intellectually sound, and that she never did anything cringe to express her affections towards Chen Zhe Yuan's character Duan Jiaxu. She kept her cards close to her chest and was smart about how she faced her one-sided crush as a teenager. I love that she understood how to keep things appropriate as a kid/teen and simply wrote her secrets down rather than making things awkward by confessing. I also like there are distinct changes in her way of talking, demeanor, clothing style and behavior as she ages so she doesn't remain feeling like a little girl as the drama progresses. There is a confidence/determination to her as an adult that is sooo charming in her character.
4.) AGE GAP! Given that the plot of the drama is a semi-forbidden romance between a younger girl and older man, the writers did a great job NOT making Duan Jiaxu creepy and inappropriate. I enjoyed the fact that he never saw her as anything other than a little sister until she was a grown woman. Even when they finally got into a relationship their communication on the matter of their experiences in dating and their age gap was a welcome conversation between them. Green flags, truly.
5.) VICTOR MA. I need him to be a male leading his own drama, immediately. He does amazing as the role of the older brother, but he has all the makings for a great male lead. He was funny and believable in all his scenes. I also just have to mention how FINEEEE he is, he was enjoyable to watch in every scene he was in.
6.) MAIN COUPLE ONLY. One of my biggest pet peeves with C-dramas is that they consistently use a second lead couple to fill out their episodes and I am never interested in their story lines. Thankfully, 'Hidden Love,' focuses primarily on Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu. There is a teensy bit of second lead romance going on towards the end, but not enough to detract from the plot or the ML & FL's relationship. More C-dramas need to adopt this format going forward because personally I find it significantly more engaging.
7.) BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND. I didn't know that this was a trope that I would thoroughly love, until watching this drama. I need more dramas about girls falling in love with their older brother's best friends, because I ate it up in this drama. The overprotectiveness from the brother was adorable, and the anticipation of him finding out once they got in a relationship was just EVERYTHING, I could not get enough.
8.) NO GIMMICKY COMEDY. If you've watched C-dramas as long as I have you probably know the difference between a drama that is playing up the comedy aspect and ones that feel more natural/realistic in their interpretation of funny moments. 'Hidden Love," is a blend of both with all the right characteristics, the comedy wasn't gimmicky or annoying but relatable and genuinely got a laugh out of me. It also had its moments of really bringing you into the tense melodramatic scenes without feeling overwhelmingly heavy with tension and anxiety. It was perfect in its execution of each character interaction, and this enhanced the viewing experience immensely.
9.) CINEMATOGRAPHY. Beautifully shot, especially Zhao Lusi she looks absolutely flawless in this drama. There is quality to every scene and it definitely makes the drama that much more addicting. You simply cannot detach your eyes from the screen.
Please watch it. It was absolute perfection in my humble opinion. I never rewatch dramas and I'm itching to rewatch this one. You won't regret it. Its officially my favorite C-drama .
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If you like torturing yourself, have at it.
I think I set myself up for failure with this drama. I waited patiently to binge this show and was met with a twinge... of disappointment. Perhaps I over hyped it up in my head? Don't get me wrong it was certainly cute, but it wasn't lacking in its ability to give me a headache with the absolutely ridiculous way some things were written. I mean......c'mon there is only so much evil a girl can take.So what were the issues for me?
1. Strong start full of intrigue that ended up feeling up like a major 'catfish' in the end. I think this drama was not paced well, a lot of the important moments happened very early on in the drama and left the middle and end feeling lack luster.
2. The male lead. Visuals? All there. Romance? Not really babes. I liked how he was not afraid to be emotional during really trying times, but I felt like he didn't add to his relationship to the FL (she was soooo cute btw). It was like the drama would create a cute moment b/t the ML and FL and then it was over and BLAH. It was not lasting and honestly I was more invested in his medical issues that his portrayal of his love for the FL. Sad tbh because they looked stellar together.
3. The romance. I usually pride myself in being able to read between the lines and follow subtle cues that indicate the building of a budding romance, but if I am being frank there were something cute going on in the beginning that simmered out in the middle episodes and then felt like it was dumped onto the ending. I could not distinguish where the leads started catching feelings and where they definitely fell in love, especially the ML. I am sad to say that the romance felt like an after thought overshadowed by unnecessary IMO villains in the show and other added issues.
4. Tons of villains and no justice! Like actually I was aghast at this part of the drama. Elise (ML's ex gf and bff apparently) was detestable, committed crimes, lacked common sense, was dubbed terribly and just WOW! Elise was the most horrible drama villainess I have encountered in a long time and never gets her karma, which was all the more frustrating. The doctor who helped Elise because he had a crush on her was equally as despicable, I am dumbfounded by how he escaped it all unscathed. The third villain, the FL's own cousin was also aggravating to watch, so mean and hateful for really no reason because she gave the go ahead on the the situation that made her angry in the end. She at the very least had some karma come her way. Then there was 'little cheater' Victor, who truthfully should have been disqualified the first round for what he did, it made me want to slap him through the screen. UGH! Boris(ML's old friend turned enemy and the cousin's mentor) was also annoying but he had a successful turn around by the end of the drama, so I am more forgiving of his character. But jeez, all of these damn villains and they took up like 80% of the screen time with all of their schemes, hardly was there any time for the ML and FL. The amount of skipping I was doing to watch the best parts was ungodly, I almost gave up half way through. It was all too much, it made me question whether or not the leads would even have a semblance of happiness in the end.
