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20s is a Beautiful, Messy Period of Our Times
Okay, I just finished this drama yesterday, and I actually need a day to completely re-arranged my headspace and write.As a fellow 20s-years-old, I feel like this drama resonates so well with me. Record of Youth is astory of people in the 20s, of Sa Hye Jun's, of An Jeong Ha's, of Won Hae Hyo's, and other people around them. It was messy, hopeful, uncomfortable and beautiful.
During the first episodes, I almost dropped it because it looked so cliche. A kindhearted man got bullied, scammed, doubted and being cast aside, I think Sa Hye Jun will be another Cinderella character. The family is also infuriating and a bit dysfunctional. But I went on watching, and found out it was not like that at all.
Sa Hye Jun's family became one of my favorite story in this drama. It's a family consisted of a warmhearted but guilt-ridden grandfather, a lonely and prickly father, a loving mother, an arrogant and self-centered older brother, and our main lead. They fought and clashed every so often. Not your ideal family, right? But as the episodes went by, more dramas unfolding, the family actually became more united and got closer.
An Jeong Ha and Sa Hye Jun's relationship is also one of my favorite. It's a healthy relationship, for start! It's really hard to find one among so many dramas, but theirs are one, and I'm happy to find it. At the start, it kind of felt like a Y/N story in fanfiction, with it being a romance between a fan and the idol and makes me giddy with laughter. But the following episodes turned so serious, so I think, huh, maybe not.
One point I really liked about their relationship, is that they've changed over time. Your way of thinking, your idealism, they changed as you grew up, and sometimes you found out that some promises couldn't be kept. I loved every emotion the two portrayed when they're together!
Won Hae Hyo is another thing. I really admire him. With his situation, there is probably a lot of things that could push him through the villain line, but he stood still. It really tickles me actually, how every time he looked like he's about to do something bad, he turned around last minute and choose the other way.
Oh! Also, there were a candid manager, a black hearted and toxic ex-manager, an ex-girlfriend, a misunderstood reporter, a jealous senior, a money-oriented mother, and all those actor cameos. They brought many spices to this story, so let's honor them all, except the ex-manager, I really hate you I hope you go bankrupt.
For me, I recommend watching this if you are a fellow 20-s years old currently navigating through life. This is a good one, though it will be better if you watch this in a good headspace, because if not, you will be a sobbing mess like I was.
Happy watching!
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- Dali and Moohak's romance
- Dali and Wontak's sibling relationship
I read somewhere that Dali and Moohak's relationship is unique, because Dali is someone who knows nothing but art, and Moohak is someone who knows nothing but making money. Their relationship grows alongside them, and it was really refreshing to see.
Dali and Wontak's relationship is quite literally platonic soulmates. They walked together side by side and takes good care of each other.
The story is laced with cliché prompts but I don't really mind, because the characters' personality stood out enough to make it still looks enjoyable.
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A Quick Watch Gem
I accidentally found this drama because of Bao Shang En, her eyes are so lively and she's so pretty and I'm immediately curious about her as an FL in this drama. Surprisingly, this drama is pretty good!The main theme of this drama is music, so there's a lot of music playing scene. Their scenes in the music academy are my favorite, with it's detailed set and red-orange-yellow-white color palette, pretty casts and pretty clothes, all of them are so easy on the eyes and gives me comfort. The friendships between the girls are heartwarming, and we went through all their arcs in this.
Our FL is a pipa player, and her classic aura fits the pipa both in modern and ancient times, so beautiful! Her acting is good and her chemistry with the ML is really palpable, their romance is one of the most interesting thing in this drama that kept me watching, besides the transmigration theme (and of course the looming probabilities of a dramatic goodbyes)
Our ML may seem familiar to you, because he played in Decreed by Fate! He's really good in this one too.
The casts all act well, and even if this is a low budget drama (cmiiw), it feels really enjoyable and compact. Our main couple is quite literally a power couple, enemies to friends to lovers, and I love watching them bicker before falling in love.
I put 7,5 in the story because watching it with subtitle in YT feels kind of confusing to me, like it looks machine translated and a bit hard to understand the sentence as a whole. I feel like I did not fully understand what the whole story is about, but I had a big picture of what's happening. The conflicts are not dragged much, and I like the ending a lot.
I skipped every so often because the pace is kind of slow and there are a lot of characters and side arcs, but it doesn't really matter much to your watching experience.
I would recommend this as a leisure watch in between work, if you like a simple costume themed drama with beautiful set ups.
