StilW
The Secret Life of My Secretary
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If you hate misunderstandings I would avoid this show
TLDR: Every issue in this show could be solved by someone saying one sentence at the right time but everyone refuses to open their mouths.Disclaimer: I give average shows a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. Everything is also in reference to other shows. I am not an expert in film making so I cannot say how well the technical aspects were executed, but I can give my opinion on how they compare to other things I've watched and how much I enjoyed them relative to other shows even if I can't put into words the exact technique used that made it more/less enjoyable.
Overall: I would say this is a slightly above average drama with some fun elements and an interesting premise. Unfortunately it overstays its welcome and can't find a way to move things along which makes the middle of the show drag.
Story: The premise is interesting and entertaining at first. I has its own charm and its fun to see the FL try to navigate all the obstacles of her own making. But at some point it starts to go from fun to frustrating. Most K dramas have some element of misunderstanding/miscommunication that sparks the romantic plot and this one is no exception. However, it quickly becomes redundant as the character find themselves in the exact same situation over and over and over all while wondering how they're going to fix things when the answer is immediately obvious to anyone with a functioning brain. If the characters were reasonably intelligent for 30 seconds the episode count could have comfortably been cut from 16 to 10 without feeling rushed. Instead we are left with many episodes in the middle that feel like the the FL says "this time, I'll tell him the truth..." and then proceeds to not change or do anything. (side note: you know that whenever someone says they're doing something tomorrow that shit aint getting done). The only time the ongoing misunderstandings seem remotely organic is when the 2nd FL has a hand in it because it fits with her character. Outside of this, any cliche you've ever seen in a drama is present here (dead phone battery, ML protecting FL from car, tripping into close up, etc.) and it can get annoying.
The mystery elements of the story were interwoven throughout the story, but I never felt like they got the gravity they deserved. This is a pretty common theme in Kdramas but if someone is out to kill you that's not the time to brush it off and say that you're gonna be fine. The opposite is also true in that if there is a simple problem to fix its not the time to break out the sad violins and pretend like the world is ending. In this instance the tone falls into the former where there is some pretty serious stuff going on but the characters don't really seem to care which results in even more life threatening situations and makes it tough to know how to feel about it given the dichotomy between their reactions and what is actually going on. Spoiler: But like, if some guy has already tried to kill your boss, and he comes to your home with a weapon, saying your blind brother has trouble getting used to new places is not a valid reason to stay. Or imo if you use that reason then you kind of deserve to get killed the next time he comes. The mystery was also overall super predictable. It was pretty obvious who was going to be good and who was a red herring from the outset so some of the dramatic reveals felt more cringe than anything.
I would say my fundamental problem with the romance side of the story is that the emotional investment it tries to make you feel as the plot progresses don't feel earned. They try to make it seem like the characters are making tough decisions and grappling with lots of emotions, but then you realize that its a rerun of the previous 4 episodes so why should I care. Watching a character make the same mistakes over and over and over all while telling themselves and the audience how they are going to change requires fantastic writing/acting or a more comedic tone in order to keep the viewer invested. This show does not quite hit the mark on either of these leading to a frustrating rather than fun viewing experience at times. During every emotional or dramatic reveal instead of feeling sad/happy/whatever else they wanted me to feel, I just get annoyed that it didn't happen 3 episodes earlier when there was a perfect window and no good reason for it not to happen.
Characters: I liked all the lead characters. The FL is charming and charismatic in a bubbly kind of way that allowed me to still like the character despite the many questionable things she does throughout the show. She manages to play both versions of her character well and both were believable identities. The ML is ok, but I did feel like he was more of a passenger in the show being yanked around in whichever direction the plot needed him to go. He was supposedly instrumental in most of the plot threads but never seemed to actually have any agency in what was going on. Looking back, the only real things he does throughout the entire show is try to cure is illness so he can chase after a girl. (spoiler: perfect example but the secret org is scared that the ML is onto them as he reasonably should be, but we the viewers know that he hasn't given the file a second thought after finding it a few episodes prior and will only start to care about it once its convenient for that plot thread to wrap itself up) The second FL is probably the standout for me. The actress looked like she was having a blast playing the role and it definitely shows. She is over the top and quirky in the best way possible and I love her chemistry with the second ML. She steals most every scene she is in all while filling the comedic relief role in a show that could've used more lighthearted moments. The second ML is good as well. I think he is used by the story to add suspense and mystery to the show multiple times which actually worked initially because the actor can pull off the guilty without trying to be aura really well. Their chemistry was also great and I liked all the second leads scenes together.
My favorite side characters were probably the FLs family. Her sister was great as the mature kid trying to be the adult and the brother was funny while also being the voice of reason when the story needed to give the FL a push. The slow mo secretary scene is also goated. Most other side characters don't get much screen time so its hard to say much about them, but the second FLs mother was also quite funny.
Music: I'm not a huge music person and I also watch at faster speeds 1.5x so can't really comment on the music much but I assume it was good.
Rewatch: This would probably be on the lower end of the rewatch list for me, but not at the very bottom. The story is certainly not a reason to rewatch and the characters aren't good enough to justify rewatching this show over others.
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Absolute masterpiece. I could watch the leads solve math problems all day and not get bored
TLDR: Of the 40 or so dramas I've seen thus far this is the only one that I pulled an all nighter to keep watching and I normally don't like historical dramas.Disclaimer: I rate a 5 as average so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not a film making expert so I have no knowledge on the techniques that go into making a "good" show so I can only give my opinions based on how much I liked a given show relative to previous ones I've seen.