5. WHY DID NOBODY SAY ANYTHING!!! The amount of times the villains did something to the main leads and nobody would say anything about it. No disqualifications from the cooking competition, reporting illegal activity to the police, speaking up to defend themselves, or even direct scolding. It made my blood boil. So many opportunities to put an end to the madness and make those in the wrong pay for their distasteful actions and nothing. Believe me I was seething through the majority of this drama.
Redeeming Qualities:
1. The FL, played by Song Zu Er was so enjoyable to watch. She was cute, funny, and had a toughness to her. I first saw her in
"To Fly With You," a drama about ice sports and set on a college campus; I was a fan immediately. TFWY has become a fav C-drama for me and I highly recommend it over this one. Her acting here was good but the story line was just a whole mess unfortunately. I look forward to her future projects.
2. The background music was lovely. Several songs were added to my playlist. I highly recommend looking up the OST or Shazaming as you watch.
3. The food p*rn was top notch, it was delicious to watch. Made me mad hungry every episode.
4. The cute parts with the main leads were so sweet and almost made all the frustrating parts disappear from my mind. Their pairing was so visually pleasant. ( I recommend just looking up clips of the fluffy parts and sparring yourselves the agony of the drama tbh.)
If you like torturing yourself through makjang type dramas and crave lots of villain screen time this is the drama for you! I think this drama would have been amazing if the writing was better, there was too many characters to hate and the unpleasant moments outweighed the cuteness and romance that was supposed to be between the leads. In theory its a riveting drama, but laid out in front of me, I was left feeling like I wasted lots of time. I wish that it measured up to expectations more given how much time I invested in it. I am a generous rater so I won't say it was deplorable or give it less than a "6" bc it did make my heart flutter every once in a while and was still watchable....for the most part (skip the middle eps honestly). I will never rewatch this, it stressed me out far too much but I will look out for more works by the ML and FL.
*I author this with respect to all participating actors, actresses, directs, screen writers, etc., these are simply my opinions nothing more and nothing less*
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On Behalf of The Nam Do San (Scroll Down for More)
Okay, so I decided to write a review because before I even watched the drama I heard all about how unhappy some viewers were with the final pairing. For those who have not watched it and are apprehensive due to the influx of negativity spewed at So Dal Mi's outcome, I would like to encourage you to give this unique drama a shot.*SPOILERS BEWARE* (read at your own discretion)
THE STORYLINE:
First and foremost, the basic story line of this drama goes as follows; So Dal Mi grows up scarred from tragedy and parental disputes to rival her older sister Won In Jae in a new career of entrepreneurship.
In the midst of her childhood and dealing with the unfortunate events that led to her living with her grandmother, she makes an unlikely friend under the name Nam Do San, a supposed math genius and prize winner. She spends an entire season writing back and forth with him until one day the letters simply stop.
In present day, adult So Dal Mi finds herself in a compromising position that she believes will only be solved by reconnecting and finally meeting her first love, Nam Do San, in person. What she does not know is that the Nam Do San she searches for only exists on paper and was the creation of her grand mother and an orphan by the name of Han Ji Pyung.
To conceal this secret from So Dal Mi, her grandmother works with Han Ji Pyung who she recently meets again, to find the real Nam Do San ; because as luck would have he does exist. The rest of the story can be described as a quest for So Dal Mi to discover the truth and find the person she actually has feelings for, all the while working towards the success of her start up.
MY THOUGHTS:
If you're like me and you don't mind spoilers, in fact your seek them out to ensure your sanity is intact by the end of a drama then I hope my next words are helpful.
So Dal Mi ends up with Nam Do San ( THE REAL ONE)
Now, a lot of people might disagree with me but I think that they were a good fit for each other. Think about it they gave each other the confidence to succeed and take risks that alone they would never have dreamed of attempting. The SDM and NDS pairing felt right and natural to me, I liked their partnership in business and in a romantic sense. NDS was a type of male character I feel we do not see often, he was sensitive, absolutely adorable, open and often times dimwitted but in an endearing way. (I think Nam Joo Hyuk did a phenomenal job playing Nam Do San, this has become one of my favorite male characters out of all the dramas I have watched, it was just so convincing and refreshing, I hope he does more roles like this in the future.) I think he complimented SDM's character who was seasoned in hiding herself and protecting her heart because of the hardships and cruelty she had already endured as a teen/child.
I DON"T think Han Ji Pyung and So Dal Mi could have been more than friends.
I will admit in the beginning I did get the impression that ultimately Han Ji Pyung would end up with So Dal Mi, but as the story progressed it became more obvious to me that it was actually NDS who had her. In my opinion he did not try hard enough until it was too late to approach her. He was always at a distance stopping himself and denying what he truly felt. I think this stemmed from his life as an orphan, but regardless his lack of efforts to peruse her eventually worked against him. Also when I thought about how a relationship between SDM and HJP would be, it did not seem like they would mesh well, I don't think that their characters's could have added to each other in any way. Besides this, it also occurred to me that HJP only began developing feelings for SDM after her grandmother asked him for the favor of materializing the real NDS, to help SDM. Had the grandmother never re-entered his life, and made such a request that would put him at close proximity with SDM again I don't believe he would have reached out to her on this own accord or even thought about starting a romantic relationship with her. Truly I just think they were not meant to be, what HJP really needed was a family to connect with emotionally, not a romantic relationship with SDM.