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I think the genre most fitted to Yeonmo is royalty and slice of life, with maybe a bit of drama.
We are shown how life is at the palace, how a young royal live their life against the harsh palace and grow up to be a benevolent and wise leader. It is serene, graceful, sometimes intense and filled with delicate schemes.
The cinematography and coloring is exceptional. Yeonmo uses a lot of flower and tree sceneries, bright and warm colors, and takes up a rather slow pace. A lot of the actors and actresses are young and new talents, but their characterization and chemistry are so good on and off camera! It's really refreshing to see.
Also! This is one of the dramas that portrays the purest definition of love. I absolutely loved it, you have to watch and see for yourself.
That being said, I think this drama is best watched one episode or two at a time, not to binge. There are minimal violence, I think, and no adult scenes (if you exclude kiss scenes which every K-drama have). Totally recommended!
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This is THE Youth, Historical School Life Drama
I finished this drama in less than a week, and surprisingly, I'm liking it very much. Personally, I like a character driven story more than a plot ones, and this drama is the one for me.Reasons why I liked it that much:
1. Every character is uniquely designed and shines by their own. No character is a block wood.
2. Ju Jingyi is a perfect cast. Usually, Chinese actress' features are too feminine so their portrayal of girl-boy disguise are not convincing at all, but Ju Jingyi's a good one. When she's a girl, she has this ethereal, fairy-like look, and when she's a boy, she has this boyish, innocent and mischievous look. Her mannerism changes.
3. I like otome game, and this drama looks a lot like one.
4. This has the nostalgic feeling of a youth school drama, and the regal, dramatic flair of a historical piece, shown in balance.
5. It's not ambitious, but executed perfectly. They will keep you on your seat, but not scared or anticipating your favorite character suddenly killed or anything.
6. The cinematography is so beautiful!! Pretty scenery shots, pretty color palette, I really want to go to Yunshang and live there...
7. Young love, school primadonnas, wise teacher and parents being parents.
8. Do remember they are young adults, so the story, although has a bit of mystery, is not so complex and heavy.
9. Plot twist that I didn't ask but thankful for
10. The sound effect!!
It will be a nice drama to watch if you just want to stop thinking, sit down and rewind, or reminiscence the good old times.
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High on Adrenaline Rush
Fast-paced, addicting, thrilling.Most of the times I'm more of a character driven type of person but the plot in this one is too good to overshadow the simplicity of the characters.
This drama is really good to watch when you're stressed or anxious, because there are barely chill scenes in this. Everyone is either euphoric or extremely distressed, almost all of them operate on the extreme sides of spectrum, and it's entertaining in a way that it looks so dramatic and leaves you wondering what will happen next.
I love how the story flows back and forth but still slowly builds up the mystery and suspense until the very end.
Also it kind of hits different when you're into korean entertainment in general, because i feel like they satirize them pretty well in here. I actually enjoyed this one.
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Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
A Guilty Pleasure
I.. (cough) as much as I admit that I despise over-the-top show of romance and PDA, this show is like a persistent nag at the back of my head saying, "YOU LOVE IT." and I am. To be honest, this show kind of feels like a sugar daddy AU to me, because the FL is a pretty clingy, cute young woman, and the ML is a mature, older than her by 10 years more or less, rich man. But that's not to say I hate it, because the ML, Lu Jin is a very charming man. Cold and ruthless in work, gentle and protective in his love. Hot.Also, Lin Yushen and Zhao Lusi is the perfect cast for this. LIn Yushen's gaze, facial expression and mannerisms are really on point, and Zhao Lusi's youth is something innate that you can't acquire through act. Even when she acts cute or clingy, it doesn't annoy me. It doesn't annoy Lu Jin as well. (he loves that)
The only downside of this drama is that I really like the main couple's story, so I skipped almost all the side couple's story, but they're pretty good.
All in all, I think you will love this drama if you:
1) Likes (cough)sugar daddy AU(cough) or age gap story in general
2) Likes food or cooking. Those shots are really neat and appetizing.
3) Likes sweet flirty romance with a pinch of drama
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A Dog-Person and A Cat-Person Love Story
This is a drama based on webtoon of the same name, and I absolutely love this one. It's simple, cute and sweet, but not overly so. The cast and acting is on point, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the actors were mainly rookies, because their characters were so natural and alive. The story follows their days in high school and their daily life: internet cafes, karaoke, dates with crush, going to cute cafes with friends, and generally just spending time together every time they could.When you start, please keep in mind that this is a story about 17 year-olds and their school days.