Overall: I'm not a good enough writer to express how much fun I had while watching this show. If literally anything about cdramas interests you you will have no regrets adding this show to your watch list.
Story: The story is great. It has multiple facets that are all balanced beautifully. The romance, politics, mystery, and war elements are all given ample time to develop with nothing feeling left out. Starting off with the romance. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing and is backed by an interesting premise with strong plot points that the characters have to navigate. I loved the dual identities of the leads which added a fun element that allowed viewers to be in on a secret while characters gradually discovered things on their own. It also served to add depth to both the characters and the world they were living in which is not something that I can often follow in a historical cdrama. The backstory of the leads also made it really fun to just watch them exist together no matter the situation. I would say the only thing I was kind of disappointed in was the FL reveal. I selfishly wanted it to be a bigger deal, and it did feel like it was building up to it, but how it actually played out made sense in the context of the story so I can't knock it too much.
The politics were good. I've never personally been invested in this aspect of dramas but the court and politics in this show are solid enough with believable motives and actions which kept me invested. It was refreshing to see every character having a base IQ of at least 100 with their own goals and plans to achieve those goals. It never felt like a plan failed because the character was dumb, it always felt like they failed because they happened to go up against someone smarter than them which is not something that can be said for most dramas so mad props to the show for that. There is a fair share of over the top stuff but nothing too outrageous and easily overlooked given how good everything else about the story is. The war elements were ok. There was some CGI use in the later stages with some numbers that didn't quite add up but nothing super bad.
Spoiler: The only egregiously weird moment to me was when the daughter stabbed the FL. I sort of had question marks in my head as to what that was since the FL was pretty much her older sister/mother up until that point but that is the only moment I was really taken out of the story.
Overall the story was pretty good without trying to be overly complex. With the strong chemistry between the leads and the incredible characters the story's only job was to not be horrible and it accomplished this and more. It was pretty much the perfect vehicle to let the characters shine through and carry the show.
Characters/acting: This is a strong contender for some of my favorite leads and side characters of any show I've watched. Overall I loved the fact that every character is competent and found themselves in a given position for a reason. No rulers without a brain to be seen (the single exception being the lord that is introduced later).
Starting with the leads. The ML is perfectly cast in the role. I've seen 4 or 5 of his shows and I think this performance slightly edges out You are my glory for number 1 on my list. He does his best when playing the down to earth "straight man" while having a more comedic spontaneous partner to bounce off of and boy does he have that here. He played both sides of the character incredibly well and the aura he gives of just being the smartest person in the room fit both roles. I could write more about him but it would just be me gushing over how great he was in his own individual scenes and the chemistry he had with every other character in the show so I'll leave it there.
The FL is also perfectly cast. Similar to the ML, I've seen several of her other dramas and I've always preferred her more lighthearted roles of which this is by far her best imo. The character is the perfect balance of care free while also knowing when its time to lock in and be a responsible adult. We don't get to see as much of her imperial side but what we do see works well. However the standout is definitely her martial side which thankfully takes up the majority of her screen time. I liked her chemistry with everyone and both the leads bounce off each other perfectly giving the sense that they really are best friends that happen to be romantically interested in each other. Similar to the ML I could say much more but it would all be praise on how great she was in this role.
Its actually crazy to me how perfect the leads were in this show. They are both simultaneously good actors/actresses and play their parts well while also having the perfect partner in each other. I could literally watch them do anything together and they would find a way to make it entertaining. They were a huge reason as to why the story didn't really need to be this super innovative complex masterpiece because watching them go shopping was just as fun as watching them solve court mysteries.
The side characters were incredible as well. Starting with the rest of the 4 gentry I really liked Yu Wu Yuan as the scheming villain. I didn't think he'd be the villain until the show made it obvious which is a credit to the performance. He managed to give off the calm killer vibe where it doesn't feel like they're a bad person, their goal just happens to be something that most people would label bad. This and the fact that I got the sense that he would follow his goal through to the end made him simultaneously fun and scary to watch. It was also great that they made him an actual threat in the show so everytime he cooks up a scheme there is a reason to be scared. Huang Chao was a great 4th edition to the cast. The standard noble ambitious warrior archetype with his own flair. He was imposing and charismatic in the perfect way bouncing between the two depending on what the situation called for.
Another standout was Minister Feng. She was great in the role and I liked that she was both persistent but mature. She was a great addition to the main cast and had great chemistry with both leads. I particularly liked her friendship with the FL.
The brothers were great. Sad that the first brother kind of got shafted by the script but someone had to. He could not stop taking Ls :(. Credit to the story and actor for making this one of the few believable characters haunted by a past trauma. He was affected in a totally realistic way and did bad things because of it but nothing that didn't fit with the context we were given. I liked the third brother a lot. In any other drama he is written as a buffoon with 0 brain cells who can barely think for himself so it was incredibly refreshing to see that the story gave him some agency. He was arrogant and smart in ways that made sense it just so happened that he was out of his depth from the beginning given his opposition in the ML. It was really fun to watch the unspoken battle between the 2nd and 3rd brother where one was playing chess and one was playing checkers but at least they were both playing. Other shows would really benefit from taking notes on this. Watching a character overcome a monkey is much less satisfying than watching them overcome a competent human.
I really loved the King's performance as someone who knows what he wants and understands that not everyone is going to see it that way. I'm a sucker for a character that has goals that I don't agree with but the story/performance make me sympathize anyway. He stuck to his beliefs and did his best to keep everything together while others were trying to rock the boat. Credit to the actor for giving the character the gravitas he needed to be seen as superior to everyone else.