*This was written to share my opinions and NOT as a way to disrespect anyone who holds differing thoughts or any of the actors who anticipated in this drama, thank you.*
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I keep coming back......time and time again
There is something about dramas released in the late 2000s that have a hold on me. A long time ago I went through a phase where I was watching every single 2009 and later drama, and this one happened to come up on my feed. The story line is relatively simple, nothing overly thrilling but still intriguing.A chef meets a rookie determined to climb the ranks, and along they go on a cute and thoughtful journey riddled with bumps in the road, but with a bit of perseverance anything is possible!
So why do I always circle back to this seemingly ordinary drama?
1. Who doesn't love Gong Hyo Jin or Lee Sun Kyun? I love their acting styles and its no surprise they are big names in the K- drama world today. They are visually pleasant to watch, and their collaboration on screen is fantastic!
2. I enjoy dramas that take me through an occupation, even if it is overly exaggerated. I feel there is at least a speck of truth to their depictions and this keeps me interested. I can always go for a good chef drama.
3. For a drama from 2010, I like the progressiveness of the main leads relationship. Its not perfect by any measure , but I liked that the FL wasn't treated like a damsel in distress by the ML, instead I found him quite mean in the beginning. Over the course of the drama, I realized that his attitude was that way to push our main girl to her fullest potential. There were moments when he rescued her and all that, but in my opinion these scenes served to build their romantic relationship rather than to paint the FL as incompetent.
Overall, if you love a good chef story, you don't mind that this drama is over a decade old and you love the main leads this one is just right for you, I highly recommend. It is among the better few of dramas from the late 2000s. It's a charming kdrama that will fill you with ambition and happiness.
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I DIDN'T KNOW, forgive me <3 <3 <3
This is the first time I have EVER fully watched a Chinese fantasy drama and I am kinda mad I never gave one a chance before now. This is NOT my regular genre preference at all, I normally love modern c-dramas, specifically youth or school related types. I decided to watch, "Love Between Fairy and Devil," simply because I was curious about the casting for the main couple. I am so glad I decided to watch this because it was phenomenal! I cried and laughed the whole way through. If you've never watched a fantasy c-drama, I implore you to definitely try this one out there is so much intrigue, romance, and beautiful imagery. I loved this show so so much, and I have a bit of a drama hangover now that it's over.Things I LOVED:
1.) MAIN COUPLE. Esther Yu and Dylan Wang, were THE couple. I need them to have another drama, be it modern, youth, fantasy, historical or whatever genre, they have to be a drama couple again. This is a NEED, not a WANT. Their chemistry was electric and I ate every little interaction uppp!
2.) TROPES. The use of the "Grumpy/Sunshine" or "Good/Evil," trope was EVERYTHING. I didn't realize how much I like when the villain gets the girl. The amount of times I replayed all the scenes where DFQC swooped in to save our girl, was ridiculous. It was just so hot, I don't even know how to explain it.
3.) DYLAN WANG, did an an amazing job in this role. Whoever cast him knew what they were doing because I can't get over DongFang QingCang. He was evil yet adorable, like how is that even possible???
4.) HE STAYS DARK (kinda). Dongfang QingCang's character arch was perfect IMO. I really appreciate that they didn't make him become a fully pure hero, he gained his emotions, but he was still morally gray in some ways and I loved that.
5.)THE CURSE. I loved the use of the, "One Heart Curse." It offered great comedic relief in the beginning and later on it played a key role in the most tragic moments. Truly it can't even be called a curse because the amount of times they were able to save each other because of it was undeniable.
6.) ESTHER YU AS ORCHID, was the cutest thing ever, argue with the wall if you think otherwise. She was an adorable hyper girl, but I appreciated that she wasn't an idiot; she caught on to things pretty fast and was proactive. Go, little miss goddess, go!
7.) THE CGI was actually pretty beautiful especially in the Arbiter Hall and the Xilan Holy lands. This was something I was wary about going in, but after a couple episodes, I got used to it.
8.) THE STORY was not that complex, surprisingly. When I initially started watching I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to follow along very well, but they do a good job of not complicating things too much. There are a lot of smaller details that could be overlooked, but the main storyline never strays IMO.
THINGS I DIDN'T CARE FOR:
1.) JIELI. Omfg, I wanted to throttle her character so many times. She had so many opportunities to make better choices and she ALWAYS (except for one time), chose to be a backstabbing, greedy, annoying, thief. I also hated how self deprecating she was when confronted. The gaslighting was insane, her excuse every time was that she was the way that she was because of her tragic childhood. I understood her trauma in the beginning, but I quickly got sick of it, because after every time she was caught she threw it in everyone's faces for sympathy and forced understanding. She was an awful friend to Orchid too. Just annoying all around. No hate to the actress tho, she's beautiful and clearly played her character well.