It is a romance when you were 17, you met someone and shared a moment, then you started to feel your heartbeat quickened, and then you knew you liked them. And then they became your most important thing. It's not ambitious, it's new and exciting and hopeful.
Wang Jarim and Gong Juyoung are brilliant characters, and not just because their names literally translates into Prince and Princess, but because their personalities matches each other. They fill in each other's blanks.
Jarim is a cold but secretly warm, tough, tsundere, a cat-like person, while Juyoung is an openly affectionate, full of aegyo, clingy, a dog-like person.
(if you read Chinese novels, I would say Gong Juyoung reminds me of Luo Binghe, but without a dark side. at all He's a cute, big, protective puppy)
Besides the Wangja x Gongju couples, we also have the athletic and food-lover Oh Aram, handsome, friendly and a bit mysterious Lee Kyungwoo, nerdy Ahn Kyungmin, candidly funny Kim Byunghoon, outgoing Hong Jinhee, and Yang Minji. I have to admit, I like the main leads, but I tend to be drawn to Yang Minji. She's cute and loyal, as she's one of the most important people in helping the main leads get together, but when it comes to her own problems, she hides them. She chose to deal with them alone, which sometimes didn't go along well for her. She's actually really similar to Lee Kyungwoo, I feel like their story could be revealed further, as this drama ended without mentioning how their stories actually ends. Maybe there will be season 2? I don't know.
The conflicts in this drama is also not that heavy. There is a mention of violence, but it's pretty mild. There are also evil cameos, but they don't further complicates the plot more than 1-2 episodes. It is overall a light drama with a hint of angst and one-sided love (TW if it's your thing), and lots and lots of fluff, so I think this is a really good one.
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And The Honorary Genre: Political Jokes
Never thought politic and comedy could be mashed into one, but here it is!Into the Ring shows a story about an eccentric, honest, sweet and perhaps a bit naive lady named Goo Sera, who, by some chance, became a member of a council in her own ways which will make you grimace and smile and shed a tear. In this council, her adventure, filled with comedy-laced-action begins. Now she must balance her life as a council member, a daughter, a friend, and a girlfriend. It was serious, but hilarious. Sometimes you'll think you've never seen a stronger woman than her, sometimes you'll just wanna shake her so hard so she can think straight.
Meanwhile, Seo Gong Myung, our main lead is such a gem, such a sweetheart. I'll marry him in a heartbeat, and maybe after you watch this, you will also find him super lovable and be as lovesick of him as I do.
Also! The member of the Council are all packed with their own personalities, which makes this drama all the more alive and fun to watch. Good one, this!
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Life is a Marathon, a Guide by Oh Mi-Joo (and Ki Sun Gyeom!)
This is the kind of drama that feels like a morning in spring and everything is slow and soft and kind.I originally liked Shin Se Kyung in QSD, and in this drama, she is as soothing as ever. Oh Mi Joo is a translator, and by some events she repeatedly met Ki Sun Gyeom in passing, before finally making acquaintance with him.
What I liked the most about this drama is that for me, this is a character driven story as much as it is a plot driven one. The characters aren't just pretty face. They have depth, principles, and different characterization that makes their scenes alive.
While Ki Sun Gyeom is more detached, calm and naive, Oh Mi Joo is honest, open and i think a bit wise as well. These contrast were my favorite one because in some way and another, they slowly find that they complete each other in a way as they navigate through life.
Both are kind and intelligent, and both are laid-back and simple.
While our other couple, the CEO Seo Dan Ah and Lee Yong Hwa has a more dramatic relationship, in a sense that Dan Ah is someone who's not familiar with intimacy and love, and Lee Yong Hwa is passionate and unabashed in his love. But they are cute and I think has more fire than the other couple because they both are too calm...
But all in all, I really recommend this if you are looking for a simple drama to watch in between study or work session, and whether you are in the right headspace of not, i think you can still enjoy this drama as it's not so heavy and conflicted.
Happy running!
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Genre: Tsundere Genius Mysterious Mountain Bandit x Y/N
First of all:A Tsundere Genius Mysterious Mountain Bandit.
That's it. That's literally all that's interesting in this drama.
This is very biased, because I have strong attachment towards smart, rogue, pirate-ish, kind of man, and our ML Luo Qiuchi is certainly that kind of man.