Other side characters were great as well but are too numerous to really go in depth but suffice it to say I loved pretty much all of them.
Music: Not a huge music person and I watch dramas in 1.5x most of the time so can't really comment.
Rewatch: If I had to rewatch a show this would be close to the top of the list. Almost everything about this show was perfect and I wouldn't mind experiencing the story of Bai/Hei Feng Xi again. - she paid me a fiver ;)
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Popcorn escapist power fantasy disguised as office drama
TLDR: If you can make it past the side characters and the second couple then you'll probably like itOverall: The show isn't anything new and follows a lot of the traditional cdrama tropes. But the business power fantasy and comeuppance is what kept me coming back for more and I have no regrets. Watching the leads go through their ups and downs as a couple and in the workspace was a treat to watch even if the rest of the cast was pretty lacking.
Story: The story is a pretty standard office drama with the only real twist that the FL has a powerful background that the audience sees from episode one but other characters find out as the show progresses. The appeal is really that you get to see how everyone reacts and watch her navigate the space while trying to get things done on her own merit. No new ground is tread but that was perfectly fine for this kind of show. If you can make it past the side characters and the second couple then you'll probably like what you see.
Acting: no complaints across the board. I feel like maybe some of the side characters were a little over the top at times but I assume that was the direction they were told to go in so can't really pick on it too much.
Characters: The leads were great. Probably one of my favorite FLs to watch in recent memory. She is strong in every sense of the word but also isn't afraid to ask for help which was refreshing to see. Janice Wu did a great job bringing her to life and it felt like I was right there with her through all the satisfying reveals. ML was ok as well. The character was kind of a doormat with a whole lot of backstory that gets revealed to make you feel sympathetic toward him. I felt that they could've done a better job with this because there never had to be any misunderstandings and it seemed to me like it was mostly just the ML refused to tell the FL important things that were happening. This isn't new to the cdrama space but I could've done without the whole years of angst because he didn't just say he had a family situation.
The second lead couple were the only other side characters that get any kind of background but they were unfortunately not my cup of tea. I felt like their relationship felt off from the beginning so seeing them go through their rocky patches actually felt pretty real and I was happy with that direction. But then the entire show just gaslit the woman into thinking that because the guy likes her a lot she should put up with his BS. I will say that normally breakups in dramas tend to be nonsensical, but this one had a really grounded and relatable reason that felt true to the characters as well. The guy had a character flaw that she didn't want to put up with, he repeatedly demonstrates that he can't fix it. She clearly communicates what the problem is and why she wants to end things. He still doesn't work on changing. The show puts them together anyway. Needless to say one of my least favorite couples out of the dramas I've watched.
The side characters in this show have got to be the worst I've seen in quite some time. No shade on the actors/actresses as I think most of the issues lie in the material that they were given or lack thereof. Starting off I don't think I've seen a group get so much screen time yet we know next to nothing about any of them. I literally could not tell you what any of their hobbies are, any childhood memories, outside friends, partners etc. etc. etc. They pretty much only exist to either start drama or react to drama happening around them which is sad because they could've been so much more. Just as an example, there is a sudden double agent kind of reveal halfway through and it came so far out of the blue that I was just like "Oh, ok." when I'm pretty sure they wanted it to hit a little harder and be some big shock. The only reason I didn't care was because we had no reason to care about the character in the first place (citing aforementioned lack of background) and there was literally no build up to it (even on second watch it felt like a writer rolled the dice and just said yeah, she gonna be evil now lol).
The other big miss for the side characters was their dynamic. I think the writers were going for some kind of super familiar, we've known each other for years vibe so we mess around with each other but it all felt really artificial. Couldn't really put my finger on it but I compared it in my head to the main trio in King the Land and I just felt like that dynamic felt authentic. The characters in this drama also flip between sides so fast which contributed to them feeling less like actual characters and more like set dressing. Tangible example is later on they hear the boss may be closing their company and instead of just asking the person they've grown close to over the course of a year they just instantly choose to believe that was her motivation the entire time because surely putting in so much work just to close the company makes sense. Its not even that it doesn't make sense its that they didn't even hesitate for a single minute to paint her as the new villain which made it harder to like them.
Music: I actually added a few songs to my playlist so that counts as a win in my book.
Rewatch: Despite the many problems the show has, I would rewatch it (and have) for the premise alone. Not even close to the top 20 best dramas I've watched but I've already watched it again all the way through not even a week after finishing it.
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Not your typical cdrama
TLDR: Incredibly engaging mystery/thriller with fantastic storylines and actingOverall: If you are looking for a typical cdrama with the dramatic romance with cheesy lines and wtf situations this is not gonna be your cup of tea. This is the least cdrama cdrama you could get and it is so much better for it. Side note, I tend to mentally rate cdramas on a different scale from other shows I watch because there are inherent things that you have to overlook in order to enjoy them. If you start asking too many questions of the story or the characters you'll probably find quite a few holes that might otherwise annoy you in a different medium. But most cdramas have that unique cheesy romantic charm that lets you look past these things and just enjoy the show. Its like comparing mcdonalds to a michelin star restaurant. Like yeah, maybe your fries are objectively too salty or a bit on the crunchier side, but its mcdonalds, you'd probably give it a pass because quality wasn't why you chose to eat there. Similarly, I don't watch cdramas for tight storylines, well paced action, beautiful dialogue or remarkable acting, but I never go into them expecting that so if they don't deliver its whatever. This cdrama though attempts to deliver all of these things and more and it mostly succeeds.