2.) Honestly, hot take, but I felt that LADY CHIDI, was ultimately pretty useless. They all tried so hard to snatch up her primordial spirit, only for it not to be used in the end. My girl, Orchid is the one who saved everyone and righted all the wrongs. Lady Chidi's character could probably be cut out of the whole middle and end of the drama and you would still be able to understand the entire storyline. She was destined to die and should have stayed that way IMO.
3.) RANGHAO, wasn't just evil but very creepy. I couldn't get a good read on his true intentions. Was he in love with Lady Chidi? Did he see her as a mother figure? What exactly did he want after he revived her? It's hard to believe he became a murder for 30,000 years collecting "evil qi," just to play the gd flute for her, sword fight and keep her company for the rest of eternity. He was the character that confused me the most because he quickly went from typical villain to creepo real fast.
4.) ORCHID, should have had more fight scenes after realizing her true identity. That's my only complaint about her character, there was so much potential for her to become a super badass heroine. Her action scenes were mostly in the beginning with her basic plant fairy powers and at the very end with her recovered goddess powers. I kept waiting for her to unleash hell on all her enemies as a the Xishun Goddess, but it never came. I still loved her tho, this complaint is mainly directed at the writing of the story.
5.) THE LAST WEDDING SCENE. Basically the entire reason I watched this show was because I wanted to see DFQC crash Orchid and ChangHeng's immortal wedding, but I was a teensy bit disappointed that he didn't do it because he was jealous, but because he was possessed by TaiSui the evil spirit dude, he still looked hot tho with his extra evil makeover (white hair, completely black eyes and dark markings on his skin). The TikTok edits really got me with this one ngl.
6.) THE ENDING. WTF. What is this horrible new C-drama trend where the main couples have a happy ending, but its literally 3 minutes long (I actually timed it for this drama, out of curiosuity). So unjust, like honestly. On the one hand I am overjoyed that they could be together and in love again, but on the other hand I was pissed that we couldn't even get a glimpse at their future and more of their happiness. UGH. It was still sweet and made me cry happy tears, but after everything they went through they deserved so much more IMO. After proposing and beginning to plan it, I wish Orchid and DFQC could have had their own wedding scene :(
Watch this, its so amazing and I loved every second of the 36 episodes that were released. It was a great first Xianxia/Wuxia Chinese drama, I couldn't have asked for a better introduction into the genre. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to get into these types of dramas for the first time, as well. Don't be dissuaded by the length, it went by pretty quick because you get sucked in so much. I am normally a huge binge watcher, but I paced this one out because of the episode length over the course of one week and it was well worth it. I think giving myself more time allowed for better comprehension of the world building, story line and the many details explained along the way. Truly loved this one, and now I can't wait to start another fantasy
C-drama, I think this has sparked a new addition.
P.S. I would have given this drama a 10, if not for that ending. They needed a longer reunion, and I will never stop talking about this.
P.P.S. Prepare tissues for episodes 30-36 (especially ep.31) !!! I cried so hard my eyes literally swelled shut. You have been WARNED! (So worth it tho, it was a beautiful story so don't avoid it because of a couple of sad scenes, it was all amazing I swear.)
-A
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Accompany You To Fly By The Wind
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My Favorite type of C-drama
When I first started watching C-dramas I found myself not being able to finish them, simply put I dropped most at the half way point. I thought these habits would remain the same until I discovered sports themed C-dramas. There is something so enthralling about watching a protagonist physically fight for something they believe in. Of course there is adequate relationship and regular drama surrounding the main premise, but the sports parts are done so nicely it entices me to keep watching and root for the main leads. "To Fly with You," has quickly become my absolute FAVORITE sports C-drama for several reasons.So, what's so good about it?
1. The cinematography is superb. Everything looks so clear and vibrant, it was a real treat to the eyes.
2. The ML and Fl have amazing chemistry and the progression of their relationship is not painfully slow. I liked how easily they became aquatinted, supported each other, and were clear in communicating. I couldn't have asked for a more adorable coupling. I had a ball watching them interact.
3. I love a good jealous SFL; although cliche I quite like this trope and it was done well here. It wasn't overbearing but just enough to push the story along.
4. I love that the Fl was a sort of under dog that had to climb through the ranks of her short track speed skating team. Watching her work hard towards her goals, learn to work with a team and compete had me cheering her on (lol Ik this is a drama, but it was so much fun to relate to the characters).
5. The FL and ML's acting was so well done, by the end I was really sad to learn that their list of works were quite limited. I wish to see both as leads in more dramas.
What was kind 'ehhhh,' about it?
1. I did not get the mom of the FL, AT ALL. I feel like she was taking her opposition to the FL skating too far. I get that she got hurt, but all sports pose the risk of injury its was unfair to hold that over her daughter's head. She was quite dislikable before finally agreeing to letting the FL participate in the sport. Annoying really, glad it got better towards the later half of the drama tho.
2. Several times within the drama characters would refer to the college/school that the leads were attending and where they were participating in these sports at as like "low caliber," or would allude to it not being a renowned academic institution. This just made everything seem lousy, because it would suddenly feel like they were working towards insignificant goals. Honestly it was discouraging to hear and briefly broke the cute fantasy of it all.
3. Luo Xiao Yi and Coach Han!!!! Talk about rude and annoying. One was a brat practically until the and the other was corrupted; from favoritism to tricking the FL. Had me pulling at the hair on my head seriously!!!