The first episodes are opened with the ML being this mysterious mountain bandit. He's a rogue, his past is unknown, we don't know who he is, he seemed cruel and a womanizer, but! Then we found out that he's actually steeped in education, talented, confident in his talent, and a natural leader. I really liked the first episodes. They felt alive, The chemistry burns. We found clues to this mysterious bandit.
But then in the following episodes, more characters appeared, and it slowly got bland. The supporting characters are not bad, but there's little to no chemistry at all... Maybe it's the story, or maybe it's the way it's portrayed, I'm not sure.
The build up of the plot is also a bit weird. I think they were aiming for a complicated mystery-martial arts-slow burn romance, but it felt dragging at times and the scenes felt like a filler, so I skipped every so often, and decided to dropped it at episode 19.
If they could packed it in like 26-30-ish episodes, and simplifies the story instead, making it maybe just an ancient school drama with a slash of mystery, I think it would be better.
P.S. The opening music is so good, it's a bonus point.
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Alchemy of Souls: Part 2
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Daeho's Legendary Couple
Continuing from Season 1, this drama took on a rather darker vibe, dimmer lighting, a more somber ambiance, and a less exaggerated acting. Every characters in Season 1 is living under a shadow on what is happening three years ago. In the middle of all this brooding, we have our FL.Bright-eyed, innocent, bubbly, harmless, and amnesiac, FL barreled her way into Jang Uk's life and turned it upside down with her randomness and out of the blue-actions. While her beauty is unmatched, FL is quite literally a bit dumb, indeed. But it was endearing to me, because in most scenes, her dumbness came in handy when facing a difficult situation. This is GYJ's first lead project, I believe, and she nailed all her characters and give each one of them a different characterization and a whole different aura. She's very good. Her chemistry with Jang Uk was my favorite, quite literally the sunshine and sunshine protector. It's very refreshing to see their moments on screen.
Jang Uk, three years later, is no longer an innocent puppy. He's older, wiser, with heavy burden on his shoulders and he's mainly just very sad, albeit powerful. LJW nailed the acting and give us a more mature vibe, even when he laughs or smiles, it's softer in the edge, like it's more microexpressions now. But there were times when he lost control of his emotions and threw a tantrum, and I went, "there he is, our puppy." It felt nice.
As with the previous seasons, the characters are very well fleshed out, everyone matured and became wiser, story arcs are expanding and getting closer to entangling with each other. In here, more worldbuilding are happening, more backstories are unfolding as it's necessary to solve some of the drama's mysteries. The plot is quite fast paced, as it only has 10 episodes.
Most of the story arcs are wrapped up nicely, plot holes are covered and solved, and everyone get the endings they deserve. I am very satisfied and content with this season and I don't know whether there will be a third season but even if it is, it's going to be good as well, I think.
Overall, I recommend this for those who like historical fantasy, or industrial grade angst with one sided, mutual pining.
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Young Adults Overthrowing The Corrupt Government
The drama has it all, intricate plot without any holes, lively acting, the grandiose of law drama, etc. But you know what else makes me so in love with this drama? The barely-there-romance (or the romance-baiting, for the lack of a better word).In this drama, a group of law students unexpectedly gets tangled in a mess, and ended up working together to solve a big case, in which powerful government officials are involved. It's serious, but also funny, lighthearted and relatable. This absolutely deserves all the hype!
P.S. Prof Yang is the ultimate eye candy here, I'm sorry Han Joon Hwi
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Honestly, this drama is not bad. The story is solid, the characters are lively and the relationships between each character is pretty good, but I think I really am too old to be able to resonate with the FL.
The FL, Xia Xiaoju is your embodiment of teenage girl in CDramas. New girl, timid, not a bright student but tries hard to study well, strong determination, clumsy, low self esteem, etc. For some dramas, this is not an issue, like LCDF, there it was fine, but I don't know what's different with ARRTI, I just could not find myself to care for her character, for me she fits for a side character instead of a FL. Even more I could not stand Cheng Lang and Lu Shiyi, two of the strongest characters in this drama, only being painted as 'love interests'. Maybe it's because it's only the beginning, I don't know either, but I don't think I can watch any longer to find out.
Actually, I do find similarities between this drama and Reply 1988, but the feeling is somehow different. Maybe it will be better if Xiaoju is the one getting on that train instead of Baobao, and we get to see her struggle for a bit by herself. By then maybe we will see why this FL is the lead and not a side. Maybe someday I will find this drama again by accident and decide to re-watch it again and eventually came to like it. I don't know.
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