Story: This is a super engaging mystery/thriller plot with tense moments and dramatic reveals. The pacing is fantastic and I am so happy that they cut it off at 15 episodes instead of dragging things out for longer. Not gonna spoil anything here because it deserves to be experienced blind. Needless to say this is a refreshing break from the norm in the cdrama sphere.
Characters/acting: Acting across the board was great. Everything was played serious with the exception of a few parts and every cast member did a fantastic job with what they had.
I liked the leads as characters and was a huge fan of the way they played out the earlier episodes. They were convincingly shocked and lost while also trying to maintain a sense of composure in a living nightmare. While they were engaging in the mystery elements I did not like the romance at all. Maybe the characters had chemistry and maybe something could've been there, but I felt that it just got in the way of the rest of the story when it did show up. The structure of the story meant that there was virtually no time for any romantic subplots to develop so it was never going to be a very convincing relationship. I think the characters would've been much better as simply two strangers who got stuck together and formed a bond through the trauma they faced. Maybe hint at some future stuff in the closing credits but honestly the romance was never going to get enough time it needed to be good within the 15 episodes. The random jealousy thing for half an episode was super random and was one of the only times I was taken out of the otherwise engaging story. Other than that there were some points where the characters kinda behaved on the extreme end of what I was willing to believe but overall it was easy to overlook. I was hoping the leads would get a little more development than what they did over the course of the loops they went through, but they were consistently suspicious af, stumbled over clues/words, and had difficulty explaining their story in ways that I thought would've come more naturally after the 10-15 loops. The reason I point this out is because it was the source of most of the drama between them and the detectives and I felt like there was room to be more creative toward the second half of the story once the leads got their story down and were able to convince the police they weren't evil.
The side characters were fantastic and in many ways outshone the leading characters in the amount of development they received through the snippets of backstory on display. Loved the detectives and the villains especially with great performances and compelling backstories across the board especially for the villains. The couples backstory scenes were incredibly well done.
Music: The sound design was great and managed to bring up the tension in the show during key moments without feeling too intrusive. None of the usual OSTs that are common to the genre but good nonetheless.
Rewatch: While the show is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone, it isn't the kind of show that has a lot of rewatch value for me personally. Great story with good characters but not the feel good/guilty pleasure that tends to make me give things a second go.
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Fun story fun characters fun show
TLDR: Popcorn fun with cute moments and great chemistryDisclaimer: Average for me is a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to perfect and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I know nothing about film making so couldn't tell you anything about how well the technical aspects of the show were executed, but I can give my opinion on how much I enjoyed it relative to other things I've watched.
Overall: If I could describe this show in one word it would be refreshing. Simple story with enjoyable characters trying to be their best selves. Everything adds up to be one of the most fun shows I've watched recently
Story: I liked the story a lot more than a summary would suggest. Its not super complex, there isn't a masterfully crafted plot that will keep you glued to your seat, but I think that is what made it so enjoyable for me. The main focus of the story is the romance, friendships and the politics/inheritance. The romance had its ups and downs but overall it was a fantastic watch. I will I admit I almost dropped this at episode 5/6 when the obligatory major accident happens that forces a lead to realize their feelings, but thankfully that was the only instance of eye rolling cliche that really got to me. The rest of it was a fun ride watching the leads get together and just enjoy life. Maybe this comes down to preference but I am a huge fan of just letting things happen organically. If there is no reason for a couple to break up then forcing it for the extra drama only detracts from the show. If two grown ass adults know they both have feelings for each other it makes no sense to complicate things unless there is a legitimate reason outside of "we needed to fill 2 more episodes". The show even pokes fun at this trope in the latter half of the show. This drama creates a great balance of having outside pressures in the relationship, but also realizing that talking to your partner and open communication can in fact solve many problems. Can't tell you how much of a breath of fresh air it is to not see a couple who supposedly love each other break up at the drop of a hat all while pining for each other. Like no, you can be together, you are in fact 30 years old, be an adult.
The politics were ok. There wasn't a whole lot of drama and the outcome was pretty clear from the outset even without knowing all the tropes, but I thought it served the show well. Sometimes there don't need to be all these unnecessary obstacles just for the sake of artificial drama and this show understood that. The office drama I thought was handled very well. Sometimes it was a bit over the top but relative to what some other dramas bring to the table this was downright tame. I often get annoyed when the villains/antagonists/bullies in a show are super aggressive and openly antagonistic because I feel that realistic bullying looks much more subtle. The off hand remarks, office gossip, and tensions between co workers were subtle enough while also showing how oppressive the tiny things can be. The way the characters handle these things is also well done and had a mature flair to it that isn't often seen. The multiple perspectives from the friend group also allowed them to explore how different people can successfully navigate these situations while still being an adult. Whether it is the snarkiness/sarcasm of the department store worker or the kill them with kindness attitude of the lead, there are different ways to handle this without exploding. (Not that one way is better than the other, and sometimes a good explosive scene is just what the doctor ordered, but in dramas it has become the norm and hence much less enjoyable to watch)
I'll give the show credit for balancing the multiple story threads well. I was invested in all three of the friend group's lives and wanted them all to succeed. Sometimes this idea can be hard to do well because certain parts of individual stories are going to be more interesting than others which makes it very easy for me to dislike a character just because they aren't part of the more interesting plotline. But as I was watching their lives play out I was genuinely interested in every characters life. Nobody overstayed their welcome or made me wish I was watching a different character. I think Kang Da Eul's story was the only one I was sort of mixed on. Her home situation wasn't meant to be taken as seriously as the others given the shows portrayal but I kind of wish they did. Instead of the uno reverse they did which I think was supposed to be funny I wish there were some scenes where she gave some serious thought about what she wanted and the pros/cons of staying or leaving.