All in all, it was a great sports drama. I loved almost everything, but hey every drama needs a little bit of a villain right? I highly recommend this drama to anyone that likes sports or school themes like I do. I especially encourage watching it to anyone looking to get into or having a tough time expanding their asian drama watching into C-dramas. This drama was easy to follow, had a great paring for main leads, was pretty to look at and overall adorable.
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Looking for FLUFF?
Honestly, I went into this not expecting much. Most C-dramas don't really do it for me. I also rarely ever make it to the end of them unless I am really determined to finish the drama(s) in question. This one however, is among the few that I enjoyed and successfully completed. Why thO?1. I am a sucker for both pretty/handsome main leads.
2. The fluff was overflowing!
3. I love a good cliche done right.
Like any drama it wasn't perfect, but Yin Si Chen and Gu XiXi really had some wonderful chemistry that kept me entertained and coming back for more. I loved the progression on their relationship, the exclusion of denial when they realized they had fallen for each other, and how natural their interactions were. It's not a drama that introduces anything mind blowing or relatively 'new,' but I can say with certainty that it does the classic drama must have moments quite well and to a standard that had me eager to view episode after episode. I was actually surprised to see a lot of low reviews, but I think this can be attributed to the fact that this C-drama isn't considered "ground-breaking" or frankly all that deep. It's cute, comforting, and familiar, which I often look for in my selections, as I prefer delving into dramas for the sake of good natured escapism: mindless watching if you will.
If you are looking for something to pass the time, feel good about, and not have to analyze too deeply, I think this drama fits your bill. A truly pleasant and nicely filmed watch, despite its conventionalism.
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I actually liked this drama :)
I initially did not want to watch this drama because of the several reviews and comments on here claiming it was a bore, disappointing, and lack luster. Fortunately, I chose to go ahead with it mainly because I really like Cha Taehyun and his acting and I was super curious about Krystal's performance. I was surprised by how much I was able to enjoy this, but of course I can't say this was a technically perfect drama, its a great bromance watch but not an overall deep plot.What I liked/loved:
-Seeing Jung Jin Young from B1A4 again was so fun! Also his acting performance was superb, I was eating up every word. Also can we talk about the type of main lead he took on, so refreshing! In this drama he plays a uninspired and dreamless high school senior and eventually college freshman with a sad past and many flaws. Watching this character learn and grow was relatable and quite humorous.
-Jung Jin Young and Cha Tae Hyun's bromance was everything, its not "romantic," but the beginning is hilarious to watch and it eventually becomes a touching relationship between sort-of mentor and mentee. I kept going though this drama just to watch their little moments. (Sidenote: Cha Tae Hyun makes a great senior detective, very convincing!)
-I loved to hate the character Park Min Kyu, omg! He was so annoying as the second male lead, but in my opinion I think it fit this role so I included it in this list. I liked that they eventually made him mellow out and become friends with the main male lead.
-Is no one going to talk about the setting? Correct me if I am wrong, but this is the first k-drama that takes places in a police university, which IMO was pretty cool! I love watching dramas that give me a better insight into different areas of South Korea, I realize this drama covers very broad topics and is likely an extremely dramatized and romanticized version of real life police schools and life in this country, but I still find it interesting and new to the k-drama world. (P.S. I know K-movies set in police universities exist, I am talking about specifically episode oriented k-dramas.)
-Despite the sensitive topics it covers like, death, adoption, and just serious crime in general, I appreciate that the drama strayed from creating an extremely depressing and gloomy atmosphere. For example the ML's back story was explained and came up through out the drama, but it was presented as an event that altered his life physically and psychologically but he's accepted it and is able to live on with the scars, and not as this incredibly painful and mentally destructive event. (I'm not trying to be insensitive here, what I am trying to say is that his 'sob story' wasn't milked til the last drop like I see in a lot of other dramas, it was a more realistic portrayal.)
What I did NOT love as much as the afore mentioned things:
- The mysterious corruption gambling investigation plot, at FIRST was fun. I liked watching the ML and his professor investigate, go on little detective sprees, and uncover all kinds of clues. HOWEVER, the mystery eventually became less and less engaging, I ended up wanting to watch more of the ML's school life and love life. Around episode 12 I was kind of over the whole "whodunnit?" bit I was ready for that to be over and to focus on the ML's growth and school problems. I don't agree with a lot of commenters that the drama should have been cut down, instead I think the way that certain clues were revealed should have been done differently. I think they let the viewers in on everything a little too early.
-Krystal's character towards the end made me reconsider the importance of her role all together. Don't get me wrong I loved her and the ML crushing on each other, becoming friends, each of their jealousy over the other and all that lovey-dovey stuff but as soon as she was clued into all the detective drama I started to dislike her. To keep it short, the ML was going to break a lot of school rules and put himself in a dangerous position to save his professor and her mom. Her character decided instead of helping him, she was going to stop him or impede him as much as possible and then eventually in the ML's most trying moments she breaks up with him. I hated this side of Krystal's character, I realized later that this was likely done to push the episodes along, but I was peeved that she literally went out of her way to stop him going so far and sticking Min Kyu on ML and his friends to get them in trouble, and the whole break up while the ML was struggling the most was just down right aggravating!!! They have a happy ending nonetheless but her behavior kind of killed the cutesy romance vibes I was loving between them.