Characters/acting: I loved the leads but the FL was always going to be the standout from episode 1. It was great to see a FL that was competent and independent without needing the ML to simply exist. She was consistent throughout the show and stuck to her guns even when things didn't go her way. She had a direction and goal in life and just happened to meet someone that she wanted to share that with rather than being directionless before running into her other half. The performance was excellent, though I don't think the role demanded too much from the actress, she did a fantastic job with what she needed to do. The ML was good as well. I think the story failed his character early on, the whole petty act during episode 5 was the only real point where he acted out of character but everything else was good. If he had stayed a 30 something year old adult throughout the show I would've put him squarely in great but for those 2 episodes he turns into a middle schooler who is afraid to admit he has a crush. Spoiler but in an alternate universe not too different from the show the FL dies because the ML was petty which is something that was kind of hard for me to get over but I eventually did. That aside the performance was good with some great chemistry between the leads. I liked that the ML stayed out of the way of the FL and didn't start to dominate her life in the way that is all too common in the office romance shows. I loved their cute vibe and wish I could've seen more of it.
The second leads were also good. My personal favorite was Kang Da Eul. The performance was fantastic and I loved the sarcastic energy she brought to the table. Sort of mixed feelings on her story but I thought the character added a lot of fun to the group that would've otherwise been missing. Her relationship was kind of played for laughs with some mini revenge/comeuppance which was kind of sad to see as I wish she did find someone better for her but can't complain too much. Oh Pyeung Hwa was also good. I thought her storyline was a bit more basic than the other two on both the office and romantic side but I think she served as the baseline which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I still enjoyed her character and her relationship but don't think the chemistry was as strong as some of the others in the show. The standout though was always going to be how the 3 bounced off of each other because they were the definition of the sum is greater than the parts. Their friendship felt real and I enjoyed all their scenes together. The dialogue felt smooth and real while also showing how the personalities of the characters mix together.
For the side characters No Sang Sik is the MVP. He was over the top and goofy in a way that the show desperately needed and he never felt overbearing. When he slid those glasses down in the airport I was like, yes. I'm glad they didn't give him too much of a romantic side story because his character really shined in not taking him super seriously. The actress for Lee Ye Jeo was also amazing and I loved the performance despite the little screen time. The rest of the side characters were good in their roles but nothing too amazing for me to comment on.
Music: Not much to say, I watch in 1.5x speed and didn't really go back for any of the songs but they weren't bad either.
Rewatch: Rewatch value is the most subjective category for me because there are some fantastic shows that I know I will never rewatch while some objectively worse dramas I'll watch 5 times over. The story is good but not great, the leads are fun but not my favorite, and none of the side characters would crack my top ten list, but gun to my head this is the first drama I'd watch again if I had to choose one. Maybe everything just combined well together to create the perfect version of popcorn fun or maybe this just fits my guilty pleasure but I already know I'm going to be watching this one again regardless.
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Solid romantic comedy to watch for relationship vibes
TLDR: Fun romcom with some good chemistry and hilarious moments. If you read the manhwa and liked it this is definitely worth giving a watchDisclaimer: average for me is a 5 so anything above that is pretty good to excellent and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not into film making so I can name a total of 0 techniques that go into making a good TV show. I can only comment on how much I enjoyed certain aspects of a show relative to ones I've watched in the past
Overall: I did not think I would like this as much as I did. I read the manhwa and loved it so my expectations were already pretty high. I didn't pick it up initially because I saw the initial date scene in a trailer a few years ago and thought it was kinda cringe, but dang the characters grew on me. They serve as a solid backbone to an otherwise simplistic story that made me enjoy almost every moment of screen time.
Story: Nothing super special about the story. Pretty much your run of the mill CEO/employee contract relationship with misunderstandings thrown in. However, it does everything well with good pacing and very little excess fluff. It kept me interested all the way through despite already knowing what happens.
This is kind of a big thing but you do have to buy into the plot in order to enjoy the show otherwise you're just gonna be thinking wtf most of the time. Light spoilers but you just have to accept that the FL looks completely different to every other character in the show when she is in her Geum Hi persona (in the manhwa she had a pink wig so it made more sense). She just stops hiding her face at some point and it didn't make a difference so they kind of just gave up on the concept but its something I was willing to overlook.
I think it did suffer from the random breakup 2/3 slump thing that a lot of dramas have (right after the leads get together there is always some random BS that pops up that forces them to break up again even though they both know they like each other so we can get the dramatic climax 2 episodes before the show ends). It wasn't super bad in this show but it was still there for both couples and kind of nonsensical. For the main couple it was the classic parents don't approve/class thing and for the second couple it was the classic miscommunication so pretty standard cliches that I wish would go away. Some of the cuts are also funny/disjointed af depending on if you're a glass half full or glass half empty kinda person, slight spoiler but how does she end up in the car while running on the cross walk... I still cannot figure that out.
Characters/acting: Solid performances across the board. I liked the FL a lot more than I thought I would seeing some of her scenes out of context. She really grew on me and gave a charm to the role that made me like the drama more than the manhwa by the end. She could shift fluidly between the silly over the top drunk girl and heartwarming serious business girl all while still being the same character. The character was portrayed well and I liked the adaptation they chose to go with. The ML was good in the role and I was a huge fan of the character. Most CEOs in these kinds of dramas are objectively not good people but viewers can turn a blind eye because they're hot af and are given enough emotional/backstory scenes to stay invested. But I'm happy to say the ML here is actually a decent human being. He makes mistakes but apologizes and has a solid moral compass that he sticks to throughout the show. Their chemistry is really good and I loved their dynamic throughout the show even when they weren't a couple.
The second couple was probably my favorite relationship wise. They sort of serve as the proxy to give the audience some bf/gf screen time while the main couple is still working things out and I was all for it. Aside from their aforementioned random misunderstanding they were solid throughout the show and had fantastic chemistry. I loved the second FL both in her relationship and in her friendship with Ha Ri. Their back and forth was amazing to watch and the drunk scene is something to behold. The second ML was super charming and bounced off well with the other 3 main characters.
Side characters: All were pretty solid. Standout for me was drunk Ms. Kim. I low key wish they made her an alcoholic because for whatever reason that actress made every line hilarious when her character was wasted. I'm actually laughing just thinking about it lol. The rest of the development team was great. They all played their roles well as the comedic peanut gallery watching everything unfold alongside the viewers.
I'm sort of conflicted on Min Woo because he was way more ick than I remember him being in the manhwa and pretty much never gave off any impression of being a viable number 2 to the love triangle that may or may not have existed. He was just not a good person and I'm not sure if that's how it was in the manhwa or if they just wanted to take the character in that direction but I do wish the character was a little more likeable. (Nothing against the actor or anything as I'm sure the decision wasn't his and he did a good job of bringing the character to life seeing how much he turned me off, just wish he was given a more likeable character to channel his talent through)
The grandfather had a tough role to play as the over the top supportive yet stern father figure and I thought the actor did well. He was less comedic than in the manhwa but overall his character worked fine. I thought the mom was a little over the top at times but other than that not too much to say about the rest of the side characters.
Music: Not much to say, I watch at 1.5x speed mostly so can't really comment.
Rewatch: I can see myself revisiting this but wouldn't be at the top of the list. I will be rewatching drunk Ms. Kim tho lol
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You Who Came from the Stars
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Kind of disappointing as a serious drama and not enough lightheartedness to be popcorn fun either
TLDR: A funnish mystery/thriller with some romance thrown in.Overall: An ok story that is brought down by the number of plot holes and/or plot conveniences required to keep the show going. The fundamental problem for me is that they tried to take a very serious tone on the drama but made the ML so OP that him not solving everything in a single episode makes no sense. Could've been more fun if the story was more lighthearted/fun but they chose the more serious angle which meant that I expect characters to make rational decisions when faced with obstacles. If you have the tools to solve a problem then there has to be a darn good reason why a character chooses to not solve it other than they were dumb for a few episodes before being enlightened by solomons wisdom.
Story: Weakest part of the show. If the ML couldn't freeze time/teleport/do whatever he wants this could've been more interesting but all I could think about were a dozen different ways for him to go about keeping the FL safe and/or stopping the antagonist. In order to stomach the story you just have to accept that he is an idiot and doesn't really think things through because as soon as you start asking why he doesn't do things you'll just go down the rabbithole.
Characters/acting: Acting across the board was great. ML in particular did a great job with what he was given and I can easily see why he is so popular.
From a character standpoint I liked the leads from the romance angle. I thought they were cute together and during the dream sequences they really showed the kind of chemistry they could bring to the table. The FL was really fun and I enjoyed her meltdowns a lot. Super enjoyable to watch. From the perspective of the thriller/mystery side of things all the human characters get a pass since they're humans and they mostly acted in ways that were reasonable.
The ML though just wasn't super believable as a character. Tons of decisions that made no sense to me even after trying real hard to give him the benefit of the doubt. As mentioned above, they really should've nerfed his powers if they were dead set on the serious route for the show. Otherwise there really isn't a good reason why he can't wrap up the mystery side of the plot in like 2 episodes tops. Just a random off the cuff list of things he could do: send the video to the police (after making copies of course), record antagonists by installing cameras/recording equipment (he can freeze time), move with Song Yi to a different country (the fact that he left her outside of hearing distance at all once he realized she was important to him and knew that people were trying to kill her was kind of baffling to me, like is your job as a teacher more important than her life?), take villains and lock them in a cell on a deserted island, more gruesome but incapacitate the villains (I'm quite sure that breaking bones doesn't kill and doing it over and over for a few months should be pretty easy with his powers, maybe a touch overkill but they are trying to murder someone so..). Some of these might be too much but when I watched the show the question I asked myself was what line do I think the ML wouldn't cross to keep the FL safe? and my answer was that it seemed like not much was off limits for him and there were definitely ways for him to go about protecting her better while still staying within his moral code. So if morals aren't the issue and ability isn't the issue then what is stopping him from just yeeting the villains out of the show all together (obv he has a restriction that he reveals later but there are so many ways around that).
I'm sure there are infinitely more creative ways for him to go about doing this that also keep everyone out of danger. The point being that playing a show straight requires characters to act toward their goals in a believable way using logic that comes from inside the story and not from clear external influences like the writing staff or director. His actions would've been much more believable if they made him an actual dumbass but from what I can tell the audience is supposed to view him as very smart, competent, and capable with his one big flaw being his emotional stuntedness. The question then becomes why is he having trouble dealing with a middle ages psycho who's only power is having money.
Didn't finish so not much else to say on the characters. Liked what I saw from most everyone on the cast but didn't get to see their full arcs.