-Lacking in the back story department. What I mean by this is that I felt several areas need further explanation but we never got that. One example of this is the ML's parents deaths, we don't get much more than a couple flashbacks in the beginning and then no further depth, which I thought might have been helpful in understanding the ML's behavior and personality better. I will say that this doesn't detract from the drama, but IMO would have been more helpful. The other place I thought a good flash back was needed was in the end when we find out who was behind the whole mystery corruption/gambling crime, as I write this I don't even remember the entire "why" aspect of it all, like what exactly was the purpose of this entire crime chain?? I wouldn't know. But like I said the school content was more interesting and substantial enough for me.
My Conclusion:
If you want a lighter kdrama watch, that focuses mainly on the ML's perspective and has a good mix of mystery and university drama this is definitely for you. The underlying plot of the corruption crime was great but faltered some towards the end, it was still watchable however. It was not disappointing IMO, I finished it thanks to the bromance, the interesting setting, and the growth of the ML. It was super fun to watch, made me laugh every episode, and didn't force me to think too hard about anything. The ending was also quite happy, if that matters to you, like it does me. Its a good mindless watch, I would suggest taking it slow and just relaxing with this one instead of winding yourself up in all the drama and mystery.
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Wisa vs. Noina
Overall this drama was a quick watch that made good on its promises of romance and comedy. I haven’t watched many Thai dramas so I can’t speak on how it compares to other titles, but it was certainly entertaining considering my regular gravitation towards c-dramas and k-dramas.It was formulated in a familiar way, but not incredibly predictable.
What was good about it?
1. The actresses and actors were all pleasant to look at, and I think I’ve found my favorite Thai actress in the main character “Ying Ying,” (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul or ‘Baifern’). Really beautiful and carried her character well.
2. The story line was perfect for all the hilarity that ensued. At the start BFFs Ying Ying and Noina were two peas in a pod, running into all kinds of trouble.
3. ‘Pang’ who was the older sister and ‘Paper’ the young nephew added lots of adorable and relatable moments that reflected what you see in a family. I enjoyed their scenes because they gave me a sense of what Thai relationships are like between sisters, family, and friends. Wholesome and cute!
What were the not so good parts?
1. NOINA!!!!!! Between her and Wisa who was the initial villain, I think Noina really takes the cake. At first the dynamic between Ying Ying and Noina was admirable; life long besties trudging through life together that shared an equal amount of craziness, BUT as things progressed it became painfully obvious how dislikable Noina’s character was. She never contributed anything to the big scheme to make Dr.Korn her husband and always messed the situation up. Now, this alone wouldn’t have bothered me if it wasn’t for how much she complained and screeched like a spoiled brat about not getting what she wanted. It also appeared like she couldn’t read a room properly i.e. the instance where Dr.Korn announces his canceled his wedding and she jumps from her seat to cheer and shout, like how unsympathetic and insensitive, truly! She was no better than the evil, cheating Wisa, all Noina cared about was marrying a man with wealth, a handsome face, pedigree and a desirable career. She was shallow, annoying, ungrateful, petty and obnoxious. I was absolutely LIVID after Noina’s fight with Ying Ying because of the accusations that YY planned to take Dr.Korn the whole time, after everything that YY did to help her friend, even so far as denying her own happiness for the rotten Noina’s dream wedding. What really aggravates me though, is that Noina already knew that she didn’t love Dr.Korn and that she was growing feelings for Dr.Pat and yet still wanted the former. There is no denying, that Noina knew Dr.Korn’s first love was not herself, but Ying Ying and that he didn’t like her at all. Noina just lusted after whatever Ying Ying had; Dr.Korn, attention, and achievements. The terrible thing is that YY wasn’t some attention seeking twat that just stole everything from Noina, she was simply a natural at attracting people to her and at being noticed, it was her kindness and personality that made people like her. I have no doubt that if Noina had made her thoughts known, and told YY how she felt inferior, left on the sidelines and all that, Ying Ying would certainly have embraced her and included her more. All in all Noina was a pain to watch and difficult to understand. Glad she’s only a fictional character because her actions really got on my nerves.
2. Ying Ying and Dr.Korn got together and only had happiness in the absolute last minutes of the last episode. I felt like they deserved more time together before closing the whole show off. Either way they made a cute pair it’s just a shame it took so long for them to be able to couple up, lol.
*This was written with respect to the actors, I am simply giving my opinion on the plot and character they played*
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This is strictly about Eps. 3-5 (GO WATCH NOW!)
I was hesitant to watch this show because A.) I do not normally watch web dramas and B.) I like committing to completing the dramas I watch, I didn't want to skip around. HOWEVER, I just could not resist this drama, it was everywhere on all my social media feeds so eventually I just gave in.I tried watching episodes 1-2 and 6-7, but I could not get into the first story line and I had already spoiled the third story for myself out of excitement and it left me disappointed. Taking all of this into account I decided to just check out the middle episodes to see what all the hype was about and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.
What was so good about it?
1. Friends to couple done right! The two main leads were soooo cute and likable and their transition into liking each other wasn't awkward or lacking in any way.