Music: didn't finish and not a music person. Not a huge fan of the older style of kdramas either, just doesn't really vibe with me for whatever reason.
Rewatch: Didn't finish
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Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
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DNF but may return in the future for the FL
TLDR: This show is like broccoli and ice cream. Both are good on their own but combining them results in something that is worse than the sum of the parts.Disclaimer: Average for me is a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to perfect and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I know nothing about what goes into making a good TV show so my opinions are solely based on how much I enjoyed aspects of the show relative to previous ones I've watched.
Overall: It feels weird rating a show I didn't finish but I honestly couldn't get through any more. I dropped this show about a dozen times throughout the first 2 episodes and got whiplash so bad I almost ended up in the hospital. The tone is the sole reason I'm dropping the show. It tries to do too much with very different storylines back to back which felt super disjointed.
Story: Like I said above, if the story doubled down on one aspect or storyline, this would've easily been a solid 8 for me assuming they didn't drop the ball in some other way. But the tonal shift between the mystery and slapstick humor was so jarring I honestly felt like I missed some scenes every time the camera cut. Spoilers, but how are you going to go from a woman essentially being sexually assaulted on camera to quirky music and loony toons sound effects. K dramas tend to struggle in the tone department in my experience, with very serious situations being brushed off and lighter issues being viewed as the apocalypse. But this takes the cake for biggest disparity between what is going on in the show and the tone that is being set.
Not much else to say since I didn't get to experience most of the story but I really just couldn't get through the disjointedness of the first few episodes and my assumption is that the shifting back and forth isn't going to change.
Characters/acting: Not too much to say since I didn't get to see them grow as characters but the FL was pretty much the only reason I made it to episode 3. She is quirky, funny, and the only character where it makes sense for murder to be not that big of a deal seeing as how she is invincible. Still not a great look since it seems like she doesn't care about the people getting murdered... but they're also strangers so I'd give it a pass. I think I view her character in a more positive light because the tone of the show fits her character well. A serial killer on the loose probably doesn't mean much when you can one punch them into the shadow realm. For every other normal person though the tone really makes no sense which probably detracted from my view on their characters. Other characters didn't leave a big enough impression for me to comment either way and it wouldn't feel right handing down judgement on a fraction of a performance.
Music: Not a music person and didn't get to experience enough.
Rewatch: I might give this show another chance to see if the things get better but I wouldn't bet on it.
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Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling
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What happened here lol
TLDR: Didn't finish because I realized I could be watching literally anything else instead.Story: Fine, nothing extraordinary. I haven't watched that many dramas before (15-20) so some of the tropes may not have gotten to me as much as they might someone with more shows under their belt but I was fine with most everything. Though the classic nonsensical business meetings with over the top reactions and consequences were kept alive and well. I will say some of the situations/misunderstandings that are ubiquitous in the genre can be pretty annoying in this show.
Characters: Most of the characters I thought were ok. Nothing amazing but also nothing egregiously bad either. Side characters served their purpose and most did pretty well. The highlight for me was the doctor. He was entertaining in most every scene he was in and served as some light comedic relief but still nothing spectacular. Disclaimer, I often concurrently watch dramas so the comparisons I'm inevitably making are to Love me love my voice and my neighbor is a gumiho which have incredible supporting casts so I might not be as high on some of the side characters as I might otherwise be.
I thought the FL was ok. She isn't the greatest here but she does enough to actually be the lead which is not something that can be said for the ML and boy do I have stuff to say about him. I do wonder if I'm recalling her parts more fondly because the only thing I have to compare her to in the show is probably the worst performance I've seen in some time.
I'm not sure what went wrong with the ML but he doesn't work at all. I'm not well versed in the technical side of the TV show business so couldn't really tell where the character was fumbled but either the actor was horrendously miscast or the director/writing staff gave him nothing to work with. Every time he shows up on screen the life is literally drained out of the show. He has less charisma than a garbage bag and I cannot for the life of me figure out how the final product was greenlit. He is supposed to be some highly competent CEO but he has the emotional maturity of a 1st grader that couldn't solve his way out of a paper bag. He is a rude, inconsiderate, socially inept a hole that couldn't smile even if all his dreams came true. I think the main issue for me is that multiple aspects of the show do their best to tell you that he is a likeable guy. They've got the obligatory slow mo shots with touching background music, injury/undressing scenes, coincidental touching scenes, and other girls pining after him but he does nothing to make you believe that any of that is real. I cannot name a single positive quality about him other than he has boatloads of $$$. My first litmus test for characters that are supposed to be likeable is whether I would ever willingly spend time with them and the answer for the ML is a fat no. The disparity between what the show wants the ML to be and what he actually is is so jarring that I can easily say he is the worst lead character I've ever seen put to screen in the genre and is probably up there across every medium. His character would've been fine as that supporting extra that gets 2 minutes of screen time throughout the show but watching a plank of wood pretend to be something it isn't for 40 minutes straight is kinda tough.
Maybe a bit harsh on the ML but I cannot stress enough how much the character stuck out to me. He is the sole reason I stopped watching. The show probably has lots of other problems but its hard for me to think of them because everything looks way better than it should when compared to the ML.
Music: Not a huge music person so don't have much to say. Didn't add any of the songs to my playlist but also didn't hate any of them.
Rewatch: Literally none. The ML did everything he could to stop me from finishing my first pass through so no chance I'm ever giving it a second.
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Nothing really good about this tbh.