2. It was realistic, in that unlike other school based dramas where anything over a rating of PG-13 is never mentioned or acknowledged, here it was embraced. This drama approached these subjects in a hilarious and relatable way that I found charming rather than harsh or unpleasant.
3.I loved that there was no mean second lead female and instead the FL made a new friend that added much more to the story.
4. The FL held conservative views on the physicalities of being in a romantic relationship and stuck to her beliefs until the end. I liked that she didn't change (not that otherwise thinking is wrong), but I like that she was confident enough to follow what she felt and go at her own pace it was a refreshing take.
5. KIM NAM HO, so fine, so charismatic, and in the end so adorable. What he said in the end to the FL's question had me screaming!!! I felt like I had to rewatch everything again to re-analyze their interactions. The amount of times I replayed that single scene, it was endless....
If you need a quick drama fix, just want to kick back and embrace the quirks of hilarious high school love, this is the one for you. Its endearing and warrants more episodes, I am sad that the story was only 3 episodes long and not even its own singular drama. I hope they make a remake with more episodes or something similar. I also expect to see more main lead roles from both Yoon Hwan (Kim Nam Ho) and Jo Yoo Jung (Ban Yu Ra).
The only slightly irritating thing that had a little redemption:
Ban Yu Ra (FL)'s "bestfriend," Kang Da Hyun was so irritatingly 'innocent,' tbh it felt like mostly an act. What kind of friend does that? But also Kang Da Hyun's pushy-ness to double date and have the FL take pics of her kissing her ex-boyfriend. These situations made me want to claw at the screen. I understand that everyone has the right to their happiness and like good for her for finding someone she loves, but it was mostly at the expense of Ban Yu Ra. I was so glad that FL took a break from her supposed BFF at the end, and expressed how uncomfortable she felt. I wish that KDH would have come to FL first and told her everything because her having to find that out on accident was probably more hurtful. KDH would have been a good character and likable if it didn't feel like she was purposefully being naive and aggravatingly irreproachable.
*Feel free to disagree, all was written with respect and simply to express my opinions.*
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The Best of You in My Mind
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I don't know why.......D:
I typically love watching a good college based rom-com, but for some reason this drama did not end they way that I had anticipated. I loved the parts were the two main leads chased each other, wondered about their feelings for one another and played hilarious tricks on each other. However, when it came down to it, I felt that Xu Fang and Lin Xi Chi actually made such an awkward couple. I managed to "complete' this drama, but it was not without much fast forwarding. I enjoyed the skirting around each other more than the actually getting together part. Likely reasons for this:1. Individually both are attractive, but as a COUPLE they didn't have much visual appeal in my opinion.
2. Instead of flowing into a relationship with ease they became cringey and looked uncomfortable together to my disappointment .
3. I think the drama played heavily into the "chase" part of their relationship that when they became official it was not as exciting.
I understand that the "awkward" relationship turn might have been a stylistic choice, that was made for the sake of realism, but I felt that it detracted from the drama. I wish they could have had a more best friend oriented romantic relationship comparable to what's seen in similar dramas like "Skate into love," or "To Fly With You." Both of which take place within a college setting and tackle the 'friends to couple' trope. Overall the beginning was better than the later parts for me, but it was still a decent watch.
-These are just my opinions, feel free to disagree. My thoughts were expressed with respect to the production and actors within the drama in mind, thank you.
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A hidden GEM!
Like all avid drama viewers, I often find myself in a rut of not being able to find a worthy show enticing enough to binge. Sometimes I settle and rewatch my ult favs but a lot of the time I spend HOURS, like actual hours searching for the perfect drama to gobble up.This drama came to me in a moment like this, I didn't hear a lot of hype about it really anywhere, and initially forgot about it. Then! I saw a few hilarious clips that were part of a funny compilation and off I went searching for it.
The premise of this drama follows two people who coincidentally meet and find themselves completely at odds, with an equal distaste for each other. They bicker, fall into absolutely laugh inducing misunderstandings, and then eventually they learn to heal together and fall into a very unique type of love. In truth the main characters are flawed individuals dealing with their issues through therapy, which is quite ordinary. What makes this drama rich with intrigue and deserving of being deemed binge worthy is the raw depiction of the psychological turmoil any kind of trauma can cause and its normalization of seeking help from professionals and people close to us.
It starts off light and then we are invited into both of the main character's personal struggles. I cried, I laughed, and I throughly enjoyed the experience of watching this drama it was exciting for just how unexpected it could be. I fully encourage anyone who wants to watch a humorous, romantic and surprisingly healing drama to take the dive into this selection. Its definitely not something I would have picked for myself off the bat, but I can say now that it is one of my new favorites and I loved every character, especially the main leads so much!
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I Never thought.......
I would love this drama as much as I did. For as long as I have been a viewer of c-dramas I have always had an issue with skipping several scenes and even whole episodes ahead. I haven't been able to come across a drama that has hooked me from start to finish, until now.If you are a lover of fantasy, humor, healthy relationships, lots of fluff with a dash of mystery, then I can confidently say this one might be for you!
The general plot of this drama focuses on a semi-reclusive young man named, Yu Chi Yan who writes for a living and manages a bookstore too. He is an animal lover, with a particular interest in cats. One day he saves a white cat that happens to be a girl from an alternate world. Together they go on a humorous journey, discovering things about themselves they never knew.