TLDR: Stiff performances across the board with an immature, shallow ML and no real world building to speak of.Disclaimer: 5 is average for me so everything above that is pretty good to perfect and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I know nothing about how to make a good TV show but I can give me opinion on how much I enjoyed certain parts of a show relative to what I've seen in the past. Only watched to episode 8 but I can't see it getting much better.
Overall: This is the first show that was below a 5 for me. The story is simple on the surface but follows a nonsensical path with stiff performances across the board and a distinct lack of world building. When it comes down to it, the only real positive thing I have to say about what I watched is that I am really going to appreciate my next run through of Who Rules the World because I now realize it could've been soooooo much worse.
Story: The summary is a pretty straightforward Mcguffin search quest that quickly goes off the rails. The world building is pretty bad and I had no real sense of who was who or why certain people were important. Everything happens because the story needs it to rather than the characters have any motivation to do so. I never knew why anyone was doing what they were doing and it felt like the story just jumped from plot point to plot point in order to progress the story rather than the characters logically progressing the story. "Oh, we want this character to get introduced, i guess he has to get hurt here so the leads can find him. Why is he there? who tf cares." Spoilers but the master ascending to godhood at a completely random moment was the most shoe horned in 'just kill him off' I've ever seen. They wanted the leads to have some tools to not get wrecked but also realized it couldn't happen forever otherwise the story wouldn't be fun so they chose the lazy way out and had his character serve his purpose then dip. Like, you've said you care a lot about this person, you've been monitoring him and making sure he is ok, you know who he actually is and seem to have a vested interest in his safety, he is about to go on this dangerous journey.. yup seems like a good time to yeet yourself out of the story.
I will say it is harder to build a world in a fantasy setting than in a real world setting because viewers have no inherent knowledge of how things work. But this show didn't even try. They just had subtitles pop up identifying characters and places as they appeared on screen but forgot that we have no idea why these people/places are important or how they connect to each other. Rather than a fantasy world that felt like people actually lived there, I got more of a greenscreen for the actors kind of vibe which made the world feel very claustrophobic even though the scale of it was likely meant to be much larger than the real world. Side note, but if you ever have an inn/public setting in any story across any medium, there have to be more characters than just the leads... Otherwise how am I supposed to believe this is an actual world where people live rather than a poorly constructed vehicle for story. I cannot express how artificially small you can make a setting feel by having a huge location with only the main characters in sight. Obviously they're the only ones that really matter in the scene, but if I ask myself the question of who made this building? Who rented them the room? Who served them the food? and I can't immediately conjure someone to mind then the world building hasn't done its job. (it doesn't even have to be the actual someone that did it, I just need an inkling that people outside of the main cast exist at all)
Apparently this is a sequel to another drama so I may revisit this after seeing that but I wouldn't count on it.
Characters/acting: Not my favorite performances. I think Zhao Lu Si does ok as the FL but I haven't watched enough of the show to see how she handles the progression of the character. Though I'm assuming she does well given what I've seen from her in other stuff but I can't see this even coming close to some of her other roles.
My big problem is most of the other performances with an emphasis on the ML. For whatever reason his character just doesn't click with me. He starts off as immature and not in the charming sense but more the annoying 'I want to kick his teeth in' kind of way. His motivations and ideals are inconsistent and go from super mature wanting to atone for his sins to drinking wine while thinking with his lower half. I haven't seen many Xianxia dramas but I have read quite a few Xianxia mangas and some of my favorite protagonists follow this journey where they start off immature and grow. However, you are always shown little glimpses of the kind of person they are underneath. They always get several moments or scenes to show you that they are a good person with the potential to be better in the future which draws you in, keeps you going, and even makes their shenanigans charming. And almost always you are shown the hard work they are putting in to improve which gives them some leeway in the immaturity department because it feels like they've earned it. My favorite lead from Xianxia manges is probably Cheon Myung from Return of the Mount Hua Sect. On paper, he has a lot of similarities to the ML from this show. He is arrogant, brash, rushes into things without a plan, and would probably sell an unhealthy amount for some good booze. The notable difference is that when the time comes to be an adult he locks in. He understands when its ok to mess around and when it isn't which goes a long way in making me enjoy his immature moments because I trust him to get serious if he needs to. Obviously this is a different medium but I think the principles still apply. If you can't get me to empathize with, or at the bare minimum not despise, the ML why should I care about the romance, the journey, or the story in general.
My problem with the ML in this show is that he does get these moments, but they don't land. The performance didn't convince me that he was anything more than a hormonal teenager reading off lines for the sake of it. The story didn't do him any favors either because right after his big atonement scene at the beginning, you'd think we would see a more humble version of the ML who takes ownership of essentially murdering a child and committing the worst crime the world has seen in likely thousands of years. Instead we are left with someone who is doing the equivalent of waiting by their phone for a call from their crush. If that doesn't show you his maturity level then I don't know what does. I don't think there was a single moment in the first 8 episodes where I thought he was capable of being mentally more than 15 years old. The actor managed to pull of the immature parts well but couldn't make me believe he would ever grow out of that which is a problem. Because now I'm left with a ML I don't like who probably won't get better, which means I'm not going to like the romance, which means I already dislike a large portion of the drama.
Needless to say the leads didn't have much chemistry if any from what I've seen (unless you count slavery as chemistry) but haven't made it to the later stages of the show so that kind of makes sense for where I left off.
The other characters were pretty one note and shallow as well though I've only seen a fraction of their total run time so maybe they show more facets of their personality maybe they don't (I wouldn't bet on it though).
Music: Not a music person and didn't get to listen to everything.
Rewatch: If I can't make it through the first time it gets a 1.
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