What I loved:
-The acting from the ML and FL, was wonderful. Their chemistry was spot on and their interactions were never lacking. I loved how they complimented each other, shy and broody male and spritely/cheerful female. I looked forward to every episode mainly because of this.
-Main leads friendship and later relationship was built on a foundation of trust and communication. There was hardly, if any, serious misunderstandings caused by lack of communication with each other. They told each other pretty much everything and talked their issues out in a timely manner. This was refreshing to watch, because many dramas opt for the toxic back and forth problem solving which is tiring and makes me too bored to fully pay attention.
-The cinematography was spectacular, the neighborhood, the bookstore, and the ML's home was all, so pretty and pleasant to look at. Although the characters didn't move to many new places, it was shot with skill making everything interesting to look at and to take in each time it was presented.
- One of my guilty pleasure, drama tropes, is "FL learning about the modern world," its a very specific storyline characteristic that I seldom can find expressed exactly how I like it, which is partially why this drama was such a gem to find for me. Because the FL was from a cat planet she had to learn how humans live on earth which was hilarious to watch coupled with the ML's frustration and bewilderment at her.
-Second ML and FL were so cute, loved that it was a pairing of a chic female and more goofy male, I have seen this type of coupling before but it added nice comic relief and really their story could be watched separately if you wanted to. While they did assist as side characters they had their own plot line a part from the main ML and FL so that was quite engaging.
What I hated: (Despite rating this drama highly, there are still things I cocked my eyebrow at, so bare with me)
SPOILER BEWARE!!!!!
-The mystery part was a little too obvious and the fact that the ML took too long to figure it out irked me to death. He was too caught up in reconnecting with his old pal, he didn't realize the one responsible for all the death and tragedy was right in front of him. Luckly this didn't cause a huge rift between him and the FL.
-THE AMNESIA OF IT ALL. When I tell you I was just about ready to snapppp my phone in half watching the last few episodes! I hated that they added this story arch, I hate this plot line in ALL dramas, its so stupid and really irritated me in this drama A LOT! Despite this, however, the ending was still so adorable and happy, so I still love this drama.
-Cat planet (insert sad face), I wish they added more visual information about it, the fantasy was there in every episode (cuz the girl turned into a cat obvi) but it didn't delve into overly specific details, which I felt were needed in some areas. I wanted to know more about what cat life on planet cat was like, but there was more focus on the human world, and the building of the ML and FL's relationship which for the record I didn't mind all that much. This was more of a romcom drama than fantasy drama in my opinion. This for me doesn't deduct points it just felt like it didn't "give" in the areas where it should have, namely the sister's storyline and demise....
Conclusion:
All in all , not a perfect drama but the perfect form of escapism with its non-stressful plot, humorous main lead relationship, refreshing couple dynamic and cute fantasy mystery trope. I would watch it all over again in a heart beat, (I'm in the process of forgetting it so that I can come back and rediscover it!) it relieved all my worries and transported me to a pleasant place full of absolute fluff and intrigue. I cannot recommend this drama more. It was not a 10/10 on a technical scale, but if you're looking for a pleasant distraction, its a must watch!
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An Outlier
Much like a lot of asian drama watchers my preference tends to lean more towards romance and drama, but this particular drama has become an outlier; unlike all the others but I enjoyed it just the same.To be completely honest I avoided this drama like the black plague because I am not fond of "time-travel" and non-romance related productions. However, every once in a while I get the craving for a good thrill, a tab bit of murder and all the mystery one can offer.
Browsing through "detective" related dramas I remembered that Tunnel existed and decided to give it a shot! I must say I am super glad I took a chance and fell for this story. It was so much fun to watch and I think Choi Jin Hyuk shinned in this drama. I loved his character, he was charming and likable, I really liked getting to watch him here. Now I will say, his acting is a BIT more dramatic and exaggerated than expected for this type of genre, but it was a fun watch nonetheless, I don't think this type of acting really took away for the story line or the personality of his character.
Other shining stars in this production are Kang Ki Young (the real maknae) and Jo Hee Bong (Chief Detective) their chemistry with CJH was wonderful, I laughed in pretty much every scene they were in. They captured the goofy and clumsy characteristics of their respective roles, well.
As for the rest of the cast, I wasn't that invested in the light romance line between Shin Jae Yi and Kin Seon Jae, I just felt it didn't quite fit or seem necessary for me. I did like the cute moments between CJH's character and Lee She Ah's character (Shin Yun Suk), it was just enough to find endearing and not so overbearing on the murder mystery portion of the plot. To clarify, I have nothing against any of these actors, I am simply commenting on their characters.
All in all this is a stellar watch if you are looking for a great murder mystery loosely inspired by true events. Tunnel is a great watch for those interested in a sci-fi, detective drama, but are not looking to have to pull their hair out trying to keep up with the story. Its neatly written, with few discrepancies in my opinion. As with every drama I could nit pick things I would have liked to see done differently, but as a whole it was a treat. Please don't be deterred by the drama genre or the comments on the ending you will find on this forum, this work is definitely worth a watch if it fits what you are looking for.
*Written with respect to all differing opinions and to all participating actors/actresses. *
-A.
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